Author: rxslugger

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

A’s rout the lowly Royals 19-4

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s pummeled the Kansas City Royals 19-4 to start the seven-game, two-city road trip. The A’s went down in order in the first inning. They scored in every inning after the first. A’s starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who was acquired from the Royals in July, faced his old team for the first time in his career. Bailey had now faced 29 of the 30 teams in the MLB. The only team he hasn’t met is the Cincinnati Reds. He played for them for 12 years before coming to the Royals at the start of the 2019 season.

Bailey improved his season record to 12-8, He is now 5-2 in eight starts for the A’s. The Royals’ starter Brad  Keller was tagged with his 14th loss of the season. The A’s put five on the board in the second inning. Keller went 1 1/3 innings and allowed five runs and three hits.

The A’s scored five runs in the second and five in the third. In the second, Mark Canha, who was named as AL Player of the Week, singled. A’s left fielder Seth Brown, making his Major League debut, singled in his first at-bat as a bi-leaguer. The big left-handed hitter from Oregon was hitting .297 with 37 homers and 104 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas. The 6-foot-2, 225 pound Brown was a sixth-round draft choice in 2016. Several members of his family were seen cheering him when he made his first hit. Keller walked Khris Davis to load the bases. He walked Jurickson Profar to drive in Canha with the A’s first run. Phegley walked to plate Brown and the A’s led 2-0. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien blasted a triple to deep right-center field, which cleared the bases. The A’s led 5-0. The Royals scored two in their half of the inning. With two out, Bubba Starling singled. He scored on Brett Phillips home run. The A’s led 5-2 after two.

The A’s put five more on the board in the third. Matt Olson got things going with a long single to right field. Mark Canha singled to send Olson to second. Brown singled again, and Olson scored on the play. It was Brown’s first Major League RBI. Josh Phegley reached on a swinging bunt. The ball could not be fielded cleanly by either the pitcher or the catcher. Canha scored on the play. Marcus Semien then hit his 23rd bomb of the season to make it 10-2 midway through the third inning.

The A’s added one in the fourth, and three in the fifth to make it 14-2.  The Royals got one back in the fifth. In the sixth, Profar hit his 16th of the season. In the seventh, Matt Chapman blasted his 30th. The A’s continued to pour it on. They scored two more in the eighth, and Khris Davis homered in the ninth to put the A’s way ahead 19-3. Lou Trivino pitched the ninth for Oakland, and he gave up the Royals fourth run of the night. The A’s won by a score of 19-4.

Game Notes: The A’s, as mentioned above, brought up Seth Brown to help in the outfield. The A’s needed another outfielder as Stephen Piscotty was placed on the 10-day IL with a high ankle sprain. The A’s had to make room on the 40-man roster. The team designated Nick Martini for assignment. If Martini clears waivers, he can go back to the A’s Triple-A club in Las Vegas.

The A’s had a long list of hitting stars Monday night. Josh Phegley and four hits and three RBIs. Marcus Semien had a triple and a home run and drove in seven runs. It was quite a night for Marcus. Matt Olson had three hits and two ribbies. Mark Canha had three hits and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Seth Brown had two, hits, one RBI, and he scored two runs. Khris Brown had three hits, one of which was home run, and he had two RBIs. Profar’s line was the same as Davis. Three hits, two RBI’s and a home run.

Homer Bailey went six innings and allowed eight hits and three runs. Lefty A.J. Puk pitched two scoreless innings and allowed one hit.

The A’s line score was 19 runs, 22 hits and no errors. The Royals’ line was four runs, 11 hits and no errors.

The A’s improved to 75-55. They are now in a virtual tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card. They also picked up 1/2 game on the Cleveland Indians in the race for the first Wild Card. They trail the Indians by 1/2 game. The Rays play three with the Houston Astros this week. Houston can help the A’s if they can handle the Rays. The A’s, in the meantime, Oakland must not let the Royals beat them. They have three more in Kansas City this week with and then in September when the Royals visit Oakland for three starting on September 16th.

The A’s have 32 games left on the schedule. They will finish the suspended game with Detroit on September 6th when the Tigers arrive in Oakland for three. The A’s were ahead when the game was suspended.

Up Next: Game two of the four-game series will be played Tuesday night in Kansas City. Mike Fiers (12-3, 3.46 ERA) will go for Oakland, and he will be opposed by lefty Mike Montgomery (3-6, 4.99 ERA). Montgomery had a rough outing against the lowly Baltimore Orioles last week. Game time will be at 5:15 pm.

A’s beat Yankees 5-3, earn three-game sweep

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s beat the New York Yankees Thursday night 5-3 to sweep the three-game series. The A’s have now won seven of the last nine games. They took three out of four from the Astros and split the two-game series in San Francisco with the Giants.

A’s starter Tanner Roark won his eighth game of the year. Roark is now 2-1 with the A’s since coming here at the trade deadline. He went 6 1/3 innings allowing two runs and seven hits. Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka took the loss. Tanaka’s record drops to 9-7. His line was six innings pitched, eight hits, and five runs.

