ARLINGTON, Texas — Brett Anderson’s night was a washout even before the rain hit Tuesday night.
The A’s left-hander has impressed this season, but the sight of a Texas Ranger digging into the batter’s box brings out his worst.
Anderson was gone after 42/3 innings, and a 59-minute rain delay in the sixth inning did nothing to halt an A’s 7-2 defeat before 31,655 fans at Rangers Ballpark.
“Yeah, the Rangers aren’t my favorite team to face, that’s for sure,” Anderson said. “We don’t play them again until like, July, so I’ve got a couple months to get away from them a little bit.”
In two starts against Texas this season, Anderson in 92/3 innings has allowed 15 hits, 11 earned runs, four homers and eight walks. In six starts against every one else, he’s allowed 38 hits, eight earned runs, four walks and zero homers. Call him the anti-Cahill.
A night earlier, teammate Trevor Cahill continued his mastery of the Rangers, ringing up his eighth victory in 11 starts.
So what gives with Anderson?
“For some reason, the Rangers kinda have my number right now,” he said. “Maybe if I could turn into a right-handed sinker guy like Trevor, next time will be better.”
A’s second baseman Mark Ellis said: “(He’s) got to face them a lot in our division. Either it’s figure it out, or you keep going through it.”
Anderson surrendered four runs and walked four. On a warm and muggy night, Anderson partially blamed his troubles on a slick grip, which he said made it feel like he was throwing “a wet cue ball,” particularly in the fourth inning.
That’s when the Rangers took a 2-0 lead. Anderson walked in a run but limited the damage somewhat.
The next inning, however, he allowed Michael Young’s one-out double and then piped a fastball Adrian Beltre hit for a towering two-run homer and 4-0 Texas lead. A’s manager Bob Geren called on David Purcey, who allowed one more run in the inning.
The A’s cut it to 5-1 on Cliff Pennington’s homer in the sixth. Then the rain hit, halting play for nearly an hour, and the A’s got no closer. Rangers starter Colby Lewis allowed just one run over 71/3 innings, coming back out after the delay and staying sharp. But Geren thought his team had chances.
“(Lewis’) stuff didn’t look necessarily special at all,” Geren said. “Especially after he came back from the rain delay, it looked even more hittable.”
Ellis was a bit more diplomatic but also didn’t heap praise on Lewis. “We scored one run. It’s hard to say anything bad about a pitcher,” he said.
Coincidental or not, the A’s less-than-flattering comments came a day after Texas pitcher C.J. Wilson slammed Oakland’s hitters.
Wilson, who walked five in the A’s 7-2 win Monday, had this to offer on the A’s offense.
“They take everything close,” Wilson told espn.com. “If it’s not called a strike, then they walk. It’s lawyer ball. “… I have to make a bunch of mistakes and walk a bunch of guys because they’re not that good of a hitting team.”
Those words ended up being posted in the A’s clubhouse before Tuesday’s game.
“I’m sure he was frustrated at how he pitched (Monday) night,” Jackson said before Tuesday’s game. “But you know what, there’s nothing you can do. (The comments) weren’t the right way to go about the game.”
