Month: June 2021

Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia (53) gets the forearm bash from Joey Gallo (right) after hitting one of two solo home runs this one coming in the sixth inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Wed Jun 23, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (45-31) met the Texas Rangers (27-47) for the third time this week on Wednesday night at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The A’s, hoping to build on their win Tuesday night, sent James Kaprielian to the hill. Kaprielian entered the game with a 4-1 won-loss record and a sparkling 2.84 ERA.

The Rangers’ starter, Mike Foltynewicz, has been struggling all season. The 29-year-old righty’s record was a woeful 1-7 and had a 5.59 ERA. Foltynewicz had been tagged for 17 dingers so far this year. He led all the AL pitchers in that department. One would think that the A’s would have an easy time with the Rangers on Wednesday night.

The A’s James Kaprielian pitched very well for Oakland. The young man from Southern California had another quality start. Kaprielian went six innings and allowed two runs and five hits. The Rangers’ 28-year-old-rookie from Cuba, Adolis Garcia, took Kaprielian deep in the sixth inning. Foltynewicz pitched well, too. In his first six innings of work, Folty allowed no runs and four hits. He did not look like a pitcher with a 1-7 record.

The Rangers drew first blood in the bottom of the fifth. The Rangers’ left fielder, Eli White, led off the frame with a single. Then, Brock Holt hit into a 4-6-3 double play. Kaprielian walked Nick Solak. The next hitter, former A’s catcher Jonah Heim, who was traded to the Rangers and Kris Davis for Elvis Andrus, doubled to drive in White with the Rangers’ first run. In the bottom of the sixth, with two out, Adolis Garcia blasted his 19th dinger of the season to make it 2-0.

The A’s rallied to plate three runs in the top of the seventh. A’s catcher Sean Murphy hit the first pitch from Folty into the seats for his tenth big fly of the year. The ball traveled an estimated 442-feet. Elvis Andrus followed with a double. Rangers’ manager Chris Woodward brought in Spencer Patton to pitch.

A’s centerfielder, Skye Bolt, greeted him with a single to drive in Andrus with the A’s second run. Tony Kemp and Matt Chapman singled, and the A’s now led 3-2 midway through the seventh. A’s manager Bob Melvin, brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch.

Petit had not pitched since last Saturday, and the Rangers would put two on the board and regained the lead 4-3. The Rangers’ first baseman, Nate Lowe, sent Petit’s first pitch out of the ballpark to tie the game. Eli White, who was six-for-12 so far in the series, doubled. Brock holt singled to put Texas ahead 4-3 after seven.

Cam Bedrosian was on the hill for Oakland in the bottom of the eighth. Bedrosian retired the first two hitters he faced. He served up a pitch that Garcia sent into the stands in right field. It was Garcia’s 20th of the year and the seventh opposite-field home run. Joely Rodriguez closed out the game for Texas. The Rangers win 5-3.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the A’s are 45-31 for the year. They fell two games behind the Houston Astros in the race for first place in the AL West. The Astros won their tenth in a row as they destroyed the hapless Baltimore Orioles 13-0 Wednesday night. The Rangers are 27-47 for the year.

The A’s line was three runs, ten hits, and no errors. The Rangers’ line was five runs, ten hits, and no errors. The Rangers hit three homers in the game, and the A’s had one. The Rangers’ outfielders, Joy Gallo and Eli White, each made a sensational sliding catch to rob the A’s hitters of possible extra-base hits.

The A’s conclude the four-game series Thursday afternoon. Chris Bassitt (7-2, 3.40 ERA) will go for Oakland. Kolby Allard (2-2, 2.93 ERA) will be on the mound for Texas. The game will start at 11:05 am.

Oakland A’s Elvis Andrus forearm bashes with Matt Chapman (26) after Chapman hits a first inning home run against the Texas Rangers on Tue Jun 22, 2021 in Arlington (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (45-30) snapped a three-game losing streak as they routed the Texas Rangers (26-47) 13-6. The A’s sent lefty Cole Irvin to the hill Tuesday night. Irvin pitched well for the first four innings of the game. Things went south for him in the fifth.

