Author: Matthew Harrington

Sonny Days No More? Why Trading Sonny Gray Makes Sense for Oakland

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Oakland Athletics have officially become Sonny Gray’s team. No player donning the Green and Gold will mean more to his team’s success and no individual in Oakland’s 25-man roster has an equal skillset and pedigree as the 25-year-old ace. That makes it all the easier to trade the fire-balling Commodore out of Vanderbilt University striking while the iron is blazing atop the hot stove that is the Major League Baseball trade deadline.

The 18th overall pick in the draft elevated his stock greatly with a first half performance that puts him in the American League Cy Young Award conversation with the White Sox Chris Sale and Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros. He earned his first All-Star appearance in just his second full season this year on the back of a 10-3 record and a scant 2.04 earned run average.

In his last outing, the Nashville, TN native fired a complete-game, one-hit shutout of the Cleveland Indians. It was the kind of outing that Gray’s become known for, with every fifth day becoming winning day for the Division cellar-dwelling A’s. Any chance the A’s have at making up the 8.5 games they trail the AL West leader Los Angeles Angels comes with Gray winning at least two-thirds of his go-arounds as July rolls to October.

Of course, the A’s have struggled all season to remain relevant, so in all likelihood, they will be sellers (is Billy Beane ever not considered a threat to sell?) by the end of the month. Scott Kazmir could certainly pry some decent prospects from a team looking for pitching depth. Ben Zobrist will return a blue-chipper despite being a career .264 with only one season of more than 20 homers under his belt. But Gray, Gray’s ransom could fill the cupboards of a team twice over.

The biggest hurdle in dealing Gray is the fact that he’s technically under team control until 2020, with his arbitration years set to kick in in 2017. The A’s proved in the offseason that they’re not afraid to deal away a player under club control with a bright future, dealing Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays before having to sign him to the big money no player gets in Oakland.

Gray’s contract status immediately makes him a better haul for a playoff hopeful team than the mercenary options being floated around at the trailing end of deals like Johnny Cueto or Mat Latos. A team like the cash-strapped Los Angeles Dodgers could easily handle Gray’s arbitration figure and may even jump to extend him to a long-term deal well before the expiration of his contract. With that luxury, here’s where the A’s need to play hardball.

In the offseason, Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was criticized for demanding teams like the Dodgers or Boston Red Sox offer up two or three can’t-miss prospects for Cole Hamels, another pitcher locked up beyond this season. If the Phillies could get Boston to entertain the idea of sending over Blake Swihart, Mookie Betts and Henry Owens, why couldn’t Billy Beane try to pry the same deal (or better) for a player who younger than Hamels and will come with a cheaper price tag?

The obvious fit is dealing with the Dodgers, who would become locks to win the World Series if they could lock down a rotation of reigning Most Valuable Player Clayton Kershaw and All-Star starting pitcher Zack Greinke along with Gray. In return, the A’s could potentially pull in A+ prospects like shortstop Corey Seager and starter Julio Urias (though perhaps they’d have to throw in Kazmir or Zobrist to sweeten the pot). Plug them in with the emerging Oakland talents of players like Kendall Graveman, Marcus Semien and Billy Burns and the prospects in the pipeline in Matt Olson, Renato Nunez and Sean Nolin and suddenly you’d have a core five years from now with potential All-Stars at every position.

The reality is that the Angels window for success is coming to an end, and the Astros is just beginning to open with young stars like Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Dallas Keuchel being just a few of the names that litter the talent-rich organization’s depth charts. The A’s meanwhile would need a significant free-agent signing to be competitive now and in the immediate future. By the team they’ll see dividends on the current minor leaguers could very well be after 2017 when Gray will make the big bucks. So why not move Gray now and add more pieces for the run to come in a few seasons?

Everyone in the A’s organization has been adamant that Gray is off limits, but why suddenly make a player untouchable? With 5 of 7 Oakland All-stars from 2015 dealt since last July, it’s pretty clear that even the best of the best are available to depart from Alameda County. In fact, perhaps this is a move by Oakland brass to raise the price even higher. Who doesn’t covet what they’ve been told they can’t have?

It’s a longshot of a scenario, one that certainly might not play out considering there are rumblings that the A’s may be buyers and sellers at the deadline. With Beane at the helm, one thing is for certain; never say never.

Quakes Fall to Club America 2-1 in Unfriendly Friendly

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tuesday night’s friendly at Avaya Stadium turned not-so-friendly between the San Jose Earthquakes and Club America in the opening contest of the 2015 Guinness International Champions Cup. In a heated contest that saw a combined 8 yellows and 3 red cards issued, the Quakes fell to their Central American foes 2-1 behind a pair of goals in the final 30 minutes.

“With America, there’s no such thing as friendlies,” said Club America assistant coach Carlos Turrubiates through a translator. “Today was an example of two teams with the will to win. I don’t think there were bad intentions from either of these teams. It was the desire to win and play with the ball.”

