Author: rxslugger

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

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open three game series with Rangers Tuesday night

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Oakland A’s Tony Kemp (left) goes in for the diving slide for a run scored as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (right) awaits for the late throw in the sixth inning Sun Jun 27, 2021 (AP News photo)

BY Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s finished a long cross-country road trip Sunday in San Francisco. The A’s played three in New York, four in Texas, and three in San Francisco. Playing well on the road for most of the season, the A’s did not fare well as they lost six of the ten games played. The Lost two to the Yankees, two to the Giants, and two to the Rangers, their next opponent. 

The A’s will send James Kaprelian to the hill Tuesday night to face the Rangers. In his last start against them on June 23rd, Kaprilian went six innings and allowed two runs. The A’s lost the game 5-3. Mike Foltynewicz also went six innings, and he, too, allowed two runs.

Neither pitcher figured in the decision. Foltynewicz will start for the Rangers Tuesday night. Folty’s record is 1-7 with a 5.40 ERA. Do not be fooled. He pitched very well against Oakland last week. On Wednesday, it will be Chris Bassitt going against Kolby Allard.

The two faced each other last Thursday in Texas. Bassitt held the Rangers in check as the A’s won 5-1. Bassitt is 8-2 for the year. Lefty Kolby Allard is 2-3 with a 3.33 ERA. On Thursday, Sean Manaea will pitch for Oakland. Manaea pitched very well in New York, but the A’s offense was shut down, and Sean had to absorb his fourth loss. Texas will have Dane Dunning on the mound. Dunning is 3-6 with an ERA of 4.63.

The Rangers are 30-48 for the year. The Rangers are rebuilding, and players are doing what they can to prove to the Rangers’ management, they are here to stay. Rumors are circulating about the status of right-fielder Joey Gallo.

Gallo has one year of arbitration left and will be a free agent at the end of next season. The Rangers are paying him 6.2 million a year. Since the team will not be in the playoffs this season, the Rangers may send him out of Texas to a contender for a parcel of prospects. Their best pitcher Kyle Gibson may be on the move, too.

The A’s cannot take the Rangers lightly. They managed to split the four-game series with Texas last week. It was not easy. The Rangers pounded Frankie Montas in the first game of the series. The A’s sprinted out to a 9-0 lead in the second game. Texas roared back and trailed 9-6 before the A’s scored four in the ninth to win. Texas won the third game 5-3. Chriss Bassitt held the Rangers to one run in the fourth game. 

.If the A’s pitching does its job, they can stop the Ranger offense. The A’s need to keep winning to keep pace with the Houston Astros. The Astros were 8-2 in their last games to go two games up on the A’s in the race for first place in the AL West.

The schedule doesn’t get easier for Oakland. After the three with Texas, the A’s will host the AL East Divison leader, the Boston Red Sox, for three games this weekend. The A’s then go to Texas to play three against the Houston and Astros and three more against the Rangers. 

Injury Update: The A’s placed Mark Canha on the 10-day IL on June 25th. Canha has a left hip strain. J.B.Wendelken, out with a strained left oblique, has been participating in baseball activity and should be back soon. Stephen Piscotty, also on the 10-day IL, had a sprained left wrist. He received a cortisone shot last week and is expected to resume baseball activity this week. Out of action since the start of the season due to right shoulder inflammation, Trevor Rosenthal is scheduled to return to action in August.

A’s Bassitt shuts down Texas offense Oakland split the four-game series win 5-1

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt allowed only one run in seven innings pitched against the Texas Rangers on Thu Jun 24, 2021 at Arlington (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (46-31) needed to beat the Texas Rangers (27-48) Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Things have not gone for the Green and Gold on the ten-game road trip. The A’s were 2-4 coming into the game.

The A’s fell two games behind the rampaging Houston Astros in the race for first place in the AL West. Bob Melvin’s guys had to find a way to beat the young Texas team. Currently, in last place in the AL West, the Rangers beat the A’s twice in the series.

They scored eight runs in the first game, six in the second, and five last night. Bob Melvin knew the A’s had a chance to win as he sent out his ace, Chris Bassitt, to do the pitching. Bassitt entered the game with a record of 7-2. He gave the A’s what they needed. Bassitt went seven innings and allowed one run and five hits. He won his eighth game of the year 5-1 over the Rangers in Arlington, and it appears that Bassitt might be heading to this year’s All-Star game in Denver on July 13th.

