Author: rxslugger

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

A’s beat the Blue Jays again 6-2

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The A’s beat the Toronto Blue Jays for the sixth consecutive time this year by a score of 6-2. With the win, the A’s picked up a game on the Seattle Mariners. The Houston Astros beat the Mariners to drop them four games behind. The A’s remain five games behind and they trail the Mariners by just one game in the race for the second Wild Card slot.

The A’s starter, Trevor Cahill, gave the team a quality start as he went six innings and allowed just five hits and two runs as he improved his record to 3-2. The A’s pinned the loss on Toronto’s Sam Gaviglio. Gaviglio is now 2-4.

The Blue Jays jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With one out, Randal Girchuk doubled. Cahill struck out Justin Smoak for the second out. Kendrys Morales singled to drive in Girchuk. The A’s tallied two runs in their half of the first. Gaviglio walked Nick Martini and Matt Chapman to put men on at first and second with no out. Gaviglio retired Jed Lowrie for the first out. Designated Hitter Khrid Davis reached on an infield single to load the bases. Matt Olson hit the first pitch from Gaviglio for a single to drive in Martini and Chapman. The A’s lead 2-1.

The A’s scored three times in the third inning. Davis led off the inning with his 29th home run of the year. Matt Olson followed with a double. Olson advanced to third when Stephen Piscotty grounded out. Mark Canha doubled to drive in Olson. Marcus Semien singled to send Canha to third. The A’s manager Bob Melvin sent the sign out to the baserunners to execute a double steal. Toronto catcher Luke Maile’s throw to second base was cut off to nail Canha at home. Canha managed to touch home plate with his foot before the tag was applied. Canha was ruled safe. Toronto challenged the call, but after a short review, the call was confirmed. Sam Gaviglio’s night was over as Toronto brought in Luis Santos to pitch.

Toronto’s Justin Smoak cut the lead to 5-2 when he homered in the top of the fourth, but the A’s got the run back in the sixth when Matt Chapman led off with a double and scores on a single by Khris Davis.

There was no more scoring the rest of the way. The A’s bullpen shut the Toronto offense down as they allowed them just one hit in the last three innings of the game. The A’s win 6-2.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win the A’s, improve to 63-46. Cahill went six innings and Yusmeiro Petit, Heurys Familia, and Blake Treinen each worked a scoreless inning.

The line score for Oakland was six runs, eleven hits, and two errors. Toronto’s line was two runs, six hits, and one error.

The A’s will meet the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm. Lefty Sean Manaea will be seeking his tenth win of the campaign, and he will be opposed by Marcus Stroman.

In other news, the A’s announced that Daniel Gossett will undergo Tommy John surgery to correct a problem in his right elbow. Gossett will be the fourth A’s pitcher to undergo Tommy John Surgery this year. The other three are Jharel Cotton, A.J.Puk, and Kendall Graveman.

A’s to Host Nearly 5,000 Teachers for Teacher Appreciation Nig

Nearly 5,000 teachers will attend tonight’s game as part of the A’s Teacher Appreciation Night. To celebrate Bay Area teachers and their dedication to educating our youth, the A’s offered complimentary tickets to teachers who pre-registered for the 7:05 p.m. matchup versus the Toronto Blue Jays.

Prior to the game, the Oakland A’s Community Fund will host a free Educational Fair for teachers. Teachers can learn about the A’s educational programs, including Home Run Readers and Science of Baseball presented by Chevron, and visit booths from community partners. More than 2,000 teachers have signed up to participate in the Educational Fa

The A’s also announced that August 7th will be Black History night.

The Oakland A’s will celebrate the rich heritage of Oakland’s black history during African American Heritage Night on Tuesday, Aug. 7, when the team hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As part of the celebration, fans are invited to a pregame mixer and panel discussion with former players Rickey Henderson, Vida Blue and Joe Morgan, plus A’s team executives, at 4:30 p.m. in the Eastside Club.

Prior to the 7:05 p.m. game, the A’s will present the inaugural Vida Blue Diamond Award to a deserving community member for their service to the African American community. Following the presentation, Tony! Toni! Toné! will perform the African American national anthem, and Bebe Memorial Cathedral Choir will perform the national anthem. MC Hammer is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

 

A’s get back on track with 10-1 rout of Blue Jays

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Oakland A’s snapped a three-game losing streak Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum as they blasted the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1.

