Fatrolf’s Tuesday Sketches: A’s Look to Turn Win Streak Up To 11

Talkin’ Bout Rebounds ... But Not the Draymond Green Kind

It’s mind-blowing that last week my final words in Sketches were a hope — or maybe more like a beg and scream — for the team to work its way back up to .500. Well, we’re singing a different tune this time around now that the A’s have won 10 games in a row and jumped into Wild Card position!

The Sharks were lost this past week to a case of the Blues blues, and with a lengthy wait until the Warriors get back on the warpath, the A’s finally got a chance to be in the limelight. And boy, did they grab it.

It took me a while to finally sit down and write this, because I had to do it right. There’s a difference between tackling my usual positive take on a slumping week or a write-up on a week full of new IL entrees, and writing about the A’s going on a 10-game winning streak. Why? Because as fans, the success of our team means something to us on a personal level.

How many times have you walked to CVS after the A’s dropped a few and our bullpen got shelled, and you just felt a little off? Now, going in to get your allergy meds with your A’s hat on feels just a bit more jovial with how good the guys have been proving themselves to be.

Our team means something to us. They’re not just bland stats on a page, they’re people who we’ve let into our lives — for better or worse, in sickness and in health.

After a dismal 1-11 road slump, the A’s needed something to get going. Something big, wild and bold. How about going streaking?

The A’s started off hungry for Tiger, almost sweeping them off their paws in the four-game set— save for Mike Fiers’ weather-suspended start on May 19th.

If Oakland had only known what hullabaloo would ensue because of this blip, maybe they would have sent out a few more prayers to the weather deities that night. If the streak stands, this will be the first time the A’s have won 10 in a row since 2006. If it stands, the A’s tie a franchise record, beating the Tigers 16 games in a row. If it stands, Fiers gets another W. All of this, at the mercy of just under 3 innings of play, which will take place on Friday, September 6th.

Jurickson Profar has started his own, personal comeback. Profar went from hitting three homers all season, to four in the last two weeks. He had been a question mark as far as his D and O production since the start, but it looks like we’re finally getting a look at what the real Profar is capable of. Fingers crossed he’s on the up from here! How could you not root for that face!?

The rest of the offense has stepped it up as well. The A’s have outscored their opponents 86-36 during their 11-game win streak, including the suspended Tigers game. We have power coming out the wazoo from players the rest of the league doesn’t even know exist. That’s the magic of the A’s for you.

After being forced out of the lineup several times due to his hip/oblique injury suffered on May 5th against the Pirates, Khris Davis finally went on the 10-Day Injured List for some well-needed recovery. His absence has, again, opened up the cracks for the guy with the best name in the minors, Skye Bolt.

On the subject of recovery, a light is finally appearing at the end of the tunnel for Chris Herrmann, the lefty-hitting catcher we signed and then promptly lost to a knee injury in Spring Training. As of yesterday, Herrmann has progressed to baserunning drills, which is his final hurdle before partaking in a minor league rehab assignment. According to Baseball Reference, his nickname is Hermm the Worm, so that in itself is reason enough to want him on the A’s roster ASAP.

Only thing is, Josh Phegley has been doing fantastic for us, taking the added pressure in stride.

Jharel Cotton is making progress, too, ready for his third start for Stockton on Tuesday. He’ll be back soon, barring any major or minor setbacks.

Tonight is the second game against Anaheim at the Coliseum. Looking to turn the streak up to 11, Frankie Montas is taking the mound. Montas has grown from a bullpen larvae to a big, beautiful, butterfly Ace through his third season in an Oakland uniform. With a 6-2 record, 9.2 K/9 and a 2.40 ERA, Francellis Montas is soaring along in his unexpected role of star pitcher, and he’s aiming to prove himself once again tonight.