Author: rxslugger

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

Lakers have no trouble downing the Warriors 104-98

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in the preseason. The Lakers did not use any of their key players. Neither did the Warriors except for Steph Curry. Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell had the night off. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr started Marquese Chriss at center, Eric Pascall and Glenn Robinson at forward, and Jordan Poole and Steph Curry started at guard, The Lakers countered with Jared Dudley at strong forward, Dwight Howard at center, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the other forward position, and Alex Caruso and Zach Norvell at guard. The Warriors did not play well all evening long. The Lakers won easily 104-98.

It must be noted that this was a game that both coaches, the Warriors’ Steve Kerr and the Lakers’ Frank Vogel gave playing time to guys that are fighting for spots on the 15-man roster. Some players are hoping for a two-way contract. The Warriors have to make decisions on Chriss and McKinnie. The Warriors have salary cap limitations, and one or both may be either cut or traded. The Warriors are hoping that Pascall and Poole make the team and will be playing on the second unit. The Warriors are hoping that Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney get a chance to work with Curry, Russell, and Green before the season starts. That may be problematical as Cauley-Stein may not be healed by the time the season begins.

The Lakers led from start to finish. Both teams shot poorly for the first six minutes of the game. The Lakers played better and finished the first quarter with a 28-17 lead. The Warriors shot a miserable 18% from the floor. No one could hit a bucket. In contrast, the Lakers shot 42%. Were the Lakers playing great defense? Maybe. Were the Warriors out of sync? Definitely.

The Warriors improved in the second quarter. It was not enough to catch the Lakers, but they kept on shooting. The Warriors outscored LA by four to finish the first half trailing by seven 55-48. Steph Curry led the team with 14. Damian Lee and Alfonzo McKinnie each had 7. Marquese Chriss was a bright spot with six points and six boards. Zach Norvell led the Lakers with 12. Former Warrior JaVale McGee tormented his old mates with 9 points, and he had a couple of blocked shots as well.

The Lakers increased the lead to 17 in the third period 79-62. The Warriors Jacob Evans and Damian led the Warriors in scoring. Things changed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by Chriss and Poole cut the lead to three 97-94 after Poole hit a three. The Lakers regrouped and went on a 7-4 run to finish the game with a final score of 104-98.

Game Notes: The Lakers rested LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. Anthony Davis was out with a sprained right thumb. Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, and Talen Horton-Tucker. The Warriors rested Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell. Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Kevon Looney, and Alen Smailagic were not available due to injury.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Lakers again Wednesday night in Los Angeles. They return home to face the Lakers at the Chase Center Friday night for the final preseason game.

Warriors race past the Timberwolves 143-123

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the preseason as they defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 143-123 at Chase Center on Thursday night.

The Warriors inserted Marquese Chriss at the center position and Glenn Robinson III at forward to work with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell. W’s head coach Steve Kerr wanted to see how Chriss would do in his first action with Golden State. Kerr increased the number of minutes played by his starters and then inserted players that will be looking to make the team. The Warriors have a lot of new players this season, and Kerr wanted to see who would step up and show that they can play in the NBA.

Both teams played a fast-paced game. The Warriors love to run as that opens up the court, and players have to take advantage of the open looks. The Warriors fell behind early in the first period. They trailed by seven, 19-12. It was at this point that their perennial All-Star Steph Curry got hot. Curry finished the first quarter with 17 points, and the Warriors led 35-31 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Warriors scored 35 points in the second quarter to lead 70-64 at the end of the first half. Curry had 24. D’Angelo Russell knocked down 11. Draymond Green had 5, Marquese Chriss 6, and Glenn Robinson 4. Omari Spellman had 6, Jordan Poole 5, Eric Paschall 4, and Damian Lee 3. The Warriors shot 51% from the floor, and they made 8 threes in 17 attempts. They were a little sloppy with the ball as they committed 12 turnovers in the first half. They moved the ball well as they recorded 16 assists in the first 24 minutes of play.

