Author: rxslugger

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

Kings nip Warriors at the buzzer win 114-113

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Despite leading Golden State with 29 points on  Tues Dec 15, 2020 at Golden 1 Center Stephen Curry and the Warriors finished just a point short in their loss to the Sacramento Kings (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Sacramento Kings Tuesday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Kings’ Kyle Guy knocked down a three-point shot as the buzzer sounded to give the Kings the win 114-113.

The Warriors were without Draymond Green, rookie James Wiseman, and second-year player Eric Paschall. Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, selected Juan Toscano-Anderson to start at strong forward in place of Draymond Green.

Other players in the starting lineup were Kelly Oubre, Jr, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Steph Curry. The Kings lineup included Marvin Bagley III, former Warrior Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes at the center position, Buddy Hield, and De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt.

The Kings, coached by former Warriors assistant Luke Walton and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wanted to see how the players would perform as the season starts in just a week. The starters would play in the first and third quarters, and the backups would see action in the second and fourth quarters. 

As for the game,  Curry scored eleven of the team’s first fifteen points in the first quarter. Curry looked to be in mid-season form. The Warriors finished the quarter leading 27-25. The Kings won the second quarter as they outscored the Warriors 37-20 to finish the first half with a 62-47 lead. Curry led the club with 16 points in 16 minutes of action.

The Kings went up by nineteen early in the third quarter. The Warriors rallied to cut the deficit to seven at the end of the third quarter. Curry continued to play well. Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss played well. Wiggins and Oubre made clutch buckets to help the Warriors climb back into the game. Sacramento led 88-81 at the end of three.

In the fourth quarter, Curry, Wiggins, Oubre, and Looney were on the bench. Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker, Chriss, and Damion Lee led the W’s comeback. The Dubs led 113-111 with six seconds left to play. The Kings’ Kyle Guy, who was hot coming off the bench, connected with his sixth three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to win it for Sacramento.

Game Notes and Stats: Curry led the Warriors with 29 points in 29 minutes of play. Oubre and Wiggins each had 12. Chriss finished the night with 17 points, nine rebounds, and he made three threes. Bazemore and Lee each had seven. Rookie Nico Mannion saw action for the first time in his career. Brad Wanamaker finished with ten points, five rebounds, and three assists.

Buddy Hield finished with 18, De’Aaron Fox 17. Hassan Whiteside, always tough on the Warriors, had eleven points and nine boards. Kyle Guy finished with twenty points. He made six threes in ten tries.

The two teams meet Thursday night again in Sacramento. The game will tip off at 6 pm. 

Warriors down Nuggets in the preseason opener 107-105

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The Denver Nuggets watch the Golden State Warriors offense take lay ups and shots. The Warriors get a two point win to open the NBA exhibition season on Sat Dec 12, 2020 at Chase Center in San Francisco (photo from @warriors)

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors opened the first of the three-game preseason with a win over the Denver Nuggets 107-105. It was the first game the Warriors had played since the NBA season stopped play last March. The Warriors had the worst record in the NBA last year. Injuries to key players and the loss of Kevin Durant, in a sign and trade deal to the Brooklyn Nets, caused the Dubs to flounder all season long.

The W’s superstar, Steph Curry, played in only five games last season. All-Star Klay Thompson did not play as he recovered from surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee. Klay will miss the entire 2020-2021 season due to a torn Achilles tendon. The Warriors traded for Kelly Oubre, Jr, to help make up for Klay’s absence. The team acquired Andrew Wiggins from the T-Wolves for D’Angelo Russell. Wiggins did not have a chance to work with Steph last season. The W’s are hoping that Oubre and Wiggins will fit in well with the Warriors’ scheme of attack.

The number one draft pick, James Wiseman, and the veteran forward, Draymond Green, were not available due to bouts with Covid-19. They should return soon. However, it might take time for them to blend in with the new players.

The Warriors are hoping for center Kevon Looney to stay healthy for the entire year. Looney had been saddled with injuries in his first four years with the team. W’s head coach Steve Kerr will have to determine who will be the starting center. Will it be Wiseman, Looney, or Marquiss Chriss. Chriss played well last year. In the five years, the W’s went to the NBA finals, they used three guys in the center position. They used Pachulia, JaVale McGee, and David West in the rotations. They hope to use the three bigs, in the same manner this year.

The W’s are hoping for improvement from the second-year player, Jordan Poole. Poole worked hard in the off-season to add new dimensions to his game. Damion Lee, Brad Wanamaker, Kent Bazemore will be fighting to get playing times this season. These four players will get time on the second unit. Another player who is trying to make the team is Mychal Mulder. Mulder did well last year late in the season.

Players on the bubble know that they have to make the most of their opportunities when they get into the game.

