Author: rxslugger

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

A’s beat the Cardinals 2-0 to sweep the 2-game series

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s, behind Daniel Mengden’s outstanding outing, downed the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. A’s catcher Beau Taylor hit a solo home run in the fourth, and Matt Chapman homered in the seventh to provide the offense the A’s needed.

The start of the game was delayed a few minutes due to a short rainstorm in the St. Louis area. The Cards gave some time to members of the St. Louis Blues to drive around the stadium with the Stanley Cup. The Blues won the cup for the first time in their history.

Mengden, who was called up from Las Vegas to take Frankie Montas’ position in the starting rotation, pitched exceptionally well. He gave the A’s six innings of work, and he allowed just four hits and no runs. Mengden walked one and struck out five. Yusmeiro Petit worked the seventh, and Joakim Soria the eighth. Both retired the Cardinals in order. Liam Hendriks worked the ninth. With one out, he gave up a double to Marcel Ozuna. Hendriks retired Jose Martinez and Yadier Molina to seal the win for the A’s. Mengden’s record improved to 2-1, and his ERA dropped to 4.09. Hendriks earned his second save. Hendriks is now the closer until Blake Treinen returns from the 10-day IL.

The Card Adam Wainwright also pitched well. He went 6 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits and two runs. Both runs came on home runs by Beau Taylor (#2) and Matt Chapman (#19). He walked one and struck out nine. He is now 5-7 for the season.

The A’s line was two runs, eight hits, and no errors. The Cards’ line was no runs, five hits, and no errors.

With the win, the A’s are now five games over the .500 mark with a record of 43-38. The Cards drop to 40-39. The A’s picked up a game on the Houston Astros and trail them by seven games. The Texas Rangers won their game, and they lead the A’s by 1 1/2 games in the race for second place in the AL West.

The A’s left for Anaheim after completion of the game. They begin a four-game series with the LA Angels starting Thursday night at 7:07 pm Tanner Anderson (0-2, 4.20 ERA) will go for Oakland, and Griffin Canning (2-4, 3,88 ERA) will pitch for LA.

Time of game was two hours and 46 minutes. 44,871 fans watched the game.

A’s put on a power display to beat the Cardinals 7-3

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s started the six-game road trip with a win over the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night. The A’s won the sixth of their last eight games and moved four games over the .500 mark with a 42-38 record.

The A’s put one on the board in the top of the second when first baseman Matt Olson bashed his 13th of the year. The lead didn’t last long as the Cardinals plated three off A’s starter Chris Bassitt. The Cards led 3-1 after two.

The A’s plated six in the top of the fifth. Josh Phegley led off with a double. Chad Pinder followed with his seventh big fly to tie the game. Marcus Semien hit a back-to-back jack to give Oakland the lead 4-3. The A’s scored three more in the inning. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson singled to put men on with one out. Cards starter Jack Flaherty retired Ramon Laureano for the second out. Former Cardinal, Stephen Piscotty, singled to drive in Chapman. Khris Davis entered the game as a pinch-hitter, and he came through with a double to drive in Olson and Piscotty. The A’s led 7-3.

Chris Bassitt was relieved in the bottom of the fourth. He went 3 1/3 innings in his shortest outing in 12 starts this year. Bob Melvin brought in J.B. Wendelken to pitch. Wendelken finished the fourth and was the pitcher of record. He was credited with his first Major League win. His record is now 1-1.  The A’s used four more relievers to finish the game. They held the Cards scoreless over the last five innings to seal the win for the A’s

Game two of the two-game series will be played Wednesday in St. Louis. The A’s will start Daniel Mengden, who was recalled from Las Vegas to take the spot in the rotation that was created when Frankie Montas was suspended for 80 games for the use of an illegal substance. The Cards will have the veteran pitcher, Adam Wainwright on the hill. Wainwright is 5-6 and has a 4.50 ERA. It will be his third career start against the A’s.

Preview: A’s-Cards to open 2-game series starting Tuesday night

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photo from the stltoday.com: St Louis Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina congratulates Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols in Pujols’ last appearance in Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday.

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, with a record of 41-38, travel to St.Louis to play two games against the Cardinals. The Cardinals are 40-37 and are in third place in the NL Central. They trail the Chicago Cubs by two games in the race for first place in the division. They are 1/2 game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for second place.

