A's Hogan Harris Dominates Another Reverse Boycott Game

Jason Burke | Jun 8, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Hogan Harris (63) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Hogan Harris started yet another reverse boycott game on Friday night, and he was superb once again. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, the left-hander went six scoreless innings, allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out three. He has allowed just one run in 13 innings in his two reverse boycott starts.

With his outing last night, Harris lowered his ERA on the year to 2.21 across 20 1/3 innings pitched in four outings (two starts). In the two games he has started, Harris has allowed just one earned run total against the Jays and Rays in 11 2/3 innings. He's looking like a different pitcher on the mound in his latest go with the Oakland A's, and he credits his fastball.

Harris told reporters postgame that throwing strikes has been key for him. "The last few starts I've realized my fastball has been playing pretty well. I just realized, if we're getting behind in the count, just attack them with the heater and see what happens. It just proves every time that instead of trying to dot everything, sometimes you've just got to go after 'em and see what happens."

Toronto's Chris Bassitt utilized his typical eight pitches against the A's on Friday night. Harris threw 65% four-seamers, but that heater moves both horizontally (3.2 inches more than average) and vertically (1.2 inches more), which makes it tricky to pinpoint as a hitter.

Jays manager John Schneider was asked if Harris was doing anything with his heater that made it tough for the Toronto lineup after the game. "Nothing we didn't talk about. We knew he was going to throw a lot of [fastballs]. I thought we were taking better swings on his fastball early [than] we did as the game went on."

To have the other team know what Harris going to do, and then for him to be able to go out there and do it anyway is a pretty good sign moving forward.

Harris also said that Alex Wood, who is on the IL at the moment, came up to him between every inning and told him, "Man, great job. You're doing great. Keep killing it. It's just a really good support system." The A's came into Friday's contest with a 2.65 ERA over the last 11 games, even with four members of their Opening Day rotation either on the IL (Blackburn, Stripling, and Wood) or in Triple-A Las Vegas (Boyle).

The emergence of Harris these past two games, and Joey Estes enjoying a similar run (11 1/3 innings, three hits, one run, two walks, ten strikeouts) has really helped steady the A's rotation.