Rooker chases a 30 homer season with long ball vs. Detroit

OAKLAND -- Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Brent Rooker admitted he “would be lying” if he said the possibility of reaching 30 home runs this season was not something he was chasing.

Based on how he’s swinging the bat these days, the A’s slugger might reach that milestone before the end of the weekend.

In Friday’s 8-2 victory over the Tigers at the Coliseum, Rooker helped the A’s snap an eight-game losing skid by crushing his 29th homer in clutch fashion -- launching a game-tying, 423-foot solo shot off Will Vest.

Rooker’s homer was his sixth in his last nine games, continuing a hot stretch reminiscent of the one he put together earlier in the season. Back in April, he hit .358 with nine homers and a 1.262 OPS, riding that strong first month of the season en route to his first career All-Star selection.

“This is Rooker when he gets hot and locked in,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “It’s fun to watch him here at this park because when he gets one that he thinks is going to be a homer, if you watch immediately after he hits it, he’ll look up at the board and see the exit velocity to make sure. He’s definitely swinging the bat well. It’s great to see him finishing on that type of note.”

Sure enough, upon making contact on a first-pitch fastball from Vest, Rooker took a glance up at the left-field scoreboard. Once he saw an exit velocity reading of 109 mph, he knew it was leaving the yard.

It ended up a no-doubter to left-center that, according to Statcast, would have gone out in all 30 Major League ballparks.

“When I hit a ball and I think I got it, I’m just looking to confirm,” Rooker said of scoreboard watching. “I hit it and was like, ‘All right, I think I got that pretty good.’ … Especially here where it plays so big to center, there’s a certain number you have to get to when you hit it to the middle of the field to have a chance.”

What is that magic exit velo number?

“At 104 [mph] , it’s pretty much going to be a homer,” Rooker said. “I did hit one 105 against Minnesota that didn’t go out. [Seth Brown] has hit it feels like 15 balls out there at 102 or 103 that either hit off the wall or get run down at the track. The nighttime air here gets heavy and the ball doesn’t really fly to the middle of the field.”

In a rebuilding 2023 campaign that will see the A’s finish with 100-plus losses for a second straight year, Rooker stands out as a major bright spot. Claimed by Oakland off waivers from Kansas City in November, the designated hitter/outfielder has thrived in his first full season as a big leaguer.

Rooker is also finishing strong, with his seven homers in September tied for most in the American League.

“A little bit,” Rooker said when asked if this recent stretch feels similar to his early-season success. “I think I’m doing it in a little bit of a different way, which is encouraging for me. No matter how I feel or where I’m at with my swing or approach, I can go up there, compete and have productive at-bats. I’ve learned a lot about these first 154 games or whatever it is. I’m looking to take that stuff and apply it to the last eight [games] to build some momentum going into the offseason.”

Speaking of strong finishes, that is exactly what rookie Ken Waldichuk is also putting together.

Aside from a two-run homer surrendered to Carson Kelly in the fifth, Waldichuk mostly shut down Detroit’s offense on Friday night. The left-hander allowed two runs on four hits while striking out seven batters across six innings. Even more impressive were the zero free passes, marking his longest start without issuing a walk in his Major League career.

In 13 games (10 starts) since the All-Star break, Waldichuk holds a 3.80 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 24 walks over 64 innings pitched.

“Just awesome,” Kotsay said of Waldichuk’s outing. “Ken has made so much progress. We talk a lot about getting deep into games and keeping the pitch count down. He was successful at all of it tonight. … From where Ken started in April and May to where he’s at now, that’s what we were looking for. He’s building that momentum into next year.”