How did they do? The Warriors’ first game was against the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center Saturday night. Steve Kerr and his staff are looking to see what players will make the team. The W’s had a formidable opponent. The Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020 playoffs. They couldn’t handle the Lakers, but they are an outstanding team led by center Nikola Jokic.

The Warriors started Kevon Looney at center, Eric Paschall, who made the 1st team-NBA all-rookie team in 2020, was one of the forwards, Kelly Oubre, Jr the other forward, Andrew Wiggins, and Steph Curry were the guards.

How did they perform? Looney had eight points, six rebounds, and three assists. Paschall eight points, seven boards, and three assists. Oubre ten points, Wiggins eight, Steph 10. Steph made two threes in 22 minutes of actions. The subs did well too, Bazemore knocked down 13, Damion Lee twelve in eleven minutes of action. Brad Wanamaker, signed as a free agent, had eight. Jordan Poole 10, and Mychal Mulder 10 in 10 minutes of work.

Jokic led Denver with 26. Gary Harris 11, Paul Millsap 8, Jamal Murray 4. Backup guard Monte Morris added 10.

The Warriors play the next two preseason games against the Kings in Sacramento on December 15th and 17th. They open the season against the Brooklyn Nets on December 22nd. They will face their old teammate Kevin Durant who will be making his debut as a Net. It will be a must-watch game.

Stanford Cardinal post game report: Stanford wins a thriller as they defeat the California Bears 24-23

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Stanford’s Thomas Booker got an elbow on Cal kicker Dario Longhetto’s extra point attempt in the fourth quarter which was a crucial point attempt that ended up with Cal losing by one point at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Fri Nov 27, 2020 (photo from sfchronicle.com)

By Daniel Dullum

Stanford met the University of California for the 123rd time on Friday. The game was played at Memorial Stadium on the Cal campus with no fans in the seats. It didn’t matter as this was the Big Game. The storied rivalry between the two teams has captivated their fans for years.

Neither team had won a game this season. Each team had a game canceled due to Covid-19. The excitement was still palpable. The Bears won control of the Axe when they beat Stanford 24-20 last year. Stanford’s coach, David Shaw, improved to 9-1 against the Bears. Cal’s coach, Justin Wilcox, is now 1-3 against the Cardinal.

The game was, without question, one that either team could have won. The Bears had opportunities to win the game. They didn’t, as they made five critical mistakes that allowed Stanford to win 24-23.

The Cardinal blocked a Bear field goal attempt at the end of the first half that would have put the Bears ahead 13-10. They failed to make a fair catch. The fumble led to a Stanford score. Another fumble allowed Stanford to score their second touchdown of the game.

The Bears defense was called for a holding penalty. Stanford took advantage and put seven points on the board. The final mistake came late in the fourth quarter. The Bears started a game-tying drive from their ten-yard line. Led by quarterback Chase Grabers, the Bears marched down the field.

One of the key plays was Damian Moore’s 27-yard scamper. Grabers connected with Clark to get the ball down to Stanford’s 18-yard line. Cal running back Christopher Brown blasted through the Stanford line to get the ball inside the five-yard line. Two more plays moved the ball to the three. Brown scored to make in 24-23. Stanford then blocked the try for the extra point to destroy Cal’s hopes to tie the game and possibly win it in overtime.

In the first half, Cal’s offense scored the first touchdown of the game when Chase Grabers connected with Kekoa Crawford for the score. Cal’s defense played well in the first quarter keeping Stanford off the board.

The Bears led 7-0 after the first fifteen minutes of play. The Cardinal’s Jet Toner kicked a field goal to start the second period to make it 7-3. The Bears regained the seven-point advantage when Grabers made two great runs to get the ball into the red zone. The Bear drive stalled at the 7-yard line. Cal kicker David Longhetto made the field goal to put the Bears ahead 10-3.

Things started going south for the Bears when Remigio muffed the punt. Stanford recovered on the Bears 16-yard line. Davis Mills connected with Mike Wilson to tie the game 10-10 with 2:09 left in the first half.

The Bears mounted a drive that got them to the Cardinal 15-yard line with just eight seconds left. Stanford was guilty of pass interference on the play. Grabers pass into the end zone was incomplete. Stanford blocked the Bear’s field goal try. The half ended tied 10-10.

Davis Mills was 13 for 17, good for 104 yards and one touchdown. Austin Jones had five carries for just twelve yards. Mike Wilson caught five passes for 55 yards and one touchdown. Chase Grabers was 12 for 15 for 98 yards and a touchdown. He led the Bears in rushing with five carries for 32 yards.