The A’s put three on the board in the bottom of the first. Marcus Semien led off with a double to right to start the rally. Tanaka walked Robbie Grossman and Matt Chapman to load the bases with no out. A’s first baseman Matt Olson reached on a fielder’s choice. Semien scored on the play, and Grossman advanced to third. Olson went to second on a wild pitch. Mark Canha singled to drive in Grossman and Olson to give the A’s a 3-0 lead.

Robbie Grossman led off the third with a triple to left field. He scored on Matt Chapman’s single. Chapman went to second on Matt Olson’s single. Canha reached on a fielder’s choice. Chapman went to third. Olson was out at second. Stephen Piscotty reached on a fielder’s choice. Chapman scored to give the A’s a 5-0 lead.

The Yankees scored their first run of the game in the fifth. With one out, Gleyber Torres doubled. He scored on Mike Tauchman’s single. Roark retired the next two hitters. The A’s lead 5-1 midway through the fifth.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Yankees’ second baseman Gleyber Torres hit a 400-foot home run over the wall in left center field. It was Torres’ 30th of the year. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Roark from the game. Jake Diekman was the new A’s pitcher, and he retired both hitters he faced to end the inning. The A’s led 5-2 halfway through the seventh.

The Yankees got their third run of the game in the top of the ninth. Joakim Soria was in to close out the game for Oakland. He retired the first two hitters. The next hitter, Gleyber Torres, blasted his second home run of the night to make it 5-3. It was Torres’ 31st homer of the year. Soria struck out Mike Tauchman to end the game. The A’s swept the Yankees.

Game Notes: The A’s used four pitchers to subdue the Yankees. Jake Diekman, Lou Trivino, and Joakim Soria followed Roark to the mound Thursday night. In four starts with the A’s Roark has struck out 7+ hitters twice, He threw a wild pitch in the second inning. It was his first wild pitch in 129.0 innings. The last one occurred on July 3rd, 2018, against Boston.

The A’s won their fourth game of the year in which they did not hit a home run. Mark Canha led the A’s offense with two hits and two runs batted in.  Canha extended his hitting streak to seven games. He is hitting .354 (23-for-65) with two home runs, 12 RBI, and eight walks in 17 games in August.  He is hitting .429 (12-for-28) during his hitting streak and .458 (11-for-24) this homestand. Robbie Grossman also had two hits for Oakland.

The Yankees’ attack was led by Gleyber Torres. Torres had four hits. He had a single, double, and two home runs. The A’s held the other Yankee hitters under control.

The A’s improve to 74-53. They are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the first Wild Card. The Indians lost again to the New York Mets, and they trail both teams by 1/2 game.

Time of game was two hours and 51 minutes. 24,750 fans were on hand to watch the A’s complete the sweep.

Up Next: The A’s are off on Friday. They host the San Francisco Giants on Saturday and Sunday. Chris Bassitt (9-5, 3.61 ERA) will pitch for Oakland. The Giants will send Madison Bumgarner (8-8, 3.72 ERA) to the hill. Bumgarner beat the A’s last week in San Francisco.

A’s win a thriller vs. Yankees 6-4

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s won a thriller Wednesday night as they beat the New York Yankees for the second night in a row by a score of 6-4.

The Yankees, with a lineup of power hitters, made a run late in the game. The A’s have power hitters, too and Khris Davis, Marcus Semien, and Stephen Piscotty all went deep. The A’s bullpen met the challenge as they did the job and recorded the win for the A’s.

Mike Fiers started for Oakland, Fiers went 5 1/3 innings and allowed six hits and two runs. He was credited with the win, and he is now 12-3 for the year. The Yankees left, J.A. Happ, took the loss and he is now 10-8.

The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Yanks shortstop Didi Gregorius led off with a double. Fiers retired Gleyber Torres for the first out. Mike Tauchman, player center-field for the Yanks, singled to drive in Gregorius. Fiers retired the next two hitters to end the threat. The A’s, as they did Tuesday night, scored twice in their half of the second. Stephen Piscotty led off with a single. A’s DH Khris Davis, who has been mired in a horrible slump, hit his 18th of the year over the fence in right field to give the A’s a 2-1 advantage.

The A’s put two more on the board in the third. Josh Phegley walked to start the inning. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien blasted his 22nd home run of the year to put the A’s up 4-1 after three complete.

The A’s sent Happ to the showers in the fifth. Jurickson Profar led off with a double. Happ hit Phegley with a pitch to put two men on with no out. Happ walked Semien to load the bases. Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone decided to make a pitching change. He brought in righty Chad Green to pitch. Green got Matt Chapman and Matt Olson to foul out. Mark Canha reached on an infield single to drive in Profar with the fifth run of the game for Oakland. Green retired Chad Pinder on a ground out to short.

The Yankees added a run in the sixth. Fiers struck out the first hitter, Gary Sanchez. The next three hitters Gio Urshela, Didi Gregorius, and Gleyber Torres all singled to load the bases. A’s manager Bob Melvin went to his bullpen and brought in lefty Jake Diekman to face the left-handed hitter Mike Tauchman. Diekman got Tauchman to fly out to left. Urshela scored on the play. Melvin removed Diekman, and Yusmeiro Petit was brought in to face Cameron Maybin. Petit struck out Maybin for the final out. The A’s upped the lead to four in their half of the sixth. Stephen Piscotty led off with an opposite field solo homer that barely made it over the wall in right field. It was Piscotty’s 13 th big fly of the season. The A’s lead 6-2 after six.

