Author: rxslugger

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

Cardinals beat A’s again 6-2 to extend A’s losing streak to five games

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Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler celebrates as he arrives home after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the St Louis Cardinals on Tue Aug 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s continued their losing ways as they lost for the fifth consecutive game in St. Louis. The A’s gave the start to 30-year-old Spenser Watkins. Watkins was pitching for his third team this year. Watkins started the season with the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles traded him to the Houston Astron on June twenty-third. Watkins’ stay with the Astros was short. The Astros designated him for assignment on August eighth, and the ‘s signed him a few days later. Watkins was filling in for Freddy Tarnok, who went on the IL a few days ago.

Unfortunately for Watkins, the Cardinals’ first three hitters put three runs on the board before Watkins retired a single Cardinal hitter. Watkins pitched better, but the A’s offense failed to support him. The Cardinals went on to beat the A’s 6-2.

The Cardinals’ leadoff hitter Lars Nootbar doubled to get things rolling for the Cardinals. The Redbirds’ big first baseman Paul Goldschmidt doubled to drive in Nootbar with the game’s first run. Third baseman Nolan Arenado sent a Watkins’ changeup into the left-field seats to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

It was Arenado’s 25th home run of the season and the 324th of his storied career. Watkins retired the next two hitters. Rookie sensation Jordan Walker, the hero of Tuesday night’s game, blasted his 11th big fly of the 2023 campaign over the fence in right field. The Cardinals led 4-0 after one inning.

The Cardinals tacked on another run in the fourth. Watkins walked Jordan Walker leading off the inning. The Cardinals’ catcher Andrew Knizner, filling in for the injured Willson Conteras, doubled to left field. Walker scored to give St. Louis a 5-0 advantage.

The A’s plated two runs in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals’ starter Dakota Hudson had allowed the A’s just three hits in the game’s first six innings. With one out in the seventh, A’s catcher Tyler Soderstrom singled. Rookie centerfielder Lawrence Butler blasted his first Major League home run to make it a bit closer as they trailed the Cardinals 5-2 midway through the seventh. 

The Cardinals scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the eighth. Cardinal shortstop Tommy Edman homered to put the CArdinals in the driver’s seat. The A’s failed to score in the ninth. St. Louis wins 6-2.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 33-87. The Cardinals improved to 54-66.

The line score for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors. The line for St. Louis was six runs, 14 hits, and no errors.

Dakota Hudson was the winning pitcher. Spenser Watkins was the losing hurler.

The hitting stars for the Cardinals were Nolan Arenado, with a home run and three singles. Paul Goldschmidt had two doubles, and Andrew Knizner had a single and a double.

Lawrence Butler’s first Major League home run was the big hit for the A’s. 

The A’s end the six-game road trip Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis. The A’s Paul Blackburn (2-3 ERA 4.52) will be on the hill looking for his third win of the year. The Cardinals will send lefty Matthew Liberatore out to pitch. Liberatore is 2-4 and has an ERA of 5.72.

The game will start at 3:45 pm.

A’s beat themselves fall to Cardinals 7-5 Monday night at Busch

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neill is safe at second for a stolen base as Oakland Athletics shortstop Nick Allen handles the throw during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Mon Aug 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s lost for the fourth time in a row and the sixth time in the last seven games. Oakland blew a 7-2 lead on Sunday as the Washington Nationals scored six times in the ninth to beat the A’s. A’s manager Mark Kotsay told his team to turn the page.

Put the loss behind you and go out and figure out a way to get a win. It is good advice for a young team, but the A’s found a way to beat themselves as they lost to the host St.Louis Cardinals, 7-5 on Monday night.

The A’s sent left J.P. Sears to the hill Monday night. Sears has a record of two wins and nine losses. The A’s hoped to get five or more innings of work from the young lefty. Sears did not start well, as he walked three Cardinal hitters in the first inning.

He was lucky to get out of the inning unscathed. St.Louis plated a run in the second inning. With one out, CArdinal right-fielder Jordan Walker singled. Sears struck out Taylor Motter for the second out. The inning appeared to be over when Sears’ throw to first base got Walker in a rundown.

A’s first baseman, Tyler Soderstrom’s throw to second was slightly off the mark. Zack Gelof, standing behind the bag, applied the tag. The umpire called Walker out. The Cardinals challenged the call, and the replay showed Gelof failed to tag the runner. Walker was ruled safe. The next hitter, Tommy Edman, singled to drive in. Walker with the run. The Cards lead 1-0 after two.

The A’s took the lead in the top of the fifth. Cardinal starter Miles Mikolas hit Nick Allen with two out with a pitch. Esteury Ruiz, playing left field for the A’s, blasted his second home run of the year. The ball barely made it over the 375-foot marker in left field.