Stanford took the lead for the first time in the third quarter. The Bears fumble, recovered by Stanford on Cal’s 40-yard line, allowed Stanford to put more points on the board. Mills’ pass to Wilson took Stanford inside the ten-yard line.

Jones took the ball to the three and then to the house to give Stanford a 17-10 lead. Cal stormed back to tie the game. Running back Damien Moore ripped off a 54-yard run. Grabers connected with Nikko Remigio for the score to tie the game 17-17.

Mills was taking the Cardinal downfield once again. It looked like the Bears had stopped the Cardinal drive when the Cal defense intercepted Mills’ pass. The referees called a holding penalty, and Stanford retained control of the ball. The Cardinal took the ball down to the Bears’ eight-yard line. Austin Jones rammed his way into the end zone for the tally. 24-17 Stanford advantage.

The Bears started the tying drive on their ten-yard line. They marched down the field for the score. With 62 seconds left in the game, Christopher Brown scored. All Cal had to do was make the extra point, and the game would be tied.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox had an option. He could have asked his team to go for a two-point conversion. If Cal made it, they would have won. Wilcox went for the safer option. Make the extra point, and Cal will take its chances in overtime. Stanford’s defense rose to the occasion and blocked the kick. Stanford won and reclaimed the Axe.

Game stats- Davis Mills was 24 for 32, good for 205 yards and one TD. Grabers was 19 for 29 for 151 yards and two TDs. Austin Jones had 18 carries for 72 yards and two TDs/ Cal’s Damien Moore rushed ten times for 121 yards. Mike Wilson had seven catches for 88 yards and one TD. Kekoa Crawford had five receptions for 52 yards and one TD.

Team stats:
Total Yards- Stanford 289- Cal 392
Time of possession-Stanford 33:15- Cal 22:17
Turnovers- Stanford 0- Cal two
First downs-Stanford 15-Cal 20
Penalties-Cal six for 75 yards- Stanford on for 10 yards.

Stanford goes to Seattle to play the Washington Huskies on December 5th. Cal hosts the University of Oregon.

 

Astros romp A’s 11-6 win to end Oakland’s season

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The Oakland A’s Matt Olson heads back to the Oakland dugout after striking out against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning as catcher Martin Maldonado sets up for the next hitter in game 4 of the 2020 ALDS at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros ended the Oakland A’s season as they pounded the A’s pitchers to win 11-6. The Astros advance to the American League Championship series. The Astros, probably the most hated team in baseball due to the sign-stealing cheating scandal, wanted to prove that they are a top-tier team.

The Astros will be playing in the championship series for the fourth year in a row. They won the World Series in 2017 and lost the Series last year to the Washington Nationals. The Astros had a tumultuous year. They fired their General Manager, Jeff Luhnow, and their field manager, A.J. Hinch.

They hired Dusty Baker to help gain the team a modicum of respectability. Dusty became the first manager in baseball history to lead five teams into the postseason.

A’s manager, Bob Melvin, selected righty Frankie Montas to start for the Green and Gold. Montas did well for the first three innings. He allowed just three hits. The A’s offense put three runs on the board in the second inning. Former Astro, Ramon Laureano, who was five-for-nine lifetime against Zack Greinke, homered with two men on to give Oakland an early lead.

Things went south for Montas in the bottom of the fourth. Jose Altuve, leading off for Houston, walked. DH Michael Brantley homered into the right-field seats to make it 3-2. Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker singled that put two men on with no out. Montas retired Yuli Guriel for the first out. Guriel was the last batter Montas would face.

The A’s inched closer when Laureano homered off Zack Greinke for the second time to make it 5-4 midway through the fifth.

The Astros onslaught continued in the bottom of the fifth. J.B.Wendelken was now pitching for Oakland. Michael Brantley, who homered in the fourth, took Wendelken deep leading off the fifth.

The pitch was up in the strike zone, and Brantley did not miss it. The Astros scored again when Bregman walked. Tucker singled, sending Bregman to third. Correa singled to drive in Bregman with Houston’s seventh run.

The Astros added two more in the sixth and two more in the seventh to take an 11-4 lead. Jose Altuve’s two-run homer sealed Oakland’s fate.

The A’s didn’t quit. They threatened in the eighth. They put two men on with two out. The threat ended when Marcus Semien’s blast to leftfield was caught at the wall for the third out. They scored two in the ninth, but it was too little, too late. The Astros win 11-6

Game Notes- The line score for Houston was 11-14-0

Oakland’s line was 6-11-1

None of the A’s starters managed to finish five innings of work. The A’s had two more home runs Thursday. They had 12 for the four games played.

The A’s are done for the 2020 season. They made the playoffs for the third year in a row. They were able to advance to the ALDS for the first time since the 2013 season. It was not a happy ending. The A’s will be back next season. One of the concerns will be signing Marcus Semien to a new contract. Semien is now a free agent.