The A’s, returning home after getting swept by the Colorado Rockies in Denver, beat the Blue Jays for the fifth consecutive time this year. The Blue Jays were hoping to be contenders this season. Injuries to key players such as Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, and Kevin Pillar have contributed to their demise.

Toronto manager John Gibbons still had to put a team on the field. He sent Marco Estrada to the hill Monday night. The A’s tagged him for one in the second, one in the third, and two in the fourth. Mark Canha smoked his 14th home run of the year in the second to give the A’s a 1-0 lead. In the third, Nick Martini singled. Matt Chapman walk. Jed Lowrie flew out, and Martini tagged and went to third. Martini scored on Khris Davis’ sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. The A’s plated two more in the bottom of the fourth Singles by Stephen Piscotty and Marcus Semien put men on at first and third. Jonathan Lucroy hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Piscotty. Nick Martini followed with a double to drive in Semien all the way from first The A’s lead 4-0.

There was no more scoring until the bottom of the eighth. The A’s, who lead the majors with runs scored in the eighth inning, worked their magic once more as they scored six times to break the game wide open. Stephen Piscotty led off with his 15th big fly of 2018. Lefty reliever Jaime Garcia gave up a single to Mark Canha. Semien reached on left Fielder Teoscar Hernandez committed an error. Both players scored on Lucroy’s double to increase the lead to 7-0.  Garcia walked Matt Chapman, and he was then rocked for a double by Jed Lowrie to make it 9-0. Khris Davis singled to drive in Lowrie with the sixth run of the inning.

Toronto’s shortstop Adelmys Diaz led off the top of the ninth off A’s reliever Ryan Buchter. Buchter then retired the next three hitters to close out the win. The A’s win 10-1.

Game Notes- A’s starter Edwin Jackson was the winning pitcher, and he evened his record at 2-2. His line was 5 2/3rds innings of work. He allowed no runs and just three hits. He walked three and struck out five. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed him from the game with two outs in the sixth as he had exceeded his pitch count limit. Ryan Dull finished the sixth, Lou Trivino worked the seventh, and Familia pitched the eighth. Lefty Ryan Buchter pitched the ninth.

The A’s gained a game on the Houston Astros Monday night. The Astros, in a bit of turmoil as they were swept by the Texas Rangers this weekend, lost Monday night again to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners are now two back of the Astros. Houston made a blockbuster trade Monday as they sent closer Ken Giles to Toronto for Roberto Osuna. Giles did not do the job for Houston. Osuna is serving a 75-game suspension and is due to be available on August 4th. The A’s are now just five games behind the Astros and remain two back of the Mariners.

The A’s will send Trevor Cahill to pitch Tuesday night. Cahill is 2-2 with an ERA of 3.43. He will be opposed by righty Sam Gaviglio who is 2-3 with an ERA of 4.65. Game time will be at 7:05pm at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s also announced a major restructuring of how they will be selling tickets next year. Enclosed is the press release from the A’s.

Oakland A’s Cancel 2019 Season Ticket Program

Team introduces A’s Access; New approach to membership

 

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s will no longer offer season tickets in the traditional format and will introduce A’s Access, a new membership program for the 2019 season, the club announced today. A’s Access provides all members general admission access to every 2019 regular season home game, a reserved seat plan, and significant benefits that are exclusive to members. Access memberships will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 3.

“To better meet the evolving needs of our fans, we are changing our approach to membership. This flexible model is designed to serve both fans who want a more traditional reserved seat plan and those who desire a more flexible and social experience,” said A’s COO Chris Giles.

 

Access Members will receive 50 percent off concessions, 25 percent off merchandise, and parking benefits, as well as an allotment of seat upgrade credits for games not included in their reserved ticket plan. A’s Access will also include a flexible new payment plan, a 12-month option that auto-renews each year. Fans who purchase 2019 A’s Access this season will have the first opportunity to purchase 2018 postseason tickets, including a “Pay As We Play” option.

“A’s Access is the first program of its kind. From access to every game to special member concessions pricing, we’re focused on maximizing the value proposition for members. We are inviting our fans to truly become members of the A’s,” said Giles.

Every A’s Access membership includes a reserved ticket plan and all seat plans held by current season ticket members are available for renewal within the Access program. A’s Access plans begin at $240. Member concession pricing includes $4 20-ounce domestic drafts, $3 hot dogs, and $2.50 16-ounce sodas.

