{"id":13625,"date":"2025-03-17T16:44:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T23:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=13625"},"modified":"2025-03-17T16:44:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T23:44:31","slug":"mitch-spence-bounceback-athletics-brewers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2025\/03\/17\/mitch-spence-bounceback-athletics-brewers\/","title":{"rendered":"Athletics Report: Mitch Spence \u201cWipes\u201d Rough Inning from Memory, Rebounds against Brewers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mitch Spence \u201cWipes\u201d Rough Inning from Memory and Bounces Back<\/h2>\n

PHOENIX (Mar 15) \u2014 The Ides of March were not kind to Athletics<\/a> starting pitcher Mitch Spence<\/strong><\/a> in the bottom of the second Saturday afternoon in Cactus League play against the host Milwaukee Brewers<\/a>. After facing the minimum in the first inning in front of 5,008 spectators at Maryvale\u2019s American Family Fields of Phoenix, he did not survive the second. He tossed 28 pitches in that inning alone, recording two outs as the Brewers batted around. When the inning ended, the Brewers held an 8\u20130 lead, the only runs either team scored in the entire game. \u201cInnings like that are gonna happen,\u201d Spence said. \u201cThe quicker you can wipe them from your memory and continue on with what you’re doing, the better off you\u2019re gonna be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spence Refocuses and Rebounds<\/h3>\n

Colin Peluse<\/a><\/strong> finished the second inning off while Spence reset and refocused. \u201cI tried to wipe what happened,\u201d Spence said of his time in the dugout after leaving the second inning. Spring training rules allow starting pitchers to leave the game during a long inning, regroup, and reenter in a later inning. \u201cI felt like I was still making good pitches,\u201d he continued. \u201cJust hung two (sliders) on the double and the home run.\u201d Spence went back out for the third and did much better than he did in the second, facing the minimum three batters again. A 1\u20132\u20133 fourth followed, giving Spence a nice pair of bounce-back innings. He did not do anything special in the dugout to wipe his memory. Since he felt he was making good pitches, he focused on continuing to do so while avoiding hanging another slider. \u201cIf you continue to make good pitches, good things will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Command of the Slider<\/h4>\n

Other than the two that hung, Spence felt good overall about his slider\u2019s behavior Saturday. He was working on command of the slider and felt the \u201cshapes\u201d were good. \u201cFinding the lines\u201d of throwing it for a strike versus throwing it for a swing and miss were \u201cjust a little off,\u201d but he concluded by saying with a grin, \u201cit\u2019s gonna happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Freddy<\/a>
PHOENIX (Mar 15) \u2014 Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers the first pitch of the game to Jacob Wilson of the Athletics in the teams’ Cactus League tilt at American Family Fields of Phoenix. The Brewers won, 8\u20130, with all their runs coming in the second inning. (Evan Thompson\/Sport Relay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n

Manager Mark Kotsay<\/a><\/strong> said Monday morning that Luis Severino<\/a><\/strong> will be the Athletics\u2019 Opening Day starting pitcher on the road Thursday, March 27 against the Seattle Mariners<\/a>. This comes as a surprise to next to no one, as Severino was the Athletics\u2019 highest profile off-season acquisition. Three of the four remaining rotation slots are set \u2014 lefties Jeffrey Springs<\/a><\/strong> and JP Sears<\/strong><\/a> along with right-hander Osvaldo Bido<\/a><\/strong>. The battle for the fifth slot is between Spence and Joey Estes<\/a><\/strong>, both of whom are righties.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/h4>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>