The A's sure know how to walk it off in grand style.
Jesus Luzardo's first career MLB start was worth the wait. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get any run support, but the A's still managed to pull out a 5-1 walk-off win over Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in the opening game of a three-game series at the Coliseum.
Luzardo looked well beyond his years, making several Rangers hitters look foolish from the get-go. Texas starter Lance Lynn was equal to the task, however, as the veteran right-hander tossed six scoreless innings before Matt Chapman spoiled his shutout with an opposite-field home run to lead off the seventh.
After Chapman singled following Matt Olson's walk to begin the bottom of the ninth inning, Mark Canha drew a walk to load the bases. Franklin Barreto replaced Olson as a pinch-runner, and they all came home to score on Stephen Piscotty's walk-off grand slam.
Here's what you missed from the A's fourth straight win:
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Luzardo dazzles in debut
He's more than ready, folks.
After making multiple relief appearances, Luzardo made his first MLB start Tuesday and absolutely proved he belongs. Over five scoreless innings, he allowed just two hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He mixed speeds effectively, using his electric fastball and deceptive changeup to keep hitters off balance.
He didn't simply impress with his arm, however. Luzardo was composed, and fielded his position quite well on more than one occasion. It was the kind of performance that hinted at not only a possible Cy Young in his future, but a Gold Glove as well.
He can field too 🤭 pic.twitter.com/TdPtriPg7l
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 5, 2020
Luzardo threw 76 pitches in the outing. There's no doubt he'll remain in the rotation moving forward.
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Picking it clean
Luzardo wasn't the only A's player who flashed the glove Tuesday night. Within the first three innings, Olson and Sean Murphy joined him in making great defensive plays. Murphy's was particularly important, as he threw Isiah Kiner-Falefa out at third in the third inning when the Rangers third baseman tried to advance on a ball in the dirt.
Matt Chapman joined the club in the fourth, diving to his left to grab a hard-hit grounder by Robinson Chirinos before getting to his feet and ending the inning with a strong throw to first.
If the A's pitch and field like they did Tuesday, they'll win more often than not.
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Heating up
It took longer than many expected, but the A's seem to be finding their groove. They took the final three games of the series against the Mariners, and further extended their lead atop the AL West on Tuesday night.
While the bats still need to ramp up, the pitching has been tremendous over this most recent stretch. Oakland has allowed six total runs over the course of the current winning streak, with all four starters getting through the fifth inning, and the bullpen has been lights out.
The A's know they can play much better than they have to this point, and yet they're 7-4, tied for the third-best record in the league. There's every reason to believe the hits will start coming, and when they do, Oakland could open up some breathing room in the division.
A's takeaways: What you might have missed in walk-off 5-1 win vs. Rangers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