Mikolas, like Sears, is a leader in allowing gopher balls. For Mikolas, it was the 24th dinger allowed this season. The A’s led 2-1 midway through the fifth inning. The lead didn’t last long as the Cardinals put two on the board in their half of the fifth.

Edman singled, leading off the inning. The next hitter Paul Goldschmidt, a former National League MVP, hit a bomb that went 411 feet in the seats in left field. For Goldschmidt, it was his 19th of the year. For Sears, it was the 23rd homer allowed. Sears ranks third in home runs allowed. The Cards led 3-2 after five.

Oakland rallied to put three runs on the board in the seventh. With one out, rookie centerfield Lawrence Butler and shortstop Nick Allen singled. Ruiz lined out to the shortstop for the second out. Zack Gelof doubled down the left field line to drive in Butler with Oakland’s third run.

Gelof continues to impress. The young second baseman from Delaware has 18 extra-base hits in his first 26 games in the Major Leagues. Allen stopped at third. Set Brown singled to drive in Allen and Gelof. The A’s needed the bullpen to do its job and keep the Cardinals off the board.

The A’s brought Angel Felipe to pitch in the bottom of the seventh. It was not a night that Felipe would remember. He walked the leadoff hitter, Paul Goldschmidt. Felipe struck out Nolan Arenado for the first out. Felipe walked the next two hitters to load the bases.

Mark Kotsay had seen enough. Felipe was removed, and newly acquired lefty Francisco Perez was now pitching. Perez could not find the strike zone either. He walked Lard Nootbar to force in a run. The A’s still were leading, 5-4. Perez struck out Luken Baker for the second out.

The next hitter was the 21-year-old Jordan Walker. With three balls and two strikes, the three runners were running on the pitch. Walker boomed a line drive to right field. Seth Brown, attempting to make the catch, saw the ball bounce off his glove. The Cardinals scored three runs and took a 7-5 lead. They were able to plate four due to four walks and one hit. Baseball is a crazy game.

The A’s failed to score in the eighth or nine innings. Oakland’s bullpen failed to hold the lead for the second game in a row.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are 33-86 for the year. The Cardinals are 52-66. The Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central Division. The Cardinals have had just one losing season since the year 2000.

The line score for Oakland was five runs, eight hits, and no errors.
The line for St. Louis was seven runs, eight hits, and two errors.

The winning pitcher was Jo Jo Romero. The losing pitcher was Angel Felipe.

The A’s have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday’s game. Freddy Tarnok was supposed to start but was placed on the IL on Monday. The Cardinals will send Dakota Hudson to the mound. Hudson is 3-0 and has a 4.31 ERA.

Dodgers rout A’s again 8-2 sweep three game series at Chavez Ravine

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The Oakland A’s Tyler Soderstrom (37) goes yard on Los Angeles Dodgers pitching in the top of the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Soderstrom’s home run was one of two A’s runs for Thu Aug 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third time in three nights. The A’s had won two out of three from the Colorado Rockies last weekend and hoped to show the Dodgers that they could compete with the big guys.

The Dodgers, the best team in the NL West, are gunning for their tenth NL West crown in the last eleven seasons. The Dodgers have talent up and down the lineup. Their two big bats, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, performed well against the A’s.

Freeman was unstoppable. Freeman, who hails from Southern California, had two doubles and a home run against the woeful A’s Thursday night. In the series, Freeman had ten hits in fourteen tries. Somehow, the A’s pitching did retire him twice in Thursday’s game. Freeman led the Dodgers to an easy 8-2 win to give the Dodgers a three-game sweep.

The A’s starter J.P.Sears pitched well for his five innings of work. Sears allowed six hits and two runs. He threw 95 pitches in his five innings pitched. The Dodgers starter Julio Urias was better. The Dodger lefty also pitched five innings Thursday night. His line was five innings, three hits, and no runs allowed. Urias won his eighth game this season. 

The Dodgers plated this first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Back-to-back doubles by Kike Hernandez and Miguel Rojas gave the Angelinos an early 1-0 lead. The Dodgers made it 2-0 when they put another run on the board in the third.

With one out, Sears walked Max Muncy. Sears struck out Chris Taylor for the second out. The versatile Kike Hernandez, playing center field Thursday night, worked Sears for a walk. Miguel Rojas then doubled to drive in Muncy. It was Rojas’ second double of the night and second RBI.