The Warriors tallied 41 points in the third period. Steph and D’Angelo Russell were removed from the game with about four minutes left in the third quarter. Curry finished with 40 points in 25 minutes of action. Russell finished with 16. The Warrior reserves increased the lead to ten 111-101, heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Jordan Poole, Glenn Robinson, Eric Paschall, and Omari Spellman continued to play well, and the Warriors won by 20 points, 143-123.

Notes: Steve Kerr had to be impressed with the play of Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, and Glenn Robinson. The rookies Poole, from Michigan, and Paschall, from Villanova, played well. Poole knocked down 19 points in 21 minutes of action. Paschall kicked in with 11 in his 20 minutes of playing time. Robinson had 13 points and 5 boards. Omari Spellman also showed that he wanted a spot on the roster. He had 7 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists.

The Warriors shot 52.6% from the floor and were 19 for 37 from 3-point range. They had 34 assists on offense. On defense, they had 50 boards, 9 steals, and 11 blocked shots. They moved the ball well. They found the open man and worked the pick and roll well.

Minnesota’s starters Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jeff Teague scored 13, 9, and 13, respectively. Their bench players did well. Big Jake Layman had 17. Naz Reid had 14, Shabazz Napier 11, and the rookie from Texas Tech Jarrett Culver had 17.

Each team committed too many turnovers. The T-Wolves had 19, and the Warriors finished with 21.

Warriors’ centers Kevon Looney was out with a hamstring injury, and Willie Cauley-Stein will probably miss the preseason with an ankle injury. The Serbian rookie, Alen Smailagic, did not play. He was using a walking boot and on crutches. There is no date when he will be ready to play. Alec Burks is also out with an ankle problem.

Up Next: The Warriors’ next game will be Monday night against the LA Lakers in Los Angeles. They play again in LA on the 16th and finish the preseason against the Lakers at the Chase Center on October 18th.

Warriors drop opening pre-season game to Los Angeles Lakers 123-101

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sfgate.com photo

by Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO- The new-look Golden State Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 123-101 Saturday night at the Chase Center. It was the first pro basketball game in the new arena, and since it was a pre-season game, the results do not count. The Warriors are missing several players from their championship run.

Kevin Durant has gone to Brooklyn even though he will not play this season due to injury. Klay Thompson will not be available until after the All-Star game in February. His scoring and defensive play will be missed. The Warriors traded Andre Iguodala to Memphis, and Shaun Livingston retired. Backup guard Quinn Cook, who was a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers are also a new-look team. They traded for Anthony Davis. They signed Dwight Howard. They re-signed former Warrior JaVale McGee. They also have Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo returning.

The Lakers won the first quarter 33-20. The Warriors outscored them in the second quarter 31-26. The Lakers won the third and fourth quarters to win easily 123-101.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ starters, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell, each played about 17 minutes in the game. Draymond did not score, but he had 7 boards and 5 assists. Russell scored four points in his time on the court. Curry had 18 points and made one three in five attempts.

The Warriors bench players had the following results. Rookie Eric Paschall played 24 minutes and had 11 points, 3 boards, and an assist.  Rookie Jordan Poole helped out with 17. Glen Robinson had four points. Jacob Evans III played 18 minutes and had 9 points. Damian Lee knocked down 9 in 15 minutes of action. Third-year veteran Marquese Chiss had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 13 minutes of play.

The W’s were missing Willie Cauley-Stein due to an ankle injury. Kevon Looney did not play either.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis. Davis scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds in 18 minutes of work. LeBron James had 15. Former Warrior JaVale McGee had 10 points and 16 boards in his 16 minutes on the floor. Dwight Howard added nine, and guard Alex Caruso had 10.

The Warriors have their work cut out for them as they are trying to rebuild. It will take time for the new players to mesh with the veterans. Many questions are surrounding the Warriors. Will the new players fit in? Will the Warriors be good on defense? Can coach Kerr and the coaching staff get them ready for the regular season? Will they make the playoffs?

The Western Division has improved. The Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets as well as the Lakers have all made significant improvements. Will the Warriors be competitive? These questions will be answered throughout the 82-game season. One pre-season loss does not make a season. Those questions will be answered when the bell ring to start the 2019-2020 season.