Yankees DH Mike Ford led off the seventh with his 5th round-tripper of the year to make it 6-3. The Yanks plated another run to make it 6-4. With two out, Gary Sanchez singled. He went to third on Urshela’s single to right. Didi Gregorius doubled to drive in Sanchez. Blake Treinen was able to get Gleyber Torres to ground out for the final out.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the eighth. Bob Melvin brought in rookie A.J.Puk to make his major league debut. Puk, who can hit 100 miles per hour on the speed gun, walked Mike Tauchman to start the inning. Jurickson Profar made a sensational catch on a bloop hit off Cameron Maybin’s bat for the first out. Puk, facing lefty Mike Ford, gave up a single. Tauchman went to third when right fielder Chad Pinder misplayed the ball. Melvin brought in his closer Liam Hendriks to get the A’s out of the jam. Hendriks did his job as he struck out DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge to end the threat. Hendriks retired the Yankees in order in the ninth to preserve the win for Oakland. The A’s won 6-4.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s improve to 73-53. They remain tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card. They did, however, pick up a game on the Cleveland Indians in the race for the first Wild Card.  The Indians lost to the New York Mets for the second night in a row. The Rays and A’s are both just 1/2 game behind the Indians.

The A’s A.J. Puk made his Major League debut in the eighth inning. The fans gave him a tremendous ovation as he entered from the bullpen. Puk went 1/3 of an inning and gave up a walk and a hit.

A’s manager Bob Melvin hit a new milestone in his managerial career. With the win. Melvin recorded his 1200th win as a big league manager. Quite an achievement.

Liam Hendriks was credited with his 15th save of the year. Hendriks retired all five hitters he faced.

The A’s line score was six, runs, six hits and one error. The A’s left three on base.

The Yankees’ line was four runs, 11 hits and no errors. 10 men were stranded on base.

Time of game was three hours and two minutes. Most of the 22,017 people in the stands were A’s fans who went home happy. Meanwhile, the Yankee fans went home wondering what hit them.

Up Next: Game three of the series will be played Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s will have Tann Roark doing the pitching. Roark is 7-8 with an ERA of 4.01. He will be opposed by the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka is 9-6, and his ERA is 4.56. Game time will be at 6:07 pm.

A’s take game 1 vs. Yankees 6-2

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s, behind the pitching of Homer Bailey, beat the New York Yankees 6-2 Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The Yankees came to town with the best record in the American League. They were 40 games over the .500 mark with a record of 83-43. The A’s were unfazed. They had won three out of four from the Houston Astros, and they felt that they can compete with the best. They did just that as Bailey and three relievers (Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Sori, and Liam Hendriks) held the vaunted Yankee juggernaut to only two runs.

The Yankees grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two out, Yankees’ DH Gary Sanchez blasted his 29th of the year. The ball left the park as if shot from a cannon. The exit velocity was 112 mph as it went over the 388-foot mark in left-center-field. Gio Urshela and Didi Gregorius singled, but Bailey retired Gleyber Torres for the third out. The lead didn’t last long as the A’s put a three-spot on the board in their half of the first. With one out Robbie Grossman worked German for a free pass. Matt Chapman then struck out. A’s first baseman swung at German’s first pitch and sent it into the stands in right field to give the A’s the lead 2-1. Mark Canha increased the advantage to 3-1 when he hit an opposite field home run. It was the 11th time this year that the A’s hit back-to-back home runs. For Olson, it was his 26th of the year, and for Canha, it was his 19th.

The A’s plated a run in the bottom of the second. With two out, A’s catcher Chris Herrmann singled. Marcus Semien blasted a double down the left-field line that allowed Herrmann to score all the way from first. Semien was caught in a rundown as he tried to advance to third on the throw home. A’s lead 4-1 after two.

The A’s put two more on the board in the sixth. Matt Olson led off with a single. He went to third on a double by Mark Canha. German struck out Khris Davis for the first out. Stephen Piscotty’s single drove in Olson with the A’s fifth run. Canha scored when Yankees’ left-fielder Cameron Maybin committed a fielding error. The A’s now led 6-1.

The Yankees’ Aaron Judge sent Joakim Soria’s first pitch 467 feet into the seats in left-field. The exit velocity was an astounding 116 mph. Soria gave up a single but struck out three Yankees to retire the side. The A’s failed to score in the bottom of the eighth. They led 6-2 heading into the ninth.

The A’s closer Liam Hendriks gave up a two-out double to Mike Tauchaman in the ninth. Hendriks retired DJ LeMahahieu for the final out to secure the win for Oakland. The A’s won 6-2.

Game Notes: Homer Bailey improved to 11-8 for the year with the win. He went 5 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and one run. Bailey struck out a season-high eight batters. Yankees starter Domingo German’s record dropped to 16-3.

The A’s offense was paced by Matt Olson and Mark Canha. Olson had a two-run homer and a single in the game. Canha had a homer and a double. A’s DH Khris Davis had another tough night. Davis earned a “Golden Sombrero” as he struck out four times. Davis has hit just one home run since being injured in Pittsburgh.