The A’s will be facing a team that is always in the mix for a post-season berth. The Cardinals have a lineup with players that can send the ball out of the park. The key players for the Cardinals are first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, third baseman Matt Carpenter, outfielders Marcel Ozuna, Jose Martinez, Dexter Fowler, and Harrison Bader. The catching chores are shared by Yadier Molina and Matt Wieters.

The Cardinals obtained Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks last winter. So far, Goldschmidt is hitting .260 and has 14 home runs and 31 RBIs. Carpenter is having an off-year hitting .218, but has hit 10 dingers. Left-fielder Marcel Ozuna is the big power man on the team. Ozuna, in his second year in St. Louis, has 20 homers and 62 RBIs so far.

The pitching matchups will see Chris Bassitt going for Oakland on Tuesday. Bassitt (4-3, 3.64 ERA) pitched well last week against Baltimore. The A’s are hoping the magic rubs off against the Cardinals. Jack Flaherty (4-4, 4.24 ERA) will be the Cardinals’ starter. On Wednesday, Tanner Anderson will be the A’s choice to pitch, and the Cardinals will counter with the veteran Adam Wainwright.

The Cardinals’ bullpen will feature Andrew Miller and Genesis Cabrera from the left side. Their righties are John Brebbia, Giovanny Gallegos, John Gant, Jordan Hicks, and Carlos Martinez. Martinez has been designated as the team’s closer.

Since the game is being played in a National League Park, the A’s will not be able to use the Designated Hitter. A’s right-fielder- Stephen Piscotty will be making his first trip back to St. Louis. Piscotty was traded to the A’s before the start of the 2018 season.

On paper, the teams appear to be evenly matched. The A’s are having problems dealing with the loss of Frankie Montas and Blake Treinen. Montas is gone for 80 games, and Treinen has been placed on the 10-day IL with a shoulder issue.

The A’s finish the six-game road trip with four with the LA Angels in Anaheim. The Cardinals will play the A’s again in Oakland on August 3rd and 4th.

Chapman homers in 9th to help A’s to 5-4 walk-off win

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Photo credit: @nbcbayarea

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The A’s came back from a 4-1 deficit with two out in the ninth to beat the Rays 5-4 at Oakland Coliseum on Thursday night. Thursday’s hero was A’s third baseman Matt Chapman. Chappie came to the plate with two on and two out, with the A’s trailing 4-2, and came through with his 17th home of the year. The blast sent the A’s players onto the field to congratulate Chapman, and 12,351 fans went home with smiles on their faces.

The two starters, the Rays’ Charlie Morton and A’s Frankie Montas, pitched exceptionally well. Morton baffled the A’s for 6 1/3 innings allowing just four hits and one run. Montas was better. Frankie gave the A’s eight innings, and allowed one run and four hits. It was probably the best outing of the year for Montas. It was a no-decision for both. Each team’s destiny laid in the hands of the bullpen. A’s closer Blake Treinen gave up three runs, and appeared to be the losing pitcher. The A’s offense saved him as they scored four times off Rays’ closer Diego Castillo was 7-for-7 in save opportunities this year.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the fifth. The Rays’ Charlie Morton had been motoring along allowing just one hit in the first four innings of the game. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Jurickson Profar took Morton deep over the 362-foot marker in right-center. It was Profar’s 10th of the season and the A’s led 1-0.

The lead didn’t last long as Tommy Pham blasted his 13th of the year to tie the game. Montas didn’t get rattled, and he retired the next two hitters. He has given up one run and four hits through six innings of work.

Things went south for Oakland in the top of the ninth. Ryan Christenson, filling in for Bob Melvin, elected to bring in Blake Treinen to pitch the ninth. Montas had been dominant for eight innings and had allowed but one run and four hits. His pitch count was at 93 and Christenson could have sent Frankie out to start the ninth. Christenson didn’t, and the move backfired on the A’s. Treinen, who has control issues all season, walked the first two hitters he faced. The Rays then pulled off a double steal to put men at second and third with no out. Avisail Garcia singled to drive in Tommy Pham with the Rays’ second run. Brandon Lowe stopped at third. Ji-Man Choi singled to drive in Lowe. Garcia went to third and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Willy Adames. The Rays scored three runs on two walks, two hits, three stolen bases, and a sacrifice bunt. The Rays led 4-1 midway through the ninth.

