The Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas threw six innings of shutout ball before the bullpen took over against the Detroit Tigers at the Oakland Coliseum Fri Apr 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

Detroit. 0 – 4 – 0

Oakland 3 – 8 – 0

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Two weeks into the season, it’s early, but maybe not too early to look at how the teams in the AL West are stacking up.

Only two games separated the four teams as they went into play today. That, in itself, isn’t particularly surprising. What is noteworthy is the pecking order of the quartet. Seattle sits on top at 6-4, followed, in order, by the Angels, Astros, and, in a tie, the Rangers and A’s.

Oakland’s numbers for the fortnight are not encouraging, but there are some encouraging statistics besides the green and gold’s six wins, five of them consecutive, in the last seven games. In that period they went from a scoring deficit of 37 runs a surplus of 15, only a smidgin over two runs a game, but still a good sign. Unfortunately, you have to balance that against a two week (and too weak) BA of .213, although the lineup has hit at a ,275 clip over the past five games,which includes a couple played under National League rules.

The A’s mound staff reduced its collective ERA by half, going from 8.00 in the first six games to 4.00 in the following seven tilts. Nonetheless, their ERA for all 13 games came out to 5.85, considerably higher than any other team’s in the majors. Their opponents hit a staggering .321 of the first half dozen encounters. They were to held to .237 between then and Frankie Montás´s first pitch at 6:42 this evening.

He held the Tigers scoreless on one hit for four innings, while his oppposite number, José Ureña, held the A’s to those same anemic digits over three and a third frames. But, then Oakland’s bats awoke, After a walk to speed demon Ramón Laureano, who advanced to second on Matt Olson’s infield single to third, Matt Moreland drove the A’s center fielder home with the game’s first run on a single to right center that sent Olson to third, from where he scored on Sean Muprhy’s double down the left field line. A walk to Seth Brown loaded the bases, giving Elvis Andrus a chance to blow the game open. But there were two down, and Andrus’s fly to left center ended the threat.

When Montás wound up his sixth inning of mound labors, with an even hundred pitches, 66 of which were strikes, he had blanked the Tigers on two hits. He struck out seven and walked only one. He was in line for the win, which he got, bringing his record to 2-1, 4.91. Yusmeiro Petit, his replacement, preserved the lead through the seventh, giving up a hit and getting a punch out, before giving way to Jake Diekman at the start of the eighth. Diekman sent Detroit down in order.

After throwing 96 pitches, 64 for strikes, Tiger skipper A.J. Hinch removed Ureña in favor of Derek Holland. The Dominican righty had pitched an excellent game and deserved a better outcome. He had scattered seven hits and allowed two walks over his seven inning stint.

In his one-inning appearance, Ureña’s replacement, Derek Holland, gave up the A’s only home run of the evening, a towering solo blast to center that went for Chapman’s third round tripper of the year.

Lou Trivino closed the Tigers down in the ninth to earn the save and bring the A’s to the club house with a .500 winning percentage.

Tomorrow afternoon, Cole Irvin (0-2,7.45) fill face the Tigers, whose starter will bee Casey Mize (1-0,0.82). Game time is 1:07.