OAKLAND -- "Yeah, that was -- that was tough -- it was really tough. That sucked."
It was as if it were yesterday.
Sean Manaea was sitting in the A's clubhouse which was filled with chaos and yet hauntingly quiet. The starting pitcher had a plate of food in front of him -- pasta and steak. It was untouched. He was staring off into space.
It was Oct. 2, 2019, and Oakland had just lost 5-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card Game, in front of a record-breaking crowd of 54,005. The A's pitcher received starter responsibilities over a possible Mike Fiers.