The Rangers sent their promising lefty, Kolby Allard, to the hill to face the A’s. The A’s greeted him by putting three runs on the board in the first inning. With one out, Matt Chapman singled to start the rally. Chappie advanced to second on a wild pitch.

Matt Olson singled to send Chapman to third. Ramon Laureano doubled to plate Chapman with the A’s first run, Olson stopped at third base on the play. Olson scored the second run of the inning when Chad Pinder ground out 5-3. Jed Lowrie singled to drive in Laureano. The A’s led 3-0 halfway through the first inning.

The Rangers scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the second. Bassitt hit Rangers’ left fielder Eli White, leading off the inning with a pitch. White scampered to third on the play. Bassitt retired Willie Calhoun for the first out. The next hitter, Nick Solak, grounded out. White scored on the play. The A’s lead was now 3-1 after two innings.

Kolby Allard settled down. In the next five innings of work, he allowed just one and four hits. Jed Lowrie took Allard deep in the top of the fourth. Lowrie, hitting right-handed-blasted a 430-foot home run over the centerfield fence. It was Jed’s sixth dinger of the year. 

Oakland added a run in the top of the seventh. Josh Sborz was now pitching for Texas. A’s catcher, Aramis Garcia, singled to start the rally. Tony Kemp, who replaced Mark Canha in left field in the second inning, doubled to send Garcia to third. Sborz uncorked a wild pitch, and Garcia trotted home with the A’s fifth run.

Lefty Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless eighth, and Lou Trivino finished up, shutting the Rangers down in the ninth. The A’s win 5-1.

Game Notes and Stats: The A’s are now 46-31 for the season with the win. The A’s will either be one game or two games back, depending on what the Astros do against the Detroit Tigers later Thursday evening. 

Chris Bassitt was the man for Oakland Thursday. Bassitt improved to 8-2, and his ERA dropped to 3.25. In his seven innings of work, he allowed one run and five hits. He walked three, struck out four, and hit a batter. 

The hitting stars for Oakland were Jed Lowrie, Matt Olson, and Aramis Garcia. Lowrie had a single, homer, and two RBIs. Olson and Garcia each had two hits. The A’s finish the road trip with three games against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park starting Friday night. The Giants will open the park to full capacity Friday night, and a big crowd is anticipated. The A’s will have left Sean Manaea handle the pitching chores. Manaea’s is 6-3 with a 3.01 ERA. Johnny Cueto will go for the Giants. Cueto is 5-3 with a 4.05 ERA. The game will start at 6:45 pm. Let the Battle of the Bay begin!!!

Rangers’ Garcia slams two solo home runs to pace Texas to a 5-3 win over the A’s

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

By Jerry Feitelberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A’s get back on winning track rout the Rangers 13-6

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

By Jerry Feitelberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The game will start at 5.05 pm.

Rangers hand A’s their third loss in a row 8-3

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

By Jerry Feitelberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preview Oakland A’s-New York Yankees: Yankees and Steinbrenner not paying luxury tax to get the players they need

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New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is needless to say not very happy with the direction the Yankees have gone and the team has not been to the World Series since 2009. The Yankees are seven games back in the AL East (photo from nj.com)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (43-27) are off on Thursday. On Friday, they will play three games against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. After New York, the A’s play four against the Texas Rangers and finish the trip with three against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

The Yankees are 35-32 and are in third place in the AL Eastern Division, seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Many people, press and fans alike, expected the Yankees to be the beasts in the East. The fans know the Yanks have not been to the World Series since 2009.

The drought is killing them. The Yankees’ front office, managerial staff, and players are feeling the wrath of the fans. People are questioning the decisions made by general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, and owner Hal Steinbrenner. The Yankees are the most valuable franchise in all of the sports. They are a money machine, yet Hal Steinbrenner seems not to want to pay the luxury tax to get the players they need.

The pitching matchups are set for the series. The A’s will send James Kaprielian to the hill Friday night. Kaprielian would love nothing better than send the Yanks down to defeat. New York sent Kaprielian to Oakland when they acquired Sonny Gray from the A’s.

