WEST SACRAMENTO -- Asked what to make of the perplexing final line turned in by Luis Morales in his first Major League start last week in Baltimore -- no hits, no runs, five walks and four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings -- Athletics manager Mark Kotsay essentially gave the rookie a mulligan.
“A 22-year-old kid never starting a game in the big leagues, you’re going to see what we saw,” Kotsay said. “The nerves got him a little bit, but he was able to battle through that and make some pitches. … Hopefully, he’ll continue to just get his feet on the ground. I don’t think his feet have hit the ground yet.”
It took a few innings into his second big league start, but Morales finally appeared to have his feet planted onto the surface at Sutter Health Park on Saturday night. The A’s No. 4 prospect pitched himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and settled in to collect his first Major League win after limiting the Angels to one run across five innings in a 7-2 victory.
Morales flashed his electric stuff throughout, hurling a fastball that maxed out at 98.7 mph. More importantly, he seemed to find the strike zone much more consistently as the night went on. His final two innings were arguably his best, completing the fourth and fifth on just 21 pitches (15 strikes) and capping off his outing by getting Mike Trout to pop out.
“The finish with Trout in the fifth, he executed his pitches and threw some good fastballs to him,” Kotsay said. “He got a jammed pop-up to short. Everything that was in the plan tonight for him, I thought he did a great job.”
Still building up his workload as he transitions back from a multi-inning relief role into a starter, Morales showed no signs of fatigue. He allowed five hits, walked two batters and struck out five.
As opposed to his first start, where less than half of his pitches went for strikes, Morales threw 51 of his 87 pitches for strikes on Saturday. The contact he did allow was also mostly weak, with Angels hitters averaging an exit velocity of 87.8 mph on 14 balls in play against him.
“I felt more confident,” Morales said in Spanish. “I’m relaxing a little bit more with each outing that goes by.”
It has been a while since the A’s had a pitching prospect of Morales’ caliber, one whose three-pitch mix featuring an electric fastball, wipeout slider and a quality changeup has led scouts to believe he has the ceiling of a frontline starter. You’d have to go back about a half-decade, when Jesús Luzardo and A.J. Puk were making their way through the system.
Before Morales can reach that potential, though, he must go through that development process that all young pitchers go through. For him, fastball command and being in the zone consistently are the key. Both of those traits helped him to his first big league win on Saturday night, and seeing that continued improvement will be a focus for the A’s over the final six weeks of the season.
“I’m grateful,” Morales said of his first win. “I’m enjoying the process.”
The A’s, now 14-7 over their last 21 games and 15-12 since the All-Star break, backed Morales with another big night on offense.
A’s No. 5 prospect Colby Thomas got the team on the board in the first inning by slugging his second homer in as many days, this time a 413-foot two-run blast off Angels starter Tyler Anderson in the first.
Brent Rooker launched his 25th homer of the year in the fifth -- a 421-foot solo shot to left -- to become the first A’s player with at least 25 home runs in three consecutive seasons since Khris Davis, who had a whopping 133 big flies from 2016-18.
“Shea and [Rooker] were in the dugout last night,” Kotsay said. “I don’t know how the conversation went, but somehow it led to Shea being like, ‘You’re a pretty good player. You know, you are a two-time All-Star in three years.’ So, it doesn’t surprise me that Rook is having the year he’s having and helping this club win games. The way he’s doing it this year, he’s grown into his leadership role. It’s just been nice to watch.”