Author: rxslugger

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

A’s down the Yankees 6-3 before a huge Labor Day crowd

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by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND– It was a beautiful sun-drenched afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum as the Oakland A’s played host to the New York Yankees. The two teams were playing in front of 40,546 fans, and they treated them to quite an afternoon of baseball. The A’s, the hottest team in baseball since June 16th and owners of the fourth-best record in baseball had to deal with the Yankees who own the second-best record. Yankee slugger Aaron Judge, who had not played since July 26th when he suffered a broken wrist, took his first swings off a tee on Monday and should be back soon. Yankee shortstop, Didi Gregorius, who is also on the DL, may be back in the lineup later this week. These two players make the Yankees, as a team, a lot more dangerous. The Yankees, even without them, are loaded with players that have a lot of power. The A’s were the better team on Labor Day as they beat the Yankees 6-3 and moved to within 3 1/2 games of the lead for the first Wild Card spot in the AL. The A’s remain 2 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.

Monday’s pitching matchup featured the A’s big righty, Trevor Cahill, going up the even bigger lefty CC Sabathia. Cahill, who had never beaten the Yankees in his career and who pitches much better in Oakland than on the road, gave the A’s five innings of work. He allowed four hits and three runs. One of the runs was unearned. Sabathia who was 11-11 in his career against Oakland did not have it Monday afternoon. Sabathia’s day ended in the fourth inning. His pitching line was 3 and 1/3rd inning, and he allowed seven hits, five runs, four of which were earned. Sabathia took the loss and is now 7-6 for the year.

The Yankees put an unearned run on the board in the top of the first. Andrew McCutchen, who arrived in New York via a trade with the San Francisco Giants led off with a single. McCutchen stole second, and when Jonathan’s Lucroy’s throw sailed into centerfield, McCutchen advanced to third. Cahill retired Giancarlo Stanton on a popup to second baseman Jed Lowrie. McCutchen scored on Aaron Hick’s sacrifice fly. Cahill struck out Miguel Andu]jar to end the inning.  The Yanks lead 1-0 in the middle of the first. The lead didn’t last long as the A’s plated three runs. After Sabathia retired Marcus Semien for the first out, the A’s put together four straight singles and a throwing error by Yankee third baseman Miguel Andujar to end the first with the lead 3-1. Two of the A’s runs were earned, and the other was unearned.

The Yankees tied the game in the top of the second. Yankees’ catcher Gary Sanchez started the inning with a walk. With one out, rookie first baseman Luke Voit blasted his sixth of the year. The A’s undid the tie in their half of the second. Sabathia walked Marcus Semien who was leading off for Oakland. A’s third baseman Matt Chapman doubled to drive in Semien with the A’s fourth run of the game. Chapman was out at third as he tried to stretch the double into a triple.

The A’s tallied their fifth run of the day in the bottom of the fourth.  Semien led off the inning with a double. With one out, Jed Lowrie singled to drive in Semien. For Lowrie, it was his 86th ribbie of the season. The A’s lead 5-3 after four.

The A’s center fielder Mark Canha tacked on another run for Oakland when he blasted a towering fly into the left-field seats for his sixteenth big fly of the year to give the A’s a 3-run cushion  6-3 after five innings of play.

The A’s bullpen of Lou Trivino, Yusmeiro Petit, Ryan Buchter, Jeurys Familia, and Blake Treinen did not allow the Yankees a hit after the fifth inning. It did get a little dicey in the seventh when Gary Sanchez reached first after striking out. Jonathan Lucroy allowed Petit’s pitch to get by him. The ball went to the backstop, and by the time Lucroy fielded the ball, Sanchez was on first safely. Petit then walked Glyber Torres to put men on at first and second with no out. Petit reached back and struck out Voit and pinch-hitter Neil Walker. Brett Gardner flew out to left for the final out of the seventh. Jeurys Familia pitched the eighth inning, and he retired the first two Yankees he faced. It started to go downhill as he suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone. He walked Aaron Hicks and Miguel Andujar to give the Yankees a glimmer of hope. The next hitter was former NL MVP, Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen, who singled in the first, hit a sharp ground ball to Marcus Semien. Semien’s throw to first was on target, and the side was retired. Blake Treinen worked the ninth, and he retired the Yanks in order to earn his 36th save of the season.