 

Golden Knights spoil Sharks’ home opener 5-1

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By Jerry Feitelberg

San Jose- It was the second game of the season and the first one at home for the San Jose Sharks Friday night. The Vegas Golden Knights downed the Sharks 4-1 Wednesday night in Las Vegas, and they stopped the Sharks cold 5-1 Friday night in San Jose. The Sharks were outplayed at both ends of the ice and didn’t score until there were just five minutes and fifty-five seconds left to play in the third period. Sharks’ head coach Pete DeBoer had to be disappointed with the play of his team for the first two games of the season. The Sharks play the Anaheim Ducks Saturday night in Anaheim, and they are hoping to recover and get on the winning track.

The Golden Knight scored twice in the first period. With 5:01 played, William Carrier scored the Knights’ first goal of the game. He was assisted by Tomas Nosek and Valentin Zykov. Jonathan Marchessault made it 2-0 with a tip-in at 14:09. The assist went to Shea Theodore.

In the second period, the Sharks allowed two short-handed to goals to fall behind 4-0. The Knights’ Brayden McNabb beat Sharks’ goalie Martin Jones for the score. William Karlsson and Reilly Smith assisted. Tomas Nosek scored his first goal of the night at the 16:50 mark. Brandon Pirri and Mark Stone earned points for the assist.

Aaron Dell started the third period in goal for the Sharks. Nosek scored his second goal of the night with 9:43 played. Mark Stone picked up his second assist of the night. Nosek had quite a night with two goals and an assist. The Sharks finally got on the board with five minutes and fifty-five seconds left to play. Barclay Goodrow put a bach-handed shot past Marc-Andre Fleury for the score. After the goal was scored, three players from each team were involved in a fight. After the penalties were assessed, three Golden Knights, William Karlsson, Nicolas Hague, and Deryk Engelland were given 10-minute gross misconduct penalties. The Sharks’ Joe Thornton and Barclay Goodrow were also given 10-minute gross misconduct penalties. Marcus Sorenson received a two-minute penalty for roughing. The Golden Knights won the game 5-1.

Game Notes- The Golden Knights dominated the Sharks in the first two games of the season. They are starting their third season of play in the NHL, and they appear capable of continuing their excellent play. They went to the Stanly Cup finals in their first year of existence. Last year they were eliminated by the Sharks.  The Sharks have work to do. They lost their captain, Joe Pavelski, to the Dallas Stars. Pavelski scored a lot of goals for San Jose, and he is missed. The Sharks will have to find a way to replace him. While it is early in the season, they cannot afford to go down 0-3 to start the year. They have players that can put the puck past the opponents’ goalie. It’s time for them to get going.

Wild Card preview: Rays and A’s at Oakland Coliseum

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mercurynews.com file photo: Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis (2) removes his helmet after batting against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, April 19, 2019.

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — After a long season of 162 games, the A’s and Rays will have to have a one-game playoff to determine which team will advance to the American League Division Series. The winner will then face the Houston Astros. The Astros had the best record in the AL, and the series will start in Houston.

The A’s finished the season with a record of 97-65 to earn the right to host the Wild Card game. The A’s are 52-27 at the Coliseum this season. The Rays are a good road team, and they will not be intimidated having to play in Oakland. The Rays are 48-37 away from home and that record is the second-best in the MLB.

The Rays believe that they have a slight advantage as they will send Charlie Morton to the hill Wednesday night. Morton had a career-year with a record of 16-6. He pitched 194.2 innings and had an ERA of 3.05. Also, he struck out 240 batters and was very stingy in issuing walks. Morton was effective against right-handed hitters. The A’s lineup is loaded with righties as Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien, Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano, and Khris Davis will have their collective hands full trying to get to Morton. Morton limited righties to just four home runs in 351 at-bats.

