Author: rxslugger

Retired pharmacist who now has a career as a sports writer and broadcaster

A’s rally falls short as Rangers outlast A’s 10-8 Monday night at the Ballpark in Arlington

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Oakland A’s centerfielder Ramon Luareano can’t get the handle on the baseball as it gets away for a inside the park home run hit by the Texas Rangers Josh Smith at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Jul 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

There was good and bad news in the game that the Oakland A’s (29-59) lost to the Texas Rangers 10-8 Monday night. The good news was the A’s offense woke up late in the game to score six runs in the eighth. They sent ten men to the plate in that inning.

The A’s hitters blasted a two-run and three-run homer in the frame. For the game, they hit three home runs. Sheldon Neuse had a solo blast in the fifth, Ramon Laureano hit a two-run blast in the eighth, and Chad Pinder homered with two men on base later in the inning.

For the game’s first seven innings, everything went right for the Texas Rangers. They put runs on the board in every inning except the first and third. The A’s starter, Adrian Martinez, gifted the Rangers two runs in the bottom of the second.

The Rangers’ catcher, Jonah Heim, a former Oakland Athletic, singled to get the rally going. Heim went to second on a wild pitch. Martinez walked Kole Calhoun to put two men on with no out. Martinez retired Brad Miller for the first out.

Rangers’ center-fielder Leody Tavares reached on a fielder’s choice. Calhoun was out at second, and Heim advanced to third. Tavares promptly stole second. Heim scored the game’s first run when the umpires called a balk on Martinez.

Tavaras advanced to third. Tavaras scored when Martinez uncorked his second wild pitch of the innings. The Rangers scored two runs on one hit, a walk, two wild pitches, and a balk.

The A’s put their first run of the night on the board in the top of the fourth. Ramon Laureano reached safely on Rangers’ third baseman Josh Smith’s error. Sean Murphy singled, sending Laureano to second. Seth Brown singled to drive in Laureano. The A’s trailed 2-1 midway through the fourth.

The Rangers plated three more runs in their half of the fourth. Martinez walked Rangers’ first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to get things going for Texas. Jonah Heim reached safely on Seth Brown’s fielding error. Kole Calhoun singled to drive in.

Lowe with Texas’ third run. Heim went to second. Tavares singled to drive in Heim, and Calhoun went to third. Josh Smith fouled out to Elvis Andrus in short left field. Andrus collided with the third baseman Vimael Machin. Calhoun tagged up and scored the third run of the inning. The Rangers lead 5-1 after four.

Neuse cut the deficit to three when he hit his third dinger of the season. The ball traveled 418 feet into the second deck in left field. The A’s trailed 5-2. The Rangers’ star shortstop, Corey Seager, blasted his 20th homer to get the run back, and the Rangers led 6-2.

The Rangers added two more runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to have a comfortable10-2 lead with just two innings left for Oakland to do anything.

In the fateful eighth inning, Rangers’ manager Chris Woodward brought in lefty Kolby Allard to pitch. Allard had been struggling this season, and his outing in the eighth was not his best effort. The A’s put six runs on the board.

This year, it was the most runs in an inning for the A’s. Here’s how they did it. Third baseman Vimeal Machin started the rally with a single, and Ramon Laureano atoned for a ball he misplayed in the sixth inning.

The misplay resulted in an inside-the-park, two-run home run for Josh Smith. Laureano homered for the seventh time this tear to make it a 10-4 game. Allard hit Sean Murphy with a pitch. Allard struck out Seth Brwon for the first out.

Elvis Andrus singled. Both men scored when Chad Pinder homered into the seats in left field. The A’s now trailed 10-7. Chris Woodward brought in Garrett Richards to pitch. Richards plunked Stephen Piscotty on the upper part of his left arm.

Piscotty was not able to continue. Tony Kemp doubled, sending Skye Bolt to third. Neuse grounded out 5-3 to drive in Bolt with the sixth run of the inning and the eighth of the night. The A’s could not score in the ninth and fell to the Rangers 10-8.

Game Notes: The A’s are now 29-59, 30 games below .500. Texas improved to 40-44. Adrian Martinez was the losing pitcher. Spencer Howard picked up the win.

The line score for Oakland was eight runs, 12 hits, and one error. Texas’ line was ten runs, nine hits, and one error.

The time of the game was 3:28. 20,600 were in attendance.