A’s offense comes to life beat Astros 9-7 stay alive avoid elimination

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The Oakland A’s Chad Pinder (right) gets congratulations after the conclusion of game 3 of the ALDS against the Houston Astros at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Wed Oct 7, 2020. (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was do or die for the Oakland A’s on Wednesday when they faced off against the Houston Astros. The Astros, with a win, would have ended the A’s 2020 season. The A’s found a way to stay alive as they beat the Astros 9-7 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The A’s offense came to life against five Houston pitchers. The A’s tied a franchise record by sending five balls out of the park. Four of the blast were solo jobs. The big hit was Chad Pinder’s three-run shot in the top of the seventh. The late Baltimore Oriole manager, Earl Weaver, always said that a three run home run was his favorite play in baseball.

Oakland needed to get off to a fast start on Wednesday. The Astros started Jose Urquiddy in place of Zack Greinke. Greinke was not feeling 100% and was scratched. With one out in the first inning, A’s second baseman, Tommy La Stella, homered to give the A’s an early 1-0 lead. Houston, in their half of the first, put two on the board. Former MVP, Jose Altuve tied the score with a solo home run. Michael Brantley, playing in left, followed with a single.

He went to third thanks to Alex Bregman’s single. Shortstop Carlos Correa drove in Brantley with the Astros’ second when he hit into a fielder’s choice. The Astros lead 2-1 after one inning of play.

The A’s tied the game in the top of the second. Mark Canha led off the second with a home run to center-field. In the fourth, A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, homered to right to put the A’s up 3-2. The A’s homer parade continued when Marcus Semien hit one in the fifth to give Oakland a two-run cushion 4-2 midway through the fifth.

The Astros have a very potent offense. They know that they can put runs on the board. They showed their prowess in the bottom of the fifth when they sent ten men to the plate. They scored five runs on five hits, one hit batter, and two walks.

First baseman Yuli Guriel walked. DH Aledmys Diaz tied the game with a home run to left. Luzardo retired Martin Maldonado for the first out. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch. Petit, who had an outstanding season, did not fare well on Wednesday. He hit George Springer with a pitch.

Singles by Altuve and Brantley put Houston in the lead 5-4. Alex Bregman doubled to drive in Brantley with Houston’s sixth run of the game. Altuve was thrown out at third on the playThe A’s gave Carlos Correa an intentional walk to put men on at first and second with two out. Lefty Jake Diekman was brought in to pitch to the left-handed hitter, Kyle Tucker. Tucker beat the strategy as he singled to right to drive in Bregman. Houston now leads 7-4 after five.

The A’s had to do two things to win. They needed the offense to wake up and score. They required the vaunted bullpen to shut down the Astros’ offense. They found their mojo and came through on both counts.

The A’s put three on the board in the seventh. Marcus Semien started the rally with a single. Tommy La Stella also singled. Semien went to third. A’s third baseman, Chad Pinder, tied the game with an opposite-field blast.

Oakland was back in the game. They plated two more runs in the eighth. Robbie Grosman walked to get things going. Ramon Laureano doubled, sending Grossman to third. Catcher Sean Murphy drove in Grossman with the tie-breaking run with a sacrifice fly to right.

The A’s loaded the bases when Semien was walked, and a pitch hit La Stella. La Stella was hit his right elbow and had to leave the game. Pinder drove in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right to put the A’s in the driver’s seat 9-7.

The A’s brought in their closer, Liam Hendriks, to pitch three innings. Hendriks allowed just one hit and no runs in his three innings of work. He got out of a jam in the eighth when Houston put men on at first and second with no outs. He retired the next three batters to quell the uprising. The A’s win 9-7 and live to see another day.

Game Notes- The A’s are not out of the woods. They must win Thursday to stay alive. They announced Frankie Montas as their starter for Thursday’s game. The Astros have not determined their starter yet.

The line score for Oakland was nine runs, eleven hits, and one error. The A’s tied a franchise record with five home runs. The last time they had five homers in a postseason game came against the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series.
Houston’s line was seven runs, ten hits, and no errors. They hit two home runs.

Game four will be played Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The game will start at 12:35 pm.

Astros beat A’s again 5-2; Need one more win to eliminate A’s

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The Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manaea heads to the A’s dugout in the fifth after being lifted by manager Bob Melvin as the A’s struggle with the Houston Astros in game 2 in the ALDS at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles (AP News photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros won Game Two of the best-of-five series against the A’s by a score of 5-2 Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles. Oakland now has tow win three in a row to advance to the AL Championship Series. Will it be difficult?