The crowd was largely partisan towards the visiting club, with cheering sections donning Las Aguilas’ cream and blue scattered throughout Avaya. Fireworks were lit in celebration of each goal while drums banged throughout the contest. It was a home away from home for the most successful team in Liga MX history.

“These are people are working, fighting,” said Turrubiates of Las Aguilas supporters. They’re working to spend their money. That’s another reason to take this game seriously.”

“Whether it’s one fan, two fans or more, it makes us play harder,” added Turrubiates.

The Quakes capitalized first in the 23rd minute despite being on the wrong end of the run of play for most of the first half. Matias Perez Garcia flicked a corner kick into the penalty box that Quincy Amarikwa pounced on. His header attempt was deflected by Las Aguilas keeper Hugo Gonzalez but popped to the advancing Clarence Goodson. Goodson gave the ball a nod right into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“It would have been nice to win,” said Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear. “We put ourselves in a good position up 1-0, possibly more. In the end we didn’t.”

With a showdown with the Los Angeles Galaxy and a debuting Steven Gerrard looming on Friday, Kinnear opted to make mass substitutions to a team already absent its leading scorer with Chris Wondolowski on international duty. 8 of the 10 Quakes remaining on the pitch were subbed out for fresh legs, many of whom were getting their first taste of play against an international foe.

“We do have a game on Friday,” said Kinnear. “It does make us worry about the health of our squad. So it gives some players who haven’t been in international play a taste of what it’s like. It was a hostile environment, the game was very competitive.”

Following the player turnover, America’s fast-paced offense took over. Las Aguilas launched another five shots on goal in the second half after a nine-goal barrage, beating Quakes netminder Bryan Meredith for the first time in the 76th minute. Andres Andrade launched a shot from the semicircle that slid to Meredith’s right into the back of the net.

In the 83rd minute, America’s Francisco Rivera scored a near-identical goal, firing the ball into the back of the net from the half-circle to Meredith’s right again to cap the Aguilas comeback.

The hostilities came to a head in the 15th minute when Clarence Goodson horsecollared Dario Benedetto to the pitch. Both teams gathered in a mob, but after a heated exchange cooler heads prevailed.

“The challenge led to some pushing and shoving,” said Kinnear of the collision between Goodson and Benedetto. “It didn’t stop. That was the point that led to the intensity rising.”

Three more yellows would be issued in a physical half before a blowup in stoppage time between both teams.

Just seconds away from completing the first 45 minutes, San Jose’s Sanna Nyassi was taken down on a slidetackle. While on the pitch, America’s Paolo Goltz stood over the downed midfielder. Nyassi took a few swipes at Goltz with his cleats before igniting another shoving match. The two were issued red cards, forcing both teams to play down a man for the remainder of play.

The two teams played a more civil second half, though four yellow cards were issued. The only red card coming to Kinnear in the 85th minute.

“I was going to get sent to the locker room by the referee so I beat him to the punch,” said a laughing Kinnear of his premature departure before officially being shown the red.

With the dust-ups completed, the game drew to a close. The Quakes ICC experience is far from over. They’ll welcome Premier League standard Manchester United to Avaya next Tuesday for another high-profile match-up.

“Against Manchester United the odds are probably against us,” said Kinnear. “But it’s an honor to be involved in this tournament. It’s prestigious. We’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

A’s Well Represented in MLB Futures Game

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Sunday afternoon, the Oakland Athletics pair of All-stars were stealing the spotlight with Sonny Gray outdueling the reigning Cy Young winner in a complete-game two-hit shutout in a start bolstered by Stephen Vogt’s two-run homer.While they were putting cherries on top of their All-league resumes, two other members of Oakland’s organization were getting a taste of the All-Star festivities in Cincinnati.

A pair of teammates for Oakland’s double-A affiliate, the Midland RockHounds, found themselves on opposite sides of the diamond in Sunday’s MLB Futures Game, a contest pitting some of the top American prospects against their World counterparts in a showcase of emerging talent. MudHounds first baseman Matt Olson saw his U.S. side trounce designated hitter Renato Nunez’s World team 10-1 in the classic before the Midsummer Classic.

Olson, a compensation pick in the first round (47th overall) of the 2012 amateur player draft, finished the day 1 for 2 with a run scored and a strikeout. The 21-year-old prospect, rated 73rd overall by MLB.com before the season, absolutely exploded onto the scene last season at High-A Stockton, mashing 37 homers with 97 runs batted in and a .262 batting average.

A move from the hitter-friendly California League to Texas League in his fourth professional season has led to a dip in power for the left-handed hitting slugger. Over 84 games, he’s only left the yard 8 times to go with a .227 average. The Atlanta, Georgia native still is on base for near 90 rbis though, having plated 38 runs already.

For Nunez, the honor was his second-straight appearance. He also appeared in the 2014 iteration from Target Field in Minnesota counting Joey Gallo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant as some of his fellow All-Stars.  In 2014, he went 1 for 2 but failed to reach base Sunday in his encore, stranding a pair of runners in the process.

