Fast and fearless Pache cementing place in A's outfield

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cristian Pache was admittedly a bit anxious as he tracked a ball struck hard by Twins center fielder Gilberto Celestino in the fourth inning, sensing the little distance between himself and the center-field wall at Target Field.

Given the tightly-contested nature of what ended up a 2-1 loss for the A’s on Friday night, Pache also knew every out was vital. Putting that initial concern to the side, the center fielder extended his glove in the air as he reached the warning track and slammed his body just to the right of the 411-foot marker. Pache hung on for what was a brilliant inning-ending catch to add to his early-season highlight reel, and shortly after getting checked on by left fielder Chad Pinder, he jumped to his feet and flexed his arms before running back to the A’s dugout.

The elite defense Pache brought with him from his days in the Braves organization has quickly proven to be as good as advertised. Entering the night, his three runs prevented and three outs above average were tied for most among Major League center fielders. But Friday’s stellar play showed the A’s something new about the 23-year-old rookie: He’s fearless.

“When I first went after it, I thought it might drop,” Pache said. “I saw that I was pretty close to the wall, but I wasn’t scared. I just tried to catch it, and thankfully, nothing bad happened.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay, a former center fielder of 17 big league seasons, understands what was going through Pache’s mind as he chased after that ball.

“Really difficult catch going into the fence,” Kotsay said. “He went a long way for that ball. I don’t know what the Statcast info is, but he’s showing his worth out there. Gap to gap, that kid can go get it.”

The Statcast info showed that Pache probably had no business making that catch. Celestino’s ball was scorched 100 mph off the bat and traveled a projected 397 feet, with an expected batting average of .650. It took a herculean effort of 101 feet covered by Pache to prevent that ball from falling for extra bases.

Pache’s hustle was much appreciated by left-hander Zach Logue, Oakland’s No. 20 prospect, who was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas Friday afternoon and turned in a solid first Major League start as he limited the Twins to two runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings.

“I had some good defense behind me,” Logue said. “I think I owe Pache a dinner or something like that. That was an incredible catch.”

Did he actually think Pache had a chance at that ball?

“I’ve seen him make some crazy, crazy catches,” Logue said. “So whenever you see him running after it, after seeing what he’s done already this year, you know he’s capable of it. It’s nice to see him patrolling center, for sure.”

Pache has manned center field on an everyday basis this season while the A’s await the return of Ramón Laureano from his 80-game suspension. Laureano, who has handled center field duties for the A’s since 2018, is set to rejoin the club for Sunday’s series finale against the Twins. However, he will likely shift over to right field once he comes back, a testament to the impressive glovework Pache has displayed in center.

For the A’s as a whole, Friday’s game was another scuffling performance on offense. They were held to one run or fewer for the eighth time in the last 12 games, recording just four hits in what was Oakland’s seventh consecutive defeat and 10th in their last 12 contests.

Offense also remains a work in progress for Pache. It’s the one tool that has always been in question for him by scouts, even as he frequently was rated among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects over the past few years.

Though his batting average currently sits at .183, Pache did show some encouraging signs at the plate on Friday, utilizing his elite speed to beat out an infield single in the sixth that later led to him scoring what was the only run of the night for the A’s on Jed Lowrie’s sacrifice fly.

“I had some good at-bats today,” Pache said. “I’m still working on the adjustments needed to improve. It’s a long season. There’s still a chance to keep improving and that’s what I’m doing. Just give the best of myself.”