James’ record is 3-1, and he has an ERA of 2.15. He has been especially tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a .131 batting average. Righty Jameson Taillon (1-4, ERA 5.74) will pitch for New York on Friday night. On Saturday, Chris Bassitt will go for the A’s.

Bassitt is 7-2, with an ERA of 3.43. Bassitt has allowed four runs or fewer in each of his last 35 starts the past two seasons. Domingo Herman will go for the Yanks. Herman is 3-3, ERA 3.88. Sunday’s game will be a battle of lefties. Sean Manaea goes for Oakland.

Manaea is 6-2, ERA 2.99. Sean has allowed one run or less in nine of his last 14 starts. He is 1-0 in two career starts at Yankee Stadium. The big lefty has not allowed a run in 12 innings of work. Jordan Montgomery will pitch for the Yanks. Montgomery is 3-1, ERA 4.20.

The feared injury jinx has hit the Yankees hard. Righty Corey Kluber, who threw a no-hitter earlier in the season, is now on the 60-day IL. Lefty Justin Wilson is on the 10-day IL. Slugger Luke Voit has been on the 10-day IL and is almost done rehabbing his injury.

Centerfielder Aaron Hicks is out for the season. The Yankees will use Chris Gittens at first base. D J LeMahieu’s first two seasons with New York were fantastic.

He has a career .303 batting average and a .781 OPS. His numbers are way down this year. He is batting .262 with four homers and 19 RBIs. LeMahieu will be at second base. Glyber Torres will be at shortstop. Torres is having a tough time adjusting to the position.

He is better suited to play second base. He is hitting .263 with three homers and 23 RBIs. Gio Urshela will be at third base. Urshela is hitting .261 with seven round-trippers and 27 RBIs. Rougned Odor, the former Texas Ranger, and Tyler Wade can fill in if needed.

With the Aaron Hicks injury, the outfield has been a problem for New York. The Yankees will use Miguel Andujar or Clint Frazier in left. Frazier, finally getting an opportunity to play regularly, has not performed well. His batting average is an anemic .188. He has five home runs and 12 RBIs. Brett Gardner, now 37-years old, moved from left to center.

Brett is hitting .215 with two home runs and eight RBIs. The big man in the Yankee offense is Aaron Judge. Judge, 2017 Rookie of the Year with 52 homers, will be in right field. Judge, from Linden, California, has a .282 batting average to go along with 15 homers and 35 Ribbies. His OPS is .894. Judge is finally healthy. He has missed a lot of time over the last three seasons due to injury.

Giancarlo Stanton will be the Yankees’ DH Stanton was the NL MVP in 2017. The big guy blasted 59 homers that year. He joined the Yankees as a free agent in 2018. In 158 games that year, Stanton homered 38 times. He was injured in 2019 and 2020. In 2019 he hit three and four in 2020. This year, he has stayed healthy. So far, he is hitting .260 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs.

Gary Sanchez will handle most of the catching chores for New York. Sanchez has received a lot of criticism for his defensive work as a catcher. The Yanks have been working with him to improve. They keep him in the lineup as he is a threat to go deep at any time. Kyle Higashioka is the backup catcher.

The Yankees are 4-6 in their last ten games. They have won the last two over the Toronto Blue Jays. The teams are playing the third game of the set Thursday night in Buffalo, the temporary home of the Blue Jays.

Oakland is hot right now. The A’s were 8-1 on the last homestand. They have won six in a row. Ramon Laureano returned from a stint on the 10-day IL and led the team to an 8-4 win over the LA Angels Wednesday in Oakland. Laureano robbed Justin Upton of a home run in the fourth inning. He then hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth to get the A’s offense going. The A’s were trailing 4-0 when Laureano homered.

The A’s are hoping to continue playing well. Matt Chapman and Elvis Andrus appear to have snapped out of their early-season doldrums as they both come through with key hits. Mark Canha has been a steady presence all season long. Canha, in the leadoff spot, has shown a knack for getting on base.