The Yankees’ Gary Sanchez now has 99 career home runs. Gio Urshela was 2-for-4. Urshela has reached base safely in 24 of his last 25 games and is hitting .437  with 23 runs, 12 doubles, nine home runs, and 21 RBIs over that stretch. The Yankees have hit a Major League-high 49 home runs this month and have hit multiple home runs in 14 of their last 19 games.

The A’s line score was six runs, nine hits, and no errors. The Yankees’ line was two runs, 11 hits, and one error. The error allowed Canha to score an unearned run in the sixth inning.

The A’s improved to 72-53. They picked up a game on the Tampa Bay Rays, and they are now tied for the second Wild Card. The Cleveland Indians lost to the New York Mets Tuesday night and the A’s trail them by just 1 1/2 games for the first Wild Card. If the A’s were to be the first Wild Card, the one-game playoff between the two Wild Cards would be played in Oakland.

Time of game was two hours and 49 minutes. 21,471 fans were on hand to see the A’s take the opener of the three-game set.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series will be played Wednesday night in Oakland. The A’s Mike Fiers (11-3, 3.46 ERA) will be on the hill, and he will be opposed by the Yankees’ lefty J.A. Happ (10-7, 5.40 ERA). The game will start at 7:07 pm.

Preview of the A’s vs. Yankees series

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Oakland A’s will start a three-game series with the New York Yankees beginning Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s and Yankees are both iconic franchises. Each franchise has a storied past. The Yankees, with 40 AL pennants and 27 World Series crowns, are seeking to add another pennant and championship to that list this year. The Yankees have the best record  (83-43) in the American League and own a 9 and 1/2 game lead over the Tampa Bay Ray for the AL East title. The A’s are in second place in the AL West with a record of 71-53. The A’s are trail the Rays by 1 and 1/2 games in the race for the second Wild Card. The A’s, if they continue to play well, could catch the Indians and win the first Wild Card. They trail Cleveland by 2 and 1/2 games.

Anytime the Yankees are in Oakland, there are usually above average crowds in attendance. Both teams have a lot to play for. The Yankees want to have the best record so that they will have home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The A’s want to win to gain ground on Tampa Bay and Cleveland.

One of the great stories of this season has been the success of the Yankees on the field. They have had so many injuries to key players. Yet, they somehow have been able to have the best record in the AL. The replacement players have stepped up and done the job. They did make one acquisition in the off-season that has helped them immensely. D.J. LeMahaieu joined the Yankees after a stellar career with the Colorado Rockies. LeMahieu is leading the league in hitting, and if he wins the batting title, he will be the first player to have won the title in the American and National leagues.

The Yankees injury list is loaded with stars. Third baseman Miguel Andujar, who was second in the balloting for Rookie of the Year last year, is on the 60 day-IL and is out for the season. First baseman Greg Bird, Reliever Dellin Betances, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, and starter Luis Severino are all on the 60-day IL. Severino may pitch again this year but not before September. The Yanks have four other players of note on the 10-day IL. Their DH, Edwin Encarnacion is out with a fractured right wrist. Aaron Hicks has a flexor strain in his right arm, and no date has been set for his return. Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 59 home runs two years ago for Miami, has a PCL strain in his right knee. Stanton has missed most of the season, and he may be back this year. First baseman Luke Voit is out with a sports hernia. He might be back in late August.

Even with all those injuries, New York is still loaded with talent. The Yankees have four infielders that play like All-Stars. Shortstop Didi Gregorius, who missed significant time due to an arm injury that required Tommy John Surgery, is hitting.261 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs since coming back. LeMahuie is hitting .339 and has 21 dingers and 86 ribbies. Second baseman Glyber Torres, who share second base with LeMahuie, has a batting average of .282 and he had hit 29 out of the park and knocked in seventy-three. Gio Urshela, who was penciled in as a backup infielder, has made sitting him on the bench impossible. Urshela is hitting .336 and has homered 18 times. Mike Ford is playing first base in place of Luke Voit and Greg Bird.

The outfield is manned by Brett Gardner in center-field. Garner, who is 35, still has a lot of speed and is a dangerous hitter. His average is .254, and he has hit 17 homers and driven in 50. Right field is handled by Aaron Judge. Aaron, who is from Northern California, missed a lot of playing time this year due to injury. He is back now, and he is a home run threat every time he steps to the plate. Cameron Maybin and Mike Tauchman will be in the outfield depending on which pitcher the A’s choose to pitch.

The catching is shared by Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine. Sanchez is like Judge, He is a home run threat every time he comes up to hit. He is not the best defensive catcher in the league, but he has worked hard to improve. Austin Romine is the backup.

The Yankees starting rotation has not been as strong as it has been in the past. It has been a work in progress this year. The A’s will not see lefties James Paxton or CC Sabathia during the series. The Yankees will send Dominga German to the hill Tuesday night. German is 16-2 with an ERA of 3.96. He has won his last four starts. He beat Boston twice, and Baltimore and Toronto once. The Yanks will be facing the A’s, Homer Bailey. Bailey was outstanding last Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. He went seven innings and allowed no runs and just two hits. He won his tenth of the year that day.