The A’s scored a run in the top of the sixth. Rookie second baseman Zack Gelof hit a solo homer just inside the foul pole in left field. For Gelof, it was his fifth dinger of the season. The A’s trailed 2-1 midway through the sixth.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay brought in righty Lucas Erceg to pitch the sixth inning. To say Erceg had a rough outing would be an understatement. The first two hitters he faced, Austin Barnes, and Mookie Betts, singled.

The next hitter was the toughest out in the Dodger lineup, Freeman. To everyone’s surprise in the ballpark, Erceg struck out Freeman for the first out. The next hitter, DH Will Smith, singled to shallow centerfield to drive in Barnes, Betts went to third, and Smith went to second on the throw home.

Second baseman Amed Rosario doubled to right field to drive in Betts and Smith. Ramon Laureano’s throw to third base got by A’s third baseman Jordan Diaz. Rosario advanced to third on the error. David Peralta, pinch-hitting for Muncy, singled to drive in Rosario with the fourth run of the inning to give the Dodgers a 6-1 advantage. 

The A’s rookie Tyler Soderstom, playing first base, blasted his first Major League home run in the eighth to make it a 6-2 game. However, the Dodgers scored twice in their half of the eighth. Freeman led off the eighth with his 22nd homer of the year. Freeman had two doubles earlier in the game, leading all of baseball with 40 doubles. The A’s pitcher, Zach Neal, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Las Vegas, walked Jason Heyward. Taylor doubled to drive in Heyward with the Dodgers’ eighth run. LA wins 8-2.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 30-80. The Dodgers improved to 62-45. The Dodgers lead the Giants by 2 and 1/2 games in the race for the NL West crown.

The hitting star of the game was Freeman. Freeman had three hits Thursday night and ten hits in the series. He raised his batting average to about .339 for the year. He has 22 homers and 40 doubles. He has to be considered a leading candidate for the National League’s Most Valuable Player.

The only bright spots were Gelof and Tyler Soderstom. Each rookie hit a solo home run.

The line score for Oakland was two runs, five hits, and two errors. LA’s line was eight runs, 14 hits, and no errors.

The Dodgers outscored the A’s 25-6 in the series.

The A’s sent pitcher Hogan Harris down to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators. The A’s designated Tyler Wade for assignment.

The A’s are off on Friday. Oakland will host the San Francisco Giants for two games this weekend. A’s fans are planning a reverse boycott for Saturday’s game. The A’s have not announced their pitchers for the weekend series.

Dodgers beat A’s 7-3; Lance Lynn gets first win as a Dodger

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Lance Lynn pitching in his first game as a Dodger against the Oakland A’s on Tue Aug 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Having won two out of three from the Colorado Rockies, the Oakland A’s came to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers. Lefty Ken Waldichuk was on the hill for Oakland. Lance Lynn would make his first start as a Dodger. Lynn did well, going seven innings and allowing three runs and five hits. The A’s just came up four runs short and were defeated by the Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium 7-3.

Three of the hits allowed were solo homers. Waldichuk did well for three innings. He struggled in the fourth and ended up being the losing pitcher. The game summary follows below.

Things went south for Waldichuk in the bottom of the fourth. Waldichuk kept the Dodgers hitless for the first three innings. Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman led off the fourth with a single. Waldichuk struck out Will Smith and Amed Rosario.

Suddenly, Waldichuk could not find the strike zone. He walked Max Muncy and Chris Taylor to load the bases. Waldichuk hit James Outman with a pitch to force in the Dodgers first run. A’s manager Mark Kotsay replaced Waldichuk with righty Tayler Scott. Kike Hernandez, recently acquired from Boston, doubled to clear the bases. The Dodgers lead 4-0 after four.

The A’s put a run on the board in the top of the sixth. With one out and no one on board, Zack Gelof blasted his fourth home run of the year into the left-field seats. For Lance Lynn, it was the 29th home run allowed, the most in baseball. The A’s trail 4-1 midway through the sixth.

The A’s hit two solo homers in the top of the seventh. Brent Rooker led off the inning with his 18th dinger of the season. Lynn retired Tyler Soderstrom for the first out. Jordan Diaz, playing third base for the A’s, hit an opposite-field home run to make it a 4-3 game.

It was an opposite-field dinger for the young man. Lynn has now allowed 31 gopher balls season. The Dodgers got two runs back in their half of the seventh. Mookie Betts blasted his 28th big fly of the year leading off the frame.

Freddie Freeman singled. Tarnol stuck out Will Smith for the first out. Amed Rosario walked to put men on at first and second. Lefty Sam Long was brought in to pitch. Long uncorked a wild pitch, Greeman and Rosario advanced a base. The A’s intentionally walked to Taylor to load the bases. Long walked James Outman to force in a run. The Dodgers lead 6-3 after seven.

