We're only a little more than a third of the way through the regular season, but it's already been quite a roller coaster for the A's.
Oakland recently put together a 10-game winning streak, followed immediately by five consecutive losses. The A's suffered a six-game losing streak earlier this year, as well as a four-game skid and a pair of three-game stretches.
However, the A's have also enjoyed two separate four-game winning streaks, in addition to that 10-game burst. Oakland will now try to avoid its second six-game losing streak of the season when it opens a three-game series in Anaheim on Tuesday.
"We've been a little streaky this year," said A's outfielder Stephen Piscotty. "We're in these games though. It's not like we're getting blown out. We're right there. We've got to be better though. ... We've just got to keep pushing and battle through it."
Of course, the winning streaks are not a problem. It's the extended losing streaks that are concerning. Last season, Oakland's longest skid lasted just four games, and that only happened once all year.
"We were on a nice little roll and then we lose the last couple, and then three more," said manager Bob Melvin of the team's current five-game losing streak. "We had a lot of momentum going, 10 in a row, and couldn't back it up. It's been a little bit of a roller coaster for us. We've got to find a way to be a little bit more consistent."
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The A's have lacked consistency in just about every facet of the game this year. In the team's 29 wins, Oakland has averaged nearly seven runs per game. In their 30 losses? Just over three per contest.
The same goes for the pitching staff. The A's winning pitchers have an ERA of 1.89, compared to 10.74 for pitchers taking the loss.
Perhaps the biggest difference between this season and last year is the bullpen. The A's have already blown 11 saves this year, tied for second-most in the majors. Last year, Oakland tied for the fifth-fewest with 18.
During the A's 10-game winning streak, we saw what they were capable of at their best. The question is, can they maintain that level of play over an extended period? So far, the answer has been no.