Lefty J.A.Happ pitches on Wednesday for New York. Happ is 10-7and has an ERA of 5.40. He has pitched at least five innings in each of his last four starts. His ERA is a very high 6.23, however. The A’s will have Mike Fiers (11-3, 3.46 ERA) on the mound. Fiers has the second-best ERA  (2.52) among AL starters since April, 26th. He did give up four runs against Houston last Thursday. He did not figure in the decision.

On Thursday, Masahiro Tanaka goes for New York. Tanaka has been outstanding in his last two starts. He held the Blue Jays and the Indians to two runs and seven hits over 14 and 1/3rd innings of work. He won both starts. The A’s will counter with Tanner Roark. Roark went six innings and allowed two runs against the Astros last Friday. The A’s won the game in extra-innings.

The Yankees bullpen has been their strength this year. If their starters can give them six good innings of work, the Yanks’ bullpen usually closes the door for the win. Expect to see pitchers such as Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle. Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Nestor Cortes, Zack Britton, and Aroldis Chapman. Britton and Chapman are lefties. Britton, who used to be the Baltimore Orioles closer is now the eighth-inning set-up man. Chapman is now the closer. Chapman can hit speed up to 103 to 105 miles-per-hour on the speed gun.

The A’s will have their work cut out for them. They know the Yankees will be tough. They knew the Astros would be tough and they took three-out off-four from the team with the second-best record in the AL West.

Look for a good series with big crowds. It should be fun.

A’s win a wild and wooly thriller over the Astros 7-6

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — On a very warm night at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s and the visiting Houston Astros put a display of home run power never seen here.

For the first time in the history of the Coliseum, the teams hit a total of 10 home runs. Each side hit five. Four players hit two home runs, and that was the first time that was done since 1908. With the absence of the usual marine layer, the ball was flying out of the park. The Astros had nine players in the lineup with more than 10 homers. The A’s had six. The Astros came into the game with a record of 9-2 against the A’s, but the A’s prevailed 7-6.

The Astros put two on the board in the top of the fourth inning. A’s starter Mike Fiers had been cruising along. He walked the first batter of the game. He got Jose Altuve to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Fiers retired the next nine hitters in order until Michael Brantly singled with two out in the top of the fourth. Astros third baseman Alex Bregman blasted his 29th homer of the year over the wall near the left-field foul pole to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.

The A’s responded with four in the bottom of the fourth. Robbie Grossman led off with a double to center-field. Matt Chapman reached on a fielder’s choice. He hit a come-backer to Astros hurler Aaron Sanchez. Sanchez chose to throw to second in the hopes of nailing Grossman. Robbie slid in safely, and the A’s had two on with no out. Sanchez then had to face the left-handed hitter, Matt Olson. Olson hit his 23rd bomb of the year that went into the seats just over the 362-foot marker in left-field. Sanchez retired the next two hitters. A’s second baseman Corban Joseph, playing his second game since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas, hit his first of the year. The ball cleared the 400-foot marker in center-field. The A’s led 4-2 after four.

In the top of the fifth, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa led off with his 18th big fly of the year to make it 4-3. Yuli Guriel followed with a single, but Fiers settled down and got the next three outs.

The Astros tied the game in the top of the sixth. With one out, Michael Brantley, who is second in hitting in the AL with a .328 batting average, blasted his 17th of the year. It was the Astros’ third round-tripper of the game. The A’s regained the lead in their half of the sixth. The Matts — Chapman and Olson — hit back-to-back blasts. Chapman’s went into the seats in left-field, and Olson’s disappeared into the second deck in right-field. It was Chapman’s 28th of the year and Olson, with two homers, has 25. The A’s led 6-4. Fiers is out to pitch the seventh inning.

Carlos Correa led off the seventh with his second homer of the game. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Fiers from the game and replace him with Yusmeiro Petit. Yet, the Astros still trailed the A’s 6-5. Petit walked Yuli Guriel, but retired the next three hitters to end the inning.

The Astros tied the game in the top of the eighth when Michel Brantley hit a solo homer off Blake Treinen. It was Brantley’s third hit of the game and second home run. The score was knotted at six heading into the bottom of the eighth. The game didn’t stay tied for long. Chapman led off with a blast the went into the second deck in left-field. It was Chapman’s second of the game, and it was the second day in a row that he had two homers in a game. So far, there have been 10 home runs in the game. Each team has hit five. The A’s led 7-6 after eight.

The A’s brought in their closer Liam Hendriks to pitch the ninth. Hendriks set the hard-hitting Astros down to secure the win for the A’s. The A’s won by a final of 7-6.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s recorded their 9000th win since they started playing baseball in 1901. The A’s improved to 69-52 and picked up 1/2 game on the idle Tampa Bay Rays. The A’s trail the Rays by 1 1/2 games in the race for the second Wild Card.

The A’s beat the Astros for the third time this year. The Astros had a record of 9-2 against the A’s before the start of play Thursday night.

A’s starter Mike Fiers went six innings and allowed six runs and six hits. The Astros took him deep four times. Houston starter, Aaron Sanchez went 5 1/3 innings and gave up six runs and seven hits. He, too, was tagged for four bombs. Matt Chapman was 3-for-4,

Lefty Jake Diekman, who worked 1/3 of an inning was the winning pitcher. Chris Devenski took the loss for Houston. The Astros are now 78-44 for the year and have the second-best record in the AL.