The Dodgers tacked on a run in the eighth. With one out, Mookie Betts doubled. Freddie Freeman’s fourth hit of the night, a single to center, drove in Betts with the Dodgers’ seventh run. LA leads 7-3 after eight.

The A’s failed to score in the ninth.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 30-78. The Dodgers improved to 60-45. The Dodgers lead the San Francisco Giants by 2 1/2 games in the race for the NL West crown.

The Line score for Oakland was three runs, six hits, and no errors. Three of the hits were home runs.

The line score for LA was seven runs, seven hits, and no errors. The hitting stars for LA were Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Kike Hernandez. Betts had a double and a home run. Freeman had three singles and a double. Hernandez’ double drove in three runs in the fourth.

Lefty Hogan Harris will start for Oakland on Wednesday night. Tony Gonsolin will pitch for the Dodgers. The game will start at 7:10 pm.

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open three game series with Dodgers at Chavez Ravine Tuesday

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Ex Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn delivers a pitch the first inning against the Chicago Cubs on Wed Jul 26, 2023 in Chicago. Lynn was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers this week and will start Tue Aug 1, 2023 against the Oakland A’s at Dodgers Stadium (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s won two out of the three games against the Colorado Rockies this weekend. The A’s offense came to life on Friday and Saturday, putting 19 runs on the board and winning 8-5 and 11-3. The A’s offense went back to sleep on Sunday as they lost 2-0. The A’s record is now a woeful 30-77. Additionally, the A’s have the worst run differential (-255) in baseball. The A’s have scored 387 runs and have allowed a whopping 642.

The A’s finish the road trip in Los Angeles as they face the NL West Division leader, the Dodgers, for three games. The Dodgers are 59-45 and have a two-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the race for first place in the division. The Giants would love to have the A’s commit mayhem by beating the Dodgers.

The Dodgers, favorites to win the pennant in the National League this year, have been hit hard by the injury jinx. The Dodgers’ two best-starting pitchers are not available for the series. Clayton Kershaw, a future Hall of Fame player, is out with a shoulder injury until at least August 10th. Walker Buehler has yet to throw a pitch this season.

Buehler had Tommy John surgery and hoped to return to action around September 1st. Reliever Blake Treinen, a former Oakland Athletic, had rotator cuff surgery and has been unable to perform this season. Treinen is expected back on August 15th. The Dodgers traded with the Chicago White Sox the other day to bolster their pitching.

The Dodgers acquired a starter, Lance Lynn, and a reliever Joe Kelly. Lynn is having a down year. His record is 6-9, and his ERA is a bloated 6.47. Kelly was with the Dodgers in 2018 when they played the Boston Red Sox in the World Series that year. Kelly left the Dodgers to play for Boston and Chicago.

The Dodgers lost shortstop Gavin Lux for the season with a leg injury. The Dodgers lost their star shortstop, Trea Turner, to free agency. Turner is now with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodger third baseman Justin Turner left to play with the Red Sox.

The Dodgers made up for the loss of Justin Turner by signing J.D. Martinez as their DH. Martinez had a down year with Boston and is proving Boston wrong for letting him go. Martinez is hitting. 260 with 25 home runs and 75 RBIs.

The Dodgers’ offense is quite potent. Former NL MVP Freddie Freeman and former AL MVP Mookie Betts lead the offense. Other offensive threats are third baseman Max Muncy and catcher Will Smith. Freeman is hitting .329 with 21 homers and 73 RBIs. Betts’ numbers are .227, 27 dingers, and 68 RBIs. Muncy has hit 27 home runs and driven in 70.

The shortstop position has been a problem for the Dodgers this year. The Dodgers have been using Miguel Rojas but acquired Amed Rosario to help improve the play at that position. The Dodgers traded with Boston to bring back the super-utility man, Kike Hernandez. Hernandez can play shortstop, second base, or centerfield.

His ability to play multiple positions gives Dodger manager Dave Roberts the ability to use Mookie Betts in the outfield. David Peralta, James Outman, and Jason Heyward are other players contributing to the Dodger offense. All three players can hit the ball out of the park. The A’s pitching staff will have their hands full trying to contain the potent Dodger offense.

The Dodgers have announced their starters for the series. On Tuesday, Lance Lynn will be making his first start as a Dodger. Lynn has not pitched well this year. He is hoping that Dodger Stadium will be a good place to get a win for his new team.

On Wednesday, Tony Gonsolin will be on the hill for LA. Gonsolin is 5-4 and has an ERA of 4.25. On Thursday, left Julio Urias will start. Urias is 7-6 with an ERA of 4.98. The A’s have yet to announce their starters. Lefties Ken Waldichuk and Hogan Harris may see action.

