OAKLAND — The A’s entered the season holding their bullpen — featuring four former or current big league closers — in high regard as one of very few bright spots on the team. That bright spot failed them in Saturday’s 10-6 loss to the Houston Astros.
Santiago Casilla and Sean Doolittle were the main culprits in a bullpen meltdown that featured a combined eight earned runs given up by five relievers over four innings. Casilla allowed two runs in the seventh and eighth to blow what was a 5-3 lead that he inherited from Liam Hendriks, and Doolittle proceeded to allow a two-run home run to George Springer that put the Astros ahead 8-5 to complete the disastrous performance.