The A’s line score was seven runs, eight hits, and no errors. The Astros’ line was six runs, seven hits, and no errors.

Time of game was two hours and 35 minutes. 15,323 fans saw quite a game. It had drama. It had home runs, and it was a history-making game with the A’s 9000th win. Four players each hitting two home runs, and 10 home runs total in the game. It was quite a night.

Up Next: Game two of the four-game series will be played Friday night at the Coliseum. Tanner Roark will go for Oakland, and Houston will send their ace Justin Verlander to the mound. Game time is set for 7:07 p.m.

A’s thwart Giants 9-5, split Bay Bridge Series

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, behind a superb performance by Homer Bailey, downed the San Francisco Giants 9-5. Bailey went seven innings and allowed two hits. He walked one and struck out seven to earn his tenth win of the season. The Giants starter Tyler Beede took the loss.

The A’s were in cruise control for most of the game. Bailey left the game with a 7-0 lead, and it appeared the A’s were going to coast to an easy victory. However, the Giants weren’t ready to roll over. They scorched the A’s for five runs in the bottom of the eighth. A’s relievers Joakim Soria, and Yusmeiro Petit did not do well. A’s manager Bob Melvin had to bring in his closer, Liam Hendriks, to get the final four outs of the game. Hendriks rose to meet the challenge.

The A’s Matt Chapman hit a solo home run with two out in the top of the first to give Oakland an early 1-0 lead midway through the inning.

The A’s added a run in the second. Stephen Piscotty received a free pass to first when he worked Tyler Beede for a walk. He went to second on a ground out by Corban Joseph. Joseph was making his first start since being called up from Tripe-A Las Vegas. A’s catcher Chris Herrman ground out the first baseman to the pitcher. Piscotty went to third on the play. Homer Bailey reached on an infield single. Piscotty scored and the A’s lead 2-0.

The A’s plated two more in the third. Robbie Grossman led off with a double to left. Beede hit Matt Chapman with a pitch to put two men on with no out. A’s first baseman Matt Olson then lined a double off the right-field wall to drive in Grossman and Chapman. The A’ lead 4-0.

The A’s scored two more in the sixth. A’s catcher led off with a single. Giants’ lefty reliever Travis Bergen retired Bailey and Semien for the first two outs of the inning. Robie Grossman, batting from the right side, blasted his sixth home run of the season into the seats in left field. The A’s have a commanding 6-0 lead.

The A’s added another run in the top of the eighth. With two out, Khris Davis, pinch-hitting for Homer Bailey, walked. Marcus Semien drove in Davis with a blast that went into the triangle known as “Triples Alley.” Grossman struck out to end the inning. The A’s lead 7-0. The Giants finally put some runs on the board in their half of the inning. They sent nine men to the plate and put five on the board. Bob Melvin brought in Joakim Soria to start the eighth. Soria did not have it as he gave up a single to Brandon Crawford and walked Austin Slater. Crawford went to third on a flyout to right. He then scored the Giants first run on a wild pitch. Slater went to second. Another wild pitch sent SLater to third. Soria walked Brandon Belt. Mike Yastrzemski blasted his 13th bomb of the season to make it 7-4. Melvin brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch. Evan Longoria singled, and Stephen Vogt doubled to put men on at second and third with one out. Alex Dickerson, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, grounded out and that allowed Longoria to cross the plate with the fifth run of the inning. Bob Melvin replaced Petit with Liam Hendriks. Hendriks struck out Kevin Pillar for the final out. The Giants trail the A’s 7-5 after eight.

The AS’s added two insurance runs in the ninth. Matt Chapman led off the inning with his second home run of the game. For Chappie, it was his 27th of the season. With one out, Mark Canha singled and went to third on Piscotty’s single. Corban Joseph drove in Canha with a sacrifice fly to center. The Giants failed to score in their half of the ninth. The A’s win 9-5.

Game Notes- The A’s are now 68-52 for the year. They picked up a game on the Tampa Bay Rays as the Rays lost to the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Wednesday. The A’s trail the Rays by two games in the race for the second Wild Card.

Homer Bailey owns an ERA of 1.20 in his last five starts against the Giants.  In nine career starts against the Giants, he is 5-0 and has an ERA of 3.15. He also drove in a run, and it was his first since June 8th, 2014 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies. He also had two hits in the game.

Matt Chapman recorded his third career multi-homer game with two home runs on Wednesday.  Robbie Grossman had his first homer since June 18th at Baltimore. Corban Joseph had his first hit since September 28th, 2018 when he was with Baltimore.

The A’s are 11-7 in interleague play this season and have not lost a series to the Giants since 2015.

Giants notes- Mike Yastrzemski hit his 13th homer of the year with a three-run blast in the eighth. He became the second Giants rookie since 2010 to hit 13 or more homers in a season. Buster Posey was the other in 2010. His 41 RBIs are second-most among NL rookies. The Mets’ Pete Alonso leads with 42. Kevin Pillar was 2-for-four on Wednesday, and he extended his hitting streak to eight games.

The A’s return home to face the AL West leaders, the Houston Astros, Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum. Mike Fiers will go for Oakland, and Aaron Sanchez will be on the hill for Houston.

