Month: July 2021

Frankie Montas’ superb outing propels A’s to win over Astros 2-1

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Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas delivers against the Houston Astros in the first inning of Thu Jul 8, 2021 game at Minute Maid Field (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (50-39) needed their starter to find a way to stop the powerful Houston Astros’ (54-34) offense. Houston had won the first two games of the three-game series and increased their leas to 5 and 1/2 games over the A’s. Had the Astros won, they would have increased their lead to six and 1/2 games.

A’s manager Bob Melvin handed the ball to Frankie Montas to expect that Montas would shut down the Astros’ attack. Montas responded with, perhaps, his best performance of the season. Montas went six and 2/3rds innings, allowing the Astros one run and five. He struck out ten and walked one, as he won his eighth game of the year, leading the A’s to a 2-1 win.

The A’s scored all the runs they would need in the first inning. With one out, Elvis Andrus doubled. Astros’ starter, Lance McCullers, Jr. uncorked a wild pitch to send Andrus to third. Matt Olson doubled to drive in Andrus with the A’s first run. Jed Lowrie singled to drive in Olson to give the A’s the lead 2-0.

Montas had all four of his pitches working. He painted the corners with his four-seam fastball. He had command of his slider, splitter, and changeup. He was moving the ball up and down in the zone. He threw 95 pitches, and 71 were strikes. He struck out the side in the first and second innings.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Astros finally put a run on the board. Montas recorded the first two outs. Astros’ right-fielder, Kyle Tucker, doubled to start the Astro rally. He went to third on a wild pitch. Astros’ centerfielder, Chas McCormick, followed with a double to drive in Tucker with Houston’s first run. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch to Abraham Toro. Petite got Toro to ground out to end the inning. 

Lou Trivino pitched the eighth for Oakland. Trivino walked Jason Castro to start the frame. A’s fans got a little nervous as they know the cardinal sin for any reliever is to walk the first man he faced in the inning. Trivino now had the unenviable task of facing the Astros’ three best hitters. Trivino was not fazed at all.

He got Jose Altuve to hit into a fielder’s choice, Michale Brantley to fly out to right, and Carlos Correa hit a popup to Tony Kemp at second base. Bob Melvin had Jake Diekman pitch the ninth. Diekman gave up a single to Yordano Alvarez to start the bottom of the ninth.

He got the next hitter, Yuli Guriel, to hit into a 6-4-3 double play. He retired Kyle Tucker on a soft line to Tony Kemp to preserve to win for Oakland. The A’s win a very close game 2-1.

Game Notes and Stats- with the win, the A’s are 50-39 for the years and are 4 1/2 games back of the first-place Astros. Houston is now 54-34. The line for Oakland was two runs, eight hits, and no errors. Houston’s line was one run, six hits, and one error.

The A’s pitching did an excellent job of holding down the Houston offense. Houston has averaged 5.5 runs per game so far this season.

The A’s are 4-9 against Houston this year. In all four victories, A’s pitchers have held the Houston Offense to less than six runs. The Astros have scored six or more runs in eight of the nine wins against Oakland.

Ramon Laureano, Elvis Andrus, and Jed Lowrie each had two hits on Thursday. Frankie Montas improved to 8-7. Lou Trivino earned a hold, and Jake Diekman recorded his seventh save of the season.

The first four hitters in the Astro Lineup were one-for sixteen against the A’s. Yordano Alvarez’s single in the ninth was the only hit. Bob Melvin commented after the game about Montas’ performance. It applied to all four of the A’s pitchers:”Every pitch meant something.”

Injury update: Chad Pinder was placed on the 10-day IL. Pinder injured his right hamstring running to first base on the last play of Wednesday night’s game. After running across the base, he grabbed the back of his leg as he fell to the ground. The A’s do not know how much time Pinder will need to recover.

The time of Thursday’s game was 2:52. 29,243 fans did not see their Astros win.

The A’s are on their way to Arlington, Texas, to play a three-game series with the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are 4-3 against the A’s this year. Hopefully, the momentum for Thursday’s win will continue for the A’s this weekend. After the series, the A’s are off until July 16th. They will resume play after the annual All-Star game break against the Cleveland Indians at the Coliseum.