A’s Access will go on sale on Friday, Aug. 3 at 9 a.m. For more information, visit athletics.com/2019.

– athletics.com –

 

A’s mess with Texas again; sweep 4-game series with 7-6 win

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s won their sixth game in a row as they defeated the Texas Rangers 7-6 at Globe Life Park Thursday night. The A’s swept the four-game series for their 27th win in their last 34 games since June 16th. It was the A’s third four-game sweep this season, and it was the first time the A’s have accomplished such a feat since 1928.

The A’s Trevor Cahill earned the win to even his record at 2-2. He had not won a game since April 17th when he beat the Chicago White Sox. He snapped a nine-game winless streak. He struggled as he went five innings and allowed seven hits and five runs. The A’s offense helped him out as he left the game with the A’s leading 6-5.

The Rangers’ starter was Bartolo Colon. Colon took the loss. He went seven innings and gave up nine hits and six runs. His record dropped to 5-9. He has 243 career win, and it was his fourth attempt to break the record he holds with Dennis Martinez for most wins by a Latin American native.

The A’s took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Nick Martini reached when he was hit by a pitch. Colon retired Marcus Semien for the first out. Jed Lowrie hit a dribbler up the first base line that Colon could not field properly. He tried to get Lowrie at first, but his throw sent the ball past Rangers’ first baseman Ronald Guzman. Lowrie was credited with a hit and Colon an error on the throw as Martini advanced to third base. Khris Davis singled to right to drive in Martini. Shin-Soo Choo’s throw to third base in an attempt to nail Lowrie went into the dugout for the second error of the inning. Lowrie scored.

The Rangers came back in their half of the first to tie the game. Cahill walked the leadoff hitter (Choo). Cahill hit Rougned Odor with a pitch to put men on at first and second with no out. Elvis Andrus singled to load the bases. Adrian Beltre singled to drive in Choo. Cahill struck out Jurickson Profar for the first out. Joey Gall grounded out, and Odor scored on the play.

The A’s Matt Chapman lead off the second inning with a line drive that went over the fence in left field for his 12th home run of the year.

The Rangers tied the game again in the bottom of the inning. Ronald Guzman doubled. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Choo singled.

The A’s plated three runs in the top of the fourth. With one out Chapman walked. Dustin Fowler followed with a triple to drive in Chapman. Nick Martini followed with another triple to drive in Fowler. Semien singled to drive in Martini. The A’s lead 6-3.

The Rangers scored twice in the fifth to make it a 6-5 game. They put together a walk to Andrus and a single by Beltre. Profar followed with a triple to drive in both teammates.

The A’s added an insurance run in the eighth when Chapman tripled with one out. Jonathan Lucroy drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Jeurys Familia to pitch. Ronaldo Guzman reached when Matt Olson misplayed his ground ball. Pinch-hitter Willie Calhoun singled to put men on at first and second with no out. Familia struck out Choo for the first out. Rougned Odor lined out to center-field and Guzman tagged up and made it safely to third base. Familia uncorked a wild pitch and Guzman scored on the play.

A’s closer Blake Treinen was brought in to pitch the ninth. Adrian Beltre greeted him with a single, but Treinen was unfazed. He struck out Profar for the first out. Joe Gallo flew out to left field, and Treinen got Robinson Chirinos to line out to Jed Lowrie. The A’s won 7-6.

Game Notes and Stats: The A’s hitting star was Matt Chapman. Chapman hit a home run and had two triples. The A’s had four triples in the game. The last time they had three triples in a game was in April 2013.

Blake Treinen recorded his 27th save of the year.

The A’s improved to 61-43 and are 18 games over the .500 mark for the first time since September 9, 2014.

The A’s announced that they will honor Bill King on July 30th will a commercial-free radio broadcast to commemorate the first anniversary of Bill’s receiving the Ford C. Frick Award that put him in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Up Next: The A’s travel to Denver for a three-game interleague series against the Colorado Rockies. The game will be played without the DH, so Khris Davis probably will be in left field.

Lefty Sean Manaea (9-6, 3.30 ERA) will pitch for Oakland.

Colorado will counter with another lefty, Kyle Freeland. Freeland is 8-6 and has a 3.28 ERA.

Khris Davis’ homers lead the A’s to another amazing comeback over the Rangers 6-5

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By Jerry Feitelberg.

