A’s No. 4 prospect Luis Morales earns first big-league win. ‘Very blessed’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A's prospect Luis Morales earned his first MLB win with five strikeouts in five innings.
- Brent Rooker reached 25 home runs, tying Shea Langeliers for A’s lead this season.
- Denzel Clarke aggravated adductor injury during Triple-A rehab assignment.
After walking Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoan Moncada on four pitches to load the bases in the first inning of Saturday night’s game, the Athletics No. 4 prospect Luis Morales appeared to be showing the command issues that had worried scouts and A’s manager Mark Kotsay in the past.
In his first MLB start, Morales walked five in just 2 2/3 innings but escaped without giving up a run, but on Saturday, Angels power bat Jo Adell had the chance to make the walk hurt.
A 1-0 fastball in the zone was hit well — 103.6 mph exit velocity — by Adell to deep center field but was caught at the track by A’s center fielder Lawrence Butler to end the shaky opening frame and calm Morales’ nerves.
Despite giving up three more hits, a walk and a run over his next four innings of work, Morales looked much more settled on the mound and contributed the best outing of his young career, including five strikeouts to lead the A’s to a 7-2 win. Morales’ performance also earned him the first win of his MLB career.
“I’m just very blessed and I’m just enjoying the process,” Morales said through a translator.
Morales, 22, began the season in Double-A and has worked his way up to the majors with impressive strikeout stuff, including a high-90s fastball and strong secondary pitches in his slider and changeup that led to three looking strikeouts on Saturday.
While Morales had shifted to a bullpen role in Triple-A, he has gradually extended in his three MLB outings since his callup on Aug. 1. His 87 pitches, 51 for strikes, and five innings of work were both significant MLB highs for Morales.
“The first was, again, a little shaky, but he managed to get through it and I thought he got better and better as we went,” Kotsay said of Morales. “He was on a little bit of a pitch count, so when he ended the fourth at 76 (pitches), it’s a tough decision to send him back out there, but he said he felt good and in my opinion, it was the right decision to send him out.”
After securing a series win the A’s (56-69) will hope to bring out the brooms against the Angels (59-64) during Sunday’s matinee at 1:05 p.m. at Sutter Health Park. The game will also close the team’s MLB Players’ Weekend festivities.
Rooker’s 25th home run powers A’s offense
Designated hitter Brent Rooker was the highlight for the A’s offense on Saturday as he reached base three times and launched his 25th home run of the season to tie catcher Shea Langeliers for the team high.
His three-straight 25 homer seasons are the first such stretch for the A’s since Khris Davis from 2016 to 2018.
Rooker, 30, has played the most games in MLB with 125 and previously told A’s on Sports Illustrated he is looking to play the full 162. The two-time All-Star has been one of the most-consistent contributors as one of the few veterans on a young team, slashing .273/.346/.495.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Rook’s having the year he’s having and helping this club win games,” Kotsay said. “He’s grown into his leadership role, it’s just been nice to watch.”
The A’s earned a combined eight walks against the Angels, including five off starter Tyler Anderson (4.63 ERA) that got him out of the game after just four frames, but it was a two-out, two-RBI single in the third inning for Darell Hernaiz that put them up 4-1 early and allowed them to cruise to the win.
“He’s had a little bit of a rough go, the last five or 10 (games), looking at the numbers,” Kotsay said. “But I thought the at-bats were really good tonight. For Darell, it’s going to just be a continuation of making adjustments … For him, tonight was a step in the right direction.”
While his teammates used custom bats with images of Iron Man, bubblegum or crayons for MLB Players’ Weekend, the A’s No. 5 prospect Colby Thomas stuck with his standard black-barrel, gloss-handle model.
The strategy has certainly paid off for the 24-year-old outfielder as he has homered in both of the first two games of the weekend festivities.
“I like having my bat look the same, because if not, it’s like a mental thing for me,” Thomas said before the game. “I like to look at my bat, and when I look at it, if it’s not the same, it doesn’t feel right.”
Clarke faces setback in recovery
A’s defensive stud Denzel Clarke was pulled from a rehab game with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators after 3 2/3 innings after aggravating his right adductor injury that had him on the injured list, Kotsay said before Saturday’s game.
Kotsay said Clarke will come back to West Sacramento to get re-evaluated before a decision can be made on the timeline of his return.
“We’ll have to see how he feels really and see what the plan is,” Kotsay said.
Clarke, who was placed on the IL on July 22, was 0-for-2 with a run before he was pulled from Friday’s game. The 25-year-old center fielder is 10th in the majors in outs above average with 12, which Clarke has racked up in just 47 games this season.
In Clarke’s stead, Rooker, Thomas, Carlos Cortes and JJ Bleday have gotten playing time in the outfield.
In the first game of his rehab stint with the Aviators, All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson went 2-for-4 with a double before exiting the game in the top of the seventh inning.