The pitching matchups for the series will see lefty Cole Irvin go for Oakland Friday night. Texas will send Jordan Lyles to the hill. On Saturday, it will be James Kaprielian going against Mike Folynewicz. Folty has been tough on the A’s in the two games he has pitched for the Rangers. On Sunday, Chriss Bassitt will be on the mound for the A’s, and Texas will counter with lefty Kolb Allard.

Friday night’s game at Globe Life Stadium will begin at 5:05 pm.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Tokyo Olympics, State of Emergency, No Fans, No Demonstrations

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Fans outside of the Olympic park in downtown Tokyo in preparation of the 2021 Summer Olympics (The Guardian file photo)

Tokyo Olympics: State of Emergency, No Fans, No Demonstrations

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Organizers originally had planned to limit local fans to 10,000 with no fans from outside Japan. However, a state of emergency in the city of Tokyo was issued because of the rising of corona virus cases in the country, according to Mr. Tamayo Marukawa, Japan’s Olympic Minister, who also said organizers came to the agreement to hold the games without fans.

International Committee President Thomas Bach met with organizers and officials in Japan. However, some events like Baseball, Softball and Soccer still might take place outside Tokyo (as planned) where there is no state of emergency.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the state of emergency will go in place next Monday and last through August 22. “Taking into consideration the impact of the delta strain, and in order to prevent the resurgence of infections from spreading across the country, we need to step up virus prevention measures,” Suga said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced they are adapting their long-standing Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which reads “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or radical propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other area.

If you were planning to attend the Olympics in Japan, you are ‘on your own’ you can still travel there, however, you will not be able to attend all events held in Tokyo. As for the other events, scheduled in other cities outside Tokyo, good luck.

Japan has spent $15.4 billion on the Olympic and Paralympics Games. Because they were to take place on 2020 and because the postponement because of the pandemic, some estimates to be an additional $3 billion to that bill. NBC paid $1.34 Billion for the rights to broadcast this Summer Olympics The Olympics begin July 23 and run through August 8. The Paralympics will take place August 24.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Canha feeling better and Moreland will be out longer

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The Matts at Bats Matt Olson (28) and Matt Chapman (right) jump for joy over after Olson hit a first inning home run against the Texas Rangers Tue Jun 29, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP file photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, talk about how amazing it is at the thought that A’s outfielder Mark Canha could be back to work by this weekend for the Texas Rangers series.

#2 Jerry, the report is there is no structural damage on his left hip, Canha was on the Injured List and did have tendinitis. Canha has hurt that same hip before.

#3 A’s designated hitter Mitch Moreland is out for undisclosed reasons and is expected out until the All Star Break. It was reported that he is out for a no related baseball issue.

#4 Matt Olson will be taking his cuts at the All Star game in the home run derby Olson has 83 hits and 20 home runs and is hitting .283

#5 The Coliseum site is up for grabs with such groups as the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, Tripp Development, Dave Stewart and Lonnie Murray, the Renaissance Companies and the A’s. The Oakland City Council is waiting to see what happens with the A’s vote at Howard Terminal. If it’s a thumbs down for Howard Terminal the A’s will leave for Las Vegas. The other groups will bid on the property to develop. Talk has it that the WNBA and indoor arena football are interested in coming to the Coliseum Arena.

Join Jerry for the A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Echoes of 1993: The Giants beat the Cardinals, 5-2 and avoid a sweep with historical significance

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Avoiding being swept is part of the championship equation with the key being don’t make it a major part of your diet. The Giants did that Wednesday night, besting the Cardinals 5-2, and winning the finale of a three-game set.

The win kept the Giants atop the NL West ahead of the Dodgers, who lost to the Marlins in Miami. The Giants also maintained baseball’s best record, and–with the All-Star break three games away–their win total continues to be reminiscent of their 1993 squad that won 103 games.

There’s just one distinction the 2021 Giants want that eluded the ’93 club: a postseason appearance.

