Andujar + Rooker = A lot more offense for the A's

ATLANTA -- The A’s were excited about the prospect of Miguel Andujar and Brent Rooker forming a potent threat in the middle of their order this season.

A knee injury that sidelined Andujar near the end of Spring Training prevented the A’s from seeing the duo perform together through the first two months of the regular season. Over the past week, however, the two have shown why Oakland was so excited, coming out in full force on Saturday afternoon.

The A’s 11-9 victory over the Braves at Truist Park was keyed by Andujar and Rooker. Batting second and third in the lineup, respectively, the pair combined for eight RBIs, going 6-for-10 with two homers and a double.

Andujar has hit the ground running since making his season debut on May 24. Matching a career high with four hits and four RBIs on Saturday, his 12 RBIs are the most by a player through their first seven games with the A’s since Jack Cust (14) in 2007. Batting .448 with a 1.157 OPS over that stretch, his 13 hits are tied for sixth most by an A’s player through their first seven games with the club and the most since Jed Lowrie, who also had 13 in 2013.

The hot start feels like a continuation of what Andujar has done since being claimed off waivers from the Pirates last November. He hit .306 in 31 games while playing for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League, then established himself as part of Oakland’s plans for 2024 by hitting .357 with a 1.110 OPS and a team-best five home runs in 14 Cactus League games before tearing the meniscus in his right knee. Prior to his return earlier this month, he swung the bat well in five rehab games for Triple-A Las Vegas, going 7-for-18 (.389) with four doubles and six RBIs.

“When he was in winter ball, we talked and he was so excited to have an opportunity to be part of this group,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “It showed in Spring Training. He really fit in well. … He’s been itching to get back here, and since he’s been back, he’s provided a spark to the offense.”

Andujar has brought a certain clutch factor for an A’s club that has struggled for most of the year hitting with runners in scoring position. He’s now 8-for-13 (.615) with two homers and 12 RBIs in such situations.

Despite being a free-swinger, Andujar has only struck out twice in 30 plate appearances, and he seemingly makes hard contact every time up. In addition to his three-run shot off Chris Sale in the second that was scorched 105.4 mph off the bat, he also belted singles at exit velocities of 106.7 and 99.6 mph.

“Watching him hit is really fun,” said Rooker, whose 2-for-4 effort with four RBIs pushed his on-base streak to 12 games. “It’s impressive. It just seems like he’s on every pitch all the time. He can make hard contact with any pitch in any count.”

Andujar and Rooker weren’t the only two with big days in this high-scoring affair. Rookie Max Schuemann capped a career-best four-hit day of his own with a leadoff double in the eighth that led to the A’s adding an important insurance run two batters later on an RBI single by Andujar. The four hits by Schuemann and Andujar marked the first time two A’s players recorded four hits in the same game since Marcus Semien and Joey Wendle on Oct. 1, 2016.

Every bit of this offensive outburst was vital for the A’s. After tagging Sale for a career-high-tying eight runs in four innings, the Braves stormed back with six runs in the fifth off starter Aaron Brooks to pull ahead with a one-run lead. Showing resilience, the A’s jumped ahead again in the top of the sixth on Rooker’s two-run double.

“From an offensive standpoint, today was one of our best games of the year,” Kotsay said. “We faced an elite pitcher in Chris Sale who is having a really good year. To put the at-bats that we put together against him early shows we had a good gameplan and executed it.”

With flamethrowing rookie closer Mason Miller unavailable after throwing two innings and 32 pitches on Thursday, Dany Jiménez got the call for the A’s in the ninth and turned in a scoreless frame to snap a three-game losing skid for Oakland.

“As much as you want to push him and he wants to push, we made the right decision for him today,” Kotsay said of staying away from Miller in the ninth. “Mason will be ready [Sunday].”