One of the best surprises in the Oakland A’s 2020 season took an unfortunate turn on Saturday, as pitcher Burch Smith exited the game with an apparent injury.
The A’s acquired Smith in a quiet trade last winter, and through one-third of the season he’s been one of the hottest pitchers in the majors. On Saturday he got the chance to face his former team, the San Francisco Giants, from whom he was traded to Oakland in the first MLB deal between the local rivals in three decades.
The outing began the same as his dominant previous work, as he breezed through a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts and painted all kinds of corners with his mid-90s fastball.