The A’s thoroughly enjoyed their first game ever at Nationals Park on Tuesday night, thanks to a 10-6 victory. But the debut in Washington creating the most buzz around the team is still to come.
Former Saint Mary’s College left-hander Ken Waldichuk, the top prospect acquired from the Yankees in the Frankie Montas trade, will start Thursday’s game while making his major league debut.
“It’s exciting,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said in announcing Waldichuk will become Oakland’s club-record 16th rookie to make his big league debut this season. “Any time you get a look at a young player that we’ve acquired and we’re excited about his future, it’ll be a fun day.”
The A’s have already set a high standard for enjoyment this series. In a battle between the teams with the two worst records in baseball, the A’s made themselves at home after becoming the last MLB team to play its first game at the park that opened in 2008.
Sean Murphy delivered the biggest, loudest and most impactful of Oakland’s 13 hits when he blasted his first career grand slam to give the A’s a 10-5 lead in the fifth inning. Murphy and Tony Kemp each had three hits as all but two A’s hitters had a hit by the third inning.
The 10 runs enabled Oakland (49-81) to win its third straight and marked just the fourth time the A’s scored in double figures in 130 games this season.
Cole Irvin (7-11), who was coming off a career-high 11 strikeouts in his seven innings of shutout ball against Miami last Wednesday, was the beneficiary of the offensive uprising. He was hardly comfortable out there, though. That’s nothing new for the 28-year-old, who has had a 1.88 ERA at the Coliseum but a 4.88 ERA in 10 non-Oakland starts.
Irvin gave up nine hits and five earned runs in 5.1 innings while throwing a career-high 105 pitches.
The 24-year-old Waldichuk is hopeful of a smoother time on Thursday. If his minor league performance this season is any indication, he should be ready. Waldichuk had pitched to a 2.84 ERA in 95 minor-league innings in 2022.
Waldichuk was originally a fifth-round Yankees pick in 2019 out of Saint Mary’s and has developed an upper 90s fastball. He became the A’s No. 3 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, when he arrived along with pitchers JP Sears and Luis Medina and infielder Cooper Bowman for Montas and Lou Trivino on Aug. 1.
Waldichuk’s bid for some memorable firsts on Thursday could get a little inspiration from Dermis Garcia. The A’s rookie belted his first big-league home run, a two-run, 410-foot shot that ignited a five-run third inning. Four batters and three hits later, Nick Allen’s RBI single tied the game at 4-all and chased Nats starter Erik Fedde, who gave up an alarming nine hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Oakland wasn’t done scoring when reliever Hunter Harvey came on, either. Kemp pulled a ball into the corner in right, bringing in two runs to give Oakland a 6-4 lead.
Washington clawed back to 6-5 in the fourth on Joey Meneses’ run-scoring double, his third double in three at-bats against Irvin.
Murphy wasted little time in providing Irvin with a quick lead. The A’s catcher drilled a single to left-center to bring home Kemp, who doubled as the very first Oakland hitter ever at Nationals Park.
The Nationals scored even quicker as Irvin’s season-long, first-inning issues continued. Lane Thomas belted Irvin’s second pitch over the fence in left-center for his 14th home run. Thomas’ 422-foot drive evened the score.
Nelson Cruz’s sacrifice fly to the warning track in right scoring Meneses gave Washington a 2-1 lead and further inflated Irvin’s 2022 first-inning ERA to 6.75.
Irvin’s troubles uncharacteristically continued into the second inning when Thomas shot a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield and Meneses sliced an RBI double toward the corner in right for a 4-1 lead. Before Tuesday, Irvin had been superb when given a second chance as his second-inning ERA was just 2.05.
JACKSON OUT OF ACTION
Right-handed rookie reliever Zach Jackson, who leads the American League with 27 holds, was placed on the 15-day injured list before Tuesday’s game with right shoulder inflammation.
The 27-year-old Jackson has been one of the most consistent bullpen performers this season, pitching to a 3.00 ERA in 48 innings over 54 games. He’s only permitted one home runs this eason and is fourth among AL relievers with an opponents slugging percentage of just .232. His IL stint is retroactive to Aug. 27.
Before his injury news, Jackson seemed in line to take over closer duties from Dany Jimenez, who was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday with a strained shoulder.
WEDNESDAY’S MATCHUP
James Kaprielian (3-8, 4.88 ERA) is hoping to atone for his worst start of the season when he takes the mound Wednesday night against Washington. Kaprielian was hit hard in an 8-3 loss against the Yankees last Thursday, giving up a season-high eight runs while walking a season-worst-tying six batters.
The Nats counter with 38-year-old veteran Anibal Sanchez (0-5, 5.72 ERA).