The Giants rolled into September 1993 with an 89-48 record and a 3 1/2 game lead on the Dodgers. But they couldn’t maintain that pace. A loss to the Pirates preceeded a four-game sweep at Candlestick Park by the Cardinals, then three more losses to the Chicago Cubs. Despite a huge win streak that saw them win 14 of 15 after that, the Giants fell on the season’s final day to the Dodgers and went home empty with 103 wins.

That was the last time the Cardinals swept the Giants in a four-game series, and they last beat the Giants in a three-game set in San Francisco in 1991. Thirty years later, the Giants avoided reliving any of that history on Wednesday.

The indelible lesson: avoid lengthy, losing streaks. Thus far in 2021 the Giants have lost three straight once, and just suffered a four-game slide last week.

Alex Wood pitched seven innings, allowed three hits and a run, and picked up his eighth win of the season. After Nolan Arenado doubled home Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning for a 1-0 St. Louis lead, Wood took control. He departed after the seventh, leading 3-1. Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano doubled home runs in the second and fifth innings to put the Giants ahead, and Darin Ruf added a two-run homer in the eighth to provide some cushion.

“(Wood) had all of his pitches working well,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “He had good command and control of all three of his pitches and mixed it up well. That was a pretty gritty and tough outing from him. It was exactly what we needed.”

“I felt like I commanded my fastball really well and stuck the slider,” Wood said. “Good overall night, that’s for sure. Games like that are important. I was happy to come out and do my job tonight.”

The Giants reverted to their winning pattern of taking control of games in the middle innings, a formula the Cardinals adopted in winning the first two games of the series. This time, the Giants took advantage of hard luck starter Johan Oviedo, who has failed to win any of his first 16 starts at the big league level, including all 12 this season. Oviedo showed some distraction early when he jawed with Yastrzemski after his RBI double in the second with the issue being that the pitcher felt the Giants were relaying information to their hitters. Yastrzemski, who carries himself too quietly to get caught up in petty beefs, acknowledged Oviedo’s tough words, but offered few back.

“Any advantage that we can take, whether teams are paranoid, whether they think we’re doing something that we’re not, it’s just a way to hopefully get a distraction off the hitter and to get it onto the baserunner so they can’t make their pitches. I definitely think that he had a lot of intent thinking that I was relaying signs, which I wasn’t. I had nothing.”

The Giants are off on Thurdsay and finish the first half of the season with a three-game set with the Nationals. No pitcher has been announced for Friday, but the possibility that Tyler Beede could make his season debut after missing more than a year due to Tommy John surgery is getting some steam.

Phoenix Upsets Aces 99-90 at Mandalay Bay Events Center

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The Phoenix Mercury’s Brittany Griner (41) is double teamed by the Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson (22) and Kiah Stokes (41) at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Wed Jul 7, 2021 (Las Vegas Review Journal photo)

 Phoenix Upsets the Aces 99-90

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday evening the dominating Last Vegas Aces (14-5) took on the Phoenix Mercury (8-9). The Aces along with the Storm have been the talk of the town with opposing teams just trying to play catch-up in the standings. The Mercury are on a two-game losing streak and the Aces on the other hand have only lost one game of their last ten played.

In last Sunday’s game Las Vegas scored a season high and francise record with 118 points. In that game six players scored in double figures. The Aces have the best offensive rating in the league 107.9. They score an average of 91.8 points per game which is the best in the league. Defensively and offensively this team is on a roll and they have to feel like the best team in the WNBA.

The first quarter would end with a 7-0 Phoenix run leading the Aces 24-20. Jackie Young had the high score in the quarter for the Aces with 8 points. Brittney Griner had the high for Phoenix scoring 10 points.

Mid-way through the second quarter the Mercury had extended their lead to seven points leading 33-26. Late in the quarter the Aces really cleaned up their offense and erased an 8 point lead by Phoenix only to let the Mercury off the hook at the half. The score was 50-43 in favor of Phoenix and Brittney Griner had the high score with 21 points. Her team was shooting over 52% and giving Las Vegas all kinds of trouble.

After three quarters the Aces turned this game around taking the lead 63-58. Las Vegas had outscored the Mercury in the quarter 20-8.

Phoenix refused to go away and with just under two minutes left in the game they led 80-76. The Aces would need to keep their composure if they were going to win this game. It was crunch time for Las Vegas.

