Whither Jharel Cotton of last September?
Remember 11 months ago, when the pitcher, obtained just two months earlier in the Josh Reddick-Rich Hill deal with the Dodgers, was wowing everyone with his Bugs Bunny changeup and his sparkly ERA? He looked like a potential Rookie of the Year candidate.
Cotton’s first year in the big leagues is something of a bust, however. After allowing three homers and six runs, all earned, in Oakland’s 6-3 loss to Seattle, Cotton’s ERA is 5.72.
Part of the difficulty Wednesday was the opponent: The A’s faced Seattle, which meant homers by Nelson Cruz.