TORONTO -- A collective sense of “Here we go again” permeated throughout the Athletics' dugout in the eighth inning as Addison Barger’s deep drive cleared the wall in right-center field at Rogers Centre for a go-ahead three-run homer off Justin Sterner.
The feeling was understandable. This exact game had played out so frequently for the A’s over a dreadful month of May, which began with them at 16-15 and just 2 1/2 games out of first place in the American League West and ended with them sinking to the bottom of the division at nine games back and 13 games under .500 (23-36).
The A’s have lost 21 of their last 24 games. There is never one sole area of a team to blame for such a rough stretch. One constant theme, however, has been bullpen struggles, particularly in the late innings. Since May 6, A’s relievers have posted a Major League-worst 8.13 ERA in the seventh inning or later.
Before May 6, when the A’s began the year 20-16 and looked like a young team on the rise, that seventh-or-later ERA was 3.61, which was the ninth best in the Majors. Their bullpen was a strength, identifying a group who, early on, proved capable of establishing a bridge to All-Star closer Mason Miller in Sterner, Holman and Tyler Ferguson.
Sterner, who allowed no runs over his first 18 appearances, has now been charged with the blown save in three of his last four appearances and has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) over his last 10 games. Holman has allowed nine runs in his last five games after yielding just one earned run in his first 12 appearances. Ferguson has fared better as of late and bounced back in Saturday’s loss with a scoreless frame, but he has still allowed 10 runs over his last 10 games after surrendering just one earned run over his first 17.
“We’re having a real hard time with a setup guy to get the ball,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “[Ferguson] threw the last two days, so he wasn’t available. Both [Sterner and Holman] have had success, but they just can’t get the job done right now. We’re going to have to figure this out.”
Lack of experience is one factor Kotsay pointed to. Sterner and Holman are both rookies. Ferguson, meanwhile, had never pitched in the big leagues before 2024 and has yet to pitch a full season in the Majors.
“They don’t have any experience to fall back on,” Kotsay said. “That’s key in their [development] process. … These guys have the talent. They’ve shown that. Now they’ve got to go through [the struggles].”
As Kotsay indicated, the A’s may have no choice but to explore other avenues in the late innings while Sterner and Holman work through their struggles.
How could the A’s reshuffle their late-inning strategy? The options are limited, but they do exist. Potential outside solutions include scouring the waiver wire, which currently features former All-Star closer Jorge López and veterans Joe Mantiply, Tyler Alexander and former A’s lefty Scott Alexander as relievers who were recently designated for assignment.
In-house candidates for those high-leverage roles are Osvaldo Bido, who began the season in the rotation and was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, and Sean Newcomb, whom the A’s acquired from the Red Sox on Tuesday. Injured relievers like T.J. McFarland, due back later this month, and José Leclerc, likely back in the second half, could eventually help.
The A’s could also dig into their Minor League depth. The Triple-A roster includes veteran Dylan Floro and Michel Otañez, who had some success in a late-inning role for the A’s last year. Luis Morales (A's No. 4 prospect) and Gage Jump (No. 13 prospect) have also been exciting with their performances this year, though those two would likely be long shots to come up at this point in the season.
“How we get the ball to Mason with the lead, that’s been the biggest challenge so far,” Kotsay said. “We had a lot of success with the bullpen last season. We started out well, but we just haven’t been able to close games right now.”