The A’s were not done. They rallied to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Rays’ closer committed a closer’s cardinal sin: He walked Robbie Grossman leading off. Grossman advanced to second on a wild pitch. Profar walked to put men on at first and second with one out, Beau Taylor, pinch-hitting for Josh Phegley, struck out. Marcus Semien, with his 16-game hitting streak on the line, singled to drive in Grossman with the A’s second run. Profar and Semien advanced a base when Kevin Kierman mishandled the ball for an error. Rays’ manager Kevin Cash opted to pitch to Matt Chapman. Had the Rays walked Chappie, Castillo would have had to throw to the left-handed Matt Olson. The decision to pitch to Chapman cost the Rays the game as Chapman blasted his 17th home run of the year. The A’s walked off with a 5-4 win.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 40-36. The Rays dropped their fourth in a row and are 43-32. The Rays are now 4 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the race for first place in the AL East.

Marcus Semien extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a single in his last at-bat in the ninth. Jurickson Profar and Matt Chapman homered for the A’s. Tommy Pham homered for the Rays.

Chapman’s home run was his second walk-off home run of the season and the second of his career.

Lpu Trivino was the winning pitcher. Trivino worked one third of an inning. Castillo took the loss for the Rays.

Oakland’s line score was five runs, seven hits, and no errors. Tampa Bay’s line was four runs, six hits, and one significant error.

Time of game was three hours and one minute.

Up Next: Game two of the four-game series will be played Friday night at the Coliseum.

Tanner Anderson will be making his third start for the A’s, and the Rays have not announced their starter. Game time will be at 7:07 pm.

A’s, behind Bassitt and Phegley, beat O’s to sweep 3-game series

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s completed the three-game sweep over the Baltimore Orioles by beating them 8-3 at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday.

The O’s have now lost eight in a row, and the team is floundering at the bottom of the AL with a record of 21-53. They seem to be channeling the 2013 Houston Astros. The Astros, in their first year in the AL, lost over 100 games. They made great draft selections and made it to the top of the baseball world in 2017 when they won their first World Series. The O’s were not a good team last year, and they are on the same path this year. To make matters worse, the O’s best player, Trey Mancini, was hit on his left elbow with a 92-MPH sinker thrown by Chris Bassitt. Mancini left the game, and the MRI showed that he had an elbow contusion.

Bassitt pitched very well Wednesday afternoon. Bassitt went 5 and 2/3rds innings and allowed two hits and two runs, Bassitt almost came out of the game in the first inning. A’s manager Bob Melvin noticed that something might be wrong with Bassitt’s finger. Bassitt had a loose piece of skin, and that hampered his throwing motion. The A’s trainer came out and clipped off the skin.

“I felt a whole lot better than I have the last couple of outings,” Bassitt said. “For a couple outings, I went into this weird mode where I was trying to throw strikes, and that’s not me. I’m just trying to throw a fastball by you 80 times a game.”

Bassitt retired 16 of the 18 hitters he faced and did not allow a hit until Jonathan Villar singled with one out in the sixth.

The A’s put three runs on the board in the fifth, one in the sixth, and four in the seventh. Josh Phegley homered with two on to put the A’s ahead 3-0 after five complete. The Orioles scored two in the top of the sixth. The A’s responded with one in their half of the inning. The O’s scored one in the top of the seventh to make it 4-3.

The A’s put the game out of reach when they scored four times off O’s reliever Shaun Armstrong. The A’s win 8-3.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s improve to 39-36. The O’s drop to 21-53. The O’s have also lost eight in a row.

The A’s hitting stars were Josh Phegley with a three-run blast, Stephen Piscotty with two doubles, and Marcus Semien with two hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Bassitt is now 4-3 for the year and lefty Josh Rogers is 0-1. Jimmy Yacabonis started for the O’s and went two innings before giving way to Rogers.

Up Next: The A’s begin a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday night in Oakland. The A’s won two out of three from the Rays last weekend in Tampa Bay. The Rays were swept by the Yankees in New York and are now 3 1/2 games behind New York for first place in the AL East.

Frankie Montas (9-2, 2.85 ERA) will go for the A’s, and he will be opposed by the crafty right-handed veteran pitcher Charlie Morton. Morton beat the A’s last week in Tampa. Morton is 8-1 and has an ERA of just 2.37. Morton lost his first game to the Angels last week. Morton is 2-1 with an ERA of 3.27 in six career starts against the A’s.

Game time will be at 7:07 pm.

