Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier loses sight of the ball hit by the Oakland Athletics Sean Murphy in the top of the third inning at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay Thu Apr 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Jerermiah, No one would have predicted after the Oakland A’s (4-3) dealt Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Sean Manaea, Matt Olson, Chris Bassitt and Matt Chapman that they would open the season on the road winning four of their last seven games going 4-3.

#2 To open the season on the road the A’s lost their first two games to the Philadelphia Phillies and the critics were saying “here we go” as the oddsmakers had the A’s finishing in the bottom of the cellar but something sparked them as they now have won four of their last five games.

#3 In Tampa Bay (4-3) the A’s opened the four game series on Monday with a 13-2 win, on Tuesday they nearly won that contest but lost by a run 9-8, on Wednesday they got a three run homer out of catcher Sean Murphy and excellent pitching from Frankie Montas in a 4-2 win, and Thursday soundly beating the Rays 6-3 on some solid hitting.

#4 The A’s scored early and often on Thursday getting three runs in the second and a run in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings. Is this a matter of some smart sabermetrics or just some sound fundamental hitting from the A’s line up,

#5 The A’s will be starting Daulton Jefferies (1-0 ERA 0.00) going up against the Toronto Blue Jays (4-2) Ross Stripling (0-0 ERA 9.00) at Rogers Centre in Toronto tonight. The Blue Jays have been playing some good ball of late how do you see this match up tonight to open the series.

Join Jeremiah for the Oakland A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com