The A’s meet the Rangers again Tuesday night at Globe Life Field. The game will start at 5:05 pm. The A’s will be starting All Star Paul Blackburn (6-4, 3.36) the Rangers starter will be right hander Jon Gray (5-4, 4.03) first pitch at 5:05 pm PDT at the Ballpark in Arlington

Preview Houston Astros-Oakland A’s: Both clubs open a three game series Friday night at Coliseum

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Oakland Athletics’ Vimael Machin, bottom, beats the the tag going into first base as Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (top) tries to sweep down the glove for the tag during the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Jul 6, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s (28-56) are hosting the Houston Astros for three games starting Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The teams last met for three games over the Memorial Day weekend here in Oakland. The Astros swept the A’s. The teams have 16 games left to play before the end of the season.

Let’s look at how each team is doing. The Astros are 53-28. They have the second-best record in all of baseball. The Astros are in first place in the American League Western Division. They lead the second-place Seattle Mariners by 13 games. On the other hand, the A’s have a woeful record of 28-56 and are in last place in the division 26.5 games behind Houston.

Managed by Dusty Baker, Houston arrives in town with a potent offense and a strong starting rotation. Their rotation features future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The big righty has recovered from Tommy John surgery and has pitched extremely well this year.

His record of 10-3 and an ERA of 2.03 indicates that he will be a candidate for another Cy Young award. It is quite remarkable since Verlander is now 39 years old. Other stalwarts in the rotation are lefty Framber Valdez (8-3. 2.67 ERA), Jose Urquidy (7-3. 4.15 ERA), Luis Garcia, Christian Javier, and Jake Odorizzi. Urquidy, Valdez, and Odorizzi will pitch against the A’s this weekend.

The Astros also have a potent offense. They have five players in the lineup with ten or more home runs this year. Their biggest bopper is DH Yordan Alvarez. Alvarez is hitting a robust .313 with 25 home runs and 59 ribbies.

The Astros have an outstanding infield. Yuli Guriel will be at first base. Perennial All-Star Jose Altuve handles the second base chores, Alex Bregman holds down third base, and Jeremy Pena will be at short. Carlos Correa left Houston for Minnesota. Pena has played so well that fans in Houston are not lamenting Correa’s defection.

Houston’s hit master, Michael Brantley, is on the 10-day IL and will not play this weekend. Michael Tucker will be in right-field. Tucker has great power and has given the A’s pitching fits. Tucker is hitting. 262 with 16 homers and 57 RBIs. The Astros will use Mauricio Dubon, Chas McCormick, and Jake Meyers in the other two outfield positions.

The A’s offense has been anemic all season. The A’s have scored 266 runs for the first 84 games of the 2022 season. They have allowed 377 for a run differential of minus 111. The A’s team batting average is the worst in all of baseball.

In the game against Toronto on Wednesday, the A’s have seven hitters in the lineup, hitting below .230. Three of the seven’s average was below the Mendoza line. The A’s managed four hits in the loss to Toronto.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay has to find a way to get his players to overcome adversity and play confidently. When things are going wrong, players wonder what will go wrong today. They believe they can find ways to win when things are going well. The A’s found a way to take two out of three from a very good Toronto team. Let’s hope the A’s can do it again against the Astros.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat reporter for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Jays slug two home runs beat A’s 2-1; Jays Bichette hits eighth inning deciding home run

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Oakland A’s starter James Kaprielian was dealing but was lifted in the top of the sixth inning after giving up a run and five hits against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Oakland Coliseum (@Athletics photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Toronto Blue Jays (45-38), losers of the first two games of the three-game series, beat the Oakland A’s (28-56) 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. 

Both starters were on the top of their game. A’s starter, James Kaprielian, went six innings and allowed five hits and one run. His only mistake was a gopher ball to his good friend and former teammate, Matt Chapman. Kaprielian was able to use all of his pitches effectively.

His fastball topped out at 95 miles per hour. His changeup came in at 84 miles per hour. Toronto’s starter Jose Berrios was slightly better.

Berrios worked six innings and allowed four hits and one run. The one mistake was an 0-2 pitch that Ramon Laureno jumped on and sent into the left-field seats. The A’s offense did not get a hit after the sixth inning. The game summary follows below.

Kaprielian worked his way out of a jam at the top of the sixth. He walked Jays’ shortstop Bo Bichette to start the inning. Vladimir Guerroro, Jr. singled to send Bichette to second. Kaprielian got the rookie catcher Alejandro Kirk to ground into a double play.