The 21-year-old Venezuelan may have had a worse performance than Olson, but his season so far has been impressive. Like Olson, Nunez raked in Stoctkon last season, launching 29 homers in 124 games. This year at Midland, he’s already ripped 12 dingers in just 60 games while splitting time at first and third base as well as DH.

While neither player will be in Oakland anytime soon, they’ll bring some strong expectations when they arrive at the show. Some players who have seen time in the majors that previously appeared as a member of the Athletics include Addison Russell (2013), Michael Choice (2012), Chris Carter & Jemille Weeks (2009) and Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill & Cliff Pennington (2008).Of course, its no guarantee to superstardom, with unknowns like Grant Green and busts like Michael Ynoa also having donned the Futures game garb.

Only time will tell if this pair of would-be A’s will man the hot corners at the Coliseum in the future, but for now they’re on the fast track to stardom. Perhaps Sunday won’t be the last time the two are in the same place at the ballpark come All-Star Week.

Gray, Fontenette, SaberCats Not Under VooDoo’s Spell in Chase for Records

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. –The Arena Football League is all about high-octane offense, a carousel of marches into the end zone to routine triple-digit combined scoring. At least, that’s been the status quo. The San Jose SaberCats are changing all of that, one defensive stop at a time.

“We want people to respect the defense,” said Cats defensive back Ken Fontenette.

The SaberCats topped the New Orleans VooDoo 56-35 Friday night at the SAP Center, eliminating New Orleans (2-12) from playoff contention. San Jose mastered the feat with a suffocating defense that surrender less than 40 points for the ninth time all season.

“Every year I’ve been here since 2013 we’ve wanted to change the culture,” added Fontenette. “We want to make Arena Football a defensive game. It’s a pride thing.”

Of course, the Cats brought the offense too. AFL Most Valuable Player candidate Erik Meyer threw for 229 yards and 7 touchdowns to lead San Jose (14-1) to the victory and a league-leading 14th win. “Big Play” Reggie Gray notched 92 receiving yards while finding the end zone 4 times. He also picked up 115 yards on four punts returns.

“Time in and time out in practice we’re going against the best defense in the league,” said Gray. “We have that chemistry where Erik trusts us (in the red zone). It’s all about getting down there and executing.”

Cats on both sides of the ball had or neared record-breaking nights, with defensive back Ken Fontenette setting single-season record and wide receiver Reggie Gray inching closer to one of his own. Fontenette collected 17.5 tackles, breaking Cats assistant coach Omarr Smith’s single season record of 114 in 2008 by 6.

“It’s a great honor,” said Fontenette. “Any time you can do something to get your name in the record books with this franchise and the players that come through here is an honor. I didn’t really know though. One of the fans told me. It’s all about the win and the team. Everybody’s set aside their individual goals. It’s all about winning.”

Gray meanwhile stands on the doorstep of two significant milestones. His 9 catches Friday puts him one shy of tying Rodney Wright for the single season mark of 134 while his 47 touchdowns are 4 shy of besting James Roe’s 40 set in 2007.

“There are three games left,” said Gray. “Whatever the records are, God willing, maybe I’ll get there or maybe not. As long as we get the ‘W’. Individual records are great, but at the end of the day it’s all about the ‘W’. If you get the record and lose, what kind of satisfaction do you have in that?”

San Jose stifled the VooDoo in the first quarter, allowing only 86 yards and no scores.  The Cats used an undisciplined quarter by their visitors to take an early edge with New Orleans committing seven penalties for a loss of 37 total yards before ultimately taking over on a turnover.

After Clevan Thomas intercepted New Orleans quarterback Adam Kennedy pass on third and goal, the Cats converted on their lone offensive possession of the quarter. Quarterback Erik Meyer connected with Reggie Gray on a 13 yard pass with just under 5 minutes left for a 7-0 lead.

San Jose would pick up right where they left off to start the second quarter. In the first drive of the quarter Meyer capped a 7 play, 38 yard drive with a 10 yard completion to Darius Reynolds in the end zone, doubling up the VooDoo just 4:30 in to the frame.

Kennedy broke through the SaberCats defense on New Orleans’ next drive, hitting receiver Chris Duvalt on an 11 yard toss to break the shutout 4:20 away from halftime. The SaberCats rallied back after a 44-yard Gray kick return to the VooDoo 13 yard line. Meyer got lineman Rich Ranglin involved on a screen pass, flipping it to the 315-pounder for a jog across the goal line and another six points for San Jose. Ranglin, the 2014 lineman of the year, has now doubled his 2014 TD total with 6.

“Rich is a versatile self-proclaimed tight end,” said Gray with a chuckle. “He’s big for this offense. He’s one of the best blockers in the league if not the best. His ability to get the ball in the backfield forces teams to not key in on the great receivers that we have.”

New Orleans native Nich Pertuit converted one of eight extra points for a 21-7 lead with 180 ticks of the clock remaining.

New Orleans answered back with a quick drive of its own, with Kennedy orchestrating a two-play, 47-yard drive topped with a 19 yard touchdown pass to Duvalt to bring New Orleans a score back at the one minute warning. One minute was all Meyer and the Cats needed to create breathing room following a one-yard quarterback scramble for the score as time expired in the half. Meyer now has a rushing touchdown in three-straight contests and has a total of six on the season.