With 38 seconds left on the clock this game was tied at 82. The game remained tied and there would be five more minutes to play in overtime. A’ja Wilson was key keeping her team in the game.

The Aces had a tough start in overtime. The Phoenix took a six point lead all of them coming from Brittney Griner. Nine consecutive points for the Mercury and they really had the Aces on the ropes. Las Vegas couldn’t buy a basket in overtime. Phoenix continued to eat up the clock and with two minutes left Las Vegas was looking at their fifth loss of the season dropping them out of first place in the Western Conference.

Everything that could go wrong for the Aces did indeed go wrong in this overtime. Nothing went right for the team. They take on the Lynx on Friday hoping to get back on track. Tipoff is scheduled for Friday at 7:30.

Two Astro home runs sink A’s 4-3

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Houston Astros Jose Altuve reaches down and up to hit a third inning three run home run against the Oakland A’s at Minute Maid Field on Wed Jul 7, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros (54-33) continued to torment the Oakland A’s (49-39) as they beat the Green and Gold 4-3. The Astros and A’s have met 12 times so far this season. The Astros have won nine. The storyline shows two teams going in different directions. The A’s have lost twelve of their last 18 games.

The Astros are 13-5. The A’s were in first place with a 2-game lead over Houston before things went south. They now trail Houston by five and 1.2 games. The A’s can get back on course with a win Thursday afternoon in Houston.

The A’s grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, blasted a 398-foot blast into the seats in the right field with two out. It was Olson’s 21st big fly of the year.

A’s starter, Sean Manaea, retired the first six Astro hitters he faced. Things went sour in the bottom of the third. Astros’ third baseman reached on A’s third baseman Chad Pinder’s throwing error. Toro went to second on the error.

The next hitter, Myles Straw, singled, sending Toro to third. Manaea struck out Martin Maldonado for the first out. Unfortunately for Manaea, he had to face the ever-dangerous Jose Altuve. Altuve sent Manaea’s pitch off the wall in the back of the Crawford Boxes to propel Houston to a 3-1 lead. Michael Brantley followed with a single. Manaea then retired the next eleven Astro hitters.

Houston’s manager, Dusty Baker, did not allow his starter, Luis Garcia, to pitch the sixth inning. Garcia’s high pitch count was the reason he did not come out to start the sixth. Baker selected righty Christian Javier to face Oakland in the sixth.

A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus hit his second home run of the year with a blast into the left-field seats. Javier then walked Matt Olson. Ramon Laureano singled, Olson stopped at second. Jed Lowrie also singled to load the bases with no out.

With Sean Murphy hitting, Javier uncorked a wild pitch allowing Olson to score on the play. Laureano and Lowrie advanced to second and third. The next play turned out to be one of the key plays in the game. Murphy sent a ball left field that Michael Brantley caught.

A’s third base, Mark Kotsay, had Laureano tagged up and tried to score. Brantley’s throw home nailed Laureano to complete the double play. Stephen Piscotty struck out to end the inning. The good news was the A’s tied the game 3-3.

A’s manager Bob Melvin sent Manaea out to pitch the seventh. He retired Carlos Correa for the first out. The next hitter was right fielder Kyle Tucker. Tucker hit his 14th dinger of the year to put the Astros ahead 4-3.

Astros’ relievers, Ryne Stanek and Ryan Pressly, each set the A’s down 1-2-3 in the eighth and ninth innings to preserve Houston’s 4-3 win.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the A’s are 49-39 for the season. They trail the Astros by 5/12 games. Houston’s record is 54-33.
The A’s line was three runs, five hits, and two errors. Houston’s line was four runs, four hits, and two errors.

Sean Manaea absorbed the loss. His record is now 6-6 for the year. Manaea went six and 2/3rds innings. He allowed four runs, one of which was unearned, and four hits. Two of the hits were home runs. He struck out six and did not issue a walk.

Chad Pinder appeared to injure his right leg on the last play of the game. The extent of the injury is not known at the time of this report.

The A’s meet the Astros Thursday afternoon in Houston. The game will start at 10:30 pm Pacific Daylight time.