The A’s have not announced their starter as of Monday afternoon. People are speculating that Bob Melvin will go with either Mike Fiers or Sean Manaea. Fiers, like Morton, had a career year. Fiers was 15-4 for the year and had an ERA of 3.90. Fiers also pitched a no-hitter against Cincinnati in May. Manaea made five starts for Oakland after coming off the IL in August. Manaea was 4-0 and was quite effective. He pitched 29.2 innings. Manaea had to learn how to deal with a declining velocity on his fastball. He threw at 93-94 MPH before being shut down with a shoulder injury last summer. His fastball has been clocked around 90 MPH this year, but he has been throwing strikes and moving the ball in the zone.

While the A’s might not have the edge in the starting pitcher department, they do have a better bullpen than the Rays. If the A’s starter, whoever that may be, falters, Melvin will not hesitate to bring in the relievers. The bullpen, missing Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen, has been bolstered by the additions of lefties Jake Diekman, A.J.Puk, and Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo has pitched very well and can be used as a closer. Melvin will also rely on Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria, and Liam Hendriks. Hendriks has performed exceptionally well and went to the All-Star Game this year.

The Rays’ bullpen includes Diego Castillo, Chaz Roe, Colin Poche, and Oliver Drake. The long relievers are Yonny Chirinos and Jalen Beeks. Current Cy Young winner Blake Snell is back and throwing well. Six-foot seven-inch Tyler Glasnow will also be available. They will be ready to shut down the A’s offense when called on.

The A’s will also have the advantage on offense and defense. The A’s have three players in the infield that hit over 30 homers each this year. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson led the team with 36 dingers each. Semien had a career-high 33 round-trippers. Chapman and Semien are candidates for AL Most Valuable Player. Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano, Chad Pinder, Jurickson Profar, and Josh Phegley can all drive the ball out of the park.  On defense, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are again candidates to win a Gold Glove. Marcus Semien at shortstop has worked hard to improve his defense. He worked with Ron Washington to get better and he, too, is a Gold Glove candidate.

The Rays offense is led by Austin Meadows. Meadows had 33 home runs to lead the team. The Rays’ other hitters are Jesus Aguilar, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, and Nate Lowe. Fans on the West Coast may not be familiar with these names, but they are the reason that the Rays won 96 games this season.

The A’s won the season series four games to three. The Rays are a very determined team. The A’s are also highly motivated to move to the ALDS. This will be the A’s third Wild Card game since 2014, and the first-ever in Oakland. The A’s lost a wild one 9-8 to the Kansas City Royals in 2014. They fell to the Yankees last year 7-2 in New York. The A’s believe that they can go to the World Series. The first step will be defeating the Rays. The Houston Astros are hoping the A’s win. They won the season series 11-8. The Astros have to be careful about what they wish for. The A’s won six of the last eight played. They have the confidence to do it.

The game with the Rays should be very close. The Rays do not quit. Neither do the A’s. Each team knows that they have to win or go home. The A’s will have a large crowd cheering their every move. Let’s hope the home field advantage will prove beneficial to Oakland. I think the A’s will prevail and win by a score of 5-3.

A’s near a playoff berth after defeating the Mariners 3-1

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s downed the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park. Their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is down to one. Any combination of an A’s win or Cleveland loss will give the A’s a Wild Card berth. The Indians lost again to the Chicago White Sox and are now three games behind the A’s. The Tampa Bay Rays did not play. The A’s lead them by one game in the race for the first Wild Card. If the A’s hold on and win the first Wild Card, the one-game elimination will be played in Oakland next Wednesday.

It was a very emotional night in Seattle for their fans and for Felix Hernandez. Hernandez, who had been the ace of the Mariners’ staff for many years, was probably making his last appearance as a Mariner. His record coming into the game was 1-7. His effectiveness and velocity had been affected by shoulder injuries. Hernandez, in the past, had owned the A’s. The Green and Gold feared facing him. However, times changed, and he was just another pitcher. Hernandez had other thoughts on Thursday night as he wanted to go out as a winner.

Fernandez pitched very well for Seattle. He went 5 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and three runs. When he left in the top of the sixth, the Mariners fans gave him a standing ovation that lasted well over a minute and Fernandez, with tears in his eyes, made a final curtain call.

