SEATTLE -- In search of ways to better position a struggling starting rotation for a better chance at success, the A¡¯s are shaking things up.

Instead of having Ken Waldichuk make his scheduled start on Wednesday night against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park, the A¡¯s opted to start reliever Austin Pruitt, with the rookie left-hander following him out of the bullpen.

The process known as the ¡°opener strategy¡± did not exactly produce the desired result. Though Pruitt turned in a scoreless first inning on 17 pitches, Waldichuk took over in the second and was tagged for a five-run fourth in what ended up a 6-1 loss to Seattle. Still, the A¡¯s plan to utilize an opener with more frequency going forward.

¡°We felt it was necessary to make this change and go through this process right now to see if we can help these young starters by giving them a different landing spot in the game,¡± manager Mark Kotsay said. ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it with the players. It¡¯s not something that was just sprung on them. We¡¯re going to definitely experiment with this right now.¡±

Kotsay noted that the A¡¯s only have two wins recorded by a starting pitcher this season. No other team in MLB has fewer than six wins.

It¡¯s not just that A¡¯s starters are not picking up victories. This is about the current state of a young and inexperienced starting staff that entered the day 2-27 with an MLB-worst 7.28 ERA and the 10th fewest innings pitched (246) in the Majors so far this season.

For a couple of innings on Wednesday, it did look like the strategy was paying dividends.

Waldichuk began his first inning of work by facing Mariners No. 5 hitter Cal Raleigh in the second. Working out of a bases-loaded jam, he locked in by striking out Julio Rodr¨ªguez, Eugenio Su¨¢rez and Jarred Kelenic -- all swinging -- in the third. Raleigh¡¯s leadoff single in the fourth, however, gave way to Seattle batting around the order, with Waldichuk¡¯s night ending after a two-out, bases-loaded walk to Raleigh, his third walk of the inning.

¡°Those middle innings have been trouble for him,¡± Kotsay said of Waldichuk. ¡°Tonight, even though he did have seven strikeouts, those walks just hurt him. We¡¯ve seen that. The non-competitive pitches when he goes into the zone are really hurting him right now.¡±

Even though Waldichuk ran into similar issues that have crept up all season, he is a believer in the opener method as something that could help out the entire rotation.

¡°The way they explained it, I thought it was something that could be good,¡± Waldichuk said. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting hurt the third time through [the order] this season, so I was open to it. I can see the benefits, especially with that part of the order not being to see you that third time through. It definitely makes sense.¡±

The Rays revolutionized baseball with the implementation of the opener in 2018. Pruitt was a member of that team and witnessed the benefits, as Tampa Bay¡¯s team ERA lowered considerably in the aftermath.

¡°It was a little different at first,¡± Pruitt recalled. ¡°No one really had ever heard something like that. Then as it worked and the team saw a little more success, they bought into it. It¡¯s something we¡¯ve got to buy into as well.¡±

In what continues to be the worst start to a season in franchise history with a record of 10-41, the A¡¯s are hopeful the opener strategy can help move them toward the right direction in what has been a miserable season to this point. Not only might it provide a boost for Oakland¡¯s young starting rotation, but also for the club¡¯s bullpen.

¡°When I was in Tampa, we had [relievers] Sergio Romo and [Ryne] Stanek opening,¡± Pruitt. ¡°For Stanek, something kind of clicked for him at the time. He figured some stuff out. So, really, it can help everybody.¡±