The game will start at 7:07 Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum

Giants nip A’s 3-2, take Game 1 of Bay Bridge Series

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Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO–The Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants played a very entertaining game Tuesday night in the Battle of the Bay. The Giants’ Madison Bumgarner was on the top of his game as he went seven innings and allowed just two hits. The only mistake he made was a gopher ball to Stephen Piscotty in the fifth inning. Bumgarner looked like he has regained the form that made him an All-Star. The A’s starter lefty Brett Anderson pitched well enough to win. He went six innings and allowed two runs and six hits. The Giants had to hang on in the ninth as the A’s scored a run and left the bases loaded as they fell 3-2 to the Giants at Oracle Park.

Both teams played well, and the outcome was in doubt right up to the last out in the ninth. Both teams are in the hunt for a playoff berth, and it felt like it was a playoff game. The Giants evened their record at 60-60, and the A’s fell to 67-52

The A’s drew first blood in the top of the fifth. Madison Bumgarner, who gave up a bloop single to Marcus Semien to start the game, had retired 14 in a row before Stephen Piscotty unloaded his 12th dinger of the year to give the A’s the lead 1-0 midway through the fifth. The Giants failed to score in the bottom of the fifth.

The Giants broke through in the bottom of the second to score two runs. With two out, Anderson gave up three consecutive double to Buster Posey, Evan Longoria, and Kevin Pillar. The Giants lead 2-1 heading into the seventh.

The A’s went down in order in the seventh. A’s manager Bob Melvin, brought in left Jake Diekman to pitch. Anderson’s line was six innings pitched, and he allowed six hits and two runs. The Giants scored a run without the benefit of a hit. Diekman walked Aramis Garcia and Brandon Crawford to start the frame. Bumgarner laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Garcia scored when pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett hit a sacrifice fly to center. A’s centerfielder Mark Canha made a sensational catch to rob Joey Rickard to end the inning. The Giants lead 3-1 after seven.

In the top of the ninth, the A’s loaded the bases with one out. Giants reliever Will Smith struck out Matt Olson for the second out, With the crowd on their feet and screaming, Smith walked Canha to force in a run. The A’s now trail 3-2. Smith struck out Chad Pinder to end the game.

Game Notes: The A’s Brett Anderson dropped to 10-8 for the year, and the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner improved to 8-7. Bumgarner has looked like the pitcher of old in his last ten starts. Will Smith earned is 29th save of the season. The Giants are 46-6 when Smith appears in a game.

Up Next: The A’s will conclude the two-game set with the Giants on Wednesday. Homer Bailey will go for Oakland, and Tyler Beede will be on the hill for the Giants. Game time is at 12:30 pm.

Preview of the Bay Bridge series between the A’s and Giants

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Photo credit: youtube.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s have an off-day on Monday. They finish the eight-game road trip by visiting the San Francisco Giants to play two starting on Tuesday at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Since the game will be played in a National League Park, the A’s will not be able to use a designated hitter.

Tuesday night’s game will feature a battle between two left-handed pitchers. The A’s will send Brett Anderson to the hill to face the Giants. Anderson is 10-7 and has an ERA of 3.99. Anderson earned a win over the Chicago Cubs last week when he went seven innings and allowed just two runs. The Giants will counter with their ace, Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner is 7-7, and his ERA is 3.74. Most people felt that Bumgarner would not be with the Giants at this point in the season, has pitched well lately. He has an ERA of 2.78 over his last nine starts. Bumgarner has started seven games against the A’s and own a record of 4-2.

The A’s and Giants finish the short two-game series on Wednesday. It will be a day game, and Homer Bailey will go for Oakland, and he will be opposed by Tyler Beede. This will be Bailey’s sixth start since coming to Oakland from the Kansas City Royals. His record is 9-8, and his ERA is 5.54. Baily had a bad outing against the Cubs last week. He went 4 2/3 innings and was tagged for seven runs. Beede’s record is 3-6, and his ERA is 5.61. Beede, in his last start, went five innings and allowed five runs. His ERA over his previous four outings is 8.38

The A’s will be seeing a lot of familiar faces in the Giants’ lineup. The Giants’ infield will be Brandon Belt at first base, Brandon Crawford at shortstop, Evan Longoria at third, and newcomer Scooter Gennett at second. Pablo Sandoval is day-to-day with inflammation in his right elbow. Donovan Solano is the backup utility man. The Giants have remade their outfield. They acquired Kevin Pillar from the Toronto Blue Jays. Pillar is an excellent defensive centerfielder. Also, Pillar can steal a base, and he has a lot of pop in his bat. He has hit 15 homers and driven in 62. Austin Slater will probably be in right field, and Mike Yastrzemski will be in left. Mike’s grandfather, Carl Yastrzemski, is in the MLB Hall of Fame.

The catching chores will be handled by Buster Posey and Stephen Vogt. Vogt, who was designated for assignment by the A’s in 2017, would love nothing better than beating his old team. It would be a reminder that they made a huge mistake cutting him loose. Vogt was a huge fan favorite when he was with the A’s.

