Lawrence Butler shows power as Oakland A's beat Angels

Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler #4 is congratulated by catcher Shea Langeliers #23 after hitting a three-run home run off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher José Soriano #59 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

By Justice Delos Santos | jdelossantos@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

UPDATED: July 3, 2024 at 7:29 a.m.

OAKLAND — As Lawrence Butler roamed around Oakland’s dugout fresh off hitting a three-run home run, he sought out bench coach and director of hitting Darren Bush. While the team was in Arizona, Butler, Bush and manager Mark Kotsay had a meeting of the minds. They collaborated. Butler adapted. With the fruits of that collective labor having just paid off, Butler responded with a show of affection.

A surprise hug.

“It was spur of the moment,” Butler laughed. “I was just really appreciative of him. He’s always believed in me, so I just wanted to let him know that I’m appreciative of him.”

“I don’t know why he didn’t hug me,” Kotsay, standing right next to Bush during the interaction, joked.

This moment between Lawrence Butler and Darren Bush 💚 pic.twitter.com/TOCmYltjT5

— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 3, 2024

Behind a key mechanical tweak, Butler recorded two hits, one being a three-run shot, as the A’s began their second series against the Angels in as many weeks with a 7-5 win on Tuesday at the Coliseum.

“It felt good,” said a smiling Butler. “Me and Bushie have been working hard in the cage, and to finally see some results from the hard work that we’ve been putting in felt really good.”

As evidenced by his third homer of the year, Butler possesses raw power. Entering play, Butler had an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph. He also owns the third-hardest-hit ball by an Athletic this season, too (113.1 mph).

The battle for Butler, though, is translating raw power into in-game power. This past Saturday, Bush and Butler made a subtle yet invaluable tweak to help the 23-year-old produce results: less head movement.

“I’m seeing the ball way better,” Butler said. “Me and Bushie have been working on me staying back, not drifting, keeping my head still. The last game in Arizona and the first day we started working on it, I already saw results. I saw the ball better, more cleaner path to the ball. Everything just felt better.”

Oakland Athletics' Lawrence Butler #4 scores on a two-run RBI double by Brett Harris #77 in the sixth inning of their MLB game against the Los Angeles Angels at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) — Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler #4 scores on a two-run RBI double by Brett Harris #77 in the sixth inning of their MLB game against the Los Angeles Angels at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

The sample is far too small to be conclusive, but the early results are promising. On Sunday, Butler had a single and generated a 110.6 mph exit velocity on a groundout. Today, he hit his first major-league home run since April 23.

“It gets me back to feeling like myself,” Butler said. “Getting me back to what I’ve always done, what I’m good at doing. That’s a little reassurance that hard work is going to pay off. Just keep doing your thing and it’s going to work out.”

Added Kotsay: “I think this kid has tremendous power. He’s got exit velos above 111. When he barrels a baseball, there’s going to be a result. He got toa point where the focus wasn’t just on hitting the ball where it’s pitched, but more of trying to do damage. That’s what we’re working on. When he is a complete hitter, he’s using the other side of the field like he did in spring training. You see the results. That’s the potential. That’s what we have to unlock and that’s what we have to get out.”

Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker #25 hits a solo home run off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher José Soriano #59 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) — Oakland Athletics’ Brent Rooker #25 hits a solo home run off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher José Soriano #59 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

On a night where the A’s scored seven runs, Butler was far from the only contributor. Before Butler’s homer, Brent Rooker got the A’s on the scoreboard with a solo shot, his 16th homer of the year. Brett Harris, in his first game back from Triple-A, drove in two runs with a double. JJ Bleday chipped in an RBI single. Those seven runs were more than enough for Mitch Spence, who allowed one earned run across 5 1/3 innings and earned his first win since May 28.

“It’s obviously great to see the young guys produce,” Kotsay said.

The hope in Oakland, of course, is that Butler is consistently among those young guys who produce going forward. Butler has provided plenty of glimpses of his potential over the last two seasons. Time will tell whether Butler can produce sustained excellence — and dish out more hugs in the process.

“I’ve played with him since High-A, and I’ve seen him hit some balls really, really far,” Harris said. “I think he would agree with you that he could be a 30-homer guy. It’s just cool to see him get back in a rhythm.”

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Mason Miller #19 is congratulated by catcher Shea Langeliers #23 after their 7-5 MLB win against the Los Angeles Angels at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)