Game Notes- The A’s, with the win, improved to 83-56 and are now 3 1/2 games behind the Yanks in the race for the top Wild Card spot. If the playoffs were to begin now, the A’s would have to travel to New York for the one-game playoff. If the A’s finish first, the playoff would be played in Oakland. The A’s remain 2 1/2 games behind the Astros for the best record in the AL West. The A’s and Astros have finished the season’s series.

Trevor Cahill received credit for the win and is now 6-3 for the season. Cahill is 5-0 and has an ERA of 1.09 in nine starts at the Coliseum He beat the Yankees for the first time in his career.

Mark Canha matched a career-high with his 16th homer of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning… Canha leads the American League with 13 home runs vs. lefties.  Matt Chapman recorded his 34th double of the season… leads the Majors with 32 extra-base hits since the AllStar Break. Stephen Piscotty added two hits to extend his hitting streak to six games, he is batting .391 (9-for-23) over that span.  Blake Treinen earned his 36th save of the season, which ranks fourth in the majors and tied for ninth in Oakland history…he now has a 0.91 ERA, which is the lowest among Major League relievers. Khris Davis is 2nd in the Majors with 105 RBI this season (J.D. Martinez, 115)… Davis had a career-best 110 RBI last season.

–The Oakland A’s have acquired right-handed pitcher Aaron Brooks from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations, the club announced today.  To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated left-handed pitcher Danny Coulombe for assignment.

Game two of the three-game series will be played Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s have not announced a starter, and it may be bullpen by committee once again with Liam Hendriks pitching the first inning and Daniel Mengden coming in to pitch in either the second or third innings. Lefty J.A. Happ will go for New York. Game time is at 7:05 pm.

 

2018 season off to a good start as the Cardinal rout the SDSU Aztecs 31-10

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Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Jerry Feitelberg

STANFORD — The Stanford Cardinal avenged the stunning upset loss to the San Diego State Aztecs last year. The Cardinal offense had trouble getting going in the first half. The Aztec defense shut down the Cardinal’s running game as they held Bryce Love in check. K.J. Costello did not get the passing game going until late in the first half. The Cardinal led 9-7 at the half, and the Aztecs knew they had a chance to pull off another upset. That did not happen as the Cardinal offense came to life in the second half and the best the Aztec offense could do against the Cardinal defense was a field goal. The Cardinal won the game 31-10 at Stanford Stadium on Friday night.

On the opening drive, the Cardinal took the ball down to the Aztec 20-yard line. The key play on the drive was a 21-yard pass play from Costello to JJ Arcega-Whiteside. The drive stalled at the 20 and Jet Toner was asked to kick a 38-yard field goal. The usually reliable Toner’s attempt went wide and the Cardinal came up empty.

The Cardinal defense appeared to have the Aztecs pinned in their end of the field. However, Aztec QB Christian Chapman Completed an 8-yard pass to Parker Houston for a first down. Running back Juwan Washington ripped off runs of 22, 10, and 40 yards to get SDSU down to the Cardinal’s 4-yard line. Washington ran the ball into the end zone for the first score of the game. The extra point was good, and the Aztecs were ahead 7-0 with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The Aztecs went on an 8-play, 92-yard drive that took 4:14 off the clock.

In the second period, the Cardinal defense stiffened and forced the Aztecs to punt. The 50-yard punt was fielded by Connor Wedington. He returned the punt 12 years but appeared to fumble the ball on Stanford’s 35-yard line. The call was challenged, and it was reversed when the review showed the ground caused the fumble. Stanford retained possession. There were 11 minutes left in the first half. The Aztecs defense forced Stanford to punt. Jake Bailey’s 63-yard punt went out of bounds at the Aztec one-yard line. It was third down and six from the Aztec 5-yard line. The Cardinal defense pressured Chapman to run into the end zone. ILB Bobby Okereke tackled Chapman for a safety. The Cardinal trailed 7-2 and will get possession of the ball. The Aztec defense stymied the Cardinal once again, and they had to punt the ball away with 6:02 left in the second quarter. The Cardinal finally scored a touchdown with just 27 seconds left in the half. The Cardinal went on a 3-play, 54-yard drive. The key play was a 38-yard pass from Costello to Arcega-Whiteside for the score. The extra point was good, and the Cardinal has the 9-7 advantage. The stats showed the Cardinal were not able to get the running game going. They rushed for a total of just 15 yards Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Love had 10 carries for seven yards. Costello completed 12 passes in 19 attempts good for 141 yards. SDSU’s Juwan Washington carried the ball 17 times for 114 yards and one touchdown.

