23-9 Bombing With 24 Hits Allowed: The Athletics' 'Homestand' Is a Mess and Nobody's Talking About It

Alright, Seattle, can we talk about the Athletics for a second? What is even happening with this team? They just gave up a mind-boggling TWENTY-FOUR hits and SIX home runs in a single game on Sunday. A 23-9 absolute shellacking by the Colorado Rockies! Yet, somehow, this team also managed to win four of six games during their bizarre "homestand" in Las Vegas last week. If that doesn't scream peak baseball chaos, I don't know what does!

The A's Wild Ride: Vegas Highs, Sacramento Lows

This whole A's situation is unreal. They’ve been bouncing between their "future home" in Las Vegas, playing at the Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark, and their "present home" in West Sacramento. They had a decent run in Vegas, taking two of three from both the Brewers and the Rockies. But that Sunday loss, giving up 24 hits and six dingers? Brutal. Now, they're back in West Sacramento to open a three-game series against the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

The good news, if there is any, is that J.T. Ginn is slated to pitch. He's arguably their best, with a 4-3 record and a 3.15 ERA. His last outing was a 7-5 win against the Brewers, where he gave up five runs on eight hits in five-plus innings. A's manager Mark Kotsay noted the thin Vegas air, saying, "These conditions to pitch in are tough, but he (Ginn) grinded and gave us what we needed." Ginn had a red-hot 1.49 ERA over his six previous starts. He's 9-11 (4.23 ERA) in 46 career games and hasn't faced Pittsburgh. On offense, the A's bats were still alive Sunday, racking up 15 hits and two homers. Tyler Soderstrom snagged two hits, including his 12th home run, and has reached base in 21 straight games.

Pirates' Pitching Chess Game and Offensive Woes

Then we've got the Pirates, who roll into this series after dropping seven of their last nine, including two of three in Miami. Their ace, Paul Skenes, struck out 10 on Sunday against the Marlins, but the team still lost 4-2. The Pirates have lost SIX straight starts by Skenes! Manager Don Kelly is clearly frustrated, saying, "It hasn't been one thing, just we haven't put together a complete game with him out there. He has been consistent every time out there."

For Monday, the Pirates are sending right-hander Jared Jones (1-0, 4.73 ERA) to the hill. Kelly has a strategic plan, slotting Jones between Skenes and Mitch Keller, their "innings-eaters." The idea? Save the bullpen. Kelly told Yahoo Sports that Jones "is not going to be unleashed... it's going to be managed as we go." Jones has made three starts this season, totaling 13 1/3 innings. Kelly praised Keller as a "great pitcher" and "innings eater." Jones, with a 7-8 career record in 25 starts, hasn't faced the A's yet.

So, Monday night: a team fresh off a historic shelling but still hitting, against a team that can't back its ace and is playing bullpen chess. This A's vs. Pirates series opener in West Sacramento? It's going to be a bizarre baseball showdown. Don't miss it!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.