Mark Kotsay states Mason Barnett must work on ‘execution' after Athletics' loss
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay speaks to reporters after his team's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday at Sutter Health Park.
Mark Kotsay states Mason Barnett must work on 'execution' after Athletics' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
So, I know it was a kind of tough start for Barnett there.
I know left after 60 pitches.
I know he got hit in the thigh or something, but was it more just pulling him or was he a little injured there?
No, he had, a pitch that he, slipped on and, jammed his left hip, kind of groin, abductor area.
He pitched that fourth inning knowing that, you know, he wanted to go out and, and give us, as much as he possibly could with, the bullpen, you know, a little bit taxed of late.
So, you know, obviously he wasn't at full strength, but, you know, prior to that, some balls up in the zone.
You know, we're gonna continue to, to, to, you know, work on, if he's healthy and can pitch and go forward, just the execution portion of, of, his pitches right now.
It looks like Martinez was pretty tough.
He was, they got to him at the end a little bit, but, overall I just think it was just a day.
I mean, this, this is one of the, the best pitching staffs probably in, in, in the, American League of baseball.
You know, he came into tonight with a, a, you know, the ability to just get outs and, he showed that tonight in different ways.
I think he had five strikeouts tonight over the nine-inning, frame and, you know, we put the ball in play.
We just didn't square 'em up very much.
I, I thought the positives tonight came from Lawrence Butler's at bats.
I thought he took some good quality at bats.
And then there in the ninth inning, we put some hits together and, and scored a couple runs.
Yeah.
That, play by Wilson was tough to call an error.
I'm sure you were very happy that they already changed it back to a base hit.
What do you think about that play?
Yeah.
Tough play.
Obviously Jacob didn't feel he had a chance to get the runner at first.
Went for the out at second and, Williams was turned around a little bit.
Not Williams, excuse me.
Maholm.
Donovan was turned around and, I think the official scorers have gotten it right now.
I think they're gonna rule it a fielder's choice.
Which I think is the correct ruling.
So, you know, you, you wouldn't wanna see a play that was marginal, you know, by any measure, dictate a, a streak like this.
And, and I think that the overturn was the, the right decision by the scorer.
Yeah.
After the first, games by Junior Terr that you sent him back to the minors, you said that he needed to, go to the drawing board to improve some things.
What are some of the things you think he improved?
Because he gave you two innings today despite the home run.
Yeah.
I mean, the home run was one bad pitch, left up in the zone.
Other than that, I thought there was improvement.
Small improvement, which, which is okay.
You know, Junior, for him to give us two innings tonight, his first clean inning in the base there in the ninth, that, that's a, a positive.
So I made some adjustments to where his glove position was, which I thought was great.
His timing to play with base runners on was better.
So, incremental improvement from, from Junior tonight.
Any questions?
