Bleday relishing 'new beginning' with A's

MIAMI -- From the approach to the patience at the plate and the power JJ Bleday possesses, the A’s envision a promising future from the 25-year-old outfielder.

It’s just a matter of tapping into the potential, which takes time.

Bleday showed another glimpse of his ability to impact a game on Friday night with his fourth-inning double, the lone extra-base hit the A’s had in their 4-0 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park.

The A’s didn’t get too many runners in scoring position against Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera, who dominated with 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Cabrera yielded four hits, with Bleday one of just three Oakland baserunners to advance into scoring position.

Like many of the A’s young players, Bleday is gaining valuable experience developing in the big leagues on a team struggling for wins.

“It’s tough,” said Bleday, who finished the night 1-for-3. “No one said it was going to be easy. That’s the fun part about it. You’ve just got to keep doing your thing and trusting the process.”

Oakland has dropped 12 straight road games, and will try to turn that around on Saturday.

Leading off the fifth inning on Friday, Bleday turned on Cabrera’s 84.7 mph breaking ball, bouncing a double down the first-base line. The A’s, however, weren’t able to capitalize, as he was stranded at second.

“We couldn’t get anything going offensively,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We had a couple of chances. Guys getting to second base. Just couldn’t advance them.”

The A’s went with hard-throwing Shintaro Fujinami as their opener, continuing a recent trend the club has adopted for its pitching staff, and the right-hander surrendered a two-out single to Bryan De La Cruz, followed by a two-run, opposite-field home run by Jesús Sánchez.

Fujinami brought the heat. Of the 19 pitches he threw, four eclipsed the 100 mph barrier -- but that Sánchez homer effectively put a wrap on Friday's contest, as Oakland's offense couldn't muster much in support.

In relief, left-hander Hogan Harris worked five effective innings, giving up two runs and striking out five.

But the Marlins padded their lead off Harris in the fifth inning on Jorge Soler’s RBI double and De La Cruz’s two-out, run-scoring single.

“Two-out hits, unfortunately, are part of baseball,” Harris said. “It’s my least favorite part of baseball, but it’s part of it. Overall, I felt like I was executing fairly well. A lot of great defensive plays behind me. That’s massive, especially, with the amount of ground balls these guys hit.”

Harris’ effort was a bright spot, as was the fact Oakland pitching didn’t allow a walk for the first time this season.

“The biggest thing for the pitching staff is we didn’t have any walks tonight,” Kotsay said. “I think that’s our first game this season without issuing a free base, which is an improvement.”

For Bleday, Friday marked a homecoming of sorts, as he was originally selected by the Marlins fourth overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.

In February, Bleday was dealt to Oakland for reliever A.J. Puk, who was closing for Miami before going on the injured list.

“The Marlins gave me an opportunity to play here, and I’m forever grateful for that,” Bleday said pregame Friday. "But now I’m here as an opponent. We’re just here to keep it at a business level, just go out there and compete and try to win some games.”

As a rookie with Miami in 2022, Bleday appeared in 65 games and showed a disciplined approach, but he endured some growing pains. In 238 plate appearances, he hit .167/.277/.309 with five home runs and 16 RBIs.

The Marlins had a surplus of outfielders and a need for a high-leverage reliever, so Bleday became a tradeable asset.

“You never know in professional sports, you can get traded at any given time,” said Bleday, who has made a few impressive outfield plays so far with the A's. “So I never thought of anything like that. I was taking it a year at a time, and a game at a time. Obviously, this offseason, before Spring [Training], I got traded. I just kind of started a new beginning here, and it’s been fun so far.”

Bleday had a strong opening month at Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .316 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 25 games, earning a big league promotion.

Bleday clearly has upside, and the A’s are in a position to be patient with him.

“He’s learning, and he’s going to continue to learn,” Kotsay said. “He was here [in Miami] last year. There were some bright spots for him last year. There’s going to be bright spots this year. We’re excited about his future here. He’s a great kid. He works hard. The results will come."