The offensive player of the game for Oakland was Matt Chapman. With one out in the first inning, Chapman walked. A’s first baseman Matt Olson singled to right. Chapman went to third on the play, and when he saw the throw from the right fielder was slow coming into the infield, Chappie took off and rounded third and score. The A’s had an early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Marcus Semien worked Hernandez for a walk. The next hitter, Matt Chapman, as he did Wednesday night in Los Angeles, blasted his 36th home run of the year to make it 3-0.

The A’s Sean Manaea, making his fifth start of the year, was very effective. He gave up a run to the M’s in the bottom of the fifth. A’s manager Bob Melvin let Manaea go one more inning. Sean went six innings and allowed four hits and one run. Lefty Jesus Luzardo pitched the seventh and eighth and retired all six hitters he faced. Liam Hendriks retired the Mariners in order in the ninth to secure the win for Oakland and earn his 25th save of the year. The A’s won 3-1.

Game Notes: The A’s improved to 96-63 with three games left on the schedule. The Tampa Bay Rays have three games left with the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto. The Indians will finish the season in Washington with three games against the Nationals.

The A’s won 97 games last year, and if they sweep the Mariners, they will finish with 99 wins.

The Houston Astros appear to have the best record in the American League. They will play the winner of the AL Wild Card game. The Minnesota Twins will face the New York Yankees in the other ALDS. The Twins have become the first time in MLB history to hit more than 300  homers in a season. They have hit 301 so far this year. The Yankees need one more to be the second team. They have hit 299.

Up Next: The A’s will send Mike Fiers to the hill Friday night. Fiers is 15-4 for the year, and his ERA is 3.91. Lefty Justus Sheffield will go for Seattle. Game time will be at 7:05 pm PT.

A’s snatch 3-2 victory from the jaws of defeat

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

Mamma Mia! What a game! The A’s snapped a two-game losing streak when Matt Chapman hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 at Angel Stadium on Wednesday night.

The A’s knew that the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees for the second night in a row, and if they A’s were to lose, they would find themselves a 1/2 game behind the Rays in the race for the first Wild Card.

Players, coaches, managers, and fans know that teams have to cash in when they have a chance to score. Failure to take advantage of opportunities leads to frustration. When that happens, teams lose games they should win. That was the situation for Oakland. The A’s failed to score in the first, second, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. They found themselves trailing 2-1 after eight. A loss to the Angels would have been devastating. Here’s how they pulled off the win. The Angels had their closer, Hansel Robles, in the game to shut the door. A’s shortstop, Marcus Semien, who is a candidate for Most Valuable Player, led off the ninth with a single. The next hitter, Ramon Laureano, who homered in the fifth, laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Semien into scoring position. The A’s needed one run to tie the game if they hoped to salvage the win. A’s manager Bob Melvin was probably thinking to get the contest into extra innings and hope to win it in overtime. Matt Chapman, who had been in a slump, had other thoughts. He sent the first pitch from Robles and sent it over the trees in center field. The ball traveled 436 feet, and the A’s led 3-2. It was Chapman’s 35th home run of the year.

A’s closer Liam Hendriks set the Angels down to secure the win for Oakland.

Game Notes: Frankie Montas made his first start after returning from an 80-game suspension. Montas pitched well as he went six innings and allowed four hits and one run.

The A’s improved to 95-63 and have four games left in the regular schedule. They will be in Seattle to finish the season. Their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is three. They lead the Rays by a 1/2 game and have a two-game advantage over the Cleveland Indians. The Indians lost to the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night.

Ramon Laureano hit his 23rd homer in the fifth. It was his first home run since returning from the IL. He also made an excellent defensive play in the fourth. With a man on first, he caught a ball as it was slicing to the right-field line. He unloaded a laser and nailed the runner as he was trying to make it back to the base.

The A’s line score was three runs, 12 hits, and no errors. The Angels’ line was two runs, six hits, and no errors. Joakim Soria was the winning pitcher, and Hansel Robles was the loser.

The A’s were one for 14 with runners in scoring position before Chapman homered in the ninth. They had chances, but couldn’t get the hit when needed.

