Morales silences Cards, outduels former A's ace Gray

ST. LOUIS -- The Athletics’ game against the Cardinals on Monday at Busch Stadium offered what the team hopes is a glimpse into the future, while facing the past.

The future, of course, is rookie Luis Morales, who made his fifth career start for the A’s. He was matched up against Sonny Gray, who was drafted by the A's in 2011 before becoming an ace and then was traded in 2017.

Morales continued to look the part of a future ace, outdueling Gray as the A’s won 11-3 to snap their three-game losing streak.

“I just come out, you know, focus on my game, trying to be the best I can and just trying to go out there and compete,” Morales said through interpreter Ramón Hernández.

Morales (3-0) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out a career-high eight batters, walked one and 60 of his 91 pitches were strikes.

“He's really gaining a lot of confidence and, you know, attacking hitters,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. "I thought overall, the performance was great.”

He cruised through the first three innings, retiring nine straight after allowing a leadoff single to Lars Nootbaar in the first.

The rookie struck out three out of the next four after allowing a solo homer to Iván Herrera in the fourth, before his day ended after allowing an RBI single to Masyn Winn in the sixth.

Winn’s hit snapped a streak of five straight appearances for Morales of allowing one run or fewer while pitching at least two innings. It matched the longest such streak in A’s franchise history with Russ Christopher (April 14-May 5, 1942) and it matched the longest such streak in the Majors in the last 38 years.

“It says a lot about just the ability to, you know, stay within himself, continue to work hard, which our pitching coaches have done a great job and just getting his mechanics refined,” Kotsay said. “And I think all of that's led to him really just going out and being able to perform and pitch to his capabilities.”

The A’s hope this is the start of things to come from Morales.

“I need to learn more about all the hitters, and you know me, and just play more, pitch more,” Morales said. “That's how you get experience and keep working every time, keep working, trying to do my best I can and trying to learn the most I can.”

Morales has already made a strong impression on his teammates.

“Luis is such a good talent, and one of the most flexible kids I've ever met, too,” JJ Bleday said. “Just the electric stuff he has, sky's the limit for him. And you know, if he just keeps doing what he’s doing, keeps asking questions, keeps showing up, and you know, he's going to be really good for a long time.”

Bleday took care of the offense, blasting home runs in the fourth and sixth innings for his second career multi-homer game and first since April 30, 2024, against Pittsburgh.

Bleday’s two-run homer broke a scoreless tie in the fourth and snapped an 0-for-9 skid and a 16-game span without an RBI. Two pitches later, Zack Gelof drove one into the Cardinals' bullpen for his second homer of the season. It was the third time the A’s hit back-to-back home runs this season and the first since Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers did it on Aug. 17 against the Los Angeles Angels.

Bleday’s second homer, a 428-foot rocket off Gray, capped a two-run Fysixth as the A’s extended their lead to 5-1. It came after a Colby Thomas single scored Darell Hernaiz, but Thomas was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.

“We had a meeting earlier today, and you know, it's just, show up and be ready to score runs at any means possible,” Bleday said. “Find a way to get on base, find a way to grind out at-bats with two strikes. And we've been doing a really good job of that.”

The A’s broke it open with two in the seventh and four more in the eighth. Gelof and Jacob Wilson each had a three-hit day and Lawrence Butler and Hernaiz also reached three times.

The A’s were 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

“I think we're top five in the league in driving the baseball the other way, and yet doing it with some power, too,” Kotsay said. “So it says a lot about the guys staying up the middle, the other way and utilizing what works with runners in scoring position.”