OAKLAND – Normally, an off-day could disrupt a club’s mojo as impressive as the A’s were located. But even an unexpected day of rest failed to cool the hottest baseball team.
After being postponed from Monday’s game, the A’s continued their dominance by beating a doubleheader against the Twins with a few shutouts. A gem thrown by Sean Manaea in a 7-0 win in Game 1 was followed by a strong performance by Jesús Luzardo in a 1-0 win in Game 2, which was only the third time in Oakland history that the A’s are an opponent scoreless in both games of a doubleheader and the first time since September 9, 1974, when Vida Blue and Catfish Hunter combined to blank the Royals with two shutouts. Of course, those games were nine-inning games, contrary to the seven-inning rule for doubleheaders this season.
The win in the second game extended the A’s winning streak to 10 games, which is now the longest streak over the Majors this season. In that 10-game stretch, the starting pitchers excelled, going 7-0 with a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings.
“I would say we get motivated by looking at each other,” said Luzardo. “I can see all these guys doing well and we just said, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ If they do it right, you don’t want to be a weak link. You have to go out and do your thing. We all feel the same way, and we have a lot of fun doing it. “
Luzardo has yet to reach the Ace status the A’s hoped for. The 23-year-old lefty fights through the inconsistencies faced by most young pitchers of his caliber early in their careers. But outings like the one he turned in on Tuesday night, maintain Oakland’s confidence that Luzardo could be lining up for a breakthrough this season.
Luzardo faced the minimum for four innings and made quick work of the Twins, giving up only two hits and one walk with six strikeouts spread over 5 1/3 innings. His electric arm was fully exposed, with his final throw a 96.7 mph fastball that Ryan Jeffers swung through for hit three.
On Tuesday, many things were different about Luzardo, and not just with his pitching. After the shortest outing in his career, in which he gave up five runs in 2 2/3 innings against the D-backs last week, Luzardo decided to switch. He dropped his contacts and wore his glasses back on the mound, something he’d done for all of his appearances prior to this season, dating back to his Little League days. He also changed his entry number back to Bryant Myers’ “WOW” – the one he used in 2020 before tinkering with a few different tunes earlier this season.
“I just felt like I was getting away from myself,” said Luzardo. ‘That look is just my thing. Now I am back to myself. “
Luzardo’s fastball can be a beautiful thing if it works for him. Having good control over it against the Twins, he took full advantage, throwing it for 60 percent of his throws and generating nine whiffs, the most he had on all of his throws.
Seth Brown – who foresaw the only foul for the A’s with an RBI-single against José Berrios in the fourth – has seen Luzardo at his best, as the two worked their way up the organization system together in the Minor Leagues. From his standpoint as the right fielder on Tuesday night, the left-handed player resembled the promising future star he has been heralded in recent years in every way.
“He’s got great stuff. When he’s doing his thing out there, it’s just fun to watch, ”Brown said. “As he gets into his role and rhythm, it’s just fun to be a part of it.”
The dazzling heater – reaching a maximum of 99.1 mph – to emphasize an impressive four-tone blend is just part of the equation that makes Luzardo so special. He has another quality that cannot be learned: resilience.
Luzardo’s rebound from a tough outing last week wasn’t the first time he exhibited this trait. Two of his four winless appearances last season also came after rough performances in which he gave up four runs and six runs.
“He’s really talented and he’s very confident,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “He has had to endure some tough parts. But it seems that when he has a tough game, he comes back and responds. “
Luzardo even fended off some external setbacks. During the fifth inning with one out and a runner on, Luzardo and his teammates were told by referees to leave the field after a light tower went out in the top deck of the Colosseum, similar to the issue that took place on May 7, 2019., when the lights went out before Mike Fiers threw a no-hitter later that night.
Luzardo kept his arm warm by throwing 12 pitches into the bullpen, overcame a 25-minute delay and retired three of his last four batters, including two via strikeout.
“It was absolutely weird. It’s never happened to me, ”Luzardo said. “I heard it happened in 2019 and Fiers threw a no-hitter, so that was the joke. I’m just glad we got the game. “