The game lasted two hours and fifty-nine minutes. Twenty-one thousand one hundred fifty people witnessed the Astros beat the A’s for the ninth time this season

He Was a Giant? Jeff Stember was a right handed pitcher for the SF

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Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeff Stember pitched only one game August 5, 1980 at the Houston Astrodome and is the feature of He Was a Giant? by Tony the Tiger Hayes (1980 Topps Baseball Card photo)

Jeff Stember – RHP – 1980 – # 50

He was a Giant?

By Tony the Tiger Hayes

Stember’s big league pitching career could not have gotten off to worse start.

Literally.

On the first pitch Stember ever threw in the majors (8/5/80), Houston’s Terry Puhl squared it up, sending a screaming liner into the rainbow hued left field seats of the Astrodome.

So much for good first impressions.

“As soon as Puhl hit the home run I went out to the mound and told (Stember), ‘Welcome to the National League,” said San Francisco catcher Mike Sadek.

The nervous righty would commit a balk later in the first inning, but actually retired six of the seven Astros following Puhl’s blast. Unfortunately, Houston struck again in the third inning plating two unearned tallies on a Jose Cruz triple.

After Stember retired perennial All-Star Cesar Cedeno on an infield pop-out to end the third, the 6-foot-5, 220 pound New Jersey native’s big league debut – and as it turned out – his MLB career, was over.

With Houston leading 3-1, Max Venable was sent to pinch hit for Stember in the fourth.

The Giants managed to battle back and beat the Astros 9-3. The victory was fueled by a pair of run scoring singles by Sadek. LHP Gary Lavelle recorded the victory with four innings of shutout relief.

Despite the comeback, Giants manager was still chapped about Stember’s outing.

“If he throws the ‘A’ fastball he’ll be alright,” Bristol explained. “It’s that ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ that I don’t like. And I told him that.”

Stember’s first big league game was also his last big league game.

Why was he a Giant?

In the 1970s, Giants scouts found amateur gold on the pitching mounds of New Jersey, signing two pitchers (Ed Halicki and John Montefusco) who would each throw no-hitters for San Francisco in 1975 and 1976 respectively.

San Francisco was looking to repeat that formula when they selected Stember with a 26th round pick in the 1976 draft out of Westfield High School in Westfield, N.J.

While Stember’s big league career ended in a blink of an eye, he was actually the Giants best pick up of the ‘76 amateur draft. Of all the players San Francisco drafted and signed that year – including first round pick, high school IF Mark Kuecker – Stember was the only one to play in the big leagues.

Future stars they passed on included the eventual Hall of Famers: IF Alan Trammell (second round); IF Wade Boggs (seventh) and local OF Rickey Henderson who was selected by his hometown A’s in the fourth round.

Before & After

Stember’s minor league numbers didn’t blow anyone away as he toiled alongside future Giants such as Chili Davis, Bob Brenly and Fred Breining. In six minor league campaigns – all with the Giants organization – he was 38-49 with a 4.98 ERA .

He Never Had a Bobblehead Day. But…

Though he was roughed up by a good portion of the Houston lineup in his only big league appearance, Stember did manage to muzzle the bat of Joe Morgan, the future Giant and Hall of Fame 2B.

In the first, Stember got Lil’ Joe on a ground out and then a pop out in the third.

Giant Footprint

Stember is recognized by the Jewish Baseball Museum as one of the dozens of Jews to have played big league baseball. Others with ties to the Giants include former team president Al Rosen and manager Gabe Kapler and the all-time best Giants play-by-play man Hank Greenwald.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Oakland A’s Mid-Season Report-What do they need

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Oakland A’s outfielder Mark Canha who is out with a hip injury will take a much needed rest during the All Star Break next to prepare for the second half of the season (file photo from Athletics Nation)

Oakland Athletics Mid-Season Report – What do they need

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

There used to be a saying that the teams who are in first place by the 4th of July are the ones that are going to win the World Series. That might have been proven as the norm years ago, but today with 30 teams on six divisions, the playoffs and the Wild Card, is not that simple and more difficult than ever to reach the World Series.