Yes, it will. It can be done. In 1984, the Chicago Cubs won the first two games of the series with the San Diego Padres. The Friars stunned the Cubs, winning the next three to eliminate them. The A’s know that if they lose Wednesday’s game, their season is over.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, A’s DH, Khris Davis, hit his second home run of the series to give the A’s an early 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last long as Houston put two on the board in the top of the third.

With Josh Reddick on first and two out, Houston’s hot-hitting centerfielder, George Springer, blasted his first career home run off Sean Manaea to give the Astros the advantage 2-1.

Houston put one on the board in the fourth. Their DH, Michael Brantley, doubled to right. Kyle Tucker’s infield single sent Brantley to third. Carlos Correa drove in Brantley with Houston’s third run when he grounded out.

The A’s third baseman, Chad Pinder, led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to make it a 3-2 game. The A’s didn’t know that was the last time they would score.

Houston put the game away in the fifth. Catcher Martin Maldonado ended Sean Manaea’s day when he homered to left. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, replaced Manaea with Yusmeiro Petit. Petit had the unenviable task of facing George Springer.

Springer had four hits in Monday’s game and had homered in his last at-bat. Springer, who had fourteen homers in the regular season, hit his second dinger of the game to give Houston a 5-2 advantage.

The A’s bullpen shut down the Houston offense the rest of the way. They did not allow a hit over the last four and 2/3rds innings of play.

The Houston bullpen stopped the A’s cold. After Davis’ single in the fourth, the A’s offense went to sleep. They retired thirteen A’s hitters in a row. Marcus Semien ended the drought in the ninth with a single. Houston closer, Ryan Pressley retired Tommy La Stella for the first out in the ninth. He got Pinder to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. The Astros win 5-2.

Game Notes- The line score for Houston was five runs, six hits, and no errors. The Line for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors.

Five home runs were hit in the game. Houston hit three. The A’s hit two.
Sean Manaea was the losing pitcher. Manaea went four and 1/3rd innings. He allowed four runs, five hits, and two home runs. Yusmeiro Petit allowed one run, which was Springer’s second homer of the game.

Lefty Framber Valdez was the winning pitcher. He went seven innings and allowed two runs and five hits.

Game three will be placed Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Astros will be the home team. The teams have not announced the starting pitchers. The game will start at 12:35 pm.

Houston’s offense roughs up Oakland’s pitching win first game AL Division Series 10-5

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The Houston Astros Carlos Correa (left) and George Springer (right) jump for joy after the Astros took game 1 of the ALDS in Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles for the first neutral site playoff game on Mon Oct 5, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros, playing with a chip on their collective shoulders, pounded out sixteen hits to defeat the A’s 10-5 to win Game One of the five-game AL Division Series.

The teams were playing in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. The A’s are the home team, but it didn’t feel as if they had a home-field advantage. Instead of playing in Oakland’s cooler temperatures, the temperature at game time was 91 degrees.

Also missing for Oakland was the vast, foul territory that exists at the Coliseum. The teams knew that baseballs carry better in warm air, and Monday’s game featured six long balls, three by each team.

The A’s sent righty Chris Bassitt to the hill. Bassitt was the AL pitcher of the month in September. However, he had to face a Houston Astros lineup loaded with players that know how to it. It was not going to be an easy task to keep the Astros down.

The Astros were 29-31 during the season. They had a lot of injuries to key players. They were in the World Series last year. They know how to win. Most importantly, their players are now healthy.

The A’s entered the game having defeated an excellent Chicago White Sox team. The Sox, like the Astros, had a potent lineup. A’s manager wanted the team to win the first game. Astros’ manager, Dusty Baker, had similar thoughts for his team.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, walked. Designated hitter, Khris Davis, hit Lance McCullers first pitch into the right-center-field seats to put the A’s ahead 2-0.

The A’s made it 3-0 in the bottom of the third. Catcher Sean Murphy led off the frame with a blast to center-field.

The Astros tied the game in the fourth. Alex Bregman led off with a solo homer to put the Astros on the board. Kyle Tucker singled. Carlos Correa homered to tie the game. The A’s regained the lead when Matt Olson hit a solo home run to make it 4-3. The A’s added another run in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. They didn’t know it the time that Oakland would not score again.

Houston’s fortune changed in the sixth. With two out, former A’s player, Josh Reddick, reached on Marcus Semien’s fielding error. The Astros took advantage and scored four unearned runs. Maldonado singled, Springer doubled, Altuve singled, and Brantley singled to produce the runs. The Astros now lead 7-5.

Carlos Correa homered for the second time in the eighth to make it 8-5. They added two more in the ninth to put the game away 10-5.

Game Notes- The line score for Houston was ten runs, sixteen hits, and one error. For Oakland, it was five runs, eight hits, and one error.

