Sears steps up with seven innings to aid an ailing A's bullpen

ATLANTA -- JP Sears has proven to be “Mr. Consistent” for the A’s as the only rotation member yet to miss a start over the past two seasons. So amid the chaos of a 26-day stretch that has seen six pitchers land on the injured list, who else could the A’s count on to provide some stability? None other than Sears.

The A’s entered Friday night with a taxed bullpen that led the Majors in innings pitched (228 2/3) this season. Flamethrowing rookie closer Mason Miller had pitched in two of the past three days, including a two-inning, 33-pitch appearance on Thursday, while fellow relievers T.J. McFarland and Michael Kelly had each pitched all three days of a three-game series at Tampa Bay earlier this week.

More than anything, the A’s were in dire need of a long outing from Sears. While it was not enough for a victory, as they fell to the Braves, 4-2, on Friday at Truist Park, Sears delivered a solid seven innings. The left-hander allowed four runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

“This is what JP does,” said manager Mark Kotsay. “He really grinds. He goes and competes. … He used his changeup well and got a lot of soft contact and popups. To get through seven tonight with the way the bullpen was, it was kind of what we needed.”

The night could have become disastrous on the pitching side given how Sears began his outing. He allowed three runs through a laborious first two innings that required 42 pitches.

Instead of crumbling, though, Sears regrouped. Following a two-run double allowed to Jarred Kelenic on a 2-0 fastball with one out in the second, Sears locked in and ended the night retiring 17 of his final 20 batters faced, getting through his last five innings on just 55 pitches to finish with a total of 97.

“I was super thrilled to get through seven [innings] after the way it started,” Sears said. “It was the product of some good innings in the middle, but obviously not enough. I’m just a little frustrated with those first two innings, especially the leadoff walk to start the game. I feel like I kind of gave in to Kelenic there with two guys on base. Just some frustrating stuff early, but it was good to get through seven.”

Making his team-leading 12th start on Friday, Sears has now pitched at least into the sixth inning eight times. Though his ERA ticked up to 4.01, he remains an important “glue guy” for an A’s pitching staff that is currently down four members from its Opening Day starting rotation.

“That was something on my mind coming into the game,” Sears said. “I knew in Tampa we used our guys a lot. Guys have been throwing the ball really well, but we’ve been hit with the injury bug. I was just trying to give our bullpen a rest tonight and knew that was part of my job. I was glad to get through that seventh inning after the long first two.”

Sears virtually gave the entire bullpen a rest. The only other A’s pitcher to enter the game was Brady Basso, who came on in the eighth for his Major League debut.

Rated Oakland’s No. 20 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Basso made quick work of the middle of Atlanta’s order. He began by striking out Marcell Ozuna on a 76.3 mph curveball and retired Matt Olson and Adam Duvall for a quick outing that required just eight pitches.

“For a kid to come in and face the 3-4-5 in the Braves order and go 1-2-3, that’s a nice inning,” Kotsay said of Basso. “He was composed out there for his first outing. He pounded the zone. Overall, it was good stuff. I really liked his stuff tonight.”

Aside from Miguel Andujar, who continued to swing a hot bat with a two-hit night that put him at nine hits through his first six games with the A’s, the offense was mostly shut down by Braves starter Reynaldo López. The right-hander held Oakland to one run on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts through six innings, lowering his National League-leading ERA to 1.73.

“It was unfortunate that our offense just couldn’t get going or do anything against López,” Kotsay said. “He’s got good life to his fastball, but the slider was really effective tonight. … That slider has some late bite in the zone, and our guys weren’t picking it up well.”