Mark Kotsay shares how Jack Perkins can build off outing in Athletics' loss
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay speaks with the media after his team's 8-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Sutter Health Park.
Mark Kotsay shares how Jack Perkins can build off outing in Athletics' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
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 pool 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 your read on what happened there at the end that, that both teams left the benches?
There was 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.
Coach, 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.
Coach, just to piggyback off what, Wag said.
He had nine strike- strikeouts, Perkins that is, you know, when you came back.
W- is, is it something with confidence and consistency or, or, or both of them?
Because it seem 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.
Thanks, coach.