Bruce Bochy, who is in his final year managing the Giants, has a strong bullpen. The Giants did trade away three relievers at the trade deadline, but they still have standouts such as righties Trevor, Gott, Sam Coonrod, Jandal Gustave, and Reyes Moronta. They will use lefties Williams Jerez, Andrew Suarez, Tony Watson, and Will Smith. Smith has 26 saves and represented the Giants at the All-Star Game.

Both teams have a lot to play for. The A’s are in a dogfight with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card. The A’s trail Tampa by just 1 and 1/2 games. The A’s are also in second place in the AL West with a record of 67-51. The Giants had a beautiful month of baseball in July. Their record was 17-3, and that propelled them into the race for the second Wild Card in the National League. They have been struggling a bit in August, but they are 59-60 and are 3 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.

The A’s would like to sweep the Giants. They return home to face the two best teams in the American League. They start a four-game set with the rampaging Houston Astros. The Astros have improved their starting rotation and have tormented the A’s this year. Following the Astros series, the A’s meet the New York Yankees for three starting a week from Tuesday. The Yankees, even though they have had so many injuries, sport a potent lineup. Their starting pitching has been suspect, but they have an outstanding bullpen. The A’s pitchers will have their work cut out for them as they try to shut down the Yankees offense. After the Yankee’s series, the A’s finish the homestand with two more games against the Giants. The next 11 games should be terrific baseball. It is what the players live for.

Preview of the A’s and White Sox series in Chicago

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Photo credit: mercurynews.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s have a day off on Thursday before they begin a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field starting on Friday.

The A’s are enjoying an entire week in the Windy City as the schedule makers gave them three days with the Cubs, one day off, and three with the White Sox. The A’s finish the eight-game road trip with two against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The A’s need to continue playing well. They trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 1/2 game in the race for the second Wild Card. The A’s swept the White Sox when they met in July at the Oakland Coliseum. They would like to continue their success against the Sox. They need to take two from the Giants as the A’s meet the AL West-leading Houston Astros for four. They then play the AL East-leading New York Yankees for three, and wrap up the homestand with two more against the Giants. The Astros have dominated the A’s this season. They improved their starting rotation at the deadline with the additions of Zach Greinke and Aaron Sanchez. Joe Biagini joined the Astros bullpen.

The A’s will send Mike Fiers to the hill Friday afternoon against the White Sox. Fiers is 10-3 and has an ERA of 3.46. He has been pitching well since early May. He faced the Sox on July 12th and did not allow a run in 7 2/3 innings of work. He will be opposed by former Athletic, Ross Detwiler. Detwiler was a member of the A’s in 2016. Detwiler is 1-2 for the year and has an ERA of 5.72. In his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies, Detwiler went 5 2/3 innings and allowed just two runs.

On Saturday, Tanner Roark will be making his second start as an Athletic, and his first start ever against the White Sox. Roark is 7-7 for the year and has an ERA of 4.14. Roark won his first start as an A last Sunday when he went five innings and allowed just one hit, and as a result, received credit for the win.

Meanwhile, the White Sox will have Reynaldo Lopez handling the pitching chores. Lopez is 6-9 with an ERA of 5.41. Lopez has been pitching well since the All-Star break. In his last five starts, his ERA is a respectable 2.56.

On Sunday, Chris Bassitt will go for Oakland, and he will be opposed by the White Sox’ best pitcher, Lucas Giolito. Bassitt is 7-5 and pitched well Monday against the Chicago Cubs. Bassitt went six innings and allowed two runs. He did not figure in the decision. Giolito is 12-5 for the season. His ERA is 3.44. He beat the Detroit Tigers last Monday as he went six innings and allowed three runs.

The White Sox are 51-62 for the year and are currently in third place in the AL Central. The team is managed by Rick Renteria. Renteria is in his third season with the Sox. He and Frank Chance are the only two managers in history to have managed both the Cubs and the White Sox.

Chicago’s key players to keep an eye on are first baseman Jose Abreu, shortstop Tim Anderson, left fielder Eloy Jimenez, and catcher Wellington Castillo. Abreau and Jimenez are the main power guys. Tim Anderson has 12 homers this season, and he can also do damage. Other players to watch are outfielders Leury Garcia, Ryan Cordell, Adam Engel, and the veteran John Jay.

The A’s have won seven of the last 10 games. They need Matt Chapman to break out of his slump. They still have a lot of power in the lineup. Matt Olson is second on the club with 22 home runs. Marcus Semien has 19. The A’s will have Khris Davis back at DH for the series with the Sox. Davis has 17, but his production has declined since he suffered a hip injury in Pittsburgh. Mark Canha has picked up the slack as he has hit 17 so far this year.

The A’s have 10 players on the roster with 10 or more homers. The A’s have to continue winning. It would be nice if they could take four out of five from the Sox and the Giants. They have to contend with the Astros, which is no easy task. The Astros have an outstanding starting rotation. They have a virtual All-Star team on the field. They are loaded with stars such as Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Yule Guriel, Michael Brantley, George Springer, and Josh Reddick.

The A’s then have a day off to catch their breath and then go up against the mighty Yankees. The A’s will have to be at their best just to keep up with the Rays. A’s manager Bob Melvin will have his team ready. This is the time of the year that the fans will be seeing great baseball.