The Cardinal kicked off to the Aztecs to start the third quarter. The Stanford defense stopped the Aztec offense and forced them to kick. The Cardinal received the ball on the Aztec 49-yard-line. Costello engineered a 49-yard drive in 4 plays that culminated with a 19-yard strike to JJ Arcega-Whiteside in the end zone for the touchdown. Toner converted the extra point. Stanford leads 16-7 with 11:02 left to play in the third period. Stanford’s kickoff went out of the end zone for a touchback. The Aztecs then went on a 62-yard drive from their own 25-yard line. The drive stalled on Stanford’s 11-yard line. The Aztecs made a 30-yard field goal to tail the Cardinal 16-10 with 6:49 left in the quarter. Stanford was at its own 20-yard line and having trouble moving the ball. The Aztec defense was putting pressure on Costello, but he eluded the pass rush and found Arcega-Whiteside streaking down the far sideline. The Aztec defender fell down, and Arcega-Whiteside has his third touchdown of the night. The Cardinal converted the two-point conversion (Costello to Arcega-Whiteside again) to increase the lead to 24-10.

The Cardinal scored with 10:54 left in the game to take a 31-10 lead. Stanford went on a 68-yard drive in 7 plays culminating with a 19-yard strike from Costello to tight end Colby Parkison for the score. The extra point was good.

Stats: K.J.Costello had a terrific evening. He completed 21 passes in 31 attempts good for 332 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

But the running game for Stanford was nonexistent. Bryce Love could not get anything going. He had 18 touches, and all he could muster was a measly 29 yards.

JJ Arcega-Whiteside was Costello’s favorite receiver Friday night. Arcega-Whiteside had six receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns.

Aztecs quarterback Christian Chapman was 10-for-15 passing for 113 yards.

Cardinal running back Juwan Washington had 24 carries for 158 yards and one touchdown.

40,913 fans watched the Cardinal win their first game of the 2018 season.

Up Next: The Cardinal will host the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium next Saturday. The game will start at 8:30 pm PDT and will be televised on FOX.

Mariners embarrass the A’s in a 7-1 laugher

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Photo credit: @Mariners

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — A’s starter Frankie Montas took one for his team Thursday night as he was roughed up for five runs in the first inning. A’s manager Bob Melvin decided to leave Montas in the game. Montas responded by allowing just two more runs and four hits in his next five innings of work. His line for the night was six innings of work, and he allowed seven runs and eight hits.

The Mariners trounced the A’s 7-1. Reliever J.B. Wendelken, who was recalled from Nashville, pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit for a very impressive performance. M’s starter Wade LeBlanc dominated the A’s for seven innings. The A’s never mounted a threat as LeBlanc scattered three hits over his seven innings of work.

Frankie Montas, who made his first start since being recalled from Nashville, did not do well in the very first inning against the M’s. The M’s put five runs on the board, two of them were unearned, as Montas had control problems. The Mariners had four hits in the inning and were helped out by a Matt Chapman throwing error. Montas didn’t help his cause as he walked right fielder Ben Gamel with the bases loaded to force in a run. Montas threw 38 pitches in the inning.

Montas settled down a bit in the top of the second. Nevertheless, the M’s tacked on their sixth run of the game in that frame. Left fielder Denard Span started the inning with a leadoff triple. M’s second baseman singled to drive in Span. Montas retired Nelson Cruz for the first out and got Kyle Seager to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Montas retired the M’s in order in the third inning. Melvin was hoping the A’s offense will get going and that Montas can give him at least five innings of work, but that wasn’t the case. In the top of the fourth, with one out, Mitch Haniger blasted his 23 home run of the year to give the M’s a 7-0 lead.

The A’s finally put one on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Marcus Semien walked. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Jed Lowrie’s single. The A’s trailed 7-1 after eight.

The A’s went down in order in the ninth, and the M’s took the first game of the four-game series 7-1.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s fall to 80-55. The M’s improved to 75-59 and now trail the A’s by 4 1/2 games for the second Wild Card spot. The A’s remain 2 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros as the Astros lost to the LA Angels Thursday night.