A’s center fielder Mark Canha suffered a left groin strain in the bottom of the seventh and had to leave the game.

Time of game was three hours and 29 minutes. 38,685 fans watched the A’s come from behind and defeat the Angels.

Up Next: Lefty Sean Manaea will go for Oakland Thursday night in Seattle. He will be making his fifth start since coming back from a shoulder injury. The King, Felix Hernandez, will go for Seattle. Game time at 7:10 p.m.

A’s fall to Angels 3-2 as race for Wild Card spots tightens up

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s fell to the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. The A’s needed the win to keep the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians from closing in on a playoff berth. With the loss and wins by the Rays and the Indians, the A’s find themselves just a 1/2 game ahead of the Rays for the first Wild Card and one game ahead of the Indians for the second Wild Card. The Angels, playing the role of spoilers, scored three runs in the fifth inning to down the A’s 3-2.

The A’s put two on the board in the top of the fourth. With two out, right fielder Ramon Laureano beat out a slow roller for an infield hit. A’s DH Khris Davis blasted his 23rd homer of the year to left center field to give the team a 2-0 lead.

The Angels plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Taylor Ward and Matt Thais singled to put runners on at first and second with no out. A’s starter Homer Bailey struck out Caleb Cowart for the first out. Angels shortstop David Fletcher singled to drive in Ward with the Angels’ first run. Brian Goodwin, filling in for the injured Mike Trout, blooped a double just over the outstretched glove of A’s third baseman Matt Chapman for a double. Thais scored on the play. Bailey retired future Hall of Fame player Albert Pujols on a fly ball to left field. The ball was hit deep enough that allowed Fletcher to tag up and score the winning run.

The Angels’ bullpen shut down the A’s offense to secure the win for Los Angeles.

Game Notes: Homer Bailey lost for the first time in his last eight starts. Bailey’s record dropped to 13-9. He went five innings and allowed eight hits and three runs. Lefty Dillon Peters was the winning pitcher and improved to 4-3 for the year.

The A’s line was two runs, six hits, and no errors. The Angels’ line was three runs, 10 hits and no errors.

The A’s are now 94-63 for the year. Tampa improved to 94-64 with a 2-1 win in eleven innings over the New York Yankees. The Yankees needed the win as they trail the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League. The Indians beat the White Sox 11-0 and are now 93-64.

Up Next: The A’s hope to get back on the winning track Wednesday night. They will send Frankie Montas to the hill. Montas has a record of 9-2 and will be making his first start since being suspended for 80 games for using an illegal substance. Lefty Andrew Heaney will go for the Angels.

The A’s have an 11-7 record against LA and cannot afford any losses in the next five games. They do not want to fly east to face Tampa in the Wild Card game. They do not want to be tied with Cleveland for the second Wild Card. Each game is important and they have to play as if it were an elimination game. They have the talent to win. All they have to do is go out and win.

Preview of the A’s final week of the season in LA and Seattle

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Here we are. The A’s have just six games left in the regular season. They had an off-day on Monday as they traveled to Los Angeles to face the Angels. They have two games left with LA and then fly to Seattle to play four with the Mariners to end the season. The A’s own a record of 94-62 and lead the Tampa Bay Rays by 1 1/2 games for the first Wild Card. The Rays beat Boston on Monday to pick up 1/2 game on the A’s. The Rays play the next two games at home against the AL East champs, the New York Yankees. New York could help the A’s bt sweeping the series. The Rays then go to Toronto for three.

The A’s have to continue winning. They cannot let up as both Tampa and Cleveland have a chance to make the playoffs. The Angel and Mariners would love nothing better than upsetting the A’s applecart. The Angels and M’s will finish in fourth and fifth places in the AL West. Each team has had a season of adversity. The Angels have had to deal with the loss of Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs’ death put the Angels in a season-long funk. Also, their start centerfielder, Mike Trout, is out for the rest of the season with a foot injury. The Angels have been devastated by injury and are limping to the finish. The Mariners got off to a good start. They have traded away many of their star players as they are in rebuild mode. The A’s cannot afford to take them lightly.

