Beat the drum: WC Game headed to Oakland
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SEATTLE -- Get the vuvuzelas, cowbells and drums ready. After a five-year hiatus, postseason baseball is returning to the Oakland Coliseum.
Ramon Laureano’s home run and stout pitching was all the A’s needed in a 1-0 win over the Mariners on Saturday at T-Mobile Park -- which secured Oakland home-field advantage in Wednesday’s American League Wild Card Game against the Rays.
“There’s gonna be 50,000 people in Oakland, I got a feeling,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “When we get that big of a crowd at home, they have an effect. We’re excited about going home in front of our fans. There’s a great bond between us and the fans there, and they can get pretty loud.”
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The A’s haven’t been performing to their capabilities over the past week, but they’ve received big hits at the right time. Laureano’s 24th homer of the year came in the third on a 3-2 sinking fastball from Mariners starter Marco Gonzales. Even on a cold night, Laureano swatted the pitch 104.6 mph, sending it over the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall and into the second deck an estimated 392 feet per Statcast.
“It’s nice to be able to play him a couple of days in a row,” Melvin said of Laureano, who has been battling through a shin injury. “He showed up huge today with that home run. We’ll give some guys a needed rest tomorrow. We got some banged-up guys. But we wanted to put this one away today.”
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It was pitching, however, that highlighted the night for the A’s, with a performance that they’ll hope to replicate during Wednesday night’s winner-take-all matchup against Tampa Bay. Making his first start since Sept. 17, Brett Anderson showed no signs of rust as he limited Seattle’s offense to just three hits over five innings. Though Anderson’s innings have been limited over the past month, Melvin was willing to let him go back out for the sixth, though the left-hander felt tightness in elbow, leading to his exit at 73 pitches.
“He got a little bit of elbow tightness, so we took him out,” Melvin said of Anderson, who threw harder than usual with a fastball that touched 94 mph. “He had good stuff, and the best velo of the year.”
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Anderson was around for the last postseason series in Oakland, pitching out of the bullpen against the Tigers in the 2013 AL Divsion Series. He remembers how vibrant the Coliseum buzzed at full capacity, and he expects a similar vibe this time around.
“There’s not an atmosphere like it. It’s gonna be rowdy. It’ll be fun to watch,” Anderson said. “These guys have no idea. It’s like a Raiders game. You get crazy people. Usually, there’s some sort of down period in baseball, but the last time I pitched there in the playoffs, there was just constant noise. It’s pretty fun to be a part of.”
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With Anderson’s night cut short, Melvin showed supreme faith in rookie Jesus Luzardo by allowing the club's No. 1 prospect close out the game’s final two innings.
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A starter by trade, Luzardo has made the temporary move to the 'pen this year and showed how much of a weapon he can be in relief. Pitching for the second time in three days, the electric lefty made quick work of the Mariners. He retired six of the nine he faced, including three via strikeout.
“He’s pretty calm. I don’t think the nerves are really there with him,” Melvin said of Luzardo. “We didn’t want him throwing too many pitches. As long as he was under 30, we felt good about it. Now, there will be three days of rest for him as well.”
The 21-year-old Luzardo was well aware of what was on the line. Usually stoic on the mound, he showed a bit of emotion by pumping his glove after earning his second big league save, capped on a flyout of Tim Lopes that stranded the tying run at second. Luzardo has heard about the Coliseum atmosphere in October, and he’s looking forward to getting a chance to contribute.
The way he’s pitched in the Majors -- compiling a 1.80 ERA over five appearances with just four hits allowed and a 13-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 10 innings -- Luzardo might just find himself taking the mound in the Wild Card Game.
“I’m extremely excited,” Luzardo said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed about. We just want the support and hopefully, we get the job done.”