Graveman gleaning wisdom from early struggles

OAKLAND — Kendall Graveman returned to Target Field’s visiting dugout after a scoreless 20-pitch first inning, having worked around a walk to Minnesota’s Joe Mauer and a tighter-than-usual strike zone from home-plate umpire Manny Gonzalez, and he turned to his close friend Sonny Gray.

They began to discuss what felt like a conversation more than a year in the making, even if he didn’t realize at the time.

“After the first inning, I was like, ‘How am I going to get some of these pitches?'” Graveman said.

Graveman felt he had little choice but to throw his sinker — a hard, diving pitch when it’s working — over the middle of the zone. Stephen Vogt, his catcher, then walked over to deliver a similar message.

“Trust it,” he said. “If they hit it, so be it.”

They didn’t — at least not well. Graveman finished 6 2/3 innings, allowed one run and won for the third time this season. And just like that, on a nondescript July 4 afternoon in a 3-1 win, Graveman’s season began to turn. Few teams have hit him hard since.

Graveman has been quietly piecing together a superb sophomore season, transforming from fringe starter to rotational mainstay. He’s won 10 times, is 9-2 with a 3.33 ERA in his past 16 starts, and he has been the only starter to remain in Oakland’s rotation all season. So much has gone wrong for the A’s this year. Graveman hasn’t.

Infused with renewed confidence and a personal challenge to meet in-game goals — Graveman bristles if he walks more than one batter per game or doesn’t record at least 10 ground-ball outs — he has become Oakland’s steady, dependable option.

“In a year where we haven’t had that, it’s been very refreshing to see him step up and be that guy,” Vogt said.

“I think the main thing for him has always been that self-confidence to throw the ball over the plate and throw it downhill,” said Gray, who then brought up the start vs. the Twins.

“That mentality has been everything the last couple months. It’s been really cool to see.”

Graveman threw his sinker 75 percent of the time in July, according to Brooks Baseball, nearly doubling his April output. He throws it in the mid-90s. Midway through the season, Vogt began dropping to one knee in his catching stance. The reason? To remind Graveman to keep the ball down. You don’t need to look hard to see the cohesion between his approach and his execution.

But what isn’t as quantifiable is the subtle shift in the 25-year-old Graveman’s presence on the mound. He’s pitching like someone who belongs. He’s more sure of himself, his preparation, …

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