Well, as I was hoping yesterday, it was indeed Gage Jump to the rescue! The rookie starting pitcher for the A's was outstanding in his second start! His first start showed promise, but this one was a huge improvement. It was a legit gem! With two A's starting pitchers on the IL and another sent to the minors, this was just awesome. Jump pitched seven innings and only allowed one run! He got his first MLB win at Wrigley Field in Chicago in a night game, that must feel amazing! Hopefully Jump can continue to add stability to the rotation.
Jameson Taillon, of the Cubs, pitched pretty well too. Taillon and Jump really had a legit pitchers' duel. Taillon only allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings but obviously Jump was a bit sharper.
Nick Kurtz hit his eleventh home run and he's now homered in three of the past four games! There's small MVP rumblings brewing for him! In addition to his eleven homers, Kurtz currently has 42 RBI, holds a .289 batting average, a .952 OPS, and he leads Major League Baseball with a .440 on-base percentage. Kurtz isn't really a speedster but he even has six stolen bases. The guy is unbelievable!
After holding first place in the AL West for awhile, the A's now find themselves in third, 2.5 games behind the first place Mariners. It's not bad I guess. While there wasn't any real pressure to sustain a first place position so early in the season, they did at least feel mild pressure, and got to experience being on top. Hopefully the A's can use that as a form of experience, stay afloat, and strive to find themselves on top again soon.
Tonight Jeffrey Springs takes the mound for the A's out in Wrigley. Springs has lost four consecutive starts all of a sudden but he really hasn't been that bad overall. His average outing in those starts has looked approximately like 5 2/3 innings and 2.75 earned runs. So hopefully he looks decent again and maybe gets some run support as well.
The weather is perfect in Chicago! Phillies, A's, and NBA Finals Game 1 tonight! Should be fun!
