OAKLAND -- After weeks of speculation and extensive consideration, the A's have made their choice. Sean Manaea will start the AL Wild Card Game.
Oakland manager Bob Melvin announced the decision on Tuesday, picking the 27-year-old left-hander over veteran righty Mike Fiers.
"It was a difficult decision," Melvin said. "We went round and round with it. ... Mike Fiers has had an absolutely terrific season. He's been great here at home, so obviously, that factored in. I think it came down to the fact that since Manaea's been back, he's pitched great every single game out."
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That's not an exaggeration. In five September starts, Manaea went 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. He's allowed a total of four runs in nearly 30 innings, with 30 strikeouts.
"BoMel just took me into his office and asked if I wanted the wild card game, and I said, 'Hell yeah,'" Manaea detailed. "It means a lot. I put a lot of work in. Getting here was crazy hard, but I'm here and I'm glad that the team has faith in me. I'm excited for the opportunity."
Manaea missed the first five months of the season as he recovered from last year's shoulder surgery. It was a long and tedious road back, but the tall southpaw never stopped believing that he could make it back to contribute in this type of situation.
"I just pictured myself on a stage like this," Manaea said. "Spending a lot of time alone just thinking about my career and all this -- this is one of those opportunities that I think about a lot."
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Added Melvin: "A lot of hard work and a great attitude. He's in the same mood every day. It's a great mood. ... He's one of the guys that everybody rallies around. He has an infectious personality."
Manaea has never pitched in a playoff game at the major league level and he admits to feeling some pressure, but he has chosen to embrace it.
"Obviously there's a lot of pressure and you can't shy away from that," he said. "This game means everything. ... "When I get on the mound and just kind of focus on the catcher, I don't really worry about anything else."
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When Manaea does take the mound Wednesday night, he will likely do so in front of more than 50,000 fans at the Coliseum, with millions more watching on TV. It's the moment he's worked his entire life to experience.
"A lot of nervousness, a lot of excitement," he smiled. "I'm definitely going to take the opportunity to soak it all in for a couple of seconds and then focus on throwing."