A’s vs. Nationals game thread

Don’t freak out but the Oakland Athletics have won 5 of their last 6 and are only 2 games below .500. Does this mean the A’s are kind of... competent? Who knows, but another win today would help us find out.

It’s game two of the A’s home series against the Washington Nationals. Last night, Paul Blackburn and Lawrence Butler balled out, carrying Oakland to a walk-off 2-1 victory. The former will get a well-earned day of rest while the latter gets a chance to relay his breakout night into a legitimate hot streak.

In place of Pauly B, who’s now riding his own streak of 19 ¹⁄₃ scoreless innings to start the season — a franchise record — youngster Joe Boyle will look to strengthen his so-far oscillating rookie campaign. His first start was disastrous, lasting just a couple of innings and change while allowing 7 earned runs, while his second was closer to what we saw from his last year as he shut out the Detroit Tigers for a full five.

Facing the Nats’ own young stuff-master in Mackenzie Gore, the A’s are rolling out a righty-heavy lineup, with the exception of the aforementioned Butler of course. Rookie Max Schuemann, who scored yesterday’s winning run as pinch-runner, will get his first major league start and plate appearance. Defensively, he’ll be lined up in center field in place of JJ Bleday.

Meanwhile, the Nats are rolling out most of their guys that started yesterday with the exception of cleanup hitter Joey Meneses.

First pitch gets going at 1:07 p.m. PT. See y’all here!