OAKLAND — Blake Treinen was suffering through some back pain, but he new his manager might be hard pressed to find enough arms to get through Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
He volunteered an inning, and his manager obliged — pain forced his velocity to dip a few ticks below normal, which was surprising effective enough to strike out the side in the ninth to secure the A’s 10-2 win.
Treinen’s sacrifice was worth the risk. A quasi-double-header on Friday left the A’s bullpen emaciated for Saturday’s game. Liam Hendriks wasn’t available, neither was Jake Diekman.