3 Goals Athletics Must Accomplish To Avoid Getting Swept

In the last two games of the series, the Athletics are batting just .167 (2-for-12) with runners in scoring position. During the loss on Tuesday, the Athletics went 2-for-10, a mark that somehow was able to produce five runs. Knowing this team is capable of producing a run total above the league average while failing to capitalize consistently is something to be proud of.

In order for this to happen, we need to see big games from Jonah Heim and other players who hit in the middle of the lineup. But in order for these opportunities to occur, we need to see Zack Gelof and Henry Bolte get on base at least twice throughout the game. If this can happen, the Athletics should be in a very good spot.

Jacob Lopez Needs More Efficient Innings

A big reason for the Athletics' recent skid was an interesting Jacob Lopez start in the first game of the Orioles series. In the loss, he pitched 5.0 innings while allowing just three hits and giving up one run. This outing, while it looked good on the surface, was the spark for the losing streak.

Lopez would reach 100 pitches exactly to finish the fifth inning. This basically meant that he was headed to the bench, as anything more could have led to injury or a major implosion. This, in turn, would cause Mark Kotsay to go to the bullpen earlier than he would have liked, which paved the way for him to use four relievers to finish the game. This severely limited who the Athletics could use for the rest of that series and, for the most part, in this series.

Bullpen One Earned Run Max

The Athletics bullpen could be in trouble, as the team has already exhausted six different relief pitchers during the series. However, they still have two of their most reliable pitchers, Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris, left to utilize to finish the series. But that does not mean the Athletics should feel comfortable at all.

As mentioned earlier, if Lopez struggles to get outs cleanly, the team could be in a lot of trouble. If this happens, the bullpen has to stand firm by keeping the damage to a minimum. Fewer runs across the board means fewer pitchers, something that will be needed if there is hope for a turnaround vs. the Mariners in the upcoming series.