Teoscar Hernandez walked to put men on at first and third with two out. Kaprielian retired Lourdes Guriel for the third out. The A’s put the first run of the game on the board in their half of the inning. Ramon Laureano, as the A’s DH, sent Jose Berrios’ 0-2 pitch into the left-field seats. It was Laureano’s sixth home run of the year. The A’s lead 1-0 after six.

The lead didn’t last long. Kaprielian’s good friend and former teammate, Matt Chapman, tied the game with his 13th homer run. Mark Kotsay brought in lefty Sam Moll to pitch. Moll Retired the next three hitters. The game is tied 1-1 midway through the seventh.

The Blue Jays Bo Bichette led off the top of the eighth with his 13th dinger. Domingo Acevedo was on the hill for the A’s. The Jays lead 2-1 with the A’s coming to the plate in the bottom of the eighth.

The A’s failed to score in the eighth and went down 1-2-3 in the ninth. The Blue Jays win 2-1.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 28-55. Toronto’s record improved to 45-38. The Jays are in fourth place in the AL East and are in a tough race with the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox for second place.

The line score for Oakland was one run, four hits, and no errors. Toronto’s line was two runs, eight hits, and no errors. All the runs in the game were the result of a homer. Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette homered for Toronto. Ramon Laureano hit the big fly for the A’s. 

Toronto’s Adam Cimber was the winning pitcher. Jays’ closer Jordan Romano earned his 18th save. Domingo Acevedo took the loss for Oakland.

The A’s are off on Thursday. They host Houston for a three-game series starting Friday night at the Coliseum starters for Friday night have not been announced.

The time of the game was a crisp 2:39. 6,330 fans were on hand to see the A’s lose their 55th game.

A’s woes continue as they fall to Mariners 8-6 at T Mobile

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Oakland A’s hitter Tony Kemp takes strike three in the top of the ninth inning at T Mobile Field in Seattle against the Seattle Mariners on Thu Jun 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

 Oakland’s offense came to life Thursday night against the Seattle Mariners. A’s hitters blasted three home runs and scored six times, but it was not enough as they lost to the Mariners 8-6. The A’s play the Mariners three more times before returning home to Oakland. 

The A’s started rookie Adrian Martinez Thursday night. Martinez was making his second Major League start. His first start came on May 10th when he beat the Detroit Tigers. Logan Gilbert was on the mound for Seattle.

The Mariners drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning. Martinez hit the M’s outstanding rookie center-fielder, Julio Rodriguez, with a pitch. Martinez went to third on a double by Jessie Winker.

Martinez walked Mariners’ third baseman Eugenio Suarez to load the bases with no out. Martinez retired Carlos Santana for the first out. Martinez got Abraham Toro to foul out to left fielder Tony Kemp. Rodriguez tagged up and scored on the play as Kemp’s throw was not in time to nail Rodriguez. A’s catcher Sean Murphy threw out Winker as he tried to advance to third. Seattle leads 1-0

The A’s tied the game in the top of the third. Elvis Andrus led off the inning with a blast into the left-field seats. The tie didn’t last long as Julio Rodriguez hit his 13th home run. It was the fourth homer that Rodriguez hit against Oakland in seven games. Seattle led 2-1 after three.

The Mariners plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Adam Frazier singled. The next hitter, Dylan Moore, hitting a buck sixty-three, homered to make it a 4-1 game.

The A’s tied the game in the top of the fifth. With one out and Nick Allen at first, Tony Kemp singled, sending Allen to third. Ramon Laureano homered into the right-field seats to tie the game. The tie didn’t last long as Seattle scored four times in their half of the fifth.

With one out and a man on first, Carlos Santana singled to put men on at first and third. Abraham Toro singled to make it 5-4. Oakland’s manager Mark Kotsay brought in lefty A.J.Puk to pitch to the Mariners’ catcher Cal Raleigh.

Raleigh loves to hit against Oakland. He came through with a booming fly ball that bounced off Skye Bolt’s glove for a triple. Raleigh scored on Nick Allen’s throw past third baseman Sheldon Neuse. The Mariners in front 8-4.

