Zack Gelof is on a hot streak for the surging Athletics, and he and his teammates will try to turn the temperature up when they face the Colorado Rockies Sunday in the finale of a three-game series in Las Vegas.
The A’s will send left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68 ERA) to the mound against Colorado right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4, 4.08) with a chance to sweep the Rockies.
Gelof extended his hitting streak to 17 games on Saturday in the Athletics’ 7-5 win.
The A’s have won four in a row after debuting in Las Vegas with a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. They took the final two games against Milwaukee and the first two versus Colorado, which has lost three in a row.
The streaking A’s are heating up along with the weather in Las Vegas. The last three games have started with temperatures of 102 degrees or higher, and Sunday’s forecast is expected to hit 106 in mid-afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
It would be one of the hottest major league games in history should the teams still be playing at the day’s hottest time.
“It’s our job to go out there and play,” Nick Kurtz said. “That’s what we intend to do no matter the conditions. Is it going to always be fun? No. Will it be really hot and really brutal at times? Yeah. But our job as players is to go out there and do what we can to win the game.”
The A’s have been doing a lot of winning lately, but Springs has struggled. He is 0-6 in his last 10 appearances entering his first career encounter versus Colorado.
The Rockies, meanwhile, are stumbling after a 4-2 homestand, but have their most consistent starter going Sunday. Sugano, who leads Colorado starters in wins and ERA, can improve to 3-0 in June in his third career start against the A’s on Sunday. In his two previous outings against them he is 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA.
Sugano will need help to get by the A’s, and catcher Brett Sullivan can serve as one of the catalysts for the Rockies. Sullivan is 6-for-13 in his last five games and has clubbed three of his four home runs of the season in the last three contests.
Sullivan had a solo shot Saturday night and added a sacrifice fly.
“He’s looked very comfortable the past week or so up at the plate, and he’s got some opportunities to play,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
Sullivan’s play has been overshadowed a bit by the strong debut of outfielder Cole Carrigg, who has two home runs since being called up before Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs.
Sullivan doesn’t mind sharing the credit for the team’s recent success, which had won two consecutive series before losing Saturday night.
“It’s not just personal momentum,” Sullivan said. “The guys have been playing great. When you get in there, you’re trying to keep up and just do your part.”
–Field Level Media
