A's resting pitchers for stretch run
With an eye toward keeping their young pitchers fresh for the stretch drive, the A's are having left-
handed Travis Blackley make a spot start on Saturday at Chicago and pushing back rookies Jarrod Parker and
Tommy Milone, and also right-hander Dan Straily, who came up just a week ago.
Blackley, relegated to the bullpen when Straily joined the club, did good work when in the rotation,
going 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 10 starts.
Parker had allowed 13 runs over his past three starts, and the A's have long said they'd like to find a
way to give him a break or limit his innings when possible. Last year was his first following 2009 Tommy
John surgery. He will get a full week off and, rather than starting Sunday, he will go Tuesday at Kansas
City.
Milone also will get a full week off, starting on Friday at home against Cleveland. He has given up 16
runs in his past three starts, and he said he went through a similar stretch in the late summer last year
in Washington's organization. He skipped a start and was fine the rest of the way.
Straily, expected to go Wednesday at Kansas City, will get six days of rest, while Brandon McCarthy, who
came off the DL to start in the 4-3 loss to Chicago on Friday, is expected to go Thursday against the
Royals.
The one player who will stay on normal rest? The oldest guy in the bunch, 39-year-old Bartolo Colon, who
will pitch Sunday at Chicago.