The A’s added a run in the eighth, and Ramon Laureano hit a solo home run in the ninth to make it 8-6. Seattle held on to win 8-6. Seattle has won 17 of the last 19 games played against Oakland.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 25-53. Seattle improved to 37-41. Adrian Marinez was the losing pitcher. He went 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs and seven hits. Seattle’s Logan Gilbert won the game and is now 9-3.

The hitting stars for Oakland were Ramon Laureano with two home runs and Sheldon Neuse with three hits and a walk.

The A’s announced from their press releases several player moves on Thursday. 

The Oakland Athletics recalled right-handed pitcher Adrián Martínez from Triple-A Las Vegas, selected infielder Vimael Machín from Las Vegas, and reinstated outfielder Skye Bolt from the 60-day injured list, the club announced today.

The A’s also placed Jed Lowrie on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 27 with a sprained left shoulder and optioned right-handed pitcher Adam Oller and outfielder Cristian Pache to Las Vegas. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated left-handed pitcher Adam Kolarek for assignment.

There was a significant decision made by the BCDC that improved the A’s chances of staying in Oakland. The story follows below from KTVU Fox 2 News.

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted Thursday to move forward with the Oakland A’s stadium project at Howard Terminal.

The commission voted 23 to 2 to reclassify a 56-acre terminal at the Port of Oakland as a mixed-use area where a new ballpark could be built. The vote is the first in a series of legal hurdles the team would have to overcome before it gets permission to break ground for the project.

The BCDC must give its permission whenever a port is to be used for a non-maritime purpose, such as a ballpark or stadium. 

Other government bodies, including the Oakland City Council, must still vote on the A’s plans.

Mayor Libby Schaaf said the vote is a step in the right direction.

“Today’s vote moves Oakland toward a more prosperous future. Our city has historically been overlooked for major economic development, but today that story about Oakland changes,” Schaaf said. 

The proposed 56-acre ballpark at the port has garnered some strong support and opposition.

“It’s a maritime port, a working maritime port, the fourth largest with 80,000 workers. By having a hotel and stadium and 3000 luxury condo units, you’re actually gentrifying and hurting the port,” said Steve Zeltzer of Schools and Labor Against Privatization.

The Oakland City Council will be attempting to put a non-binding advisory measure on the ballot in November. If they are to stay in Oakland, the A’s have several obstacles to overcome. Let’s hope things continue to go well in the A’s desire to build here. 

Preview of Seattle Mariners-Oakland A’s: Three-game series gets underway Tuesday night

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Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy hits a bottom of the sixth inning home run in front of Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Jun 19, 2022. Murphy and the A’s host the Seattle Mariners Tue Jun 21, 2022 in Oakland. (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s have an off day on Monday. The players can savor the win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Jared Koenig earned his Major League victory as he and the bullpen pitched a 4-0 shutout.

The A’s return to the field Tuesday night as they meet the Seattle Mariners for the second time this season. The Mariners dominated Oakland last season, winning 15 out of 19. When the A’s visited Seattle from May 23rd to 25th for three games, they stunned the M’s by winning the series two games to one.

Both teams are not playing well in 2022. The Mariners find themselves ten games under .500 at 29-39. The M’s bolstered their starting rotation when they signed lefty Robbie Ray as a free agent. Ray in 2021 Cy Young Award-winning pitcher. Ray is slated to pitch Thursday afternoon. His record is 6-6, with a 4.25 ERA.

The A’s have lost 17 of the last 22 games played. They have won only three games in June. The A’s are in fifth place in the AL West, and they trail the first-place Houston Astros by 19 games. A’s manager Mark Kotsay has not allowed his players to quit. He gets maximum effort from every player on the squad. They may not be winning, but it’s not for lack of effort.

The pitchers for the three-game series will feature on Tuesday night the A’s James Kaprielian on the hill. Kaprielian is still looking for his first win. He is 0-4, with an ERA of 6.31. Lefty Marco Gonzalez will pitch for Seattle. Gonzalez is 3-7, and his ERA is 3.41.

Wednesday night’s game will see the A’s best pitcher, Paul Blackburn, going for his seventh win. Blackburn went eight innings in his last outing. The A’s are thrilled with his improvement. Settle will counter with George Kirby. Kirby is 1-2, 3.56 ERA.

As mentioned above, Robbie Ray goes for Seattle on Thursday afternoon. Frankie Montas (3-7, 3.53) will pitch for Oakland.