The A’s would love to get a win or two in the series. The Dodgers are salivating to play the A’s as they hope to get three wins and increase their lead over the Giants. If the Dodgers pitchers are at the top of their game, they could sweep the A’s.

Taking the A’s lightly would be a mistake. The A’s may not have the name players like the Dodgers, but guys like JJ Bleday, Ryan Noda, Zack Gelof, and Brent Rooker can send the ball out of the park, and the A’s can make life a wee bit more miserable for the Dodgers. A’s manager Mark Kotsay will have his team ready. The A’s players will give Kotsay a 100% effort. They may not win, but they will give the Dodgers a total effort.

Oakland A’s game wrap: Giants rout A’s 8-3 sweep two-game series at Oracle Park; A’s open series in Colorado on Friday

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Oakland Athletics’ Ramón Laureano (22) celebrates with Tony Kemp, left, after scoring against the San Francisco Giants on Jace Peterson’s single during the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jul 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Francisco Giants offense woke up Wednesday night as they beat the A’s 8-3 to sweep the two-game series. The Giants had scored just five runs in their last four games. San Francisco needed the win to pick up a game on the LA Dodgers.

The Dodgers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 and now own a three-game lead over the Giants. The A’s were hoping to win, but that did not happen. The guys from Oakland still have the worst record in all of baseball. With the trade deadline this weekend, it will be interesting to see if the A’s will be making any transactions. The game summary follows below.

In the bottom of the first, with one out and a runner on second, Giants’ third baseman J D Davis sent Freddy Tarnok’s pitch out of the park. For Davis, it was his 13th big fly this season to give the Giants an early 2-0 lead.

The Giants put their third run of the night on the board in the bottom of the second. With one out, Mike Yazstermski singled. Tarnok retired Marco Luciano on a fly ball to right field. Luciano was making his Major League debut. Second baseman, Casey Schmitt, mired in a slump, doubled to drive in Yaz with the run. The G-Men lead 3-0 after two.

The A’s put a three-spot on the board in the top of the fourth. With one out, JJ Bleday doubled. Jakob Junis, the Giants’ third pitcher of the night, struck out Jordan Diaz for the second out. Ramon Laureano walked. A’s manager Mrk Kotsay sent in Jace Peterson to pinch hit for Aledmys Diaz.

Peterson singled to drive in Bleday, and Laureano went to third. However, Luis Matos’ throw home got by everyone for an error. Laureano scored, and Peterson went to third on the error. Shea Langeliers followed with a single to drive in Peterson with the A’s third run. The game is tied 3-3 midway through the fourth inning.

The Giants regained the lead in their half of the sixth. Wilmer Flores led off the inning with a ground-rule double. Harris retired J D Davis for the first out. Giants’ skipper Gabe Kapler had Austin Slater pinch-hit for Michael Conforto, Slater, for the eighth time in his career, hit a pinch-hit homer run to put the Giants ahead, 5-3. For Slater, it was his fifth dinger this year.

The Giants put the game out of reach in the eighth. With two outs, three consecutive doubles, and a single produced three runs to give the Giants the lead 8-3. Giants’ reliever Luke Jackson gave up an infield single to Jordan Diaz leading off in the ninth. Jackson then retired the next three hitters to end the game. The Giants win 8-3.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 28-76. The Giants improved to 56-47 and now trail the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by three games in the NL West division.

The line score for Oakland was three runs, eight hits, and one error.

The line for San Francisco was eight runs, nine hits, and one error. J D Davis and Austin Slater each had a two-run dinger. 

Both teams used a reliever to open the game. Ryan Walker started for the Giants and went two and 2/3rds innings. He did not allow a run. The Giants used six pitchers in the game. The A’s opener was Freddy Tarnok. Tarnok also went two and 2/3rds innings, but he gave up three hits, three runs, and a home run. The A’s used four pitchers.

Hogan Harris was the losing pitcher. His record is now 2-5. Alex Wood was the winning pitcher. 

The A’s do not play on Thursday, and they start a six-game road trip starting Friday night against the Colorado Rockies. After facing the Rockies, the A’s travel to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers.

The A’s nor the Rockies have yet to announce their starter for Friday. 

Attendance at the game was 36,142. 

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s-Giants open two game set at Oracle Park in Reunite the Bay series

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Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker, bottom, steals third base against Oakland Athletics third baseman Jace Peterson during the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum Sun Jul 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Once again, it will be the Battle of the Bay or the Bay Bridge Series. The choice will be yours. The San Francisco Giants will host the first two games this year on Jul 25 and 26 at Oracle Park. Then visit Oakland on August 5th and 6th to finish the series.