You do not have to win your Division to make it deep in October. As a matter of fact these wild card teams all have won the World Series: the Florida Marlins in 1997 and 2003, the Los Angeles Angels, in 2002, the Boston Red Sox, in 2004, the St Louis Cardinals, in 2011; the San Francisco Giants, in 2014 and the Washington Nationals, in 2019

However, to be on first place come Independence Day is not an impediment, but an advantage with some 80 games; those teams have over a 60% probability of making the postseason.

The Oakland A’s ended their home schedule of the first half Sunday July 4, and lost 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox. They lost the three game series against the Red Sox, who left Oakland with 53 wins in first place and are one of the surprises of this 2021 season, under general manager Alex Cora is the first and only Puerto Rican manager to win a World Series, in 2018 for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox looked like a better team that the A’s. However, prior to that series, the Texas Rangers came to Oakland and they took two out of three from the Athletics. The Rangers are not a better team than the A’s.

The Athletics are missing their leadoff hitter Mark Canha; he was their offensive catalyst during the first half of the season as their steady hitter at the top of the lineup, hopefully he will be back soon. A’s first baseman Matt Olson having his best season to date was selected as a reserve to the All-Star Game this July 13 at Coors Field, in Denver.

The announcement was made in the press box during the game Sunday as we were broadcasting. This was not a surprise. Olson leads the A’s in most offensive categories, with a .283 average, 20 home runs and 53 runs batted-in; no other Athletic player is remotely closely to the Gold Glove first-baseman. Another player for the A’s that has All Star numbers is right handed starter Chris Bassitt with 9-2 and a 3.04 earned run average.

The Athletics are headed for Houston against the Astros and then Arlington, against the Rangers. The ‘Texas two-step. The A’S will then recess for the All Star Break. After Sunday’s game at the Coliseum the A’S were in second place 3 1/2 games behind the hot Houston Astros.

This road trip for the Oakland team is a key one as they head to the break and get ready for the second half. A’S pitching has not been the problem, even though they started the year without Mike Fiers and then lost Jesús Luzardo to a hand injury (healed now) he sustained while playing a video game and on a violent reaction when he hit the table with his hand.

Their good pitching and good defense have kept the A’S with a record of 49-37 which a chance to re-capture first place this week while in Texas. They have to come home for the first game of the second half the 16 June vs. Cleveland with a better road trip than the last one which they won 4 and lost 6 games.

What do they need? First and foremost they have to improve their offense. Matt Chapman is the best all-around player on the team, but the Gold Glove third-baseman is having an under-achieving season, he is hitting .229 with 11 homers and 42 runs batted in, he should have much better numbers, like closer to 20 home runs and 50 RBI.

Ramón Laureano, one of the best defensive center-fielders in baseball is also having a subpar season at the plate. Elvis Andrus was acquired to play shortstop when Marcus Semien was not signed with the team and left for Toronto, Semien will be the starting second-baseman for the American League in the All Star Game. Andrus is a great defender with the glove but no comparison offensively to ex-A’S Semien in the infield.

The A’s were the only team in the American League that did not have a homerun from the shortstop position until Elvis hit one on July 2. Olson is the man, having a season where he could hit 40 to 50 homeruns and drive in 100 or more runs. Houston is one of the best (many believe the best) offensive team in the league. The trade deadline is at the end of the month.

The Twins are out of it this season and DH extraordinaire Nelson Cruz could make a nice addition into this line-up at the Coliseum. The 41 year old Dominican player still packs a punch, is healthy and he could help the A’S. Cruz is one of the true sluggers of the game with 435 home runs, and the A’s do not have to break the bank to bring him to the bay.

Nelson Cruz could hit the ball out of any park in baseball. Cruz is hitting .306 with 18 home-runs and 45 RBI; his bat will help the A’s. Mitch Moreland, whom the A’s acquired to be their DH (and currently on the injured list) is hitting .238 with 6 home runs and 22 RBI.

The A’s always trade to improve their team if they are in the race and they are in the race. The best two teams in the AL West are the Astros and the Athletics. This six-game road trip is a test for the A’s and its results could hinge in what adjustments they make in player personal. Regardless of results. they might have to shake-up the roster and make some moves as they try to repeat as Western Division champion.