Gray picked up his second touchdown of the game on the first drive of the second half, reeling in a pass up the middle for an 11-yard score and a 35-14 lead 2:35 in. The Cats then forced a turnover on downs on 4th-and-5 to regain possession at the VooDoo 19 yard line. After a sack and an incomplete pass, Meyer connected with former NFLer Ben Nelson for a highlight reel touchdown.

Nelson managed to catch the 25 yard toss with one foot in play while sprawling to make the catch. Fourth-year VooDoo coach Dean Cokinos challenged the play, but the score stood for a 42-14 Cats with 4:59 left in the third quarter. The VooDoo would score on an 18 yard strike from Kennedy to Johnny Lester with 1:41 left in the stanza now trailing 42-21.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter with Gray scoring the first and third while Charlie McClain and Duvalt scored for the New Orleans.

The SaberCats continue a three-game homestand with a contest next Saturday at SAP against the Portland Thunder. They’ll receive a bye week then finish off the home schedule with a game against the Arizona Rattlers before facing the LA Kiss, the team that handed San Jose it’s lone loss, to wrap up the regular season.

Warriors Take UCLA’s Kevon Looney with 30th Pick in the NBA Draft

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

With the 30th and final pick of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft last night, the Golden State Warriors selected UCLA forward Kevon Looney. The 19-year-old freshman fell into the Warriors lap after being projected as a lottery pick mid-season. A balky hip that won’t affect his ability to be ready for the start of the season helped Looney’s draft slide.

Looney produced one of the best freshman campaigns a storied program like UCLA has ever seen. The Milwaukee, WI native became a nightly threat for a double-double, average 11 points and 9 rebounds per game. His ability to get to the rim put Looney 2nd in the Pac-12 in rebounds. He led the conference with 122 offensive rebounds. He led all freshmen nationally with 15 double-doubles and was second in total rebounds with

The 6-foot-9, 220 pound power forward still has some developing to do before his body and his game are NBA-worthy, but that shouldn’t be a concern for the World Champions. The Warriors return most of the deep core that led them to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which means playing time with the big club will be limited. This gives Looney a chance to hone his skills in the D-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors for a season or two until he’s ready to play a physical role against NBA caliber players. At the 30th pick, he represents a low risk-high reward profile for a team with no real weaknesses at the moment.

The Golden State Warriors Hold up the NBA Chmpionship Trophy as a Team

Warriors Stand on Championship Ground

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AP Photo/Tony Dejak

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Has the dawn of a Golden State Warriors Dynasty arrived? Will the Splash Brothers be on the front float of many a victory parade? Only time will tell, but for now Title number one is under the Dubs’ belt. But one can’t help but think of the future while watching Stephen Curry toss the rock into the crowd in the closing minutes of his first title reign.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday night in Cleveland to win the NBA Finals four games to two. The World Champions overcame a 12-point first quarter deficit before riding a 60-54 point second half to handedly top the Cavs for the Bay Area and it’s ardent supporters the first Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1975. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it right when he said “You’ve waited a long time” in his post-game speech.

The Warriors led the NBA from wall-to-wall, notching countless franchise records on the way to a 67-win season. They then swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, rallied from a 2-1 series deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies to win the Conference Semifinals and broke the wills of the Houston Rockets to claim the Western Conference crown in one of the most dominant playoff runs the league has seen.

Despite boasting the reigning Most Valuable Player in Stephen Curry, the Warriors were deemed the best team facing the best player in the World, LeBron James. The Warriors proved that team always wins out after receiving meaningful contributions up and down the bench Tuesday night.Head Coach Steve Kerr dialed all the right buttons in becoming the first rookie head coach to win the championship. No egos stood in the way, with former All-stars like David Lee and Andrew Bogut accepting diminished roles as the playoffs wore on.

Andre Iguodala went vintage after being given the starting nod, scoring a team-high 25 points. For his efforts, he was named Finals MVP, a feat special but not as great as being a champion for the first time in an 11-year career. Draymond Green, a star in the making after having to wait till the second round of the 2013 draft, converted the triple-double with a 16 point/11 rebound/ 10 assist line. The MVP scored 25 points as well on 8 of 19 shooting, earning his signature moment by hoisting the biggest trophy in the land. Shaun Livingston and Festus Ezeli earned their rings by contributing 10 points apiece off the bench.

James did his best to will the title-starved City of Cleveland to a game 7, coming an assist short of another NBA Finals triple-double. The King scored 32 points with 18 rebounds, but couldn’t will his ragtag troupe of title hopefuls. Despite losing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the playoffs, James still proved the toughest challenge for the Warriors.

What does the future hold for the Champs? First and foremost comes the parade. Then after that, it’s all about locking down Draymond Green, an upcoming free agent. After that, the Kerr will need to replace assistant coach Alvin Gentry. Gentry accepted the New Orleans head coach slot after the Warriors bounced the birds from the playoffs. If Kerr’s proven anything after his rookie year, it’s that the team is in good hands.