He has a lot of pop in his bat, too. Matt Olson is leading the team in homers and RBIs. Other key contributors have been Laureano, Tony Kemp, Sean Murphy, Mitch Moreland, Seth Brown, and Stephen Piscotty. The A’s starting rotation has been solid, and the bullpen has come through many times this year.

Playing in New York has to be fun. The A’s want to do well to start the 10-game road trip. Let’s hope they win at least two of the three games.

Giants rout Diamondbacks 13-7 at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants Buster Posey connects for a three run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning as Diamondbacks catcher Stephen Vogt watches at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jun 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Francisco Giants continued to torment the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night at Oracle Park. The Giants won as they routed the Snakes 13-7. The Giants, having come back from a 7-0 deficit to beat Arizona 9-8 Tuesday night, continued to torment the hapless D-Backs. The Giants banged out 13 hits, including five more home runs to send the D-Backs down to their 13th loss in a row and the 22nd consecutive road loss. 

Torey Lovullo’s team put two runs on the board in the top of the first. Giants’ starter, Anthony DeScalfini, gave up a double to Josh Rojas. Ketel Marte followed with a single. Lamonte Wade, playing in leftfield, mishandled the ball, and Rojas scored. Marte went to second. Eduardo Escobar doubled to drive in Marte with Arizona’s second run.

The Giants stormed back in the bottom of the first. They put four runs on the board to go ahead 4-2. Wade started the rally with a single to center. Wade stole second. The Snakes’ starter, Merrill Kelly, walked Mike Yazstremski. The Giants’ Buster Posey blasted his twelfth dinger of the year to put the Giants ahead 3-2. Kelly walked Brandon Belt. Belt went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Jason Vosler’s double. The Giants led 4-2 after one inning. They would not relinquish the lead.

Lovullo brought in Keury Melli to pitch the fourth for Arizona. The Giants plated four runs. Steven Duggar led off the inning with a home run. Melli retired DeScalfini for the first out. The next hitter, Lamonte Wade, also homered to make it 6-2. The G-Men weren’t finished. Melli walked Yaz, and Buster singled to put men on at first and third. Brandon Belt walked to load the bases. Donovan Solano singled to drive in Yaz and Posey. The Giants led 8-2 after four.

The onslaught continued in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Buchter was now pitching for Arizona. Steven Duggar walked to start the rally. Wilmer Flores, pinch-hitting for pitcher Anthony DeSclafini, homered to make it 10-2. Buchter walked Yaz. Posey singled to sent Yaz to third. Brandon Belt blasted an Earl Weaver special(a three-run dinger) to propel the Giants to a commanding 13-2 lead.

Giants’ Manager Gabe Kapler brought Conner Menez into the game to pitch the sixth. Arizona roughed him up for five runs. The key blow was Asdrubal Cabrera’s homer. 

The Giants’ Jose Alvarez pitched the seventh and eighth and did not allow a hit. James Sherfy pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the win for the Giants.

Game Notes: With the win, the Giants are now 43-25 for the year. They have a two-game advantage over the LA Dodgers in the race for the NL West division lead. The Snakes fall to 20-49. 

The hitting stars for the Giants were Buster Posey with three hits, three ribbies, three runs scored, and a home run. Lamonte Wade had two hits, and one of them was a solo dinger. Brandon Belt drove in three with a home run. He finished the night with two hits. Steven Duggar had two hits, too. One was a solo homer.

The Giants face the Snakes again on Thursday. The game will start at 12:45 pm. The Philadelphia Phillies are in town for three starting Friday night.

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open two-game series with Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt throwing a two hit shutout against the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum on Thu May 27, 2021 (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s open a nine-game homestand starting Tuesday night at the Coliseum. The A’s will play two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. The A’s are In first place in the AL West with a record of 35-26, the A’s will send righty Chris Bassitt to the mound.

Bassitt’s record is 5-2. Bassitt lasted only four innings in his last start against the Seattle Mariners. However, since the beginning of May, Bassitt has allowed just four walks and three home runs. In last place in the NL West with a record of 20-41, the D-Backs will send out righty Jon Duplantier to handle the pitching chores Tuesday night.

Duplantier will be making his third MLB start for the D-Backs. He is 0-1 with an ERA of 9.35. In his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers, he allowed five runs in four innings of work. On Wednesday, Sean Manaea will go for Oakland. Manaea’s last outing saw him throw a complete-game shutout against the Seattle Mariners. The D-Backs have not announced their starter yet.