The Rangers, trailing 9-0 at the point in the game, put four on the board to make it 9-4. Irvin started the rally by hitting the Rangers’ second Baseman, Nick Solak, with a pitch. Four hits and an error by Mark Canha in left field followed. Texas sent nine men to the plate in the inning. Irin was done for the night.

The Rangers decided to go with their bullpen to start the game. Rangers’ skipper Chris Woodward started lefty Taylor Hearn. The decision did not work out well for Texas. Hearn walked the A’s leadoff hitter Mark Canha. The next hitter, Matt Chapman, blasted a 422-foot home run into the seats in left field.

The ball had an exit velocity of 104.8 miles per hour. Hearn retired Matt Olson for the first out. Ramon Laureano singled. Pinder struck out swinging. Hearn then walked Jed Lowrie and Sean Murphy to load the bases. Former Texas Ranger shortstop Elvis Andrus singled to drive in two. The A’s led 4-0 midway through the first inning.

The A’s continued the onslaught in the second as they put three more runs on the board. Mark Canha led off the frame with a triple. He scored on Matt Chapman’s ground out. The Rangers’ second pitcher of the night, Brett de Gaus, walked Matt Chapman. Ramon Laureano homered to put the A’s ahead 7-0.

The Rangers brought in Jordan Lyles to pitch the third. A’s catcher Sean Murphy greeted him with a single. Elvis Andrus doubled to put men on at first and third with one out. Mark Canha singled to drive in Murphy and Andrus. The A’s had a commanding 9-0 lead after three complete.

As mentioned earlier, Irvin was in cruise control until the bottom of the fifth. He allowed three hits in his first four innings of work. The Rangers rallied for four in their half of the fifth and trailed 9-4.

A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Burch Smith to pitch the sixth. Smith retired all three hitters he faced. In the seventh, Sergio Romo was on the mound for Oakland. Romo retired the first two hitters he faced. He didn’t get past Eli White.

White homered to close the gap to 9-5. In the eighth, Bob Melvin brought in lefty Jake Diekman to face left-handed slugger Joey Gallo. The strategy failed. Gallo belted his 13th dinger of the year, and the Rangers crept within three 9-6. Bob Melvin had to be thinking that they could lose. Diekman struggled. He struck out Andy Ibanez for the first out.

He then walked Nick Solak. Solak attempted to steal second. Sean Murphy’s throw arrived in time. Andrus applied the tag as Solak’s foot came off the bag. The Rangers challenged the call, but the umpires did not reverse the call. Diekman then walked Willie Calhoun. Melvin had seen enough. He brought in Lou Trivino to get the final out.

After allowing two runs in the third, Jordan Lyles held the A’s scoreless the next five innings. The A’s could muster only two hits.

Things changed in the ninth. Chris Woodward brought in rookie DeMarcus Evans to face the A’s. The A’s offense woke up as they put together two singles and three doubles to put four more runs on the board to extend the lead to 13-6. Bob Melvin could breathe a lot easier. He did not have to use Trivino to finish the game. He brought in Deolis Guerra to close out the Rangers. Guerra did his job to secure Oakland’s win 13-6.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the A’s are 45-30 for the season. They remain one game behind the Houston Astros in the race for first place in the AL West. The Rangers drop to 26-47.

The A’s line was 13 runs, 15 hits, and one error. The A’s had a season-high 15 hits in the game. They tied a season-high with 13 runs.

The hitting stars for Oakland were Mark Canha ( 3 hits including a triple), Ramon Laureano had two singles and a home run, And Elvis Andrus had three hits, two singles, and a double.

The A’s will meet the Rangers again Wednesday night at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Bob Melvin will have James Kaprielian go for Oakland Kaprielian is 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA. The Rangers will counter with Mike Foltynewicz. Foltynewicz’s season has not gone well so far this year. The righty owns a record of 1-7 and a 5.59 ERA. His ERA in his last seven starts is 6.88.