As Yogi Berra once said:”it’s deja vu all over again.” The late A’s Hall of Fame broadcaster Bill King probably would have screamed “Holy Toledo” several times during Wednesday night’s game against the Texas Rangers. The A’s continued to electrify its fans and demoralize their opponents as they did it again. The A’s trailed 5-1 after six innings. They stunned the Rangers Tuesday night as they overcame an eight-run deficit. Could they do it again? The answer is yes they did. Designated hitter, Khris Davis was a one-man wrecking crew as he homered twice to drive in five runs to propel the A’s to their fifth straight win and their 26th win in the last 33 games played. The A’s remain 1 and 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. They are also closing in on the first place Houston Astros. The Astros lost to Colorado Wednesday night, and the A’s now trail them by 6 1/2 games.

The A’s scored a run in the first inning to take an early lead. Marcus Semien doubled to left to start the inning. First baseman Matt Olson also doubled to drive in Semien.

The Rangers tallied three in the bottom of the second. Edwin Jackson walked Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo to put two on and no out. Robinson Chirinos, who always seems to kill the A’s, hit a monster shot that went 429 feet over the center field wall. The Rangers added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Carlos Tocci singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Tocci advanced to third on a passed ball. Rougned Odor singled to drive in Tocci. Odor stole second and he scored on a single off the bat of future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre. The Rangers lead 5-1 after five complete.

The A’s failed to score in the sixth. Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister brought in former San Francisco Giant Corey Gearrin to pitch the seventh. A’s catcher Josh Phegley greeted him with a single. Gearrin retired Semien and Nick Martini. He walked Jed Lowrie to put men on at first and second with A’s DH Khris Davis coming to the plate. KD unloaded his 26th bomb of the season to deep center field. The ball traveled 426 feet, and the A’s now trail 5-4.

The A’s bullpen continued to pitch well. After Jackson’s demise, Petit, Hatcher, Buchter, and Trivino kept the Rangers scoreless as they gave up just one hit to the Rangers.

That set the stage for the fateful ninth inning. The Rangers brought in Jose LeClerc to close out the game. Keone Kela was not available as he threw 40 pitches Tuesday night. Here’s how the inning unfolded. With one out LeClerc walked Nick Martini. He then struck out Jed Lowrie for the second out. Dustin Fowler was sent in to run for Martini. LeClerc now had to face Khris Davis. LeClerc put Davis in a two-strike hole. However, as mentioned earlier, Davis loves to hit in Texas. His 27th home run of the year was an opposite-field shot that went 421 feet. There was no doubt about it when it left the bat, and the A’s were in front 6-5. Bob Melvin summoned his All-Star closer Blake Treinen from the bullpen. Treinen did not disappoint as he struck out the side to preserve the win for Oakland.

Game Notes- Edwin Jackson made his sixth start of the year, and it was not his best effort. Jackson went 4 and 1/3rd innings and allowed 7 hits and five runs. The A’s bullpen was magnificent as they held the Rangers scoreless and gave the A’s a chance to get back in the game. The winning pitcher was Lou Trivino who worked a scoreless eighth inning. His record is now 8-1. Treinen recorded his 26th save in 30 tries. The Rangers’ Martin Perez gave his team a quality start as he went six innings and gave up one run and seven hits. Jose LeClerc took the loss and is now 2-3 for the year.

Khris Davis has homered in his sixth consecutive game against the Rangers. He has 25 homers and 57 RBIs in 49 career games against the Rangers. In Texas, Davis has 15 home runs and 31 RBIs in 26 road games. Davis also has six home runs in his last four games. He is sizzling right now.

The A’s go for the sweep Thursday night at Globe Life Field. Trevor Cahill will pitch for Oakland, and he will be opposed by the ageless wonder Bartolo Colon who is 45-years old. Colon is tied with Dennis Martinez for most wins (245) by a native of Latin America. Game time will be at 7:05 pm.

A’s rally from an 8-run deficit to beat Rangers 13-10

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Photo credit: mlb.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s continued to perform their magic act as they came back from an eight-run deficit to beat the Texas Rangers 13-10 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday night.

Things initially did not go well for the A’s as the Rangers scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. Mark Canha, with one out in the third, homered to left field to make it a 2-1 game. Jed Lowrie tied the game with a solo home run off Rangers’ starter Mike Minor.