The key players on the Seattle roster are shortstop J.P.Crawford, first baseman Ty France, third baseman Eugenio Suarez, centerfielder Julio Rodriguez, and outfielders Jesse Winker and Justin Upton. Suarez and Winker are in the first season with the M’s.

The M’s made a trade with Cincinnati to bring them to Seattle. Justin Upton has played in only four games since signing as a free agent after the LA Angels designated him for assignment.

Upton is a lifetime .262 hitter and has recorded 324 homers and 1000 RBIs in his 16 years in the big leagues. Rookie Julio Rodriguez, who hails from the Dominican Republic, is hitting a solid. 265 with eight homers and 24 RBIs’

The M’s bullpen has used two pitchers to close out games. Paul Sewald and Diego Castillo each have four saves. Other bullpen stalwarts are the 39-year-old Sergio Romo, Eric Swanson, Andres Munoz, Penn Murfee, and former A’s pitcher, lefty Tommy Milone.

The A’s would love nothing better than to sweep the M’s. It’s possible, but the hitting has to improve. The A’s as a team are hitting .210.

The team on-base=percentage is .274, and the on-base plus slugging OPS is .608. The A’s have a woeful record of 8-24 at the Coliseum. The M’s are 14-21 on the road. As a team, they are hitting .232. Their OBP is .315, and their OPS is 6.89.

The stats indicate the M’s should win the series. The problem in baseball is that one never knows what will happen on any given night. The A’s have unveiled a new third baseman, Jonah Bride. Bride has shown that he can handle Major League pitchers.

He is playing third base, and it has been easy for him handling the rocket shots coming his way. The A’s are confident he will improve as he gets more playing time. Christian Bethancourt plays both first base and can handle the catching and has wielded a hot bat lately.

Sean Murphy hit a big three-run blast on Sunday to help the A’s get the 4-0 win over Kansas City. If they are to improve, the A’s need the hitters to put the bat on the ball.

Each team will be looking for silver linings in this series. The A’s want to get good hitting and good pitching. The same goes for Seattle. Several scouts will be at the game as the teams are getting close to the August 2nd trade deadline. It should be interesting.

A’s salvage win to end nine-game road trip beat Red Sox 4-3

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Tony Kemp (5) and Seth Brown (15) and Oakland A’s players celebrate their win over the Boston Red Sox to avoid getting swept at Fenway Park in Boston on Thu Jun 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s were able to finish off the disastrous nine-game road trip with a win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday afternoon. It wasn’t easy, as the A’s know the Red Sox offense can erupt at any time, but they were able to hold on to beat Boston 4-3.

The A’s starter Paul Blackburn pitched very well for the A’s on Thursday. Blackburn went five and a third innings to win his sixth game. He allowed one run and eight hits. Blackburn walked two hitters and struck out four. He left the game with the A’s in the lead 4-1. The A’s bullpen did not cave when Boston scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Here’s how the game went. Oakland scored three runs in the top of the third. With one out, centerfielder Cristian Pache doubled when Boston’s second baseman Trevor Story misjudged the ball, and it fell in safely.

Chad Pinder singled to drive in Pache with the A’s first run. Ramon Laureano followed with a double to deep right-center-field. A’s catcher, Christian Bethancourt, who has been swinging a hot bat, singled to drive in both runners.

The A’s led 3-0 midway through the third inning. The Sox got one back in their half of the third. Rafael Devers walked to start the inning. J.D.Martinez singled. Devers went to third on an error and scored on Xander Bogaerts ground-out. The A’s lead 3-1 after three.

With two out in the top of the seventh, Seth Brown singled. Brown went to second on a passed ball. Brown scored on Devers’ fielding error. The A’s led 4-1.

The Red Sox scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth. The A’s had lefty Sam Moll on the hill to work the eighth. Rob Refsnyder, pinch-hitting for Franchy Cordero, singled. Christian Vasquez walked to give Boston two men on and no out.

Moll retired Jackie Bradley, Jr. for the first out. Bobby Dalbec was out on a fly ball to centerfield. Rafael Devers reached on third baseman Jonah Bride’s throwing error. Vasquez advanced to third on the play. A’s manager Mark Kotsay brought in closer Dany Jiminez to pitch. J.D.Martinez drove in Vasquez with an infield hit. Jiminez got out of the jam by retiring Xander Bogaerts. The A’s led 4-3. 

Jimenez set the Red Sox down 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the win for the A’s. 

