OAKLAND -- The A’s have positioned themselves into playoff contention to this point despite
Going through his longest stretch of games without a home run over a single season, which now sits at 29 games after Sunday’s win, Davis, who is 19-for-104 over that period, has been looking for anything to get himself going again. Perhaps just the elation of being responsible for ending the game is enough to kickstart the slugger who has crushed more home runs than any player in the Majors since the start of the 2016 season.\n\n“You really want to be that guy and get the hit in the situation. But you know you have to be patient with a guy on the mound that can walk some guys,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He saw it well enough to see it was a ball in that situation, and that’s as good as a hit, as good as a homer, gives us a win.”
Davis drew the key walk, but the A’s were in that position entering the inning thanks to a vintage performance from Treinen in the top half.\n\nCommand issues have plagued Treinen as he’s struggled to find his 2018 All-Star form. The right-hander entered the day having already issued 28 walks over 38 games after allowing only 21 in 68 games last season. Tasked with keeping the deficit at one run in the ninth, Treinen pounded the zone throughout the inning. Despite walking one batter, he threw strikes on 17 of his 23 pitches, generating six swing-and-misses with two strikeouts for a clean inning.\n\n“Mentally, that was huge for him,” Melvin said. “You could see the sinker, the velocity played up as the inning went along. He found his cutter again. Threw some good sliders inside and outside. We’ve been looking for a springboard for him and hopefully that was it today.”\n\nFor a bullpen that has struggled to hold leads late in games, including Sunday as
Oakland’s 20 blown saves are most by a bullpen in the American League and tied for second-most in the Majors, and the club has already made a move to address the issues by trading for Royals left-hander
**Phegley leaves with injury** \nDealing with discomfort on his left thumb that began in the second inning, A’s catcher
The A’s were on red alert in the ninth after Herrmann took a foul ball off his right knee cap that left him numb for a few minutes. With Phegley out of the game,