The Rangers plated two more runs in the bottom of the fifth off A’s starter Frankie Montas. Willie Calhoun led off the fifth with a solo home run. Shin-Soo Choo singled and went to third on Rougned Odor’s double. Elvis Andrus drove in Choo with a sacrifice fly to right field. Montas was done for the night, and he left the game trailing 4-2.

The Rangers appeared to break the game open in the sixth. Lefty Ryan Buchter was now pitching for Oakland. Joey Gallo, playing right field for Texas, started the onslaught with his 25th of the year. Isiah Kiner-Falefa then doubled. Carlos Tocci, playing center field, singled to drive in Kiner-Falefa. Choo reached on Marcus Semien’s fielding error. Buchter walked Odor to load the bases. A’s manager Bob Melvin took the ball from Buchter and brought in J.B. Wendelken to face Andrus. The strategy failed as Andrus hit his first career grand slam to put Texas in the driver’s seat with a 1-2 advantage after six innings of play.

The A’s, who have never come back to win after trailing by eight runs after six innings, made history Tuesday. The A’s scored 11 unanswered runs in the seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th innings to come away with what could be the most improbable win of the season. The players know that they can come back, but no one ever would believe that they could overcome an eight-run deficit. They tallied three runs in the seventh. Texas reliever walked Matt Chapman and Mark Canha to start the rally. Mann retired Lucroy, but Marcus Semien doubled to drive in Chapman and Canha. Nick Martini followed with a double to drive in Semien. The A’s trailed 10-5 and had two more innings to get more runs.

The A’s scored four in the eighth to make it a 10-9 game. They scored four times and had just one hit. Lefty Jake Diekman could not find the strike zone. With one out, Diekman walked Chapman, Canha, and Lucroy. Semien hit a ground ball to Rangers’ shortstop Elvis Andrus. Andrus mishandled the ball and Chapman scored. The bases were still loaded. Diekman hit Nick Martini with a pitch to force in another run. Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister ended Diekman’s night and brought in his closer Keone Kela to pitch. Jed Lowrie was the next hitter. Lowrie, hitting from the left side, hit a rocket up the middle that appeared to bounce off Kela’s hand. The ball went into center field, and Lucroy and Semien scored. Kela retired Khris Davis and Matt Olson to end the threat.

In the top of the ninth, Stephen Piscotty hammered his 14th homer of the season to tie the game. Kela retired the A’s with no further damage. A’s reliever Jeurys Familia, who entered the game in the eighth inning, set the Rangers down in order and the game went into extra innings.

In the 10th inning, the A’s scored three more times. Austin Bibens-Dirks was on the hill for Texas. Bibens-Dirks retired the first hitter. Nick Martini then singled. Lowrie walked to put men on at first and second. Khris Davis was the next hitter. Davis had a tough night as he was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Davis, who had three home runs in his last two games, came through once again as hit his 25th of the season into the seats in left field to give the A’s the lead for the first time in the game. Bob Melvin summoned his closer Blake Treinen from the bullpen and Treinen retired the Rangers to preserve the win for Oakland. The A’s won 13-10.

Game Notes: Khris Davis hit his 25th homer of the year and has knocked in 72. It was the biggest and best comeback of the season for Oakland. They had never come back from an eight-run deficit when trailing after six innings.

Stephen Piscotty’s home run was his seventh in July. Jed Lowrie’s home run was his 17th of the year. Lowrie never hit more than 16 before this year. The A’s improve to 59-43 and are now just 1 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card Slot. The Mariners lost to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in Seattle.

The line score for Oakland was 13 runs, 11 hits, and two errors.

The Rangers’ line was 10 runs, nine hits, and they also made two errors.

The A’s announced that Kendall Graveman would undergo Tommy John surgery. Graveman, who started for the A’s on Opening Night, was demoted to Nashville and spent a considerable amount of time on the DL. He is done for the year and will probably not be able to pitch until September 2019.

18,249 people were in attendance.

Up Next: The A’s and Rangers will meet again Wednesday at 5:05 pm PDT.

Edwin Jackson (1-2) will make his sixth start for Oakland, and he will be opposed by Texas lefty Martin Perez (2-4).

A’s hitters torch Rangers’ pitchers in 15-3 laugher in Arlington

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was a very warm night at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, on Monday night as the Oakland A’s started a seven-game road trip against the Texas Rangers. The temperature at the start of the game was over 100 degrees, but that did not faze the A’s hitters one bit.