With general mananger Bob Myers building a young core that will keep Oracle Arena roaring for years to come and owner Joe Lacob committed to winning, the dark days of the Baron Davis-Gilbert Arenas Warriors are over. With one banner already on its way to the rafters, the Warriors are looking to claim the crown as the latest NBA dynasty, following the footsteps of the showtime Lakers, Russell or Bird’s Celtics and the Parker-Duncan-Ginobli Spurs. Perhaps in a few years these Warriors will be spoken of in similiar tones.

Walk-Off Wins Back In Vogue at the O.Co Coliseum

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

OAKLAND, Calif. – As a rain washed through the Bay Area, temporarily easing the minds of dried out Californians, 25 athletes found solace from a few droughts of their own. The Oakland A’s snapped their four-game losing streak, outlasting a dominant Yovani Gallardo start to walk off against the Rangers bullpen 5-4. The much maligned A’s bullpen pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball, struggling Billy Butler contributed with a big hit and Oakland became the Walk-off Capital of the World for the first time in 2015.

“Things are starting to go our way right now,” said A’s starter Jesse Hahn. “Hopefully it’s a big momentum changer for us.”

After an eighth-inning rally tied the game for the A’s (24-37), a ninth-inning surge put Oakland back in the win column. Sam Fuld, struggling with a batting average below .200, singled to open the inning, then swiped second base. After a Billy Burns infield single, Josh Reddick stepped up to the plate with a chance to win the game. He laced a bouncer off losing pitcher Keone Kela (4-3, 2.42 ERA) to a drawn in second baseman Adam Rosales for the walk-off fielder’s choice and a shaving cream pie from Stephen Vogt.

“We used to specialize in those here for a while,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “It’s nice to come back from 4-2 and tie it, then come back and score another run.”

On Tuesday, the A’s struggled to score until the starter was long removed from the equation but Wednesday Oakland jumped on Gallardo early in a promising start. Billy Burns started the inning on second base after Joey Gallo’s throwing error, moved to third on Josh Reddick’s single then came home on Ben Zobrist’s fielder’s choice.

Staked to an early lead, Hahn found his way into the A’s history books for the wrong reasons Wednesday. The righty plunked 3 batters over a brief 3 2/3 innings, becoming the 9th Athletic to serve up a triple beanball performance. He was touched up for 4 runs, including a 3-run third inning where the Rangers batted around despite only collecting three hits in the frame. Hahn plunked two batters and issued a free pass in his struggling to retire the Rangers in the 3rd.

“I just didn’t have my stuff,” said Hahn. “It was one of those weird outings, no fastball command, no feel for the breaking ball. When you don’t have that it’s hard to pitch well at this level.”

In his previous four outings, Hahn had allowed only 8 earned runs over 27 1/3 innings. In his penultimate outing, the 25-year-old pitch a complete game shutout in Detroit. Tuesday marked the first time all season he failed to pitch a full 5 innings, a stretch spanning 10 starts.

“It’s frustrasting because I was confident going out there,” said Hahn. “I was confident I’d put up good numbers again. It happens. It’s one of the weird ones. I’ve already forgotten about it. I have to let it go and move on to the next one.”

Oakland cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 4th, with Stephen Vogt opening the inning with the first A’s hit since the first inning. Vogt doubled to open the inning, then moved over to third base on a wild pitch with one out. He came around to score on Brett Lawrie’s grounder to short to put Oakland back within a pair of runs at 4-2.

Gallardo settled down after that, giving the Rangers their second-straight six-plus inning, two-run start against the A’s. The 29-year-old righty fired seven innings, picking up a season-high 10 strikeouts. Of his 110 pitches, an astounding 73 went for strikes.

Over 12 starts this year, the hard-tossing Gallardo has yet to allow more than four runs. Despite his consistent performances, he’s currently tied for 5th in the American League with a Texas-leading 6 losses. While he wasn’t tagged with the loss, Gallardo had to settle for a no-decision after his bullpen squandered the two-run advantage.

Oakland scored two runs in an inning for the first time in 24 innings in the eight, the first inning of work for the Rangers bullpen. Josh Reddick singled off southpaw Sam Freeman with one out, then Zobrist welcomed Tanner Scheppers into the game with a base-hit to right field. With the throw coming to third to try to cut down Reddick, Zobrist advanced to second on the play. Rangers third baseman Joey Gallo overthrew the ball, allowing Reddick to score easily. Vogt walked, bringing DH Billy Butler to the plate.

Over his last 10 games, “Country Breakfast” was hitting at a slim .179 batting average with only 7 hits and 3 RBIs over 39 at-bats. The big man came through in the clutch Wednesday, connecting on the game-tying single to plate Zobrist.

“A lot of times it’s a hit like that that’ll get you going,” said Melvin. “It’ll loosen you up a little bit. He finally found a hole.”

Lawrie popped out for the second out and Max Muncy gave a Scheppers offering a ride, but right fielder Shin-Soo Choo pulled in the ball with his back against the fence.

