DETROIT -- We’ll forgive you if you’re just now tuning into the Denzel Clarke show. After all, the A’s No. 5 prospect has only been in the big leagues since May 23.
If you’ve missed the past month, then you’ve also missed more than a handful of whoa-did-he-really-just-do-that defensive plays that involved a perfect mix of timing, speed and talent. Clarke has won MLB’s Electric Play of the Week honor four times -- every week he’s been eligible -- most recently for his jaw-dropping full layout to rob the Guardians on Saturday.
What you haven’t missed is a ton of offense as Clarke works to get his offense up to Major League speed. While both Clarke and the A’s are content to let his glove do the talking for now, each side is also eager to celebrate when his bat has something to say.
And Tuesday’s commanding home run off reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal was a pretty bold statement.
“The at-bats were good. That's what we're focused on, really, for Denzel,” said manager Mark Kotsay following the Athletics’ 11-4 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. “He was aggressive, fired his swings and when he [barrels] the baseball, he's got some juice.”
The A’s approached the series opener knowing that Skubal would hand them nothing. Detroit’s ace entered having issued just 12 walks in 96 innings and with a 0.74 ERA across his past five starts.
The strategy against Skubal was simple, Kotsay said: “Aggressiveness early [in the count], and then fight like hell late.”
The Athletics put that into practice out of the gate. After inclement weather delayed the start of the game by 1 hour and 21 minutes, Skubal walked leadoff batter Jacob Wilson on five pitches. Brent Rooker then parked the first pitch he saw into the left-field seats to put the Athletics up, 2-0, just six pitches into the game.
After the Tigers evened the game with a two-run homer off Luis Severino in the bottom of the same frame, Skubal allowed a one-out single in the second inning to bring up Clarke.
The A’s center fielder jumped on Skubal’s first offering and sent it out of the park via straightaway center field a Statcast-projected 422 feet away.
“Hopefully,” Severino predicted, “that’s the at-bat that sets [Clarke] up to be a great ballplayer.”
It marked the first time Skubal had allowed two home runs in a game since Opening Day. It also sent Clarke’s cell phone abuzz in his locker as friends and family reached out to share their excitement.
Clarke also singled off reliever Chase Lee in the seventh to finish 2-for-3 and boost his average to .207 (18-for-87) so far.
“These are the best players in the world, and I'm going to have to adjust to that,” Clarke said about his offense. “I have great teammates and a great coaching staff to help me along with that process. We're playing at the highest level in the world, so whatever comes with that, those are the adjustments I have to make.”
The Athletics’ 4-2 lead was short-lived after the club’s road ace had an uncharacteristic hiccup of his own. Severino entered the game undefeated on the road (6-0) with an MLB-leading 0.93 road ERA and an opponents’ average of .194 away from Sutter Health Park, but the Tigers took advantage when he got behind in the count.
“They’re a really good team; that’s why they’re in first [place],” said Severino, who allowed seven runs across five innings. “... When you’re pitching [behind in the count], you’ve got to go to the middle.
“They’re swinging good bats right now, and I think that’s what happened in that inning.”
The A’s, who dropped their third consecutive contest after going 6-2 in the eight games leading into the slide, were just trying to take what good they could from the loss and move on.
When Clarke was asked if he had any other surprises in store for this series -- maybe locking down a fifth consecutive Play of the Week award? -- he grinned as he contemplated all the extra running room in Comerica Park’s expansive outfield.
“I'm just happy to just be here, go out, play some good defense, just go out there and help the team whenever I can,” he said.
If his bat continues to come around, so much the better.