Talking about trades: In June 1989, the Oakland A’s brought back Rickey Henderson from the Yankees, as they went on to win their fourth World Series in Oakland. Remember that?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer on the A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

They were Giants? By Tony the Tiger Hayes; Darren Ford and Horace Speed

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Former San Francisco Giants Darren Ford in his Somerset Patriots uniform played for the Giants for the 2010 and 2011 seasons Ford didn’t get a bobblehead but he got a ring with the 2010 World Series Championship Giants

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

THEY WERE GIANTS?

By Tony “The Tiger” Hayes

Darren Ford – PR/OF – 2010-11 – # 34

Horace Speed – PR/OF – 1975 – # 38

They Were Giants?

Not since Herb Washington – a former college track star without a baseball background – was issued an unforgettable 1975 Topps card with “pinch runner” as his position, has substitute base running been in vogue.

Like Washington’s sans-a-belt Swingin’ A’s baseball pants and flapless batting helmets, the pinch-runner has been sadly all but been laughed out of baseball. Why waste a player? Excitement be damned. Wait for a home run the analytics say. Over the years, San Francisco has had at least two short-lived players whose direct track into a game has included the slapping of lead-footed teammates on the butt as they took their spot on the base path.

The aptly named Speed and Ford (think Mustang) – combined to play in 50 games with the Giants – with 31 of those appearances coming as pinch-runners.

“I know what my role is to go out there and steal a base and get in scoring position. I trust my instincts,” said Ford in his his first day in the majors with the Giants in 2010. “You can’t teach speed and I’m blessed.”

Why Were They Giants?

The Los Angeles raised Speed, who was signed to his first pro contract by San Francisco in 1969, made the club’s opening day roster in 1975 as a backup to Gary Matthews, Von Joshua, Garry Maddox and Bobby Murcer.

“Deep down I always wanted to be a Giant. I will hit .300, drive in 100 runs and hit 20 home runs. Home runs are the hardest because I hit a lot of line drives,” a confident Speed proclaimed. “But I know you just don’t walk into a starting position, especially on this club.”

He was right. Speed made just three starts for the Giants and was back in the minors by mid-May.

While Speed was considered a more rounded prospect and a clubhouse comic – he supposedly did a great Ed Sullivan impersonation – Ford was promoted to San Francisco in Sept. 2010 strictly for his base path acumen. He may have been the only player ever promoted to the Orange & Black after hitting just .250 at Double-AA.

Before & After

The grandson of former big leaguer Ted Ford, Darren came up through the Brewers farm system before a 2008 trade for 2B Ray Durham brought him to San Francisco.

He would make it into seven games in the fall of ‘10, but never came up to hit.

Ford made it back to the bigs with SF again in 2011 – this time getting a few hits off the bench.

After leaving the Giants organization in 2012, Ford spent a seasons each in the Seattle and Pittsburgh organizations before returning to the Giants fold in 2014-16 – however he did not receive a big league call-up the second time around.

Speed would appear in just 17 games with the Giants in ‘75, batting .133 (2-for-15) before returning to the minors for the next three seasons. He resurfaced with the Cleveland Indians in 1979-80 batting .217 in 96 contests.

They Never Had Bobblehead Days. But…

Ford may not have swung a bat for the 2010 World Champions, but he made an unforgettable first impression on Giants fans – using his speed to lead the Orange & Black to victory in his big league debut in a home game vs. Colorado (9/1/10). Running at first base for Mike Fontenot in the bottom of the 8th with the score tied 1-1, Ford advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tim Lincecum.

With one out and a 0-2 count on Andres Torres, Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez bounced a pitch in the dirt that bound a short distance from Rox back stop Miguel Olivo.

Ford daringly took the initiative to sprint to third and then he kept on running home with what would be the winning run of a 2-1 outcome when a hurried Olivo airmailed his throw into left field.

“I knew it would be bang-bang. I’ll say this: the kid didn’t hesitate. He can fly,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “He showed no fear there.”

Speed appeared in eight big league games before making his first plate appearance for San Francisco. He reached base in his first start, stroking a double off Don Gullet in a 5-4 win at Candlestick over the eventual world champion Reds (4/29/75).