Time of game was two hours and 40 minutes and a very small crowd of 10,844 watched as the A’s were subdued by Seattle.

Up Next: Game two of the four-game series will feature the A’s Mike Fiers (10-6, 3.15 ERA) vs. the M’s Mike Leake (8-8, 4.03 ERA). Game time will be at 7:05 pm PDT Friday night.

Tyler White’s walk-off homer lifts the Astros to a 5-4 victory over the A’s

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Photo credit: @astros

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros beat the Oakland A’s 5-4 in the rubber match at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday afternoon. It was a very competitive game as both teams organized come-from-behind rallies to either take the lead or tie the game. The Astros won the game in the bottom of the ninth when rookie Tyler White sent a Jeurys Familia pitch into the seats in left field to give the Astros the walk-off win.

A’s Trevor Cahill, who has not pitched well on the road this year, did not do well again Wednesday in Houston. Cahill’s road record was 1-3 with a 6.92 ERA in eight road starts. The A’s were hoping that Cahill would do better, but he didn’t. He went just 3 1/3 innings and allowed five hits, four runs (one unearned), struck out two and walked a season-high six batters. Astros’ starter, Dallas Keuchel, wasn’t much better. Keuchel went six innings and allowed eight hits and three runs. Neither Cahill nor Cahill figured in the decision.

The Astros put two runs on the board in the bottom of the first. Astros center fielder George Springer led off with a single. Power-hitting third baseman Alex Bregman bunted. On the play, Bregman was credited with a single and Chapman committed an error on the throw to first. Springer went to third and Bregman advanced to second on the error. Second baseman Jose Altuve, who’s the reigning AL MVP, followed with a single to drive in Springer. Bregman stopped at third base. Carlos Correa then lofted a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to allow Bregman to tag up and score. The Astros lead 2-0.

Neither team scored in the second inning, but A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano made a sensational over the shoulder catch off the bat of Tony Kemp. The 24-year rookie continued to amaze everyone with his defensive prowess.

The A’s plated three runs in the top of the third. Singles by Marcus Semien and Matt Chapman put men on at first and third with no out. Jed Lowrie’s single to left drove in Semien with the ‘s first run. Astro left fielder Tony Kemp almost made a fantastic play attempting to catch the ball. Fortunately for Oakland, Kemp could not hold on, and the A’s had their first run of the day. A’s right fielder Stephen Piscotty double down into the corner in left field to drive in Chapman and Lowrie and gave the A’s the lead 3-2.

The Astros regained the lead in the fourth inning. Cahill walked the leadoff hitter, Yuli Gurriel. Josh Reddick reached on a fielder’s choice. Gurriel was out at second. Cahill walked Max Stassi to put men on at first and second. Cahill walked Tony Kemp to load the bases. George Springer singled to drive in Reddick. Cahill walked Bregman to force in another run. At this point, A’s manager Bob Melvin ended Cahill’s day, and Shawn Kelley was brought in to pitch. Kelley ended the threat, and the Astros were back in front 4-3.

The score remained the same until the seventh. Former A’s pitcher, Brad Peacock, was now handling the pitching for Houston. With one out, Peacock was not able to find the strike zone. He walked Chapman, Lowrie, and Khris Davis to load the bases. He then plunked Piscotty with a pitch to allow Chapman to score and the game was tied 4-4.

The A’s used Lou Trivino in the seventh, Fernando Rodney in the eighth, and Jeurys Familia in the ninth. Trivino and Rodney kept the Astros off the board. Familia retired the first hitter he faced in the ninth, but White ended the game with one swing of the bat as he sent the pitch over the wall in left field. The Astros won 5-4.

Game Notes: With the loss the A’s fall to 80-54. They are 2 1/2 games behind the Astros in the race for first place in the AL West.

The Mariners lost to San Diego, and they trail the A’s by 5 1/2 games in the race for the second Wild Card post.

Up Next: The M’s head to Oakland to start a four-game series with the A’s. Game one is set for Thursday at 7:05 pm PDT.

Frankie Montas will pitch for Oakland, while Wade LeBlanc will be on the mound for Seattle.

A’s snap the Astros’ six-game win streak with 4-3 victory

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s beat the Houston Astros 4-3 at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night. The A’s snapped the Astros’ six-game winning streak and with the win, moved just 1 1/2 games behind the Astros for first-place in the AL West.

