If Cal Raleigh weren’t making a mockery of the home run mark for catchers, Shea Langeliers would be the most powerful backstop in the majors.
But due to Raleigh’s 50-homer campaign for the Seattle Mariners, Langeliers is operating under the radar for the Athletics, who will face the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in the middle contest of a three-game series in West Sacramento, Calif.
Langeliers has gone deep 11 times this month to match his career high of 29 homers, set last season.
The latest blast was one for the ages as he ripped a 450-foot, go-ahead grand slam off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal during the seventh inning of the A’s 8-3 comeback victory Monday in the series opener.
“That was the most fired up I’ve been in a while,” Langeliers said afterward. “It’s a cool moment. Skubal is the best pitcher in the game right now, and to do something like that against him is very special.”
Special certainly can be applied to Langeliers’ play over the past two months.
The 27-year-old is batting .291 with 18 homers, 12 doubles and 35 RBIs over the span. But more important to Langeliers is that the A’s have won 10 of their last 15 games.
“I think it shows what we’re capable of,” Langeliers said. “We’re a young club, were winning games, and we’re showing everybody what we can do.”
Nick Kurtz hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer — he has 27 HRs for the season — and Colby Thomas hit a solo shot during Monday’s win.
The Athletics trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh before Langeliers’ torpedo capped a five-run inning and finished Skubal’s night.
The loss was the second in a row for Detroit following a five-game winning streak. The Tigers, who own the best record in the American League, have seen Skubal notch just one victory in his last nine regular-season starts.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game, if not the best,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said afterward. “We’ve seen a lot of those outings out of Tarik where he puts us on his back and does it. (Monday night) they beat him with some good swings. That inning was probably the best swings they had against him all night.”
Veteran right-hander Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.09 ERA) will start for the Tigers on Tuesday. Morton, 41, is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts for Detroit since being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline last month.
Morton has put together back-to-back strong efforts. He allowed two hits over six scoreless innings while beating the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 15 and followed by giving up two runs and three hits over six innings in last Wednesday’s 7-2 victory over the Houston Astros.
Morton struggled against the A’s for the Orioles on June 7 when he gave up four runs and six hits over 2 1/3 innings. He is 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in nine career starts against the Athletics.
Osvaldo Bido (2-4, 5.37 ERA) will make his 10th start of the season for the A’s on Tuesday.
Bido began the campaign as a starter and is picking up the Tuesday outing as recent injuries to fellow right-handers Luis Severino and Jack Perkins and left-hander Jacob Lopez plus the trade of left-hander JP Sears to the San Diego Padres at the deadline has left the club short of starters.
Bido last pitched Thursday when he gave up one run and two hits in three innings and picked up the save in his team’s 8-3 victory against the Minnesota Twins. He is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Detroit.
Riley Greene (1-for-3) has homered off Bido.
–Field Level Media