The A’s will be celebrating African American Heritage night, and fans will receive an Oakland Larks replica cap.

A’s win laugher, pound hapless Orioles 16-2

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The A’s bats came alive Tuesday night as they pummeled the Baltimore Orioles 16-2. The A’s led the whole way. A’s starter Brett Anderson was in cruise control until the top of the fifth. Anderson had allowed the O’s just one hit in his first four innings of work. The O’s scored two in the fifth to make it a 4-2 game. The roof came crashing down on them in the bottom of the sixth when the A’s scored 10 runs. They had three homers in the inning, and the game was just about over as they led the O’s 14-2. The A’s tacked on two more in the eighth and 14,310 fans went home very happy.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, A’s catcher Beau Taylor, hitting from the left side, blasted his first career home run to put the A’s on the board. The Green and Gold led 1-0 after three.

The A’s added three more in the fourth. First baseman Matt Olson led off with a booming double off the wall in left field. Orioles’ pitcher Gabriel Ynoa hit Khris Davis with a pitch to put men on at first and second with no out. The next hitter, Ramon Laureano, who robbed former Athletic Renato Nunez of an extra-base hit in deep center field, hit his 11th dinger of the year to drive in Olson and Davis. The A’s now led 4-0.

The O’s cut the deficit to two in the top of the fifth. Brett Anderson, who had given up just one hit in the first four innings, was burned by Orioles’ second baseman, Jonathan Villar. Villar sent Anderson’s pitch over the wall in center field wall for the O’s first run. Keon Broxton followed with a single and then stole second to get into scoring position. Orioles’ third baseman Rio Ruiz hit a sharp ground ball that was fielded by Marcus Semien. Semien tried to nail Broxton at third, but his throw got by Matt Chapman at third. Broxton scored, and Ruiz ended up at second base. Only one run was earned. The A’s still led 4-2.

The A’s blew the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth. They sent thirteen men to the plate. They had eight hits, including a two-run blast and two three-run round trippers as they scored 10 times. Three runs were earned, and seven were unearned. Robbie Grossman hit the two-run blast and Khris Davis and Stephen Piscotty each hit a three-run job. Marcus Semien drove in a run with a triple to extend his hitting streak to fifteen games.

The A’s scored two more in the eighth when Chad Pinder hit a pinch-hit home run with a man on board to make it 16-2.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 38-36. The O’s fell to 21-52. They have the worst record in the American League East.

Brett Anderson improved to 7-4 and O’s starter Gabriel Ynoa dropped to 0-4.

The A’s hit six home runs in the game. It was the first time at the Coliseum since September 2003 when they did it against the Los Angeles Angels.

Up Next: The A’s conclude the three-game series against the O’s Wednesday afternoon at the Coliseum. Chris Bassitt will pitch for the A’s, and the O’s have not announced their starter. Game time is at 12:37 pm.

A’s nip the Orioles 3-2 to win the series opener

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The A’s bounced back from a tough loss to the Seattle Mariners on Father’s day to defeat the woeful Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum. Mike Fiers performed well once more and won his seventh game of the season. O’s starter, Jack Cashner, also pitched well. He gave up three runs, two of which were unearned. The O’s defense helped Cashner lose his third of the year. The A’s and O’s have played five times this year and the A’s have won four of the five.

The A’s grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien doubled leading off. With the double, Semien extended his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games. With one out, Matt Olson doubled down the right field line to drive in Semien.

The O’s put two unearned runs on the board in the top of the second. O’s DH Pedro Severino led off with a single. The next hitter, Rio Ruiz, laid down a sacrifice bunt that hugged the grass going down the third base line. A’s third baseman charged the ball and threw off-balance. His throw went past first baseman, Matt Olson. Severino scored, and Ruiz ended up on third base. Second baseman Hanser Alberto put down a sacrifice bunt to drive in Ruiz with the O’s second run.

The A’s regained the lead in the bottom of the third. They scored two unearned runs on the strength of two walks, an infield hit, a throwing error and a reversal of call at home plate. Josh Phegley and Marcus Semien walked to start the rally. Matt Chapman reached on an infield single to load the bases with no out. Matt Olson reached on a fielder’s choice. O’s third baseman Rio Ruiz made a throwing error that allowed Phegley to score. Semien was out at second, and Matt Chapman was called out trying to score from first base on the throw, The A’s challenged the ruling and the call was overturned when the replay showed Chappie beat the throw to the plate. The A’s lead 3-2 after three complete.