How important was winning game one? Houston is in the driver’s seat. They can split the two of the four remaining games to advance. The A’ must now win three out four. It can be done, but it will not be easy.

Marcus Semien and Khris Davis led the A’s offense with two hits each. Davis had a two-run homer in the second inning. Matt Olson and Sean Murphy also connected for Oakland.

George Springer had four hits in the game. He had three singles and a double. Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker each had three hits. One of Bregman’s hit was a home run. Carlos Correa had three hits, two of which were big flys. Correa was the first shortstop to have two multi-home run games in the post-season.

Houston’s bullpen shut down the A’s offense without a hit after the fifth inning. The A’s bullpen, the best in baseball, had a meltdown as they were burnt for seven runs. A’s manager Bob Melvin will have his work cut out for him as he has to figure out ways to shutdown Houston’s offense.


Houston’s manager, Dusty Baker, became the first manager to lead five teams into the post-season. The teams were the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals, and now, the Astros. Way to go, Dusty.

Game two of the five-game series will be played Tuesday afternoon at Dodger stadium. The game will start at 1:37 pm.
Lefty Sean Manaea will go for Oakland. Manaea faced the Astros just once this season. On September 10th, he went seven innings and allowed only one hit. The Astros will counter with lefty Framber Valdez. Valdez faced the A’s on August 8th. He went seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out nine.

Baseball Gods smile on A’s beat White Sox 6-4 to advance ALDS

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Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy (left) and pitcher Liam Hendriks (right) celebrate the WCLS series game 3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Oct 1, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The baseball gods finally smiled on the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. The A’s came from behind to beat the White Sox 6-4. The A’s had lost nine consecutive winner-take-all series.

The last time they won a winner-take-all series was in 1973 when they defeated the New York Mets in game seven. Oakland advances to the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros. The A’s were 7-3 against the Astros this year. The series will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The A’s sent the veteran righty, Mike Fiers, to the hill to face the Chisox. The Sox countered with rookie Dave Dunning. Fiers had never started a game in the playoffs in his ten-year career. Dunning was making his eighth start in big league career.

Both managers planned to go to the bullpen at the first sign of trouble. Sox manager, Rick Renteria, made a couple of lineup changes. Eloy Jimenez was penciled in to be the DH. Jimenez did not play in the first two games due to an ankle injury. Nomar Mazara started in right, and Adam Engel was moved to left. A’s manager Bob Melvin started Jake Lamb at third, and Randy Grossman was in left. Mark Canha moved over to right.

The White Sox drew first blood in the top of the second. Sox rookie Luis Robert blasted a 487-foot monster shot to give the Sox an early 1-0 lead. Fiers struck out the next two batters. He got into a jam when he gave up a single to Nick Madrigal, a double to Tim Anderson, and a walk to Yasmani Grandal to load the bases.

Melvin brought in Yusmeiro Petit to face Jose Abreu. Petit did the job as he got Abreu to ground out to end the threat.

The White Sox put two more on the board in the third. Jimenez doubled to start the rally. Jimenez aggravated his injury, sliding into second and had to leave the game. James McCann replaced him. Luis Robert singled to drive in McCann.

Robert advanced to second on the throw home. Mazara doubled to drive in Robert to put the Sox ahead 3-0. Oakland loaded the bases with one out in their half of the third but failed to score.

Things began to change for Oakland in the fourth. With two out and a man on first, A’s rookie catcher, Sean Murphy, homered to make it a 3-2 game. The A’s plated two more in the inning. Tommy La Stella walked to continue the rally. He went to third on Marcus Semien’s double.

The Sox gave Chad Pinder an intentional walk to load the bases. Renteria brought in rookie Matt Foster to pitch to Mark Canha. The rookie was wild. He walked Canha to bring in La Stella with the A’s third run. He then walked Matt Olson to force in Semien with the fourth run. Oakland is now ahead 4-3.

The Sox tied the game in the fifth. Sox third baseman, Yoan Moncada, singled and then stole second. Moncada scored on Mazara’s single. La Stella made the game’s defensive play when he made a fantastic juggling catch to rob Adam Engel of a hit.

Oakland regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. The A’s loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit. Evan Marshall was now pitching for Chicago. Marshall walked the leadoff hitter, Sean Murphy.

La Stella reached when Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal was called for catcher’s interference. The official scorer charged Grandal with an error. Marshall walked Semien to load the bases. The next hitter, Chad Pinder, who was 2-for-35 with the based loaded, singled to drive in Murphy and La Stella to put the A’ up 6-4.

Neither team would score again. The Sox, however, had chances in the seventh and eighth innings to either tie or take the lead. In the seventh, they loaded the base without a hit. The A’s had Lou Trivino on the mound.