The A’s sent Edwin Jackson to do the pitching. Jackson gave up a run in the bottom of the second. Astros’ All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa singled leading off to get things going. Correa advanced to second on a passed ball. Marwyn Gonzalez groundout to first and that allowed Correa to go to third. Astros’ first baseman big Tyler White also grounded out, and Correa scored on the play. The Astros led 1-0 after two complete.

The A’s put three runs on the board in the top of the third. With two out, Astros’ starter Charlie Morton walked Jed Lowrie. He then hit Khris Davis with a pitch to put two men on with two out. A’s first baseman Matt Olson blasted his 24th home run of the year off the facade of the second deck in right field.

The Astros tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. The Astros loaded the bases with two out. A’s manager Bob Melvin left Jackson in to face Alex Bregman. Bregman doubled down the left field line to drive in two, and the game was tied at three apiece.

The game was now a contest between the two bullpens. Shawn Kelly got the final out of the fifth, and he pitched a scoreless sixth as well. Fernando Rodney and Jeurys Familia held the Astros scoreless in the seventh and eighth. The Astros ‘pen did the same to the A’s until the top of the ninth. Astros closer Roberto Osuna struck out Marcus Semien for the first out of the ninth. Ramon Laureano worked Osuna for a walk. Jonathan Lucroy singled to men on at first and second. Left Fielder Nick Martini doubled to deep right-center field. Laureano scored. Lucroy would have scored, but the ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Osuna retired Matt Chapman and Jed Lowrie to end the threat.

Blake Treinen pitched the ninth for the A’s. Treinen set the Astros down 1-2-3 to secure the A’s 4-3 win.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 80-53, and the Astros are now 81-53.

Jeurys Familia was the winning pitcher, and Roberto Osuna took the loss.

The A’s announced the Brett Anderson was being placed on the 10-day DL due to a forearm strain in his left arm. His teammate, Sean Manaea, also went on the DL with rotator cuff tendinitis in his left shoulder. He went to an orthopedic doctor in LA for a second opinion. It is not known when he will return to action. The A’s recalled Ryan Dull from Nashville to take his spot on the roster.

The A’s announced that Frankie Montas will face Seattle Thursday night. Mike Fiers will pitch on Friday, and Daniel Mengden will start on Saturday.

Up Next: The A’s and Astros conclude their series Wednesday at 11:10 am PDT.

Trevor Cahill (5-3, 3.44 ERA) will start for the A’s Wednesday, and the Astros’ Dallas Keuchal will be his opponent. Cahill has not pitched well on the road this year, and the A’s are hoping for a reversal of fortune.

Astros win their sixth in a row as they trounce the A’s 11-4

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros, who had struggled when they had three All-Stars on the DL, pounded the Oakland A’s at Minute Maid Park on Monday night by a score of 11-4. Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa, are all back in the Astros’ lineup and they showed the A’s why they are the defending World Series champions.

The A’s scored two in the second and two in the third on the strength of a two-run Marcus Semien blast in the second and a two-run Matt Chapman big fly in the third to lead 4-0 halfway through the third.

The Astros put five on the board in the bottom of the third. With one out, Martin Maldonado singled to start the rally. The Astros then hit three consecutive doubles to close the gap to 4-3. George Springer, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve all doubled. Marwyn Gonzalez singled to drive in Altuve with the fourth run of the frame. Gonzalez advanced to second on the throw home and he scored on Tyler White’s single to put the Astros ahead 5-4.

Neither team was able to put any runs on the board until the bottom of the eighth. Houston scored six times in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach. Rookie Lou Trivino gave up a single to Josh Reddick. Reddick went to third on Nick Martini’s fielding error. Trivino retired Maldonado for the first out, but walked Springer. Bregman homered to up the lead to 8-4. Altuve walked and that ended the night for Trivino.

A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Emilio Pagan to pitch. Pagan, who was recalled from Nashville due to Sean Manaea going on the DL, retired Carlos Correa for the second out. He then walked Gonzalez and was rocked by a blast by Tyler White. The A’s did not score in the ninth and the game was over. The Astros won 11-4

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s fall to 79-53 and are now 2 1/2 games behind the Astros.

A’s Brett Anderson took the loss. His record is now 3-4. He went just 2 2/3 innings and gave up seven hits and five runs.