Giant Footprint

In his first big league multi-hit game (he only had four of them) Speed batted 2-for-4 with 2 RBI to lead Cleveland to a 3-0 win at Toronto (6/30/78). Also collecting two knocks for the Indians that day: Tribe starting 2B Duane Kuiper.

Thirty-two years later, Kuip was behind the mic on the Giants telecast when Ford debuted with his mad dash from second base:

“Ford’s gonna go! “ Kuiper bellowed. “(The throw is) into left field and the Giants take the lead! Unbelievable!”

Cardinals hang on at the end to defeat Giants 6-5 in second game of series

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St Louis Catcher Yadier Molina belts an RBI single in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Jul 6, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN FRANCISCO—The St. Louis Cardinals owe Dylan Carlson a really expensive steak dinner.

The Cardinals left fielder made an over the shoulder catch slamming into the left field wall to preserve a 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Tuesday evening at Oracle Park.

Jason Volser, with two runners on and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, hit a deep drive to left fielder that looked to have been the walk off hit until Carlson reached up and robbed the Giants of a comeback victory.

San Francisco were 3-16 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base as they have lost the first two games of the series. St. Louis have won two games in a row after losing two in a row.

St. Louis starting pitcher Adam Wainright (7-5) pitched five innings giving up three runs on six hits while walking four and striking out three to earn his seventh win of the season.

The Cardinals (43-44) jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Nolan Arenado golfed a 3-2 off speed pitch from Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto and deposited the ball into the left field bleachers for his 17th home run of the season.

“I think he was just off the plate with several of his pitches,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler on Cueto’s outing. “Johnny is at his best when he’s getting ahead and staying ahead (of batters). I don’t think he was in count leverage enough to really have his best outing.”

Arenado, a known Giants killer when he played for Colorado, continued his barrage against the Giants as he now has 32 career homers against San Francisco.

The Giants (53-32) answered back in the third inning as their RBI leader came up with a clutch two-out hit. Brandon Crawford’s opposite field single off Wainright brought in Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores.

Crawford, who was named to the National League All-Star roster on Sunday, now has 55 RBI on the season, second in the the NL.

Paul Goldschmidt helped St. Louis regain the lead in the fourth inning. The other notorious Giants killer lined a bases loaded single into left field scoring two and giving the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.

Cueto (6-5) suffered the loss as he gave up four runs on nine hits while striking out seven and only walking one batter in six innings.

“I won’t be taking any days off. I’m going to be working very hard to get ready for the second half. My goal is to stay healthy and also for my teammates to stay healthy,” Cueto said.

Crawford, who went 4-5 on the evening and is now batting .275, drove in his third run of the game in the fifth inning with a double down the right field line to cut the St. Louis’ lead to one run.

“It’s hard to replace somebody like Buster (Posey) or (Brandon) Belt or (Evan) Longoria,” said Crawford when asked if injuries have began to take its toll on offense. “It’s kind of trying to get through this little time period without them with some wins and not dropping off too much.”

Yadier Molina gave the Cardinals an insurance run with a two-out RBI single in the sixth inning off reliever John Brebbia who replaced Cueto on the mound.

Edmundo Sosa hit his second home run off the season in the eighth inning off of Brebbia. The former Cardinals reliever gave up two runs on three hits in one and two-thirds innings.

“I thought Brebbia, in particular pitched well, outside of the breaking ball he threw to Sosa, I though he pitched really well. Sometimes it doesn’t look that and in this particular case it doesn’t. So I can understand that,” Kapler said.

The Giants rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the eighth. Mike Yastrzemski RBI single and a RBI double by Flores on a popup that landed in the Bermuda triangle in shallow center field between three Cardinal fielders.

Justin Miller recorded the final two outs to earn his first save of the season.

GAME NOTES: OF Jaylin Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list (left hamstring strain).

RHP Tyler Beede returned from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated from the 60-day injured list.

IF/OF Jason Vosler recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.

RHP Jimmie Sherfy designated for assignment.

UP NEXT: The Giants look to avoid the sweep against the Cardinals as they conclude their three-game series on Wednesday 7/7 at 6:45pm at Oracle Park.