11 arms for A's in WC Game, but no Piscotty
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OAKLAND -- The A's know the different looks the Rays might throw at them in Wednesday’s American League Wild Card Game, so they’ve constructed their roster in a way to help combat the many possibilities.
For the second year in a row, Oakland’s Wild Card Game roster features 11 pitchers and 14 position players.
Shop for postseason gear: Pitchers (11): Chris Bassitt, Ryan Buchter, Jake Diekman, Mike Fiers, Liam Hendriks, Jesús Luzardo, Sean Manaea, Yusmeiro Petit, A.J. Puk, Joakim Soria, J.B. Wendelken
The suspense came to a halt during Tuesday's media workout at the Coliseum when the A’s named Manaea as their starter for the winner-take-all game. Hendriks enters this game as Oakland’s closer after opening last year’s AL Wild Card Game in New York. He’ll be waiting for the middle-relief handoff, which could feature rookies Luzardo and Puk playing a prominent role, along with reliable veteran Petit. The mixture of left- and right-handed pitchers on the roster gives the A’s opportunities to match up late in the ballgame.
• Dress for October: Shop A's postseason gear
“It's part of what we think will be a bright future, and it's here now, and a lot of our top prospects are here now,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “I think in our organization, players know that we give younger players an opportunity right away, and the opportunity to get them in spots where they have a chance to impact the team. And that's been the case with every single one of these guys, whether it's Puk, Luzardo, [Sean] Murphy. Sheldon [Neuse] has done a good job, too.”
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Catchers (2): Sean Murphy, Josh Phegley
Rookie Murphy’s impressive work as a September callup has earned him a prominent role in the postseason. His experience working with Manaea, Puk and Luzardo in the Minor Leagues should come in handy during Wednesday’s game.
Murphy is joined by Phegley, Oakland’s Opening Day catcher who has enjoyed the most successful offensive season of his career.
Infielders (5): Matt Chapman, Sheldon Neuse, Matt Olson, Jurickson Profar, Marcus Semien
The A’s set a club record for fewest errors in a season with 80, breaking the previous mark of 81 set in 109 games during the strike-shortened 1981 season, and a large part of that was due to an infield that boasts three AL Gold Glove Award candidates. Chapman and Olson already earned the honor last year for their work at the corner spots, with AL MVP Award hopeful Semien having one of the best years of any shortstop in baseball. In addition to playing second base, the switch-hitting Profar also brings versatility, having played the outfield this season. Rookie Neuse quietly put together a nice showing in just a little over a month in the Majors to earn a spot, with the ability to play around the infield.
The decision to start Profar on Wednesday came down to his success against Rays starter Charlie Morton -- Profar is 4-for-11 with a double and a home run against the right-hander.
“Pro has been swinging the bat really well, and he's got some experience off Morton, too. Morton can be very tough on righties,” Melvin said. “We tried to get as many lefties as we could in there today. If we have to make some adjustments as the game goes along, we'll do that, but Pro has been playing pretty good here recently.”
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Outfielders (5): Seth Brown, Mark Canha, Robbie Grossman, Ramón Laureano, Chad Pinder
Stephen Piscotty made it back from injury with a start on the final day of the regular season, but he was left off the AL Wild Card Game roster in favor of more versatility. Laureano has manned the right-field spot over the past month as he eases his way back from a right shin issue, with Canha having a breakout season in center. Rookie Brown made the most of his opportunity as he was called up in late August when Piscotty went down, forcing his way onto the postseason roster with some clutch hits down the stretch. Grossman gives the A’s a switch-hitting option, while Pinder is another right-handed option off the bench who has shown great defense at all three outfield spots.
Designated hitter (1): Khris Davis
Davis has not had the season he expected, turning in just 23 home runs after three straight years of 40-plus homers, but he remains a threat that Tampa Bay must remain wary of.
“I’m not really concerned about what Khris Davis has done this season to date, he’s been a model of consistency for three or four years now,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Very, very dangerous. I think they complement each other really well. We’ve got our hands full.”
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Utility (1): Franklin Barreto
Barreto made the roster over Piscotty, with his speed making him a valuable option off the bench in a pinch-running situation. He’s also added versatility to his game by playing center and left field in addition to second base and shortstop.
“That was the hardest one, not having Stephen on the roster, and he worked so hard to get back,” Melvin said. “I think just the lack of at-bats over the last month-plus played in, and the fact that Franklin gives us a pinch-runner, he gives us a guy that can play the outfield and the infield and multiple positions in the infield. You never know where these games go, so you're just trying to check all the boxes and have potentially a guy in a spot for any particular scenario, and that's why Franklin is here.”