Athletics' Mark Kotsay and Jack Perkins look to build off career outing in loss

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay and starter Jack Perkins speak with the media after the 8-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Sutter Health Park

Athletics' Mark Kotsay and Jack Perkins look to build off career outing in loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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Perkins, and is a special meaning that he got nine strikeouts and give up only one walk?

Yeah, I think that the, that's the positive.

The positive is that he, he did, you know, have a nice night punching guys out, and with only one walk.

I think this is another outing, you know, that, you know, he can build on.

I think the biggest thing is to learn from this outing there in the sixth inning.

You know, with, with the at-bat he gives up the home run on.

You know, that, that's an at-bat where w- he'd attacked down a few times.

You know, and then the pitch that was hit out was another pitch that was down in the zone.

Obviously, he's trying to execute it below.

But ultimately you're leading the hitter down there, you're leading the hitter down there away, down there away, and you bring something soft, close into the barrel, and that's what we're been talking about.

That soft, close into the barrel, three pitches down in the zone, you know?

It's, it's just a learning curve, right?

For these young starters, and that's really what we're talking about.

When they get in that moment, you know, whether it's lack of execution or a pitch selection that, that's probably leads a hitter up.

He had struck him out that at-bat before with a fastball up above.

So that's the curve, and that's, that's the step that I think JT's taken and, you know, that I think eventually, you know, we need to see from Perkins, from Barnett, and Lopez.

Can you talk about the great night by Bolte?

Four times he got on base, including that home run.

Yeah, I thought Henry had a great night.

And just even that last at-bat, you know, he hits the ball in the air to the pull side.

He just misses it.

You know, I thought overall his at-bats, were, were quality at-bats tonight.

Yeah, and Framber has always been, tough on the Athletics in his career, but the, the A's got men on base on five of the seven innings against him.

Yeah.

Do you think it's one of the cases that he was not so great, but the A's failed to take advantage of that?

Well, we definitely didn't get the big hit, when we needed it.

You know, we had 15 hits tonight, which is a good sign for the offense.

You know, the big hit, like we talked about early in the season when we were getting the two out RBI hits and adding on, you know, to the inning a- and keeping the inning going.

Tho- those are momentum swings in the game that we haven't been able to capture, that, that lead to, to winning baseball.

Yeah.

And what was the reason what happened there at the end that, that both teams left the benches?

There's just, a little disagreement on, on a play at the end of the game.

You know, so that's, that's kind of all I want to talk about with that one.

Scott, getting back to Perkins for a minute.

There are times tonight, and even in previous starts, where he looks like he's got stuff to be a dominant top flight pitcher.

What's the challenge for him going these last couple months?

Well, that's the challenge.

I talked about it, you know, just maturing and understanding when you're setting hitters up how to finish off hitters.

You know, he's done it, obviously he does it.

But I think that's the, the challenge for him.

You know, when, when you, execute pitches, and set hitters up to be able to finish in those big situations.

Cassie, just to, piggyback off what, Wag said.

He had nine strike- strikeouts, Perkins that is, you know, he came back.

W- is, is it something with confidence and consistency or, or, or both of them?

Because it seemed like it's there, but he's just missing it just there, you know?

Well, I mean, the consistency part of it, sure, for sure.

That, that's a, a big part of pitching, you know, being able to consistently execute your pitches.

You know, and again, he's young.

He's out there, you know, and competing.

And the big thing tonight was, you know, he gave up the home runs, but he didn't put guys on in front of him.

They, they, they got a hit in front of that two run homer in the sixth.

You know, he didn't give up free bases, which, which is a good growth sign.

And my last question on the other side.

This Max Clark guy, he snatched one a couple from, Jonah Heim.

What do you think about, he had his first home run, but on the defensive spot, side, what do you think about this young kid?

The, the line drive he went and got in the gap was pretty impressive.

You know, he's playing, for the most part, pretty shallow.

He was able to go back on Jonah's ball pretty easy.

The speed looked like it was there obviously when he closed on the line drive and, and caught it in the gap.

So, I haven't seen enough to really evaluate, you know, the total player, other than, you know, these two nights.

And, he's, he's had two really good nights for the first two nights in the big leagues.

Nine strikeouts, only one walk.