There are some familiar names on D-Backs’ manager Torey Lovullo’s roster. Catcher Stephen Vogt, outfielder Josh Reddick, and pitchers Joakim Soria and Ryan Buchter may all be making appearances in the two-game series. The D-Backs’ starting rotation has bit hit by the injury jinx.

Former San Francisco Giant ace Madison Bumgarner is on the 10-day IL. Other starters on the IL include Tyler Widener, Luke Weaver, and Seth Frankoff. Joakim Soria is listed as the D-Backs’ closer. Soria has yet to record a save so far this year.

The D-Backs have several pitchers that they are using as starters as well as relievers. Those players are Caleb Smith and Matt Peacock. Lovullo can use those two or Merrill Kelly, Riley Smith, and Zack Gallen as a starter for Wednesday’s game.

Carson Kelly is the D-Backs primary receiver. Stephen Vogt will back him up. The infield will feature Christian Walker at first base, Josh Rojas at second, Nick Ahmed at short, and Eduardo Escobar at third. Asdrubal Cabrera, in his 15th season, can fill in at either first, second or third.

Players patrolling the outfield will be David Peralta in left, Ketel Marte in center, and Josh Reddick in right. Lovullo may also use Tim Locastro, Josh Rojas, and Pavin Smith as replacements.

The D-Backs may be shopping several of their key players before the July 30th trade deadline. Names that have popped up as trade possibilities are Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar.

Escobar is leading the team with 14 homers and 41 RBIs. The New York Yankees are rumored to have Marte on their radar screen as they need a replacement for the injured Aaron Hicks.

The A’s are in the AL West, leading the Houston Astros by one game. The A’s need to beat teams with poor records, such as the D-Backs. A two-game sweep would be a good way to start the nine-game homestand. A’s manager Bob Melvin will have his team ready.

Preview of the A’s three-game series against the Colorado Rockies

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Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin seen here in Seattle against the Seattle Mariners on Wed Jun 2, 2021 will lead the A’s against the Colorado Rockies on Fri Jun 4, 2021 at Coors Field in Denver (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (33-25) will be in Denver to play a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies (22-34) starting Friday night. The A’s own a modest two-game winning streak and are hoping to extend the streak to five. Things will be slightly different for Oakland as they are playing in a National League park, and the A’s will not be able to use the Designated Hitter. The A’s pitchers will be taking batting practice as they will have to go to the plate and be ready to hit.

The Rockies are currently in fourth place in the National League West. The Rockies’ record for the season is 22-34. That will change as they are playing the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The Rockies are very good at home as they are 18-12. On the road, it’s a different story. Their road record is underwhelming as they have won four and lost twenty-two. The A’s, on the other hand, are great on the road. They are 16-8, while their home record is just 17-17.

Frankie Monras will go for Oakland Friday night. Montas is 5-5 with an ERA of 4.45. Montas has lost his last three starts but has pitched well, posting an ERA of 3.24. Montas is 0-2 in two starts against Colorado. Rockies’ manager Bud Black will send righty Jon Gray to face the A’s. Gray is 4-2 with an ERA of 4.45.

On Saturday lefty Cole Irvin will be on the mound for the A’s. Irvin has not done well in his last three starts. The lefty has allowed at least four earned runs in each start. Lefty Kyle Freeland (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will go for the Rocks. On Sunday, James Kaprelian will be on the hill for the A’s. Kaprielian is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.95. In his last start against Seattle, Kaprielian went three and 2/3rds innings and was tagged for four runs. The Rockies will counter with German Marquez (3-5, 4.13 ERA).

The Rockies traded their best player, Nolan Arenado, to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2021 season. There are rumors that their star shortstop, Trevor Story, will be traded before or at the trading deadline. Currently, on the 10-day IL, Story will be a free agent at the end of the year.

The Rockies still have players that the A’s will have to handle. Rockies’ right fielder, Charlie Blackmon, is having a down year. Blackmon, a career .300 hitter, is hitting .250 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. The A’s pitchers will be hoping that Blackmon doesn’t find his stroke in the series.

