Walks Bedevil Jefferies in MLB Debut, Athletics Drop Opener to Rangers
The one thing Daulton Jefferies has made a name for himself doing in the four-plus years he’s been in professional baseball, it’s that he doesn’t walk batters.
Last year at Double-A Midland, Texas, he walked just seven batters in 21 games covering 12 starts and 64 innings.
Welcome to the Major Leagues. Jefferies, a University of California product, made his Major League debut in a start against the Texas Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader.
It wasn't the way the A's wanted to play after getting the news that third baseman Matt Chapman would be lost to them for the season. He's having hip surgery Monday.
Jefferies walked two of the first four men he faced, only to have the Rangers’ Rougned Odor take him deep down the right field line. Texas would wind up scoring five runs in the inning, and while the Rangers got just one base runner the rest of the game, they emerged with a 5-2 win over Oakland.
He allowed a single and another homer later in the first inning, the pitched a scoreless second inning.
Manager Bob Melvin said that the first inning might have been a case of nerves.
“I think so, based on the fact that he walked a couple of guys and he never walks anybody,” Melvin said between games of the doubleheader. “He was probably a little amped up, and the fact that the homers came on changeups that were probably at a little nigher velocity than normal.”
Melvin was pleased at the scoreless second inning from Jefferies, and then three scoreless innings from another rookie, Jordan Weems, keeping the A’s bullpen basically intact for the second game.
“That was terrific,” Melvin said. “We needed that. And he really didn’t throw a ton of pitches in three innings. When you are in a stretch like this, you’re looking at trying to keep as many guys available, so Jordan saved us.”
The A’s are in the midst of a doubleheader frenzy. They had one against the Astros last Tuesday, followed up by Saturday’s pair against the Rangers and two against the Mariners in Seattle Monday.
Oakland got its first run on double from Vimael Machin and single from Jonah Heim in the third and a Tommy La Stella walk and Matt Olson double in the sixth.
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
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