OAKLAND, Calif. _ There's hitters going on hot streaks to begin their careers and then there's what Matt Olson has accomplished, which is now just ridiculous.
Olson blasted yet another home run in Friday's 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers in front of 13,848 fans at the Coliseum. The two-run bomb came in the second inning off an 0-2 pitch from Nick Martinez and continued what has been an unbelievable start to Olson's big league career.
Through his first 68 games in the majors, Olson has mashed 24 home runs. Since 1913, only Jose Abreu, with 25, hit more home runs through as many games to begin his career. If that's not an impressive enough stat for you, here's another: Olson's home run pushed his at-bats per home run down to 7.50 on the season. For players with a minimum of 200 at-bats, only Barry Bonds in 2001 and Mark McGwire in 1998 and 2000 averaged a home run in fewer at-bats.
Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin has run out of adjectives for Olson's extraordinary run. He's now homered in six of his last seven games and 16 of the last 23 going back to Aug. 27. His 13 home runs in September are also the most by a rookie in MLB history.
Olson's bomb alone provided enough support for Kendall Graveman. The A's ace was sharp through seven innings, working through six hits and three walks to allow just one run. His only real mistake came on a 1-0 pitch to Shin-Soo Choo that was sent over the left field wall for a solo shot in the third.
The win came on the day the A's were officially eliminated from playoff contention. But that doesn't mean they don't have anything to play for.
With six of the final nine games against Texas, the fate of the Rangers playoff chances hinges on how they fare against the A's. The chance to keep the Rangers out of the postseason will serve as motivation for this young A's squad, and the experience gained from playing in these types of games is something Melvin considers invaluable for the team's growth.
"It creates a little different atmosphere that you play in. It feels like you're almost in that playoff-type atmosphere," Melvin said before the game. "In (Texas') position, every game feels like it's the seventh game. They're gonna get after it as hard as they can. We're gonna feel that on the other side, so I think it's good for our guys to feel that type of intensity. Hopefully we'll be better for it and recognize it down the road."