The A’s Will send Homer Bailey to the hill Tuesday night in Anaheim. Bailey is 13-8 with an ERA of 4.55. The Angels will counter with lefty Dillon Peters. Peters is 3-3 with an ERA of 4.81. Peters will be making his first start ever against the A’s. This is a situation where the A’s cannot afford to relax. They will be going against a pitcher they have never seen. The A’s cannot afford to lose this game. It could happen, but it will be up to manager Bob Melvin to figure out the matchups. On Wednesday, it will be a battle of lefties. Brett Anderson will go for Oakland, and he will be opposed by Andrew Heaney. Anderson is 12-9 with an ERA of 4.00. Heaney is 4-6 and has an ERA of 5.10. The last time Heaney faced the A’s, he went six innings and gave up five runs.

The A’s finish with four against the Mariners. On Thursday Mike Fiers (15-4, ERA 3.91) will handle the pitching chores for Oakland. The M’s will counter with the veteran righty, Felix Hernandez. King Felix is nearing the end of his illustrious career. Hernandez has beaten the A’s many times over the years, but these days, he is a shadow of his former self. His record is 1-7, and his ERA is 6.51. He would like nothing better than handing the A’s a loss. Lefty Sean Manaea (3-0, 1.14ERA) will make his fifth start of the year, and lefty Justus Sheffield (0-1, 5.81 ERA) will go for Seattle. Saturday will feature Tanner Roark and the M’s Marco Gonzalez. The Rangers sent Roark to an early shower last Sunday. Roark gave up at least four home runs early in the game, and the A’s could not recover. His opponent, lefty Marco Gonzalez, the M’s best pitcher with a record of 16-12 and 4.09 ERA) has given the A’s a tough time all season long. The final game of the year will see Homer Bailey going for Oakland and Justin Dunn pitching for Seattle. Dunn will be making his third start of the year.

The A’s know that they cannot let up for one second. Even though they are playing teams with losing records., they must not take either team lightly. If they win four of the last six, that should be enough to give them the first Wild Card. They would then host the one-game playoff in Oakland. They would later play either the Yankees or the Houston Astros in the ALDS. The A’s won the season series from the Yanks 4 games to two. The Astros won the season series from Oakland 11-8. The A’s, however, won six of the last eight games from Houston. The Yanks and the Astros know that the A’s are a good team. The A’s have solidified their starting rotation with the addition Of Bailey and Roark. The bullpen will feature Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria, Jake Diekman, A.J.Puk, Jesus, Luzardo, Chris Bassitt, Blake Treinen, and closer, Liam Hendriks.

The A’s have power up and down the lineup. They have three infielders with 30 or more home runs. Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman, and Matt Olson all can change a ballgame with one swing of the bat. Outfielder Mark Canha had hit 26 bombs. Ramon Laureano is back, and he had 22 in the books before he was injured. Versatile Chad Pinder can also put the ball out of the park.  The A’s are excellent on defense, and they do not beat themselves. They have all the ingredients necessary to make a run to a championship. They can do it. No one knows what will happen. The Kansas City Royals won the 2014 Wild Card game against Oakland and went to the World Series. They won it all the following year. Anything can happen in baseball. They have to make the playoffs. Anything can happen. Baseball is unpredictable. The A’s are playing great baseball at this point in the season. They know they can win. They just have to do it.

 

A’s squeak by the Royals 2-1

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a difference a day makes. On Monday night the A’s routed the Kansas City Royals 19-4. The A’s pounded out 22 hits to trounce KC.  On Tuesday night, it was a different story. The A’s had just five hits, none after the second inning, and two runs. The A’s starter Mike Fiers went 5 1/3 innings and gave up only one run to earn his 13th win of the year and helped the A’s beat the Royals 2-1.

The late Joaquin Andujar had a saying; “You never know.” That is so true in baseball as one never knows what is going to happen in any particular game. You never know when you go to the park what you are going to see. One night it’s a blowout. The next night it’s a pitcher’s duel.”

