Ryan Dull, as much as anyone, has been the backbone of the A’s bullpen this year.
The rookie reliever hasn’t gone on the disabled list, ranks in the top 10 in the American League in games pitched, has a 2.32 ERA, has allowed just 14 percent of inherited runners to score and hitters are averaging just .078 against him with runners in scoring position.
Dull was, however, a non-factor in the A’s bullpen in the last week until Sunday, when he reappeared to throw 1.2 scoreless innings in helping the A’s beat the Red Sox 1-0.
Manager Bob Melvin said he’d seen Dull tiring five-sixths of the way through his first complete big league season, and planned to set him down last week for three games in Houston, But when the first two games against Boston proved to be blowouts, Melvin tacked that on to Dull’s time off.