The comeback wouldn’t have been possible without contributions from the bullpen. Pat Venditte (2 1/3 innings), Fernando Abad (1) and Evan Scribner (1) combined for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball, while Tyler Clippard (1-3, 3.20) picked up his first win of the season after pitching a scoreless ninth.

“That’s probably the key to the game,” said Melvin. “What Venditte did was terrific. Fernando Abad coming in and contributing, having an easy inning. The whole bullpen was probably the key to the game.”

The A’s now have a chance to win the series with Scott Kazmir squaring off against rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez in Thursday’s finale. If they manage to win the series, it’ll be the first time in six series since the Rangers (31-28) were on the losing end.

Martinez Out-duels Gray, A’s Drop Fourth-Straight Game

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

OAKLAND, Calif. – The dark days have returned for the Oakland Athletics. Mired amongst the dredges of the American League cellar, the A’s find themselves fading once again after an 2-1 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers Tuesday night at O.Co Coliseum. Nick Martinez topped Sonny Gray, while Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 8th save of the season.

“There’s a lot of frustration,” said Melvin. “There’s a lot of things going. We lost a lot of one run games. It’s not uncommon to want to press because of it. When you don’t come through and you have opportunities, it’s frustrating.”

Oakland (23-37) has now dropped four-straight contests following a weekend sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. Prior to that series, the A’s were turning a corner. They swept long-time nemesis Detroit in convincing fashion before moving further East to Boston.

“We have to look at the big picture,” said A’s catcher Stephen Vogt. “We’re 9 of our last 15. We have to keep that perspective, that attitude. We played really well the last half of the home stand and in Detroit.”

If any could have put the A’s back on the winning track, it’d have been the pitcher on the hill Tuesday night. Sonny Gray (7-3, 1.74 ERA) grabbed the ball to open the three-game set, and despite a well-pitched effort, wound up the loser in tightly-contested pitching battle. The A’s stranded nine runners against the second-place Rangers (31-27).

“We had some opportunities,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “We didn’t get the one big hit when we needed to. That’s usually the case when you have close games like that.”

Despite Gray’s best efforts, the Rangers struck first in the third inning. Delino DeShields jetted his way to a one-out triple with a wall ball to right centerfield, but Shin-Soo Choo succumbed to Gray’s best offerings with a swinging strikeout. Prince Fielder bested the AL’s ERA leader in the next at-bat, blooping a flare between Marcus Semien and left fielder Ben Zobrist.

The A’s found themselves in a similar situation in the bottom of the fourth after Josh Reddick broke up Martinez’ no-hit bid. The A’s right fielder lead off the frame with a double then scooted to third on Ben Zobrist’s warning track pop-out.

With only one out and the heart of the order due up, Oakland looked sure to tie the contest up. Instead Stephen Vogt grounded out into a drawn-in infield, then Billy Butler followed suit with a slow bouncer up the middle to strand Reddick at third.

The A’s would load the bases with two outs the following inning despite collecting a single hit after Martinez hit Mark Canha, walked Semien and mishandled a Billy Burns squibber for an error. Reddick couldn’t cash in the run though, instead rolling out to second base.

Mitch Moreland punished the Athletics for not converting in the next half-inning, scorching a 2-1 Gray offering halfway up Mt. Davis to open up the top of the sixth. Moreland’s 7th dinger of the year, the 21st run batted in of the season, doubled the Rangers lead 2-0.

Gray would close out the sixth before turning the contest over to the bullpen. Gray threw 95 pitches in his six-inning outing, striking out six Texas batters while issuing a sole free pass but wound up the hard-luck loser due to a sputtering offense.

“I thought he threw the ball well,” said Melvin. “He gives up the bloop hit then Moreland scores the one run. You give up two runs and that’s a bad game? I’ll take that it any day.”

On many nights, Gray’s showing would be enough to top many a league’s ace. Not Tuesday though, as Martinez locked down on the bump. The 24-year-old threw a near flawless six innings, surrendering only one hit while walking one and hitting another batter.

“He cuts it, curveball, sinks it, late movement on the changeup,” said Melvin of the opposing starter. “He pitches backward when he has to. For the last year and a half or so he’s been one of the better pitchers in the American League.”

“He did a good job of keeping us off balance,” added Vogt. “He’s having a great year. He knows how to pitch. He’s an athlete.”

Once Martinez (5-2, 2.65) departed, the A’s saw an opening, winding up with runners on 2nd and 3rd against the Rangers bullpen with two down in the seventh. Again, A’s base runners would be denied the final 90 feet, as Rangers reliever Ross Detwiler coaxed a strikeout of pinch-hitter Josh Phegley after issuing three-straight balls to open the at-bat., b

“Phegley’s hitting .333 against lefties,” said Melvin. “It’s not often that I’ll hit for Reddick. You have to do what you the best you can in the situation. Phegley’s been swinging really goo

The A’s broke the shutout in the eighth after Zobrist, struggling to a .205 average this year while recently returning from injury, opened the inning with a liner to left field that DeShields misjudged into a double.  Another struggling hitter, Vogt, plated Zobrist on a single to center to put the A’s on the ledger.