The game will start at 5.05 pm.

Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas (47) surrendered five runs in the first inning including a home run to the Texas Rangers Andy Ibanez (77) circling first base at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Mon Jun 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (44-30) arrived in Arlington, Texas, Monday to start a four-game series with the lowly Texas Rangers (26-46) the Rangers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the first inning scoring five runs and it stood up for a 8-3 win at the Ballpark in Arlington.

The A’s played a hard-fought three-game set with the Yankees over the weekend. With just a little bit more good fortune, the A’s could have swept the Bronx Bombers, but things did not go their way in games two and three. The Yanks received a sterling relief performance from Nestor Cortes on Saturday.

The A’s were on the verge of breaking the game open when Cortes entered the game with the bases loaded and no out. Cortes pitched three scoreless innings, allowing New York to chip away at the A’s 4-1 advantage. The Yanks fought back to win 7-5.

In the Sunday game, with men on at first and second with no out, A’s catcher Sean Murphy hit a rocket down the third baseline. Yankees’ third baseman, Gio Urshela, picked the ball up, stepped on third for the first out, fired to second for the second, and the relay to first completed a triple play to end the game.

Monday Night Baseball: The A’s wanted to end the two-game losing streak Monday night against the Rangers. The Rangers had lost six in a row and have found themselves in the AL West basement. The Rangers sent Kyle Gibson to the mound to snap the losing streak.

Gibson did the job as he went four and 1/3rd innings without giving up a hit. The A’s Frankie Montas had a rough first inning. The Rangers put five runs on the board in the first inning. The Rangers went on to win 8-3.

The Rangers, as mentioned above, had no trouble figuring out Frankie Montas. With one out, Brock Holt singled. Rookie Adolis Garcia doubled to drive in Holt with the first run of the game. Joey Gallo walked. Rangers’ first baseman Nate Lowe doubled to drive in Garcia. Gallo stopped at third. The next hitter, Andy Ibanez, hitting about a buck fifty, hit his first home run of the year to put Texas ahead 5-0.

The A’s catcher Sean Murphy homered with one out in the fifth to make it a 5-1 game. The A’s put another run on the board in the sixth. They trailed 5-2 at this point. Montas was still pitching for Oakland. Frankie allowed just one hit in the four innings after the disastrous first frame.

The Rangers tallied three more in their half of the sixth. Montas retired the first two hitters but could not finish the inning. He gave up a single to Willie Calhoun and hit Eli WHite with a pitch.

Rangers’ catcher Jose Trevino ended Montas’ night when he blasted a three-run homer to make it 8-2. The A’s added a run in the seventh, but it was too little, too late. The Rangers win 8-3

Game Notes and stats- With the loss, the A’s are 44-30 for the season. They are now in second place in the AL West and will trail the Houston Astros by one full game as Houston is on its way to a big win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers are 26-46.

Frankie Montas was the losing pitcher. He is 7-7 for the year. His line was five and 2/3rds innings of work. He allowed eight runs, all earned, and nine hits. He struck out six, walked two, and gave up two three-run home runs: the A’s used three relievers, Bedrosian, Guerra, and rookie Domingo Acevedo.

Acevedo made his Major League debut Monday night. He faced four hitters and allowed a single. To make room for Acevedo on the roster, The A’s sent lefty Jesus Luzardo to Triple-A Las Vegas. The A’s want Luzardo to get more work as they intend to use him as a starter later in the season.

The A’s line was three runs, seven hits, and no errors. The Rangers’ line was eight runs, ten hits, and two errors. The teams will play game two of the series Tuesday night at Globe Life Stadium. Lefty Cole Irvin goes for Oakland. Lefty Taylor Hearn will pitch for Texas. The game starts at 5:05 pm. The Game will be televised on YouTube TV.