Astros’ Gerrit Cole was not at his best, but he still received credit for the win. His record is now 12-5. He pitched six innings and allowed four hits and four runs.

Astros’ Alex Bregman and Tyler White each homered. Both players had four RBIs.

After the game, Bregman had this to say about the recent success of his team: “We just had to get right. If we’re healthy, we’re the best team in the world.”

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series will be at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night at 5:10 pm PDT.

Edwin Jackson (4-3, 2.97 ERA) will go for the A’s. The Astros will counter with Charlie Morton (13-3, 3.05 ERA). Neither pitcher was effective the last time they pitched. Jackson was rocked by the Rangers and Morton was tagged for six runs by the Mariners.

Twins get past the A’s 6-4

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland A’s 6-4 in the opener of a four-game series at Target Field on Thursday night. It was the A’s second consecutive loss and just the second time in the last two months. A’s Trevor Cahill has trouble pitching on the road as he went five innings and allowed eight hits and five runs. His record dropped to 5-3.

In the second inning, the A’s scored twice for an early 2-0 lead. Khris Davis led off the inning with a 396-foot blast to right center field. For Davis, it was his 39th big fly of the year. With one more homer, he will tie Jimmy Foxx as the only two A’s sluggers to have hit 40 homers in three consecutive seasons. Mark McGwire hit 40 three times (1987, 1992-96). After Davis’ homer, Matt Olson doubled. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

The Twins scored two in the third and three in the fourth to take a commanding 5-2 lead. The A’s plated a run in the fifth when Matt Chapman doubled. He, too, went to third on a groundout and also scored on another wild pitch to make it a 5-3 game.

The Twins added an insurance run in the eighth when Max Kepler homered off Blake Treinen. The Twins’ bullpen held the A’s scoreless until the top of the ninth. With two out and closer Trevor Hildenberger pitching, A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie homered. That was it for the A’s as they fell to the Twins 6-4.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s dropped to 76-52. The A’s are now 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Houston Astros, who were off on Thursday. The A’s lead over the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card slot is now four games.

Up Next: Sean Manaea (11-9, 3.70 ERA) goes for the A’s Friday night at 5:10 pm PDT, and the Twins’ Jake Odorizzi (5-7, 4.55 ERA) will try to hand the A’s another loss.

Don’t mess with Texas: Rangers halt A’s potential sweep with 4-2 win

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s were going for a sweep of the three-game series with the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon. But, Rangers’ starter Mike Minor had other thoughts as he shot down the potent A’s offense with just one hit in six innings of work.

The Rangers, who had been shutout in the previous two games, gave Minor support as they scored four runs off A’s starter Edwin Jackson. Jackson had pitched very well before his outing on Wednesday but did not have it. In his 4 1/3 innings of work, he threw 80 pitches, and two of those pitches were sent into the stands by Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Gallo.

The A’s were hoping to eventually get back in the ballgame. The Rangers’ bullpen gave up two runs, giving the A’s a chance to tie it in the ninth, but Nick Martini struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Rangers’ left fielder Shin-Soo Choo ended 18 innings of Texas futility when he hit the first pitch of the game into the left field bleachers. The Rangers failed to score in the first two games of the series. The Rangers led 1-0 after one inning of play.

The Rangers plated another run in the top of the third. Jackson walked the first two hitters he faced. With one out, Rangers’ right fielder Nomar Mazara flew out to center. Ramon Laureano slipped as he caught the ball and that allowed Choo to tag up and advance to third. Adrian Beltre singled to give the Rangers a 2-0 advantage in the middle of the third.

Gallo took Jackson deep to start the fourth inning. The big left-handed slugger blasted his 33rd homer of the year to increase the lead to 3-0. A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano helped out his pitcher with a leaping catch against the wall with a man on first. Choo almost had his second homer of the day, but Laureano’s catch kept at least one more run off the board.

Minor had the A’s mesmerized for the first four innings of the contest. He has allowed one hit and walked one batter so far, and both were erased on double plays. He has faced just 12 hitters in  four innings of work.

It was obvious to most of the fans in the park that Jackson was not as sharp as he could be. The Rangers were able to solve his slants as they put another run on the board in the top of the fifth. Shortstop Elvis Andrus led off with a single. Jackson struck out Mazara on a wild pitch. Andrus went to second on the play. Adrian Beltre, who has a spot reserved for him in Cooperstown after his playing days are over, singled to center to drive in Andrus with the Rangers’ fourth run.