With one out, Jose Abreu started the inning a ground ball to shortstop Marcus Semien. Semien’s throw to first pulled Matt Olson off the bag. Semien was charged with an error. Trivino hit McCann with a pitch. Trivino retired the next two hitters. Melvin brought in lefty Jake Diekman to pitch. Diekman walked Mazara to load the bases. The threat ended when Engel grounded out.

In the eighth, With one out, Chicago shortstop, Tim Anderson singled. Joakim Soria walked Grandal to put two on at first and second with Jose Abreu coming to bat. Soria got Abreu to ground into an inning double play.

The A’s brought in Liam Hendriks to close out the game. Hendriks did not fare well on Wednesday as he threw 49 pitches. A’s manager Bob Melvin said that Hendriks would be available to pitch Thursday. Sox DH James McCann singled to start the ninth. Hendriks showed the White Sox why he was the best closer in baseball. He struck out the next three hitters to preserve the win for Oakland. The A’s win 6-4 and advance to the ALDS.

Game Notes- The time of the game was four hours and ten minutes. The White Sox used nine pitchers. The A’s used eight. The 17 pitchers used set a record for most pitchers in a regular nine-inning game.

Luis Robert was the youngest player to hit a home run in a playoff game since Mickey Mantle did it in 1952.

The White Sox are done for the year. They will be back. The A’s are still playing.

The A’s are advancing in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

A’s win a nail-biter to even series beat Sox 5-3

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The Oakland A’s Sean Murphy (12) and Marcus Semien (10) go for the forearm bash after Semien went deep for a two run homer in the second inning of game 2 of the ALWCS at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Sep 30, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

With their backs to the wall facing elimination, The Oakland A’s, behind the superb pitching of Chris Bassitt, bounced back to beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 to even the series at one apiece. The teams meet again on Thursday. The winner will advance to the ALDS, and the loser will go home.

The A’s offense, which went to sleep Tuesday, came to life Wednesday afternoon. The team knew that they were facing a tough lefty, Dallas Keuchel. They knew the White Sox have a potent offense led by Tim Anderson, Yasmany Grandal, and Jose Abreu. The A’s had to put some runs on the board early in the game if they were to stay alive. They did just that.

The A’s, wearing the Kelly green uniforms, scored two runs in the first inning. Singles by Tommy La Stella, Ramon Laureano, and Chad Pinder loaded the bases. A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, hit a sharp ground ball that bounced of Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal that went into right field, allowing La Stella and Laureano to score. After a lengthy review, the official scorer charged MAdrigal with an error. The A’ lead 2-0.

The A’s put two more on the board in the second to make it 4-0. With one out, catcher Sean Murphy singled. He trotted home ahead of Marcus Semien, who homered off Sox starter Dallas Keuchel.

In the fourth, A’s DH Khris Davis, who has been struggling at the plate all season, hit a solo blast over the fence in left-field to put the A’s ahead 5-0. White Sox manager Rick Renteria removed Keuchel from the game.

Bassitt held the potent White Sox offense in check until the top of the eighth. Sox shortstop, Tim Anderson, singled to start the rally. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, had seen enough. He brought in his closer, Liam Hendriks, to get the last six outs of the game.

It started well as Hendriks struck out Yoan Moncado for the first out. The next hitter, Yasmany Grandal, blasted his second home run of the series into the seats in right-field to make it 5-2. Hendriks gave up a single to Jose Abreu but was able to end the inning by striking out the next two hitters.

Liam Hendriks struck out the first two hitters to start the ninth. It was at this point that things began to go south for Oakland. Nick Madrigal singled. Tim Anderson had his third knock of the game to put men on at first and second.

Yoan Moncado, with one swing of the bat, could tie the game. Hendriks walked him to load the bases. Hendriks had thrown 49 pitches, and his slider was not working. Melvin brought in Jake Diekman to face Grandal.

It was a risky move as the White Sox hitters have been punishing left-handers all season. Diekman walked Grandal to force in a run to make it 5-3. He now had to face the ever-dangerous Jose Abreu.

Abreu had 60 RBIs in 60 games to lead the AL in that department. He had crushed 19 homers in the regular season and homered in the series’s first game. He was hitting .317. Abreu could tie the game with a single. Diekman won the battle. Abreu hit Diekman’s first pitch to A’s second baseman Nate Orf, and the game was over. The A’s win 5-3.

Game Notes-

The A’s line 5-7-0
Chicago’s 3-10-2

Chris Bassitt was the winning pitcher. He went seven-plus innings, allowing one run and six hits. He threw 92 pitches. Diekman earned the save. Dallas Keuchel took the loss for Chicago. Keuchel went three and 1/3rd innings. He allowed five runs, and two were unearned. He was touched for six hits and two home runs.

