Who To Blame for Athletics' Skid Against Royals

After a very strong series vs. the Rangers, the Athletics have looked lost against the Royals.

Aug 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (7) gestures during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletics have officially lost the series to the Royals before the final game.

In the series vs. the Rangers, the Athletics actually looked like a competent baseball team for the first time in a while. The offense looked sharp, and the pitching as a whole was amazing compared to past series. But after two games vs. the Royals, this team has once again fallen flat.

Starting Pitching Trickle-Effect

Athletics pitcher Mason Barnett (63) throws a pitch in the first inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Athletics at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If there was one thing to take from the Rangers series, it was that the Athletics were able to get the most out of their bullpen. But after Mason Barnett pitched 2.2 innings, chaos ensued, forcing Mark Kotsay to make pitching changes much earlier than he would have liked.

The formula vs. the Rangers was simple: allow a base runner, and you are coming out. Unfortunately, this could not be applied to Game 1 if the starter can only get you through 2.2 innings before needing to come out. This was easily the biggest reason we saw a bullpen collapse on Monday and Tuesday.

Aug 11, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Brady Basso (66) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Tuesday's loss, the Athletics also used Brady Basso for 2.1 innings as the opener. 2.1 innings would have been nice to have later in the outing. If the A's had held on to Basso, he likely would have pitched instead of Drew Rom, who allowed two hits and a run in 0.1 innings pitched.

If Basso was able to replicate what he did as an opener, this may have allowed Hogan Harris to pitch only in the bottom of the ninth. This inning was clearly the turning point of the game and could have been approached much better. However, without Basso opening the game, the Athletics may not have been in a position to lose the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jack Perkins (50) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This brings us to the final point. When there is a sense of unease with your last two pitchers in the rotation, this situation will, more often than not, occur. And because of these same implications, it may take an extra series for the bullpen to find a rhythm. Keep in mind, too, that the Athletics bullpen has already pitched 11 innings in the first two games, compared with 6.2 innings across the Rangers series' first two outings.

With so many innings already pitched, the Athletics now need Gage Jump to survive deep into the game on Wednesday, which is not a given considering how up and down Jump has been since the break. A series sweep could easily happen, something the Athletics need to figure out how to avoid.