A’s manager Bob Melvin had seen enough, and he brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch. Jacksons’ pitched 4 1/3 innings and he allowed seven hits and four runs. He also was tagged for two solo home runs. The A’s failed to score in the bottom of the inning and now trailed the Rangers 4-0.

The A’s, after being dazzled by Minor for six innings, finally put a run on the board. Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister brought in former Giant Cory Gearrin to face the A’s in the seventh. Gearrin retired the first two hitters he faced. Matt Chapman reached on a walk. A’s DH Khris Davis was hit in the back by a Gearrin pitch to put two men on. Stephen Piscotty followed with a double to drive in Chapman with the A’s first run. It was the A’s second hit of the day. With the left-handed hitter Matt Olson at the plate, Banister brought in lefty Alex Claudio to pitch. Claudio did the job as he was able to strike out Olson for the third out and the A’s left two men stranded. The Rangers are in control 4-1 after seven.

The A’s crept a little closer in the bottom of the eighth. Chad Pinder led off the frame with a single. He went to second a scored on double to right by Jed Lowrie, who was pinch-hitting for Jonathan Lucroy. Rangers’ reliever Chris Martin retired Semien and Loreano to end the threat. The Rangers led 4-2 after eight.

The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth without the benefit of a hit. Rangers’ closer Jose Leclerc walked the first hitter Matt Chapman to start the inning. Chapman went to third on a wild pitch. LeClerc then struck out Khris Davis and got Piscotty to fly out to right. He walked Matt Olson and hit Chad Pinder with a pitch to load the bases. The game was on the line as Martini came to the plate. Martini had the chance to tie the game with a hit, but LeClerc had enough gas in his tank as he was able to strike out Martini for the final out to preserve the 4-2 win for the Rangers.

Game Notes: A’s Edwin Jackson tied a season-low with just 4 1/3 innings of work and matched a season-high in hits allowed with seven. His record is now 4-3.

Stephen Piscotty tied a career-high with his 35th double.

Despite the loss, the A’s still have the best record in baseball since June 16th (42-15). They have not lost a series to an AL West opponent since June 12th to June 14th at Houston. They finished the homestand with a 6-3 record.

The Rangers’ Mike Minor improved to 10-6, and it was his third quality start in his last four games.

The A’s line score was two runs, four hits, and no errors.

The Rangers’ line was four runs, nine hits, and no errors.

The A’s drop to 76-51.

Time of game was three hours and three minutes and 13,139 people stopped by to watch the A’s lose the finale of the three-game series.

Up Next: The A’s head to Minneapolis to take on the Twins for a three-game series starting Thursday at 5:10 pm PDT.

The A’s will send Trevor Cahill (5-2, 3.12 ERA) to the hill and Kohl Stewart (0-1, 7.71 ERA) will go for the Twins.

A’s shutout the Rangers again 6-0

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — Oakland A’s starter Brett Anderson pitched his best game of the year as he went seven innings and allowed just one hit as he won his third game of the season. The A’s DH Khris Davis tormented the Rangers’ pitching when he his 38th home run of the year and drove in three runs to pace the A’s attack. His RBI total reached to 102. It was the third season in a row that Davis has knocked in over 100 runs. It was also the first time in a while that the A’s had two starters pitch seven innings and allowed just one hit. The A’s shutout the Rangers 6-0 for their second straight shutout versus Texas.

The A’s tallied the first run of the night in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Nick Martini singled to left to get things going. He advanced to second on Matt Chapman’s groundout and scored when Jed Lowrie singled to center. The A’s lead 1-0 after one.

The A’s plated a run in the bottom of the fifth. With two out, third baseman Matt Chapman doubled. Rangers’ pitcher Ariel Jurado then walked Jed Lowrie. The next hitter, Davis, singled to center to drive in Chapman to give the A’s a 2-0 lead. For Davis, it was his 100th RBI of the year.

Oakland put two more runs on the board in the sixth. With one out, Marcus Semien doubled to left. Ramon Laureno singled to end Semien to third. Lurean then stole second. With the infield drawn in, A’s catcher Josh Phegley hit a sharp grounder to Rangers’ third baseman Jurickon Profar. Profar bobbled the ball, and his only play was to first base. Semien scored the A’s third run of the night. A’s left fielder Nick Martini then singled to drive in Laureano, and the A’s had a 4-0 lead after six.