Game Notes: The A’s ended the road trip with two wins and even losses. They are 3-16 in their last 19 games. The A’s, for the season, are 22-43 and are in last place in the AL West. Boston drops to 34-30.

Blackburn threw 98 pitches, 61 for strikes. His record is now 6-2. Dany Jiminez earned his 11th save.

The line score for Oakland was four runs, eight hits, and two errors. Boston’s line was three runs, eleven hits, and one error. Boston won the season series with Oakland five games to one.

The A’s return home to face the Kansas City Royals for three games starting Friday night. The Royals have no announced a starter and Frankie Montas (3-6, 3.40) will go for Oakland.

Red Sox cruise to an easy 10-1 victory over A’s; Devers homers for 4th game in a row

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The Boston Red Sox Rafael Devers hits a second inning two run home run as Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy can only watch at Fenway Park in Boston on Wed Jun 15, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

For the first four innings of the game Wednesday between the A’s and the Red Sox, it was deja vu once more. The Red Sox tallied six runs in the first four innings, just as they did Tuesday night. Last night, they failed to score after the fourth inning. They scored four more times tonight to trounce the hapless Oakland A’s 10-1. 

James Kaprielian started for the A’s. Kaprielian pitched well in his last outing, and the A’s hoped Kaprielian would continue to pitch well. James had trouble with his command. In his three and 2/3rds innings of work, he threw 94 pitches; 48 were strikes.

He walked six batters and gave up seven hits and six runs. Reliever Domingo Acevedo was tagged for a two-run dinger off the bat of Alex Verdugo in the sixth inning. Lou Trivino had another rough night, giving up four hits and two runs in the eighth.

Boston grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With one out, Kaprielian walked Rafael Devers and J.D.Martinez. Xander Bogaerts singled to load the bases. Kaprielian retired Alex Verdugo on a ground to second.

Devers scored on the play. The Sox lead 1-0. The Red Sox increased the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second. With two out and a man at first, Devers sent a line drive into the bullpen in right field for his 16th home run. The exit velocity was a smoking-hot 113 miles-per-hour. It was the fourth game in a row that Devers had homered.

The Sox plated their fourth run in the bottom of the third. Bogaerts led off the inning with a fly ball that scraped the Green Monster in left field that was good for a double. Verdugo singled to drive Bogaerts in with the run. 

Kaprielian, normally a pitcher with good control, walked Jarren Duran and Devers to start the fourth inning. J.D.Martinez was retired on a fly ball to right field. Duran tagged and went to third. Bogaerts drove in Duran with a sacrifice fly to right.

Verdugo singled, sending Devers to third. Sox second baseman Trevor Story hit a swinging bun up the third baseline. Kaprielian fielded the ball, but his throw got by A’s first baseman Christian Bethancourt. Devers scored on the play. Boston owned a commanding 6-0 advantage after four innings of play.

The A’s scored their only run of the night in the sixth. Matt Davidson, pinch-hitting for Stephen Vogt, sent former A’s pitcher Jake Diekman’s pitch over the Green Monster onto Lansdowne Street. The Red Sox answered with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Alex Verdugo sent homered with a man on to make it an 8-1 lead for Boston.

The Sox added two more in the eighth. Lou Trivino retired the first man he faced. He then gave up back-to-back doubles to Martinez and Bogaerts for Boston’s ninth run. Two more singles produced the final run of the game. Boston wins 10-1.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 21-43. Boston improved to 34-29. 

The A’s have lost 16 of the last 18 games played. They play Boston Again Thursday afternoon. The Red Sox have won all five games between the teams this year.

Kaprielian took the loss and is 0-4. Red Sox starter Josh Winckowski notched his first win in Major League baseball. His record is 1-1.

The bright spots for Oakland were Matt Davidson’s monster home run and Jonah Bride’s first two hits in the Majors. 

Oakland’s line was one run, seven hits, and one error. Boston’s line was ten runs, thirteen hits, and no errors. 

The teams meet for the final time in 2022 at 10:35 am PT. The A’s will send Paul Blackburn out to pitch. The Red Sox will counter with former A’s hurler, lefty Rich Hill.

The time of the game was three hours and eight minutes. Thirty-one thousand eight hundred seventy-seven fans were on hand to see Boston romp to the lop-sided 10-1 victory.

