One night after receiving a treat from their own pitcher, Oakland Athletics fans will have a hard time not rooting for the opponent’s starter Wednesday when Sonny Gray gets the call for the visiting Cincinnati Reds on the second night of a three-game series.
Pitching in the wake of Mike Fiers’ no-hitter in the series opener Tuesday and with the Golden State Warriors hosting an NBA playoff game next door concurrently, Gray nonetheless figures to command at least part of the sports spotlight when he makes his first start in Oakland since his trade to the New York Yankees at the July 2017 deadline.
The Athletics’ first-round pick in 2011 went 44-36 with a 3.42 ERA in 114 games (112 starts) over 4 1/2 seasons for the A’s, including 25-20 with a 3.50 in 60 starts in Oakland.
The fan favorite pitched for the A’s in the 2013 playoffs as a rookie and made the American League All-Star team two seasons later.
Gray (0-4, 3.89 ERA) couldn’t pick a better spot for his first win of the season. Acquired from the Yankees in January, the Reds newcomer has allowed just 25 hits in 34 2/3 innings but has nothing but a decent ERA to show for it.
“This is definitely a special place for me,” Gray said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “To come back here to Oakland and actually get the chance to pitch, it’ll be something that will bring back a lot of good times and good memories.”
He has faced the A’s once since leaving, giving up five runs and nine hits in five innings in a 10-5 Yankees home loss last May. Khris Davis and Matt Chapman homered off Gray in that contest.
Gray might not have to deal with Davis on Wednesday. The standout designated hitter injured his hip playing the outfield at a National League park (Pittsburgh) last week and was not able to start Tuesday’s homestand opener.
Getting the unenviable task of falling in the footsteps of a no-hit pitcher will be A’s left-hander Brett Anderson (4-2, 3.89 ERA), who already has four wins to show for a season in which his ERA is the same as Gray’s.
Anderson hasn’t seen the Reds since 2016. He’s gone 2-1 against them in three career starts, fashioning a 5.17 ERA.
The Reds will hope they packed the bats that demolished San Francisco pitching to the tune of 15 home runs and 37 runs in a four-game home series that ended Monday.
Cincinnati nearly added to its home run total in the Tuesday loss, but A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano went back to the fence to deny Joey Votto and provide the defensive highlight of Fiers’ no-hitter.
Coincidentally, the series began with the most recent A’s pitcher to throw a no-hitter — before Tuesday — making a highly anticipated bullpen session.
Left-hander Sean Manaea, who no-hit the Boston Red Sox last April, hasn’t started for the A’s since sustaining a left shoulder labral tear against the Minnesota Twins last August.
Oakland manager Bob Melvin was among those witnessing the bullpen session, which was designed in part to provide the A’s with an updated timetable for the 27-year-old’s season debut.
“He threw all fastballs and looked good,” Melvin told reporters before the Tuesday game. “It’s kind of the beginning for him. I know he was excited about getting on the mound, and we were excited to have him out there.”
The A’s hope to get Manaea back sometime in July.