Homework Hassles: Why Are Athletics Using a Lefty, Luzardo, Against the White Sox?

The Chicago White Sox have not lost to a left-handed starter this season, but the Oakland Athletics are gambling that the Sox haven't seen a lefty with the same assortment of stuff as their Game 1 starter, Jesús Luzardo.

Tim Anderson didn’t seem to mean it unkindly.

The Chicago White Sox shortstop was, however, surprised, maybe more than surprised, to learn that Jesús Luzardo was starting Game 1 of the American League playoff series for the Oakland A’s against the Sox.

Luzardo, you understand, is left-handed. The White Sox were a staggering 14-0 against left-handed starters this season.

“It doesn’t matter,” Anderson said. “He’s still got to come to us. But he’s a lefty; we’ll take it. Nothing against him, but we have been doing well against lefties.

“I guess they haven’t done their homework.”

The A’s have, in fact, done their homework. They could have gone with a right-hander, Mike Fiers, who pitched last on Thursday. Luzardo also pitched on Thursday, throwing three innings of reliever.

Luzardo, who found out Sunday that he’d be the A’s starter, has spent the last two days, well, doing his homework. Lots of it.

“Yeah, I mean I’ve done my homework,” Luzardo said, “as much as I can and especially now, going forward, going into tomorrow. They’re a good team, a playoff team.”

The A’s would have had to start a lefty in one of the three games, because beyond Fiers, Game 2 starter Chris Bassitt and Frankie Montas, who threw 113 pitches Sunday, the other starters are all lefties – Luzardo, Sean Manaea, and Mike Minor.

Luzardo was the choice, in part for what he did last year.

The A’s looked at the three scoreless innings he threw in relief in the pressure of the AL wild card game last year against Tampa Bay in making their decision to go with the 22-year-old.

“I’d been getting my feet wet and pitching in postseason baseball last year really helped me a lot,” Luzardo said. “I’m glad that they trusted me and gave me the confidence to go out and throw three innings. Hopefully I can do the same thing for them this year.”

And what about all that damage the Sox have done to other left-handers?

“I’m not really (worried),” Luzardo said. “I feel that every pitcher is different. You know, every pitcher has different stuff, so we’ll see how my stuff plays against them.”

Luzardo has a 97-mph fastball that he throws a little more than half the time. He mixes that in with a changeup which he throws out of the same motion, making it tough on hitters, and a slider with a nasty break when it’s working. About one in three pitches last year, when he only had a handful off appearances, all in relief, were curves. He has thrown it a little more lately, but he doesn’t throw it much.

And he does have issues with right-handed batters, of which the White Sox have a bunch. Eight of the nine homers he’s allowed have been hit by right-handers.

The A’s are gambling that the left-handers the Sox have faced aren’t of Luzardo’s quality. He’s gone from being the best pitching prospect in the A’s organization to being a starter the A’s believe will lead their staff for years to come.

Luzardo is coming off three innings of relief against the Dodgers that he said “was a little bumpy for my liking.”

“I feel good, my stuff is good and I’m healthy,” he said. “I’m ready to go.”

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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