Red Sox score often and early to beat A’s 6-1 at Fenway in series opener

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Oakland Athletics pitching coach Scott Emerson (14), left, talks with Jared Koenig (46) as catcher Sean Murphy (12) listens in during the second inning at Fenway Park in Boston in the first game of a three game series against the Boston Red Sox on Tue Jun 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (21-42) road woes continued as they fell to the Boston Red Sox (33-29) 6-1 at Fenway Park in Boston. The A’s sent rookie lefty Jared Koenig to the mound the face the potent Red Sox lineup.

After making his second big league start, Koenig had the misfortune of going against the World Champion Atlanta Braves last week. As baseball fans know, left-handed pitchers dread pitching in Fenway Park. Pitchers know they will succeed if they keep their pitches down and away from the powerful right-handed hitters in Boston’s lineup. 

The Red Sox scored runs in the first four innings of the game. In the first inning, with one out and Rafael Devers at first base, Koenig walked J.D.Martinez. Koening committed a balk, and the runners advanced to second and third. Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit a broken-bat single into short right-field. Devers scored to give Boston an early 1-0 lead.

The Sox plated their second run in the bottom of the second. With one out, Boston loaded the bases. Singles by Christian Vasquez and Bobby Dalbec were followed by Koenig hitting Franchy Cordero. Leadoff hitter Rob Ryfsnyder, filling in at center field for the injured Kike Hernandez, drove in Vazquez with a sacrifice fly. The score after two complete was 2-0 Boston on top.

Boston put their third run of the night on the board when slugger J.D. Martinez homered leading off the bottom of the third. It was Martinez’s eighth dinger of the year. 

Jared Koenig’s night ended in the fourth. Singles by Franchy Cordero and Rob Ryfsnyder put two men on with no out. Boston’s third baseman, Rafael Devers, one of the top hitters in the American League, blasted a 439-foot home run over the bullpen in right-center-field to give Boston a commanding 6-0 after four complete.

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta stymied the A’s offense. Pivetta’s only mistake was a gopher ball served up to A’s DH Stephen Vogt in the eighth inning. Pivetta’s line was eight innings of work, and he allowed one run and three hits to earn his sixth win of the year. The Red Sox win 6-1.

Game Notes: The A’s are now 21-42 for the season. They have lost 15 of the last 17 played and now own the worst record in the American League.

The A’s and the Cincinnati Reds are racing to the bottom of the barrel. The A’s are 1-6 on the nine-game road trip and have two more games with Boston before returning home to face the Kansas City Royals Friday night at the Coliseum.

The line score for Oakland was one run, four hits, and one error. Boston’s line was six runs, ten hits, and no errors. 

Pivetta was the winning pitcher. Koenig took the loss and is now 0-2.

 Adam Oller, Lou Trivino, and Austin Pruitt pitched well in relief. The bullpen held the Sox scoreless after the fourth inning. A’s manager Mark Kotsay had to be pleased with Trivino’s outing. Trivino worked an inning and stuck out two.

The A’s will send James Kaprielian (0-3, 5.73) out to face Boston Wednesday night. The Red Sox will start righthander Josh Winckowski (0-1, 12.00) . The game will start at 4:10 pm Pacific Time. 

The time of the game was 2:43 minutes. There were 32,617 fans in attendance

Preview Oakland A’s vs. Boston Red Sox: A’s hope to improve win record at Fenway Park as series starts Tuesday

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Oakland A’s starter Jared Koenig who lost his first game in his Major League debut on Wed Jun 8, 2022 at Truist Field in Cobb County against the Atlanta Braves will face the Boston Red Sox on Tue Jun 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s arrived in Boston Sunday night after finishing a four-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. The A’s managed to beat the Guardians on Saturday 10-5. The A’s have lost fourteen of their last 16 games.

They find themselves in the cellar in the AL West. Their record is a woeful 21-41. However, their bats showed signs of life as they bashed four home runs in the 10-5 win on Saturday. Their hitters slugger three solo dingers in the 6-3 loss to the Guardians on Sunday.

A’s first baseman, Christian Bethancourt, has started to hit. He raised his batting average to .269. His on-base percentage is a respectable .310. He has hit four homers and driven in 15.

In fourth place in the very tough AL East, the Red Sox went 8-2 on the completed 10-game road trip. The Sox are now 32-29 for the season. Injuries, however, are starting to affect the pitching.