Chicago’s Tim Anderson had three hits in the game and has six for the series. Yasmany Grandal homered for the second time in the series.

The A’s offense came to life Wednesday. Semien and Davis homered for the Green and Gold. The defensive play of the game came in the top of the third. A’s left-fielder, Mark Canha, made a sensational leaping catch to rob Yoan Moncado of an extra-base hit. Canha extended as far as he could to catch the ball before it hit the wall. There were two men on with no out. Had he not made the grab, the Sox would have put one or two runs on the board.

Neither the A’s nor the White Sox have announced their starting pitchers for Thursday’s game. The A’s will have to choose between Mike Fiers or lefty Sean Manaea. The A’s probably will go with Fiers as the White Sox have a 15-0 record against lefties. The game will begin at 12:10 pm Thursday.

ALWC Series game 1: A’s playoff woes continue fall to the White Sox 4-1

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Wild Card series between the Oakland A’s and the Chicago White Sox began on Tuesday at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s in the playoffs for the third consecutive season, the sixth time in the last nine years, and the eleventh time in the previous 21 seasons faced the White Sox, making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2008.

A’s manager Bob Melvin made a surprising choice by announcing left Jesus Luzardo would start for Oakland. Everyone thought lefty Sean Manaea would have the honor, but Melvin decided to go with Luzardo. It was also surprising as the White Sox have battered lefty pitching all season. They were 14-0 against lefties. The Sox led the American League with 96 home runs. They have a predominately right-handed batting order, and they made the A’s pay by crushing them 4-1.

White Sox manager, Rick Renteria, made a wise choice by selecting his ace, Lucas Giolito, to pitch. Giolito was perfect for the first six innings. Eighteen batters up and eighteen batters retired. Tommy La Stella singled to break up the possible no-hitter and perfect game leading off in the top of the seventh. Giolito retired the next three batters to end the seventh. The scoring summary follows below.

Chicago put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the second inning. Right-fielder Adam Engel blasted a home run over the left-field wall to make it 1-0. The White Sox added two more runs in the third. Sox shortstop, Tim Anderson, led off with a single. It was his second hit of the game. Luzardo retired the next two batters. He did not get by Jose Abreu. The big guy from Cuba sent Luzardo’s pitch way over the left-center-field fence to put Chicago ahead 3-0.
Giolito continued to mow down the A’s batters. The A’s came into the game having lost five of the last seven. The offense was not clicking on all cylinders. The ineptness continued Tuesday afternoon.

In the eighth, Sox catcher Yasmany Grandal hit a solo home run off A’s reliever, Joakim Soria, to make it 4-0. The A’s broke through in their half of the frame as they put one on the board. Giolito walked the leadoff hitter, Mark Canha. Rick Renteria walked out to the mound to talk to Giolito. He gave him a quick pep talk and left Giolito in the game A’s third baseman Jake Lamb singled, sending Canha to third. Renteria decided to go to his bullpen. He brought in Evan Marshall to pitch to Ramon Laureano. Laureano hit into a fielder’s choice. Canha scored to put the A’s on the board. Marshall struck out Chad Pinder for the second out. Catcher Sean Murphy singled to put men on at first and second with two out. Renteria brought in lefty Aaron Bummer to retire Tommy La Stella. The A’s trail 4-1 after eight.
Sox closer Alex Colome set the A’s down 1-2-3 in the ninth to record the save. The A’s lose 4-1.

Game notes- With the loss, the A’s have their backs against the wall. They must win on Wednesday. They will have to find a way to beat Dallas Keuchel. The A’s will send Chris Bassitt to the mound on Wednesday. Bassitt has pitched very well this year. He will have his work cut out for him as he tries to shut down the mighty White Sox lineup. The A’s have to do something to ignite the offense. They hit just .225 as a team during the sixty-game season. Jake Lamb, as an Oakland Athletic, and Tommy La Stella were the only players in the lineup hitting over .240. They better have steak for breakfast Wednesday morning. Maybe that will get them going.

The line score for Chicago was 4-9-0. For Oakland 1-3-0.
Tim Anderson had three hits for the Sox. Home runs accounted for all of the runs that Chicago put on the board.
The A’s had three hits. They struck out nine times.
It is do-or-die for Oakland on Wednesday. The A’s have not won a playoff game since 2013. They lost the last game of the 2013 ALDS to the Detroit Tigers. They lost the Wild Card game to the Kansas City Royals in 2014. They Lost to the New York Yankees in 2018. The Tampa Bay Rays did them in last year. The baseball gods have not been kind to Oakland. It’s time for the Green and Gold to right the ship and get a win. There is no tomorrow if they lose. The game starts at 12:10 pm.