On a night where the A’s struggled to score in general, even an easy RBI single turned into a struggle. The strong-armed Leonys Martin fielded Vogt’s liner and fired a rocket to home plate that skipped past the cutoff man right to catcher Robinson Chirinos. Zobrist was past Chironos, but didn’t slide, allowing the Rangers catcher to attempt a swipe tag. Zobrist was ruled safe, a hair ahead of the tag. Texas manager Jeff Banister challenged the play, but the call stood to cut the Rangers edge 2-1.

Oakland fans who chose to skip over game 3 of the NBA Finals had little to be excited for, but they were treated to a special moment. Switch pitcher Pat Venditte made his O.Co debut, warming up from both sides of the mound before firing off a 1-2-3 inning. He faced three righties, electing to pitch from the right side for all three.

“Like every inning we’ve seen from him, whether it’s here or in spring training, he’s focused,” said Melvin. “He’s confident. You know you’re going to get your match-up. He’s having a real good time, his first time in the Big Leagues. There can be some nerves involved but he’s showing it hasn’t bothered him. He’s having a great time and he’s pitching well on top of it.”

Oakland turns to another starter capable of turning in a gem, Jesse Hahn, for game 2 Wednesday night. He’ll be opposed by Yovani Gallardo, the Rangers offseason acquisition meant to be the complement to the now-injured Yu Darvish at the front of their rotation.

James’ Triple-Double Gives Cavaliers Game 2 in Overtime

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington
Entering game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers had little cause for optimism. Already down one all-world player with Kevin Love sidelined, LeBron James and co. were dealt a devastating blow when all-star guard Kyrie Irving broke his knee in the game 1 overtime loss. Following game 2, the Cavaliers have found new life and a fresh start.
The Cavs bested the Golden State Warriors 95-93 in overtime at Oracle Arena Sunday, evening the NBA Finals at a win apiece. Despite missing the potential game-winner in regulation, LeBron James still dominated the contest. The Cavs superstar notched his 13th career playoff triple-double, scoring 39 points while pulling down 16 rebounds with 11 assists.
James might have had a case of déjà vu. With the score tied at 87 and 8 seconds left, the former Finals MVP had a chance at the game-winner. Just like in the waning moment of game 1, James came up empty, missing a lay-up at the rim to force OT.
In the extra session, the Cavs struck first, with Iman Shumpert hitting a trey. James then went to the line, sinking both free throw to put Cleveland up by 5 with 3:17 left. The Warriors scored the next six points, four on consecutive Draymond Green baskets and a pair of Stephen Curry free throw to take the 93-92 lead with 29 second left.
Following a timeout, James’ jumper was blocked by Green with Andre Iguodala picking up the rebound. Igoudala couldn’t maintain control of the ball though, turning the ball over while resetting the Cleveland shot clock with 18 seconds left. From there, Cleveland’s unlikely hero stepped up.
After another James jumper missed with 11 seconds left, St. Mary’s product Matthew Dellavedova reeled in the offensive rebound. He was then fouled by Harrison Barnes, hitting both free throws with 10 seconds left to put Cleveland up by one.
At the other end, Curry missed a jump shot that would have put the Warriors up. Barnes was then forced to foul James, who sunk one of two from the charity stripe to put Cleveland up 95-93 with four seconds left. The Warriors inbounded the ball quickly, but Curry turned the ball over to Shumpert to wrap up the loss for the home team.
Curry struggled throughout the night to find his scoring touch after being dogged by Irving’s replacement, the gritty Dellavedova. The current MVP scored only 19 points, going 5 for 23 from the field. Curry hit only 2 of 15 three-pointers on a night where the whole team went cold from downtown. Out of 35 attempts, only 8 treys went in for the Dubs.
Klay Thompson accounted for half the production from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 12. The second half of the Splash Brothers had a breakout contest, scoring 34 points on 14-28 shooting over nearly 46 minutes of play. Harrison Barnes (11) and Draymong Green (10) were the only other Warriors to reach double-digit scoring. For the Cavs, Timofey Mozgov (17) and J.R. Smith (13) joined James in double-figure.
Despite being the shorthanded team, the Cavaliers looked to have the game well in hand. They led the NBA’s regular season wins leaders by 11 points with five minutes left. Led by Curry’s 7 points, the Warriors outpaced the Cavs down the stretch 19-8.
Golden State opened up the game on an 11-6 scoring run and built a quarter-high 8-point lead at 20-12 with 3:12 left in the 1st quarter, but the Cavs closed out the half on an 8-0 run to pull even. Again the Warriors built a 6-point lead in the 2nd, leading 31-25 halfway through the frame but Cleveland went on a 15-2 run to take a 40-33 edge. The Warriors clawed back, often finding themselves only two points back or even, but never led again until the 93-92 advantage in overtime.
The series now shifts to Cleveland for Tuesday night’s game 3. After already setting history as the first Finals to have games 1 and 2 go to overtime, who knows what these two teams will have in store at Quicken Loans Arena in two days.