On Tuesday night, many A’s fans will continue their reverse boycott to protest the team’s possible relocation to Las Vegas. The fans want A’s owner, John Fisher, to hear their voices and keep the team in Oakland.

The A’s currently own the worst record in all of baseball. The A’s are 28-74. The other team challenging Oakland for the worst record is the Kansas City Royals, who are slightly better, 28-73.

The Giants are in third place in the National League West Division with a record of 54-47. They trail the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by 4 and 1/2 games. The Giants are returning home after an 11-game road trip.

The Giants, unfortunately, have lost their last six games. In the last three losses, the Giants scored just one run in those three games. They would love nothing better than winning both games from the A’s. The A’s starting pitching staff’s ERA over six runs per game is the worst in baseball. The Giants’ hitters want to exploit the A’s poor pitching.

The Giants have yet to announce their starters for the series. The A’s will send Ken Waldichuk to the mound Tuesday night. Waldichuk’s numbers are 2-6, ERA 6.75. On Wednesday, another left, Hogan Harris, will go for Oakland. Harris is 2-4, and his ERA is 6.11.

The Giants, who won 107 games in 2021, and 81 last year, are in contention to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Giants don’t have a superstar player, but they do have good players. The Giants’ outfield will feature Austin Slater, Luis Matis, and Michael Conforto.

Joc Pederson and Mike Yazstremski are available, also. The infield, minus Brandon Crawford, out with a knee problem, will have JD Davis at third base, Casey Schmitt at shortstop, David Villar at second base, and LaMonte Wade Jr at first base.

Wilmer Flores, who is hitting. 296 with 12 homers and 31 RBIs can fill in at first or third. Rookie Patrick Bailey is the catcher. Blake Sabol is the backup and can fill in the outfield if needed.

The Giants’ bullpen has been solid all year. Taylor and Tyler Rogers have pitched well for the Orange and Black. Former A’s starter Sean Manaea, now a reliever, hopes to see action against his former team. The Giants’ closer, Camilo Doval, has been outstanding and has recorded 30 saves this season.

The A’s will be without the services of first baseman Ryan Noda. Noda is out with a facial fracture. Seth Brown or Tyler Soderstrom are available to play first base. The A’s have some new faces on the team. Soderstom and Zack Gelof were introduced to the fans on the last homestand. Outfielder Cody Thomas is also a new face. As a team, the A’s have the lowest team batting average in baseball. Many of the regulars are barely over the Mendoza Line.

However, as they say in baseball, “You never know what’s going to happen.” The A’s would love to upset the Giant’s apple cart. The Giants want to continue the A’s misery. It should be a fun two-game series.

Starters for Oakland Ken Waldichuk (2-6 ERA 6.75) for San Francisco the Giants most likely will be using an opener at pitcher a 6:45pm PT first pitch at Oracle.

A’s pick up runs early to defeat Sox 6-5 win two out of three; A’s Fujinami dealt to Orioles for lefty Easton Lucas

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The Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong is prepared to put the tag on a diving Oakland A’s runner JJ Bleday in the bottom of the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Jul 19, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–Wednesday was a perfect day for baseball at the Oakland Coliseum. The temperature was 69 degrees at the start of the game. The A’s also had a nice crowd of slightly over 15,000 people. The fans made their presence known as they were making noise all game long. The A’s were coming off a 3-0 shutout over the Red Sox Tuesday night. Could they beat the Sox again?

The answer was yes. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay stacked his lineup with six left-handed hitters to square off against Boston’s best pitcher Brayan Bello. Bello’s record was 7-5 with an ERA of 3.14. The strategy worked as three A’s left-handed hitters each blasted a two-run home run to beat Boston.

The A’s beat the Red Sox 6-5 Wednesday afternoon at the Coliseum. The A’s, however, almost beat themselves as they committed four errors in Wednesday’s game. Ken Waldichuk and Lucas Erceg made a two-base throwing error trying to pick off a Boston baserunner at first base. Both errors led to two Boston runs.

The Red Sox jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. A’s starter Waldichuk walked the leadoff hitter Rob Refnsyder to start the game. Waldichuk retired Masataka Yoshida on a flyball to center field. Red Sox first baseman, the veteran Justin Turner, sent Waldichuk’s pitch into the left-field seats. The A’s got the two runs back in a flash in their half of the first. Tony Kemp singled to start the rally. JJ Bleday blasted his seventh home run of the year to tie the game at two apiece.

With one out in the bottom of the second, the A’s added took the lead 4-2. Jace Peterson walked. Left-handed hitter Cody Thomas blasted his first Major League home run to put the A’s in the lead. The ball went just over the yellow stripe in right field. Thomas must have felt great after his first MLB dinger.