Mike Fiers pitched well once more. Fiers went 6 2/3 innings of work. His allowed three hits and two runs. Both runs were unearned. Fiers, in his last eight starts, is 5-0 and has an ERA of 2.45. Liam Hendriks pitched an inning and a third and did not allow a hit. Blake Treinen retired the O’s 1-2-3 to record his 16th save of the year.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s improve to 37-36. Baltimore drops to 21-51. The O’s seem to be channeling the old St. Louis Browns as they own the worst record in the American League. The Browns moved to Baltimore after the 1953 season and became the O’s.

Marcus Semien doubled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. His batting average during the streak is a stunning .390.

Oakland’s line score was three runs, five hits, and one error. Baltimore’s line was two runs, three hits, and one error.

12,345 people watched the A’s down the O’s and the time of game was two hours and 32 minutes.

Up Next: The A’s meet the O’s Tuesday night at the Coliseum. Game time is at 7:07 pm. Lefty Brett Anderson will pitch for Oakland. Anderson is 6-4 for the year. He pitched well his last time out, but he did not get a win as the bullpen did not do its job that day. Anderson will be seeking his seventh win. He will be opposed by Baltimore’s Gabriel Ynoa. Ynoa is 0-3 and has an ERA of 5.02.

Raptors take down the Warriors 114-110 to win their first NBA Championship

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Photo credit: @Raptors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors lost a thriller to the Toronto Raptors 114-110 in Game 6 at Oracle Arena Thursday night.

The Warriors, trying to overcome adversity with the loss of Kevin Durant in Game 5, and Klay Thompson late in the third quarter of Game 6, gave it their all, but it was not quite enough.

The Warriors showed no quit. They played with the hearts of the champions that they are. They played with courage. They did not have a full roster throughout the Finals. They lost DeMarcus Cousins in the first round against the Clippers. Cousins found his way back and played in five of the six games in the Finals. They lost Kevin Durant in Game 5 of the second round series with the Houston Rockets. They shocked the NBA by beating the Rockets in Game 6. They lost Klay Thompson in Game 2 with a strained hamstring. He missed his first game ever in the playoff. Thompson was injured late in the third quarter after he was fouled. Thompson made the two free throws and then went to the locker room. He did not return to the game. Kevon Looney suffered a shoulder injury, and he, too, missed a game. Looney should everyone what he is made of. He came back to play and played well. He had to leave Game 5 as he experienced severe pain in the injured area. He was on the floor on Thursday night.

The Raptors won a very hard-fought series. They are the champions of the NBA for the first time in their history. The Raptors, coached by first-year head coach Nick Nurse, won the Larry O’Brien Trophy 4-2. The Raptors trade with the San Antonio Spurs brought them two key players, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, who arrived to Toronto in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. How good was Leonard? Leonard, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, showed that he was an excellent offensive player as well. Leonard was awarded the Bill Russell Trophy for being the Finals MVP.

The Warriors had to figure out a way to stop the Raptors’ big men. The Warriors had trouble all series with Pascal Siakam, Serge, Ibaka, and Marc Gasol. The Raptors’ Fred VanVleet, coming off the bench, showed that he was an excellent sixth man, and he was called upon to guard Steph Curry. The Raptors’ plan for Thursday night’s game was to double team Curry every time he handled the ball. Klay Thompson had the hot hand in the first half as he put 18 on the board.

The first 24 minutes of the game was extremely competitive. The Raptors’ Kyle Lowry was hot at the start of the game. Lowry knocked down 15 in the quarter. The Raptors led 19-12 about midway through the first quarter. The Warriors knew what was at stake and met the challenge. They trailed by one 33-32 at the end of the first period. The second period was nip and tuck all the way to the end of the half. There were 14 lead changes in the first half. Toronto led 60-57 at the intermission.

It was more of the same in the third quarter. The lead changed hands several times. The Warriors were leading 83-80 when Klay Thompson was fouled going in for a layup. Thompson hit the floor, grasping his left leg as he was in a lot of pain. He headed to the locker room. Someone reminded the Warriors that if he could not make the free throws, he could not return to the game. Thompson returned and sank the two free throw to give the Warriors the lead 85-80. After making the two free throw, Thompson went to the locker room. He did not return and was seen leaving the arena on crutches. The third quarter ended with the Warriors nursing a two-point lead 88-86.

