OAKLAND, Calif. _ The A's still love the heat Frankie Montas can throw with his right arm.
What they don't like is seeing the rookie right-hander struggle. And after another bad day for Montas in a 7-5 loss to Toronto, the question is whether or not it's time for Montas to work on his game at Triple-A.
The Blue Jays got a two-run homer from Josh Donaldson and a solo shot from Justin Smoak in the 10th inning off Montas. The right-hander has allowed five homers and 10 runs total in his last four games, covering just 42/3 innings pitched.
"We have not had that conversation," A's general manager David Forst said. "But he has struggled lately."
Montas opted not to talk after the game. It would have been a huge game for the A's to win if for no other reason than Oakland could have completed a sweep of the Blue Jays. The A's have now gone 24 consecutive series without a sweep, one reason they are seven games under .500 at 26-33.
"He's got a good fastball; he's proud of his heater," manager Bob Melvin said of Montas. "But when you get it in the middle of the plate against big league hitters, they're going to turn it around, as you saw."
When the A's picked up Montas from the dodgers in the deal last August that sent Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to Los Angeles, they saw his long-term future as a starter. He's started 86 times in the minor leagues in the White Sox and Dodger organizations. The A's have had him relief for the short-term, hoping he could put that 100-mph fastball to good use in the middle of the A's bullpen.
It hasn't happened. And the A's may opt for him to head back to Triple-A to work on getting his game back together. If so, the club could bring up Felix Doubront, who has made four injury rehab appearances out of the Nashville bullpen after coming back from Tommy John surgery. Or the club could wait until Sunday and have veteran lefty Sean Doolittle come off the DL and take Montas' spot on the roster.
Donaldson had never faced Montas. But the former A's third baseman had the home field advantage from his experience with the three post-season Oakland teams he played with.