The Rangers had their best pitcher, Cole Hamels, on the mound. Hamels, a four-time All-Star and 2008 World Champion (with the Philadelphia Phillies), is having an off year so far this season. The 34-year old lefty was 5-8 for the year, but his home record was 1-6 at home.

The A’s countered with their lefty, Brett Anderson, who started the game with a record of 1-2 and has spent a lot of time on the DL. A’s manager Bob Melvin was hoping to get some innings from Anderson to not use his bullpen. Anderson did his job as he went six innings and allowed just two runs and six hits. That, baseball fans, is a quality start.

The A’s torched Hamels for five runs in the top of the second inning. Hamels walked Matt Olson to start the inning. Chapman reached on an infield single. Rougned Odor made a gallant effort trying to stop Chapman’s grounder from going into centerfield. Odor flipped the ball to shortstop Elvis Andrus. Andrus stretched to grab the ball for the out, but he did not control of the ball as Olson’s slid in safely. Mark Canha singled sharply to right field to load the bases with no out.

Jonathan Lucroy was the next hitter. Lucroy was traded to the Rangers in 2016 and was with them until the trade deadline last year when the Rangers sent him to the Colorado Rockies. Lucroy had been with Hamels, who had a winning record when Lucroy was his catcher. Lucroy had hit only one home run so far the year but his second of the season was a grand salami. The ball was hit to deep center-field and barely made it over the fence. Statcast said the ball went 408 feet. The A’s were on the board, and it was just the beginning of the fireworks. The A’s plated another run to make it 5-0. Semien walked. Chad Pinder, who was 8-for-9 with three home runs in his career against Hamels, singled. Hamels retired Jed Lowrie, but was touched for a double by Khris Davis.

The Rangers scored two in the bottom of the third. Odor doubled and scored when Elvis Andrus homered. The A’s lead 5-2 after three. The A’s got the two runs back in the top of the fifth to take a 7-2 lead. With one out, Matt Olson singled. Stephen Piscotty homered for the thirteenth time this year to give the A’s a five-run lead. Hamels was done for the night. He went five innings and allowed seven runs on nine hits. He walked two, struck out five, and gave up two dingers.

Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister brought in another lefty, Matt Moore (former San Francisco Giant), to pitch the sixth inning. Moore set the A’s down in order. Banister should have given him the night off after that. Moore’s second inning of work was a disaster. The A’s scored six times on five hits. The big hit of the inning was a three-run blast off the bat of Matt Chapman. Moore gave up doubles to Lucroy and Semien to make it a 12-2 game. Banister brought in another lefty, Alex Claudio, who did not fare any better as Chad Pinder doubled on Claudio’s first pitch to drive in the sixth run of the game.

The A’s scored two more in the eighth, while the Rangers tallied just one. The A’s took game one by a lopsided score of 15-3.

Game Notes: The A’s continue to play well. They are now 24-7 in their last 31 games and are now 2 1/2 games behind the idle Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card slot.

The line score for Oakland was 15 runs, 18 hits including four home runs, and no errors.

The line for Texas was three runs, eight hits, and no errors.

The A’s are now 58-43, and Texas falls to 42-59.

Khris Davis hit his 24th home run of the run and his third in the last two games.

Matt Olson had two hits. Steven Piscotty had two hits, three RBIs, and a home run. Matt Chapman had three hits, four RBIs, and a three-run homer. Lucroy hit a grand slam to go along with a double.

Up Next: The A’s and Rangers will meet again on Tuesday at 5:05 pm PDT.

Texas will send left Mike Minor (6-6) to the hill, and Oakland will counter with Frankie Montas (5-2).

Part 2 of the Battle of the Bay continues Friday night

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Battle of the Bay continues Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum as the Oakland A’s host the San Francisco Giants for three games. The two teams met last weekend in San Francisco, and the A’s won two out of three.

Both teams welcomed back their two All-Star players from Washington D.C. while the other 23 players on each team had a nice four-day vacation.

The A’s, playing their best baseball since the 2014 season, find themselves in the race for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. They are just three games back of the Seattle Mariners for the slot. They play the M’s 10 more times this season.

The A’s are getting solid play from the position players and their DH Khris Davis. The bullpen has been one of the strengths of the team. The starting rotation has been a work in progress. Six pitchers that have started have been on the DL this year.