In the bottom of the fourth, the A’s continued to pound the baseball. Catcher Shea Langeliers led off the frame with a double. Peterson hit the A’s third two-run dinger of the game to make it 6-2. For Peterson, it was his sixth big fly this season.

The Red Sox rallied to put two runs on the board in the top of the fifth. Waldichuk issued a free pass to Sox catcher Connor Wong. Wong went to third when Waldichuk’s pickoff attempt went past first baseman Tyler Soderstrom. Rob Refsnyder singled to drive in Wong. Yoshida doubled, sending Refsnyder to third. Turner’s groundout drove in Refsnyder with Boston’s fourth run of the game. The Sox trailed 6-4 midway through the fifth.

The Red Sox added a run in the top of the sixth. The A’s made two errors in the inning to help the Sox put the run on the board. Adam Duval singled to start the inning. A’s reliever Lucas Erceg’s pickoff throw went into right field. Duvall motored to third base. Duvall scored on Petrerson’s throwing error. The A’s still lead 6-5

The A’s bullpen did the job. The Red Sox failed to score in the game’s last three innings. The A’s win 6-5

Game Notes- The A’s beat the Red Sox for the second game in a row. The A’s are now 27-71. The Red Sox dropped to 51-46. With the trade deadline on August 1st, many people speculate that the Red Sox will be buyers and the A’s sellers.

The line score for Oakland was six runs, ten hits, and four errors. Three of the hits were home runs. Tony Kemp had two hits, Bleday had a home run and a double, and Jordan Diaz had two singles. Waldichuk’s line was four and 1/3rd innings of work. Waldichuk allowed five hits and four runs. Reliever Angel Felipe received credit for the win. Trevor May recorded a save.

Brayan Bello was the losing pitcher. Justin Turner blasted his 15th of the year for Boston. Boston’s line was five runs, six hits, and no errors.

The A’s welcome the Houston Astros to the Coliseum for four games starting Thursday night. Lefty Hogan Harris (2-3, 6.51) will go for Oakland. Righty J.P. France(4-3, 3.31) is Astros’ manager Dusty Baker’s choice to pitch.
The game will start at 6:37 pm.

Concluding Wednesday’s game the A’s dealt reliever Shintaro Fujinami to the Baltimore Orioles for left hand pitcher Easton Lucas. Fujinami was under a one year deal with Oakland worth $3.25 million in a contract that was signed in January.

Fujinami compiled a 5-8 record with an ERA of 8.57, he appeared 34 times for the A’s and started seven games.

Oakland A’s preview: A’s host Twins open up second half of season at Coliseum Friday night

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Oakland A’s starter Paul Blackburn pitches against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York on Tue Jun 27, 2023. Blackburn is slated to start against the Minnesota Twins on Fri Jun 14, 2023 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s begin the second half of the 2023 season by hosting the Minnesota Twins for three games starting Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s find themselves with the worst record in all of baseball. They have won 25 games and lost 67.

The team could break the 1962 New York Mets’ record of 120 losses in a season. The A’s have the lowest team batting average in all of baseball. They are 30th in runs scores, 28th in on-base percentage, 30th in slugging, 30th in runs batted in, 30th in hits, and 30th in OPS.

The pitching staff has the highest ERA (6.04) in baseball. The WHIP (walks, hits divided by innings pitched) is 1.56, 30th in baseball. The A’s have committed 92 errors, the most in baseball. They are 28th in fielding. A’s manager Mark Kotsay sends his players out every night, and the players do their best, but the A’s may have to bring up players from the minor leagues and see if they can help the team improve.

Oakland will start a ten-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins Friday night. The Boston Red Sox will follow for three games, and the Houston Astros will play four to conclude the homestand.

The Twins, currently in second place in the AL Central Divison, are 45-46 and 1/2 game behind the Cleveland Guardians. Twins ‘manager Rocco Baldelli will send Kenta Maeda (2-5, 5.18 ERA) to the hill Friday night. The A’s will counter with Paul Blackburn (1-1. 4.86. The Twins’ Pablo Lopez will pitch on Saturday, and Joe Ryan will go on Sunday. The A’s have yet to announce their starters for those two games.

The key players for the Twins are shortstop Carlos Correa, third baseman Donovan Solano, Left Felder Joey Gallo, right fielder Max Kepler, and DH Byron Buxton. Unfortunately for the Twins, Correa, Gallo, Kepler, and Buxton are not having a great season.

