Nine Runs in Four Innings: The A's Sent Kade Morris Down After His Brutal Debut

Okay, Mariners fans, you won't believe what's happening over with the A's. Seriously, early season drama is already popping off, and it's looking *rough* out there. We're talking about a move so fast, so sudden, you just know it came from pure desperation. The Oakland Athletics, still figuring out their whole... *existence* situation, just shuffled their pitching staff, and it all revolves around one truly catastrophic debut. They recalled right-hander Joey Estes from their Las Vegas affiliate, which means one thing: rookie Kade Morris got sent packing right back to Triple-A. After one game. Can you even imagine?

Kade Morris Got Absolutely SHELLED Against Houston

Let's just be real for a second. This wasn't just a bad outing for Kade Morris; this was a complete, unmitigated disaster. The 23-year-old rookie was thrown into the fire against the Astros last Saturday for his major league debut, and Houston showed him zero mercy. I mean, seriously, can you even imagine? In just four-plus innings, Morris coughed up *nine* runs on *nine* hits. Not just singles either, three of those were absolute moonshots for homers. He managed to strike out four and walked three, but the damage was done. The Athletics got absolutely clobbered, falling 13-3 in Houston, and Morris took the loss. He hasn't pitched since. When you get lit up that badly, that quickly, a move was pretty much guaranteed. It's a brutal welcome to the big leagues, and honestly, you gotta feel for the kid, even if he's on another team.

Meet the "Replacement": Joey Estes's Up and Down Track Record

So, the guy they're bringing up to try and stop the bleeding is Joey Estes. He's 24 years old, and you look at his Triple-A numbers down in Las Vegas this season, and yeah, they're not exactly screaming "ace in the making," are they? Estes went 2-6 with a 5.95 ERA in 12 starts for their minor league club. He punched out 39 hitters but also walked 38 in 59 innings. Last year, Estes made a couple of early-season starts and one relief appearance for the A's, going 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA. Across parts of three major league seasons, all with Oakland, he's got a 7-12 record and a 5.51 ERA. He's fanned 105 and walked 35 in 148 2/3 innings. It's not exactly a confidence-inspiring call-up, but after what Morris just did, you can see why they felt they had no choice but to try something, *anything* different.

The A's Are Still Playing Musical Chairs, On and Off the Field

This whole pitching shuffle is happening while the A's are right in the middle of playing a series against the Milwaukee Brewers. And get this, they're playing those "home" games in a minor league park in Sin City. The team's temporary home is West Sacramento, Calif., but everyone knows the plan is to officially move to Las Vegas in 2028, where they're building a new stadium. It just adds another layer of weirdness and instability to everything happening with that club. Look, this move shows you how quickly things can spiral for a team when the pitching isn't there, especially early in the season. For the A's, this is just another bump in what's already looking like a very long road. It'll be interesting to see if Estes can bring any stability to their rotation, or if this is just the first of many desperate moves in what promises to be a chaotic year for them.

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