Wondolowski Joins Century Club, Quakes Draw Orlando City 1-1

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Chris Wondolowski joined MLS royalty in Sunday’s 1-1 draw between the San Jose Earthquakes and Orlando City SC at Levi’s Stadium, scoring the tying goal on a penalty kick to become just the ninth player in league history to score 100 career goals.

“I’m very grateful,” said Wondolowski. “I know the historic value of it. I do appreciate it, but I think it’s one of those things that will slowly sink in. It hasn’t sunken in yet.”

Wondolowski’s marker extended the undefeated run by San Jose (5-4-3) to five games after Kaka put Orlando City (3-5-4) up 1-0 with a penalty strike of his own.

The two teams battled to a standstill in the first half, but a pair of penalty kicks broke open the flood gates in the second half.

“40 yards and in we were a bit missing today,” said Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear. “We had a couple of good opportunities in the first half, a couple chances off set pieces. They were well organized, we were well organized. Sometimes defense rules the day and that’s what happened.”

Despite being down a man after Brek Shea was shown the red card for a spikes-up slide tackle in the 51st minute, the Lions struck first. Goalkeeper Tally Hall lofted a long ball into the attacking penalty box. Forward Cyle Larin and Quakes keeper David Bingham collided going after the 50-50 ball. Referee Allen Chapman awarded Orlando City a penalty kick for apparent contact to the face of the Lion attacker.

“For us to allow that ball to bounce once close to our area is a definite no-no,” said Kinnear. “That five-second segment was the worst we defended all year and we got punished for it.”

After weeks of hype in the media leading up to the game, soccer superstar Kaka delivered on the pitch. The Brazilian went left as goalkeeper David Bingham went right on the penalty kick for a 1-0 lead in the 64th minute.

The name opposite Kaka on the marquee leading up to Sunday played the perfect foil, with Chris Wondolowski one-upping the former FIFA World Player of the Year by scoring a significant MLS milestone.

After Orlando committed a penalty in the box, Wondolowski lined up the penalty kick looking to draw San Jose even and pull himself into a tie with Edson Buddle as the eighth-highest scoring player in league history.

He did just that in the 68th minute, getting Hall to guess wrong on a low dribbler to the left for his 7th strike of the season.

The two-time MLS Golden Boot winner raced into the goal to retrieve the ball before being mobbed by his teammates feting him for his accomplishment. The goal scorer wasn’t doing it to soak in the moment though, he wanted to get play started as soon as possible.

“I was ready to go,” said Wondolowski. “I really wanted to get a victory, especially being up a man.”

“I talked to Chris after the game, he wasn’t happy with the result” said Kinnear. “I told him ‘Take a step back. Recognize what you’ve done’. It’s an incredible achievement, couldn’t have happened to a better guy. It’s not the end of his story, but it’s a great accomplishment for a person who has overcome a lot.”

Not too shabby for a player who, coming out of Chico State in 2005, played sparsely for San Jose after being drafted by Kinnear.

“I’m very grateful,” said Wondolowski. “I know the historic value of it. I do appreciate it, but I think it’s one of those things that will slowly sink in. It hasn’t sunken in yet.”

When the team moved to Houston, Wondolowski ultimately was traded by Kinnear back to San Jose where he’s scored all but 4 of his goals. Just this season Kinnear resumed duties as bench boss in Santa Clara.

“I haven’t really sat down with him and said ‘Hey, remember when I traded you’,” said Kinnear jokingly. “’What a great accomplishment.’ Looking at his career at the time, he wasn’t going to have a chance to play in Houston. I thought for him to ply his trade at home, I only made one call on Chris, and that was to San Jose.”

“He has great vision,” Wondolowski said of Kinnear with a smile and tongue firmly planted in cheek. “He knew he was coming back here. He knew he couldn’t bring me there. It was all a master plan.”

If the Danville native keeps up his pace this season, he could end the season as high as 5th on the all-time MLS scoring list. He’d pass Taylor Twellman (101), Dwayne De Rosario (104) and Jason Kreis (108) in the process.

“He’s done it not playing for the glamour team,” said Kinnear. “He’s done it with some calls not going his way. To get 100 goals as the ninth guy in the MLS, he should be really proud of himself.”

That he’d be able to do it all close to home means all that much more to the Quakes mainstay.

“It’s an amazing thing,” said Wondolowski. “I love it. I grew up with this club. To be able to do it for the hometown team in front of friends and family is pretty cool. I got to give my dad a hug after. He had tears in his eyes. It’s one of those things that he definitely appreciated, and I appreciate everything that he’s done.”

For now the season marches on, with nearly a third of the season over for a Quakes team just three points back of FC Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.

“We’ve had five home games out of 12,” said Kinnear on the schedule so far. “I’m happy with the guys. The competitive spirit is great. At times we look like a great team. That shows the potential that we have. To see where we’re at and the company that we’re keeping in the Western Conference, we’re doing something right.”