After failing to get a long-term contract, Correa, with the Twins, is hitting .225 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs. Gallo is hitting a meager .186. Gallo has blasted 15 dingers and knocked in 28. Kepler is at 2.07 and has 12 home runs and 30 RBIs. Buxton’s average is .208. He is hitting .208 with 15 big flies and 34 RBIs.

Other players to watch are:

  • First baseman Alex Kiriloff.
  • Catcher Christian Vasquez.
  • Second baseman Edouard Julien.
  • Kyle Farmer.

Closer Jhoan Duran has 12 saves so far this year. Griffin Jax is the setup guy. Other relievers include Jovani Moran, Jorge Lopez, Emilio Pagan, Cole Sands, Jordan, Balazovic, and Oliver Ortega. 

The A’s are rested and hope to take two out three from The Twins. The A’s then face the Red Sox for three. Last week the Red Sox swept the A’s at Fenway Park. The Astros have owned the A’s for the last several years. The A’s will have their hands full trying to get wins over the Astros.

The A’s would love to play spoilers and upset the apple carts of the three teams coming to the Coliseum. The A’s have a team full of hungry players that would love to show everyone they can be Major League players. It will be interesting to see if the A’s can get their act together and make strides in becoming a better team.

Tigers prevent A’s from sweeping series; Bengals shutout and beat the Green and Gold 9-0 at Comerica

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Detroit Tigers Jake Marisnick scores in the bottom fourth inning as Oakland A’s catcher Manny Pina can only watch at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thu Jul 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a difference a day makes. The Oakland A’s offense recorded 14 hits Wednesday and had four singles against the Detroit Tigers’ pitching on Thursday. The A’s pitching held the Tigers to three runs on Wednesday and gave up nine on Thursday.

The Tigers’ starter Michael Lorenzen, who will represent Detroit at the All-Star game next Tuesday in Seattle, had his way with the A’s hitters. The Tigers pounced on A’s starter Hogan Harris who allowed seven runs before his exit in the fifth inning. The Tigers shut out the A’s 9-0.

The Tigers scored two runs in the first, third, fourth, and one in the fifth off Harris. In the first, with one out, Spencer Torkelson singled. Andy Ibanez doubled, sending Torkelson to third. Harris struck out Tigers’ DH Kerry Carpenter for the second out. Tigers’ shortstop Javier Baez singled to drive in Torkelson and Ibanez to take an early 2-0 lead.

In the third inning, A’s starter Harris Hogan couldn’t find the strike zone. He Walked Matt Vierling and Andy Ibanez to put men on at first and second with one out. Kerry Carpenter singled to drive in Vierling. Ibanez went to third when A’s left fielder Tony Kemp bobbled the ball trying to make a throw. Harris walked Baez to load the bases. Harris walked three men in the inning. Ibanez scored on Jonathan Schoop’s sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

The Tigers continued to make life miserable for Harris in the fourth. Harris gave up back-to-back doubles to Zack Short and Jake Marisnick. Short scored to increase the lead to 5-0. Marisnick then stole third. Matt Vierling singled to make it 6-0.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay let Harris start the fifth inning. Harris’ pitch count was nearing 100 pitches as he started the fifth. Javier Baez led off the fifth with a double. Jonathan Schoops’ infield single sent Baez to third. Tiger catcher Eric Haase grounded into a double play, and Baez scored. The Tigers led 7-0. The A’s replaced Harris with Rico Garcia.

The Tigers added a run in the sixth when Jake Marisnick homered leading off the inning. Detroit continued to put runs on the board. They added one more in the eighth to increase the lead to 9-0.

Game Notes. The A’s were shut out for the tenth time in 2023. The only team with more shutouts is the Detroit Tigers. The A’s record dropped to 25-64. The Tigers improved to 37-48

The A’s line was no runs, four hits, and one error. The A’s had four singles in the game. The Tigers’ line was nine runs, 13 hits, and one error.

The A’s were without the services of three key players on Thursday. Ryan Noda, who blasted a two-run dinger on Wednesday, was unavailable due to a temporary illness. He should be back in action Friday night in Boston.

Esteury Ruiz injured his shoulder sliding back to first base on Wednesday and did not play in Thursday’s game. His injury does not appear to be too serious. Catcher Carlos Perez will be out until August 18th with a thumb fracture. Manny Pina took his spot on the roster.

The A’s finish the road trip with three games against the Red Sox in historic Fenway Park starting Friday night. After the game on Sunday, the A’s will be out of action until Thursday as Major League Baseball will hold the annual All-Star game in Seattle.

The A’s announced Luis Medina (2-7 ERA 6.37) as their starter on Friday. The Red Sox have not announced any starters for the three-game series. The game will start at 4:10 pm.