In the fourth quarter, with Klay Thompson out of the game and Steph Curry on the bench, Toronto regained the lead 94-93. Curry came back in with about nine minutes left to play. Curry hit a three to put the Warriors ahead 99-96. The teams tied at 99 and at 101. Toronto went on a 7-1 run to lead 108-102. Draymond Green made a three and DeMarcus Cousins put in a layup to close to 109-108 Each team scored two to make it 110-108 with 18.5 seconds left to play. The Warriors trailed by just one 111-110 with 18.5 seconds left. The Warriors’ defense stiffened, and the Raptors turned the ball over with 9.5 seconds left. The Raptors’ defense smothered the Warriors, and Green called for a timeout. The problem was that the Warriors were out of timeouts and they were charged with a technical foul and loss of possession. The Raptors made the free throw. With 0.9 seconds on the clock, the Raptors inbounded the ball. Kawhi Leonard was fouled and made both free throws. The Raptors won 114-110 and dethroned the Warriors as NBA champions.

Game Notes: For those that care, here are the stats–Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30, Curry had 21, Andre Iguodala 22, Cousins, 12. Draymond Green had a triple-double with 11 points, 19 rebounds, and 13 assists.

The Raptors were led by Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, who both tallied 26. Kawhi Leonard and Fred VanVleet had 22. Van Vleet knocked down 12 points in the fourth quarter. Serge Ibaka had 15.

The Warriors played their final game at Oracle Arena. Oracle has been their home for 47 years. They will be playing at the Chase Center in San Francisco when the 2019-20 season starts in October.

The Warriors will have to make decisions regarding several players. Will they bring back DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney? Will they give Klay Thompson a max contract? Kevin Durant will not play next season due to his Achilles tendon injury. Durant can opt to stay a Warrior next year even if he doesn’t play. Other teams in the NBA might be willing to offer him a four-year max contract knowing that he won’t play next season. Will Shaun Livingston retire? How will they improve the bench? Who will they get in the draft? Lots of decisions and just about three months before the players come back to start practice in late September or early October.

I know the players feel they swallowed a bitter pill. They will need to take a couple days off to erase the bitterness. They know they have the best fans in the NBA that will support them as they resume their quest for another championship next year.

A’s start a 10-game homestand against the Mariners on Friday night

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s finished a three-city, 10-game road trip on Wednesday in Tampa Bay. The A’s had a successful trip as they went 6-4 on the trip. They are off today, and resume play Friday night against the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners are in last place in the AL West. They got off to a good start, but things have gone south for them since mid-April. Scott Servais manages the M’s, and people in the Pacific Northwest are sensing that Servais may not be leading the club shortly. There are rumors that he will be replaced, but these are just rumors.

The M’s won the first four games between the two teams. The A’s swept the three-game series when the M’s were in Oakland in late May. The M’s will have lefty Marco Gonzales pitch Friday night. Gonzales beat the A’s on March 20th in Oakland. He is 6-6 and has a 4.75 ERA. Chris Bassitt will pitch for Oakland. Bassitt is 3-2 and has a 3.57 ERA. Friday night’s game will start at 6:37 pm and the A’s will have the first fireworks show of the season after the game.

The A’s will send their ace, Frankie Montas, to the mound on Saturday. Montas (8-2, 2.84 ERA) hasn’t lost a decision since April 29th vs. the Red Sox. Since then, he is 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA. The M’s plan to use an opener to pitch the first inning. They will bring in Wade LeBlanc from the bullpen to pitch in the second. LeBlanc has gone 14 innings and is 1-0 and has a 1.93 ERA in the last two outings coming out of the pen. Sunday’s game will feature the M’s Mike Leake going against Mike Fiers. Leake is 5-6 and has a 4.26 ERA. Leake is 1-2 in seven starts against the A’s the past two seasons. Fiers is 6-3, and he won his last start 4-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays last Tuesday.

The M’s lineup will not be the same the last time they were in Oakland. They have several key players on the Injured List. Shortstop J.P.Crawford is out with an arm injury. Outfielder Mitch Haniger, who absolutely loves to kill the A’s, suffered a ruptured testicle injury and will not be available. Third baseman Ryon Healy, the former Athletic, may be available. Finally, the king Felix Hernandez, who made his living beating the A’s, will also not be available.