Davis hit his 38th home run of the year with a man on to put the A’s ahead 6-0 after seven innings of play. Davis is just one home run behind Boston’s J.D.Martinez for the lead in that department. He is also second in the AL with 102 RBIs.

The A’s used Jeurys Familia in the eighth and Lou Trivino in the ninth as they kept the Rangers scoreless the last two innings of the game. The A’s won 6-0.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s are now 76-50 for the year and will remain in first place in the AL West. The A’s are a season-high 26 games over the .500 mark. They are 6-2 on the current homestand. They will go for a sweep of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

Brett Anderson went seven innings and allowed one and gave up just one walk. It was the first time in Oakland history that this has happened and it was the third time in the last four games. Before Tuesday night, Anderson had not allowed a run in two of his last three starts He is now 3-3 for the year. He has walked one batter or fewer in his last seven starts.

A’s DH Khris Davis has hit nine homers and knocked in 24 in 15 games with Texas this year. For his career, he has hit 27 dingers and batted in 62 in 52 games. Davis has 100 RBIs for the third year in a row, and it was the first time for an A’s hitter since Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada from 2001 to 2003.

The A’s line score was six runs, 12 hits, and no errors. The Rangers’ line was no runs, two hits, and one error.

Time of game was two hours and 26 minutes and 11,579 fans in attendance were delighted with the outcome.

Up Next: The A’s meet the Rangers again Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm PDT.

Edwin Jackson will pitch for Oakland, and Texas will send lefty Mike Minor to the mound in an attempt to salvage one game of the series.

Khris Davis puts on a show as the A’s roll over the Rangers 9-0

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — Oakland A’s Mike Fiers was magnificent as he dominated the Texas Rangers and won his ninth game of the year. The A’s trounced the Rangers 9-0 at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night. The A’s pounded Rangers’ starter Bartolo Colon for seven runs, and as a result, Colon’s record dropped to 7-11.

The A’s scored three times in the bottom of the second. Stephen Piscotty started the rally off Colon, with a double to left. Marcus Semien followed with another double to drive in Piscotty with the A’s first run. A’s rookie Ramon Laureano, facing Colon for the first time in his short Major League career, hit his first home run as a Big Leaguer to put the A’s ahead 3-0. Laureano took Colon’s 89 MPH fastball over the wall in right-center field.

A’s manager Bob Melvin signaled for the ball to be returned to the dugout so that Laureano could put it in his trophy case at home. Jonathan Lucroy continued the hit parade with another double, but Colon settled down and was able to get out of the inning with no further damage.

The A’s DH, Khris Davis, led off the bottom of the third with his 37th round-tripper of the year. The ball left his bat traveling at 111 MPH and went an estimated 439 feet. The ball hit the concrete just below the glass that protects the fans in the suites in left field.

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The A’s sent Colon to the showers in the bottom of the sixth. Piscotty led off the inning with a single. Semien also singled to put men on at first and second with no out. The next hitter, Laureano, who hit the first home run of his career in the second inning, did it again as he slammed Colon’s pitch into the seats in the seats in left field to put the A’s in the driver’s seat with a formidable 7-0 lead. Piscotty homered in the seventh to make it 8-0, and the A’s tacked on another run in the eighth to win by a final score of 9-0.

Game Notes: A’s Mike Fiers was magnificent as he dominated the Rangers Monday night. Fiers gave up just one hit, one walk and hit a batter in his seven innings of work. He retired the last 18 batters he faced for his ninth win of the year.

The A’s hitting stars of the night were Stephen Piscotty, Marcus Semien, Ramon Laureano, and Jonathan Lucroy. Piscotty had a single, double and home run. Semien had two singles and a double. Laureano had two home runs and five runs batted in. Jonathan Lucroy had two singles and a double.

The A’s hit four home runs Monday.

With the win, the A’s are now 75-50 and were back in first place following the Houston Astros’ 7-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Time of game was two hours and 48 minutes and 9,341 fans went home happy.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series will be played Tuesday night at 7:05 pm PDT. The A’s will send Brett Anderson (2-3. 3.90 ERA) to the mound and the Rangers will counter with Ariel Jurado (2-2, 6.41 ERA)