Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jharel Cotton (45) eyes the camera in the dugout before the game between the Oakland A’s and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA, Photographer: Peter Joneleit (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

On the Podcast with Jerry F:

1  A’s pitcher Jharel Cotton had his mix of pitches which was working for him to start 2017 but afterwards teams started learning about his pitches and Cotton started tailing off and Wednesday night he dropped his record to 5-9 and raised his ERA to 5.72

2 Was Cotton’s success primarily due to the fact that he got called up early in the season and no one knew how to hit him

3 A’s catcher Josh Phegley is back in the batting cage after suffering an oblique injury also outfielder Jake Smolinski had a shoulder injury has rehabbed and now can throw 90 feet

4 A’s catcher Dustin Garneau has worked well behind the plate he has played in three games worth but has impressed so much that manager Bob Melvin is planning to use him this month and considering activating Phegley when the call ups arrive in September

5 The A’s are having a “Player Weekend” using jerseys that instead have the last names on the back of the jerseys they’ll be using nicknames this will happen on the weekend of Aug 25-27

Jerry Feitelberg does the Oakland A’s podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com