The M’s still have players that can do damage. The A’s pitchers will have to find ways to slow down hitters such as Edwin Encarnacion, Dee Gordon, Tim Beckham, Kyle Seager, Daniel Vogelbach, Domingo Santana, Mallex Smith, and Mac Williamson.

The A’s lineup is potent. They have players up and down the lineup that can hit the ball out of the park. Their defense is solid. Third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson are Gold Glove candidates. Both players can hit the ball out of the park, too. Marcus Semien has been solid all year. Semien, who had trouble fielding his first two seasons with the A’s, worked hard to improve, and the results are showing. Jurickson Profar is playing better. His fielding has improved, and his batting average is on the rise. Both Semien and Profar have some pop in their bats. Catcher Josh Phegley, playing every day for the first time in his career, has given the A’s some offense from the catcher’s spot in the lineup. Outfielders Ramon Laureano, Stephen Piscotty, and Robbie Grossman are not easy outs. DH Khris Davis is one of the most feared sluggers in baseball.

The A’s enter the game with a record of 35-34. Seattle is 29-42. The M’s are playing the Twins in Minnesota on Thursday. The Twins are leading 10-1 late in the game. It appears the Mariners will drop to 29-43 and will be 7 1/2 games behind the A’s.

The A’s would like to add to the M’s woes this weekend. The weather has cooled down a bit and, hopefully, the fans will come out to see the A’s play. Fireworks on Friday night, and on Sunday, the A’s will be giving away a Khris Davis bat courtesy of Ashy Lumber. It will also be Youth Baseball and Softball day and Prostate Cancer Awareness Day. Sunday is Father’s Day, and taking a baseball day with the family is a great way to celebrate.

Ramon Laureano’s grand slam propels the A’s to a 6-2 win over the Rays

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Photo credit: nbcbayarea.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s ended the 10-game road trip with a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday afternoon. The A’s finished the road trip with a 6-4 record and return home to face the Seattle Mariners Friday night.

The A’s veteran lefty Brett Anderson pitched well again on Wednesday. Anderson gave the A’s 6 1/3 innings and allowed seven hits and two runs. The Rays’ Yonny Chirinos also pitched well. The young man from Venezuela gave the Rays six innings of work. He allowed two runs and seven hits.

The A’s put one on the board in the top of the fourth. A’s DH Khris Davis led off the inning with a double. He tagged and went to third on Stephen Piscotty’s fly ball to centerfield. Ramon Laureano drove in Davis on an infield single. The A’s added a run in the sixth when Matt Olson took Chirinos deep with his eleventh big fly of the season. The A’s led 2-0 after six.

Anderson started the seventh inning. He was effective all game long as he mixed his pitches well and kept the hitters off balance with fastballs, sliders, and changeups.

With one out, Rays’ centerfielder Guillermo Heredia singled. Former San Francisco Giant Christian Arroyo walked. Ryan Christensen, who was managing, the club as manager Bob Melvin was tossed for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire, brought in Liam Hendriks to pitch. Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz double to drive in Heredia with the Rays’ first run. Arroyo stopped at third. The A’s walked Austin Meadows, who is leading the AL in hitting, to load the bases. Rays’ right fielder Avaisal Garcia reached on a fielder’s choice. Marcus Semien fielded the ball, and since there was a force play at any base, he looked to get the out at third. Chapman wasn’t covering the base, and that forced Semien to try to get the out at second. The throw was just a hair late. Arroyo scored to tie the game.

The A’s regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Matt Olson led off with a single. Davis struck out. Piscotty walked. Rays’ reliever uncorked a wild pitch to advance Olson and Piscotty. The Rays walked Robbie Grossman to set up an inning-ending double play. The Rays brought in lefty Colin Poche to pitch to Ramon Laureano. The strategy failed as Laureano hit his ninth home run of the year to put four on the board.

The A’s called on Lou Trivino to pitch the eighth. Trivino gave up three hits, but the Rays failed to score. Blake Treinen retired the Rays to preserve the win for the A’s.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s improve to 35-34. The Rays are now 41-26 and fall 1/2 game behind the New York Yankees in the race for first place in the AL East.

Liam Hendriks was credited with the win, and his record is now 3-0. He also received credit for his first blown save. Adam Kolarek was the losing pitcher for Tampa Bay.

Up Next: The A’s are off on Thursday. They resume play Friday night when they meet the Seattle Mariners for a three-game set at the Oakland Coliseum.