Athletics Lose Series Opener: Takeaways From Defeat to Astros

The Athletics' bullpen has been the only real constant to close out the year. But in this game, they struggled to get out of innings unscathed, with Scott Blewett, Chris Roycroft, and Elvis Alvarado each giving up a solo home run in their outings. While these weren't terrible outings individually, when combined, they are hard to overcome.

Each of these pitchers has had stretches where they have looked amazing, but recently, runs have started to slip here and there, which has essentially shattered the bullpen's facade of being "good." Hopefully, this group gets one more try throughout the series, since ending it with outings like these is less than ideal.

Zack Gelof Will Lead Athletics to Playoffs

Zack Gelof arguably would have had one of his best games of the season in the loss, as he went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a walk. This has been a growing trend for Gelof: in his last 10 games, he is batting .361 with a very impressive 1.231 OPS, along with five home runs and 10 RBIs.

Even though the Athletics haven't done much this season, that will not be the case in 2027. With Gelof emerging as a star, the odds that this team will be able to make the playoffs in 2027 are nearly a lock. His recent surge looks legit, and when combined with the players the Athletics have lost this season, there is reason to believe this team will have a top-10 offense.

Henry Bolte Cannot Go Out Like This

Despite emerging as one of the Athletics' brightest future stars, Henry Bolte went completely quiet in a game that he could have easily swung. In the loss, Bolte went 0-for-5, striking out four times. Considering that Lawrence Butler went 3-for-5 just below him, this game likely would have been the Athletics' to lose if Bolte had done anything.

While Bolte is just a rookie, it might be time to hold him to a higher standard. The talent is clearly there, but the production needs to remain steady. In the previous game, Bolte went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. This drop in production from game to game cannot be a theme throughout his career.