That was what happened in Kansas City Tuesday night. The A’s, fighting for a playoff berth, need to put as many games as possible in the win column. They entered the game tied for the second Wild Card with Tampa Bay. They trailed the Cleveland Indians by 1/2 game for the first Wild Card. The Indians trounced the Detroit Tigers 10-1, and the Houston Astros clobbered the Tampa Bay Rays 15-1. The A’s now lead the Rays by one game and trail the Indians by 1/2 game. The first Wild Card hosts the one-game playoff between the first and second Wild Cards.

The A’s scored a run in the top of the first. Marcus Semien reached on an infield single. Royals starter, lefty Mike Montgomery, who entered the game with a 3-6 record, struck out Matt Chapman and Matt Olson swinging. A’s center fielder Mark Canha reached on Royals third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert’s fielding error. Khris Davis reached on an infield single to load the bases. Chad Pinder walked to drive in Semien with the A’s first run.

The A’s put another run on the board in the top of the second. With one out, A’s catcher Josh Phegley doubled to deep left center field. Marcus Semien followed his second hit of the night to drive in Phegley. Semien was caught stealing as he tried to advance to third base. That may have cost the A’s a run as Matt Chapman followed with a double. Matt Olson struck out to end the inning. The A’s led 2-0

Mike Fiers escaped jams in the second, third and fourth innings to keep the A’s ahead. In the bottom of the sixth, the Royals scored their only run of the game. Royals right fielder Hunter Dozier led off the sixth with a single. Left fielder Alex Gordon doubled to deep right-center field to drive in Dozier. Fiers retired Cuthbert for the first out. Fiers walked Ryan O’Hearn and that was the last batter he faced. A’s manager Bob Melvin went to the bullpen and brought in Yusmeiro Petit for the 66th time this year. Petit got Bubba Starling to fly out to center then struck out Meibrys Viloria looking for the third out, The A’s led 2-1.

There was no more scoring in the game. The A’s bullpen of Petite, Joakim Soria, and Liam Hendriks pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball and allowed one hit. The Royals’ bullpen did its job, too. Royals manager Ned Yost pulled Montgomery from the game with one out in the seventh. Kevin McCarthy, Scott Barlow, and Ian Kennedy did not allow a hit and kept the A’s scoreless. The A’s managed to hold on to win 2-1.

Game Notes: Mike Fiers won his 13th game of the year. It was a career-high for him. He started the season 2-3, but he has not lost since the beginning of May and has won his last 11 decisions. He is now 13-3.

Montgomery took the hard-luck loss, and his record drops to 3-7.

Fiers’ line was 5 1/3 innings of work, eight hits, and one run. Montgomery’s line was 6 1/3 innings, five hits, and two runs (one unearned).

Joakim Soria pitched in his 61st game this year. Soria was with the Royals from 2007 to 2011 and recorded 162 saves for Kansas City. He is third on the save list in Royals history.

The A’s scored runs in the first and second innings Tuesday night. They scored in the last eight innings Monday night. The 10 consecutive innings scoring a run set a new Oakland franchise record.

Mark Canha failed to get a hit, and his 10-game hitting streak came to an end.

The A’s sparkled on defense. Left fielder Seth Brown made two outstanding defensive play. Brown threw out Meibrys Viloria trying to score from second on a single by Whit Merrifield. He also made a great diving catch. He left his feet and threw out his glove to keep the ball from going to the wall for at least a double. Matt Chapman mad at least three sterling defensive gems to help out his team One of the plays was a bunt by Merrifield that went right down the line. Chapman barehanded the ball and threw to first to nail Merrifield. Merrifield, who has excellent speed, could not believe he was thrown out.

Up Next: Game three of the four-game series will be played Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The game will start at 5:15 pm PDT.

The A’s will have Tanner Roark handle the pitching chores. Roark is 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA. His opponent will be the Royal’s Jakob Junis. Junis is 8-12 with a 4.89 ERA. Junis labored in his last start against the Cleveland Indians last Friday. He threw 94 pitches in just four innings of work and allowed all four runs in the 4-1 loss to Cleveland.