Another player the A’s are familiar with is first baseman C.J.Cron. The A’s faced Cron many times when he was with the LA Angels. Cron is hitting .275 with five dingers and 18 RBIs. Their new third baseman, Ryan McMahon, is making a name for himself. His batting average is .259, and he has 13 homers and 32 RBI’s to his credit.

The A’s offense woke up in the last two games against the Mariners. The A’s had 23 hits in the last two games and scored 18 runs. A’s shortstop, Elvis Andrus, is hitting over .300 for the last three weeks. Tony Kemp had five RBIs in Tuesday’s game in Seattle. Matt Chapman, struggling at the plate, had two hits Wednesday night. Matt Olson had three. Mitch Morland blasted a 444-foot monster home run Wednesday night.

The A’s lead in the West is precarious. The Houston Astros are just 1/2 game the A’s in the race for first place in the AL West. The Astros have won four in a row. They have won the last three against the Boston Red Sox and will be going for a sweep of the four-game set Thursday afternoon. A Houston win will tie the A’s for first place. A loss will put them a game behind Oakland.

The A’s will be ready for the Rockies as they have an off-day on Thursday after playing 17 consecutive days. Oakland will need their starters to pitch well. The Rockies would love nothing more than to upset the A’s plans. The series starts Friday night at Coors Field at 5:40 pm.

Manaea pitches a gem shuts out Mariners 6-0 in complete game

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea throws to the Seattle Mariners line up in the fifth inning at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Wed Jun 2, 2021 in Seattle (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (33-25) met the Seattle Mariners (28-29) at the T-Mobile Park in Seattle Wednesday night. It was the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day. MLB had the day to recognize efforts to combat ALS. The A’s sent lefty Sean Manaea to the hill, hoping to get the win. The Mariners’ starter, Chris Flexen, an East Bay kid from Newark, Ca entered the game with a 5-2. Manaea wound up pitching a gem going the distance for a 6-0 victory over the Mariners.

The A’s had not given Manaea a lot of run support this year. The A’s scored three runs in Manaea’s last three starts. A’s manager Bob Melvin wanted Sean to cut down on his pitch count so that he could go deep into the game.

Manaea came through with one of his best performances ever as an Oakland Athletic. Manaea pitched a complete game. He allowed four hits and no runs. The Mariners loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Manaea got the M’s shortstop, J.P.Crawford to end the inning by hitting into a ground out.

Chris Flexen retired the first six A’s hitters. Things went south for him in the top of the third as the A’s put five runs on the board. Matt Chapman walked to start the rally. Flexen retired Tony Kemp for the first out. The A’s shortstop, Elvis Andrus, lined a double down the left-field line, sending Chapman to third.

Mark Canha followed with a single to drive in Chapman and Andrus. A’s third-base coach, Mark Kotsay, threw up the stop sign, but Andrus ran through it and scored on the play. Flexen retired Jed Lowrie for the second out. Matt Olson singled and scored ahead of Mitch Moreland, who blasted a monster 444-foot blast to centerfield. It was Moreland’s fifth of the year.

The A’s added a run in the top of the ninth to win 6-0.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the A’s are 33-25 for the year. They remain 1/2 game ahead of the Houston Astros. Houston beat Boston for the third night in a row. The Mariners are 28-29.

Manaea improved to 4-2 for the season. His line was nine innings pitched, four hits, and no runs. He threw 111 pitches, walking two and striking out eight. The A’s line was six runs, ten hits, and one error.
Chris Flexen took the loss, and his record is now 5-3.

Matt Olson had three hits. Matt Chapman, still struggling at the plate, had a couple of hits. Hopefully, Matt will get his bat going again.

Olson made an unusual double play in the bottom of the eighth. With Jack Mayfield on first, Jake Fraley was thrown out 4-3. Olson noticed Mayfield round second and went a bit too far. Olson threw a strike to Matt Chapman that nailed Mayfield as he scrambled back to the base.

A’s manager Bob Melvin recorded his 800th win since taking over the helm in 2011.
The A’s have a day off Thursday. They went 17 days without a break. They meet the Colorado Rockies in Denver for three games starting Friday night. The game will start at 5:40 pm.