OAKLAND -- Those concerns about the quality of the A’s starting rotation, which have seemed legitimate through much of the season, could be on the verge of evaporating.\n\n
A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Fiers (10-3) after the All-Star right-hander surrendered a run and three hits in the sixth inning, Usually, Fiers might have remained in the game longer. But Melvin sensed that this represented an opportunity to provide a mild break for his ace, who threw 104 pitches or more in three of his previous six starts. Fiers totaled 94 this time.\n\nFiers’ stint was good enough to earn him his career-high eighth consecutive winning decision. His ERA dipped to 3.46, the product of pitching 18 consecutive games in which he lasted at least five innings and allowed three runs or fewer. That’s the longest such streak by an A’s pitcher since 1908.\n\n“He’s been as good a pitcher as any in the American League for probably three months, to this point,” Melvin said.
This continued a welcome trend for the A’s. Their starters are 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA in the last six games after posting an 0-4 mark with an 8.69 ERA in six games preceding that stretch.The A’s will have further cause for optimism if right-hander
The Cardinals narrowed the difference to 5-2 in the seventh. A’s reliever