Starters Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock are on the 15-day IL. Chris Sale is still not available. The Red Sox still have a very potent lineup. Their All-Star candidates include third baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Xander Bogaerts, second baseman Trevor Story, and DH J.D. Martinez.

The Red Sox cannot afford to take the A’s lightly. The A’s play better on the road. They are 14-18 away from the Oakland Coliseum. They are a woeful 7-23 at home.

The A’s showed they have some pop in their bats as they sent seven balls into the seats in the last two games of the Cleveland series. They hope to continue pounding the ball in the hitter-friendly confines of Boston’s Fenway Park.

The A’s will send lefty Jared Koenig to the hill Tuesday night. Koenig will be making his second start in his brief Major League career. In his first outing, he made it into the fourth inning. He absorbed the loss, and his ERA is 9.00. Nick Pivetta (5-5, 3.78 ERA) goes for Boston.

On Wednesday, James Kaprielian will handle the pitching chores for the A’s. James is 0-3, and his ERA is 5.73. He pitched better in his last outing but did not get the decision. The A’s feel James is rounding back into the form he showed last season.

The Red Sox have not announced their starting pitchers for Wednesday or Thursday. The A’s starter on Thursday will be Paul Blackburn. Blackburn is 5-2 with a very tidy era of 2.31. Blackburn went eight innings in his last outing against Cleveland.

He was ahead 2-0 when he left the game. The Guardians rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth as the A’s bullpen melted down again.

As baseball fans know, anything can happen in games played at Fenway Park. Fenway has been a hitter’s paradise for over 100 years.

The A’s would love to get back into the win column and take at least two out of three from the Sox in a series that starts on Friday night. Boston would love to sweep the A’s again. As always, it should be a fun series.

On Friday night the A’s return to the Oakland Coliseum to host the Kansas City Royals for a three game series.

Guardians send A’s down to their ninth loss in a row 8-4; Cleveland rallies in the eighth for the win

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Cleveland Guardians’ Steven Kwan scores past Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy on a single by Oscar Gonzalez during the sixth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thu Jun 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s woes continued as they lost for the ninth straight time. The A’s fell to the Cleveland Guardians by a score of 8-4. The A’s lost for the 12th time in the last 13th game. A’s reliever Lou Trivino continued to struggle.

Trivino had another bad outing as he was tagged for four runs and four hits. There was some good news, however. The A’s scored four times. Their starter James Kaprielian went five innings and allowed five hits and two runs.

Kaprielian gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor in the fourth. It was Ramirez’s 15th of the year. For Naylor, it was his seventh. The A’s offense showed signs of life. A’s DH Christian Bethancourt had a two-run homer, a single, and a double. Three straight doubles in the sixth produced two more runs for Oakland.

The A’s jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. A’s catcher Sean Murphy was hit by a pitch to start the second. Christian Bethancourt hit his second homer of the year to put the A’s in the lead. Cleveland tied the game in the fourth with two solo home runs.

The A’s regained the lead in the top of the sixth. Three straight hits produced two runs to give the A’s the Advantage 4-2. A’s reliever A.J.Puk gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth. Cleveland tied the game in the seventh when they put another run on the board. Zack Jackson was on the hill for Oakland.

Cleveland put four runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth. They sent nine men to the plate with struggling Lou Trivino on the hill. They put together four hits, a walk, and an error by Trivino to tally four runs. All A’s manager could do was watch as the A’s lost again. The final score was 8-4.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s drop to 20-39. Cleveland improved to 27-26. Trivino was the losing pitcher. He is 1-5 for the year.
The line score for Oakland was four runs, eight hits, and one error. Cleveland’s line was eight runs, fourteen hits, and no errors.

The A’s now have two nine-game losing streaks this year and are under .500 for the first time since 2017.

Cleveland’s manager Terry Francona hasn’t forgotten the day the when the Red Sox released outfielder Mark Kotsay. Francona was Boston’s skipper at the time. Francona said,” I remember literally shedding tears when we did it. It was hard.” Kotsay said he and Francona bonded during his time with the Red Sox.

The A’s Paul Blackburn (5-2, 2.62 ERA) will go for Oakland Friday night. Blackburn has lost his last two starts. The Guardians will counter with Tristen McKenzie (3-5-3.10 ERA). McKenzie allowed just three hits over seven innings in his last start. All three hits were home runs.

The game will start at 4:10 pm PT.