Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, but Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas extinguished any worries of an impending trade from his mind on Wednesday to earn his first win of the season.
The A’s bounced back to a .500 record following their mid-week matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays, which saw Oakland ride just five hits to a 4-2 victory at Tropicana Field.
After losing his Opening Day start last week, Montas went 6 1/3 innings Wednesday and gave up one run on five hits, striking out six Rays and walking none. The performance came as trade rumors continued to swirl around the A’s ace this week, but Montas said he pays them no mind.
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SIGN UP HERE “To be honest, [the trade rumors] don’t bother me. Whatever happens is going to happen no matter what,” Montas told reporters after the game. “If I stay [in Oakland], hey, I’m going to give it 100 percent every day I step on the mound. If it’s somewhere else, I’m going to do the same thing, so I don’t let those things bother me.”
Montas is the latest big name to be included in Oakland trade rumors after an offseason fire sale that saw the likes of Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea traded elsewhere. This week, it was reported that a trade between Oakland and the Chicago White Sox for Montas had hit a snag.
Watching the right-hander on Wednesday, it was clear the only thing on his mind was winning.
Montas cruised through Tampa Bay’s lineup until the fourth inning when he gave up a solo home run to Ji-Man Choi. He recovered and lasted until the seventh inning -- something the 29-year-old was proud of following the win.
"I’m glad I was able to go back out there for two more innings and get my confidence back,” Montas said.
Catcher Sean Murphy led the A’s offensive effort with his first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the third inning that gave the A’s an early 3-0 lead and allowed Montas to relax on the mound.
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During an interview on NBC Sports California’s A’s Postgame Live, Murphy commended his battery mate for his composure in the face of trade whispers.
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“Frank is a true professional. He doesn’t talk about those kinds of things or even mention them,” Murphy told hosts Brodie Brazil and Dave Stewart. “He just goes out there and he pitches for the A’s, and that’s all we can ask him to do … We’re really grateful that he’s present in the moment and he’s going out there and pitching the way he is.”
With a performance like Wednesday's, it's no surprise Montas' teammates are happy he's on their team.