A's Rock Reds Hunter Green' Gets Through Second Start

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Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Hunter Green's second start turned sour in the second inning. He breezed through the first inning but an infield single and two walks set up Jocob Wilson for a two-run single. Lawrence Butler followed with a three-run home run.

“It was disappointing but since it was spring, I felt good my pitches were great. I heard nothing but good from Tito, DJ (Derek Johnson pitching coach). I have to be ok with that,” Green said. “There was one pitch, obviously Lawrence (Butler) is a good hitter. I sneaked two by him. I had all the confidence in the world to slip another one by him. It was on the same plane as the other two fastballs. Him hitting it was not a surprise. I definitely should have gone with another pitch or something but it happens. I felt like I had gone out for five or six. My body’s felt so much better than it has in the past which is exciting.”

Green finished with two innings, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out Gio Urshela twice. Ushela had two awkward swings. 

“I threw him a splitter in his first at bat and three sliders in a row his last at bat,” Green said.

Brent Suter’s luck wasn’t any better. He allowed five runs on five hits and a walk.

“The first inning, Hunter looked as good as you could look,” Francona said. “We didn’t make a play to start the inning.”

It was a ground ball to Jeimer Candelario at third that Miguel Andujar beat out. It was ruled an infield hit but the play should have been made.

“The 0-2 pitch to Butler skewed the inning. I thought his stuff was great. That’s the good part about spring training. If that’s the regular season, five earnies. He felt really good. I thought the ball came out of his hand really, really well.”

Tony Santillan pitched a scoreless inning. Connor Phillips, who is battling for a space in the starting rotation, pitched two scoreless frames. 

“That was the highlight of the day. He threw the ball extremely well because they were on everybody,” Francona said.  

Offensively, Will Benson hit a triple and scored on a single by Blake Dunn. TJ Friedl and Santiago Espinal had hits. Jacob Hurtibise had two hits giving him four in the last two games. He tripled into the right field corner in the ninth and wanted to try for home but JD House stopped him to the chagrin of a fan in the box seats, who let Francona know his displeasure as the manager just stared back at him without a word.