Yeah, I thought, I threw the ball great.

I mean, when you look at the pitches that were hit out, I mean, Clark's homer, sweeper ball below the zone that he golfs out.

Torres, sinker in that he somehow backsides.

McGonagal put a good swing on it.

I mean, I thought it was a well-executed pitch.

So I mean, it's tough 'cause if you take away those homers, you know, gave up two runs on the day with nine punchies, one walk, it's a different story.

I mean, it more just sucks from the team aspect.

Especially that last one, seeing the way the offense rallied late.

That game's in a different situation if that last homer doesn't happen.

But I mean, thought I threw the ball way great, competed well.

It's just pretty unfortunate right now with the way the ball's traveling out of the ballpark.

Yes.

And going, more than five innings into each game, how important is this for you moving forward?

Yeah, feel, feel great, feel strong, feel healthy.

I mean, I think my best heater of the night was that last pitch to Baez.

So I mean, I think it shows that I'm strong enough and capable enough to do it.

I mean, obviously I want to keep going farther.

I want to get six, seven innings and, but with the amount of swing and miss that I have, that can make that difficult at times.

But for the ability that I had tonight with the amount of pitches and the pitch count, I mean, I still felt great at 5.1 and 90 pitches.

Felt like I could've kept going.

So I think that's a definitely a positive.

Can you talk to, uh- Kotsay about, you know, confidence and consistency, which you, of course, we had a non, non-Spike house.

It's tough.

But what, what do you think, you know, that you some of the things you need to work on?

'Cause these last three or four games, you've been getting better and better.

Yeah, it's tough, right?

I mean, when you look at the outside scope of things, it's like, wow, you give up six earned in 5.1.

But when I look at it, it was really three pitches.

You know, three pitches that didn't go my way.

And you see it all the time.

People leave sweepers, breaking balls, fast balls, middle, middle, and it's a pop-up, and they get through the inning.

And right now, it seems like for me, the luck is just not going my way, and those mistakes are getting hit out of the park.

But, I mean, I think it's just being more fine in those situations, and I have to make sure Right now, it just seems like I have to be perfect in those situations.

So that's something I'm gonna take to heart and make sure I do a better job at getting the ball down in certain situations or getting the ball where they literally can't put a bat on it because, I mean, I think about Clark's homer.

It's like, it's a really great pitch, really well executed, and he still hit it out.

So for me, it's like I either have to get a swing and miss or absolutely throw it where they can't put it in play.

But, like I said, confidence, I mean, I'm very confident with the way the outing went, with the way my stuff was, with the way I competed.

Just really need some of that luck to start going in my direction to get through these games and have a little bit better line and give our team a chance to win.

Jack Kots has talked about these last couple months being important for him to get an evaluation on the young pitchers, see who he might be able to use in, in the starting rotation.

What's your focus, and what's your kind of goals these last couple week months going down the hill?

I think just each time out there, giving our team a chance to win.

I think I'm always gonna be a guy with great stuff, great swing and miss.

I always have high strikeout numbers, like, and that's all great.

But, any successful team, the starting pitcher gives their team a chance to win day in and day out.

And each time they get the ball, their team feels that confidence when they're out there.

So I think for me, over the rest of the season, it's just, you know, trying to instill that confidence, not only in my teammates, but in Kotsay as well.

I mean, I, I have that confidence every time that I go out there that I'm gonna give us a chance to win, and I think my stuff shows that.

Like I said, right now, it just seems the luck side of things is not in my favor, and, you know, one thing goes my direction, you know, the lines are a little different, and the game's a little different.

But I think, you know, just continuing to build, continuing to stay confident, even when the results aren't there.

With that confidence, because you obviously sound very confident, are you in this rotation barring a trade or anything?

Are you in this rotation next year?

Absolutely.

I mean, I think I continue to show that I keep getting better and better.

And, you know, a lot of it's just experience.

Like, this is one of those seasons that I have to take with a grain of salt, and what can I learn from it?

How can I get better and improve?

But I think I've proven with my stuff and the way I compete that I'm definitely a starter in this league and for this organization, and I feel fully confident in that.

And, but like I said, just gotta keep learning.

It's not failure.

It's, it's a chance to learn, and, I'm gonna keep doing that each and every start that I have.

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