MESA, Ariz. - Gaudy run totals in spring training usually don't mean a whole lot once the regular season hits.
For A's manager Bob Melvin, it's the manner in which the A's are going about things offensively that's encouraging to him.
Oakland jumped on another opponent early, scoring five runs in the first Friday and rolling to an 8-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Granted, Chicago scratched starter Carlos Rodon in the morning and had to piece the game together with its bullpen.
But that only takes so much luster off the way the A's are going about their business right now. They've won four in a row, and over their past five games they've racked up 71 hits and are averaging more than eight runs per contest in that span.
"The good thing is it's contagious throughout the lineup," Melvin said. "In the first inning alone we had four situational at-bats and four situational plusses. That's something Bushy (hitting coach Darren Bush) really has been stressing all spring. We've had a lot of games where we just pass it on to the next guy, and if we're gonna be successful this year, that's what we're gonna have to do is get contributions throughout the lineup."
It's interesting to watch how Melvin utilizes Matt Joyce. Early on he said he prefers the right fielder batting third when he's in the lineup. But Joyce also is drawing starts at leadoff, as he did Friday, and the No. 2 spot. Increasing on-base percentage is a big need for the A's, and Joyce entered Friday tied for the Cactus league lead with 10 walks.
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He singled to spark a five-run first that included RBI singles from Trevor Plouffe, Yonder Alonso, Mark Canha and Chris Parmelee.
ELITE COMPANY: Melvin threw out some big-time names when asked who young third baseman Matt Chapman reminds him of.
One was Melvin's former Giants teammate, Matt Williams, a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover.
"The defense, Matty was as good as anybody I've seen over at third base," Melvin said. "The power, there are a lot of similarities. That's probably the best comp I could think of."
Melvin also mentioned current Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who has won four consecutive Gold Gloves and posted back-to-back 40-homer seasons.
Not a bad couple of guys to be compared to.
"That's exciting," Chapman said. "It's always nice to have people speak well of you. Those are two guys that I'm aware of how good they are."
NOTEWORTHY: It was another start Friday where Kendall Graveman seemed to be on auto pilot, retiring hitters with ease and holding the White Sox to one run over seven innings. All the more impressive was that A's hitters put together some very long half-innings, where Graveman had to make sure he stayed loose.
He simply took it as a good challenge to prepare for all those cold night games at the Coliseum. Named the A's Opening Night starter just a day earlier, Graveman also used this start to focus on his cutter, being that his sinker has been locked in.
"It was good to have some innings where you have to sit for a while and go back out there," Graveman said.
His ERA is 2.29 through five starts. He has one more tune-up before the April 3 opener against the Los Angeles Angels.
HEALTH UPDATES: Outfielder Jaff Decker continues to progress from his oblique injury. Now the key is whether he can return to games in time to make a final push for the 25-man roster. Alejandro De Aza appears to be his biggest competition to be the fifth outfielder, if the A's end up carrying five.
"It just depends on when he gets in a game," Melvin said of Decker. "I mean, he's done enough obviously to make a big impression on us. But whether or not he's even healthy enough at the end, we'll see."
ODDS AND ENDS: Ryon Healy swatted his fifth homer of the spring, a two-run shot, in the second inning. Entering Friday evening, Healy was tied for the major league lead in RBI (16) with Boston's Pablo Sandoval. … Plouffe is on a recent tear and has lifted his average to .395. … Parmelee, a non-roster outfielder, is impressing in under-the-radar fashion. The left-handed hitter is batting .367. … Melvin is having a heck of a time getting switch hitter Jed Lowrie at-bats from the right side. He purposely switched things up to have Lowrie face the lefty Rodon on Friday, only to have Rodon get scratched. The A's face lefties each of the next two days, and Melvin also mentioned sending Lowrie over to face minor league lefties if need be.