The A’s, if they were to make the playoffs, need another starting pitcher. The big caveat is this: Will they be able to do it without giving any key players? Do they have enough prospects to make the trade? Rumors are swirling that the A’s are looking at Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer.

The Giants are also in the thick of the race in the NL West. They are in fourth place four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. They trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 3.5 games and are two games behind the Colorado Rockies for third place.

If the Giants are to make the playoffs, they probably will have to win the division. The Dodgers traded for All-Star shortstop Manny Machado, who will give them another potent bat. Corey Seager is on the DL for the year, and the Dodgers have missed him.

The Giants’ starting rotation has seen their share of injuries, too. Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Jeff Samardzija have all missed significant playing time this tear. Samardzija is back on the 10-day DL.

The Giants own a record of 50-48 and are much improved over last season. They have brought up Steven Duggar and Austin Slater. They released veteran outfielder Austin Jackson. Hunter Pence has been relegated to a reserve role. Evan Longoria is on the DL, but Pablo Sandoval has been filling in quite nicely as his replacement. Buster Posey has been hobbled by a hip injury, but he should be able to play in Oakland as DH Nick Hundley will handle the catching chores,

The pitching matchups for the series shapes up this way. On Friday night, the A’s will send the veteran Edwin Jackson to the hill. Jackson is 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA. Jackson, whom the A’s called up in late June, has been a pleasant surprise, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his four starts and showing no signs of age. The veteran journeyman will get the ball for the A’s to kick off the second half. He will be opposed by Dereck Rodriguez, who is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Pudge Rodriguez, is 4-1 and has a 2.89 ERA. Rodriguez has been a welcoming addition to the Giants’ staff.  On Saturday, the game will start at 6:05 pm PDT.

The A’s are honoring the 1989 World Series Champions, many of whom will be on hand. Trevor Cahill will go for Oakland. Cahill is 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA. Cahill was on the DL with a strained Achilles tendon. In his return on July 12th, he lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs and three hits. The A’s need him to pitch better in the second half. Lefty Madison Bumgarner goes for the Giants. MadBum is 3-3, and has a 2.90 ERA. The Giants feel that he is not in top form yet as he is allowing 3.1 walks per nine innings of work.

Sunday’s game will feature Seam Manaea (9-6-3.42 ERA) going for his 10th win of the year. Manaea started strong and slumped a bit, but in his last eight starts, has given up three or fewer runs. He will be opposed by Johnny Cueto, who is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA, and has missed most of the season. Cueto has a history of starting well in the first half and them stumbling in the second half. Since he has been sidelined for most of the season, it will be interesting to see if he can return to form.

After the three-game homestand, the A’s go back on the road for four games against the Texas Rangers and three games against the the Colorado Rockies.

A’s are the surprise American League team right now

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The second half of the 2018 season begins on Friday when the Oakland A’s host the San Francisco Giants for three games at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s, without question, are one of the biggest surprises in the MLB this season. They’ll resume their quest to make the playoffs. The A’s, picked by many pundits to finish last in the American League West and win no more than 67 games, are sitting in third place in the AL West and just three games behind the Seattle Mariners in the quest for the second Wild Card seed.

The A’s went 7-3 on the 10-game road trip just before the All-Star break and picked up four games on the Mariners, who went 3-7 in their last 10 games. The A’s won two out three at Cleveland then won three out of four from the Houston Astros. They almost had a sweep, but they lost a game on a very unusual play that most fans and people in the media cannot recall ever seeing. But the A’s refused to fold. They regained their composure and were able to hold their own with the Astros. The Astros arguably have the best starting rotation in baseball. The A’s were unfazed as they faced Gerrit Cole, Justin, Verlander, Lance McCullers, and Charlie Morton. They then finished the trip by winning two out three against the Giants.

The A’s, under manager Bob Melvin, shows no sign of quitting. They are very resilient and play with a ton of confidence. They know that no game is out of reach and that they have shown a propensity for scoring runs late in the game.

The starting rotation has been a work in progress all season. The A’s were counting on Jharel Cotton and A.J. Puk to be in the starting rotation. Both players are on the DL as they have had season-ending Tommy John surgeries. Paul Blackburn, Daniel Gossett, Daniel Mengden, and Andrew Triggs have all been sidelined due to injury. Mengden is off the DL, but has been optioned back to the Nashville Sounds.

The A’s current rotation consists of lefties Sean Manaea and Brett Anderson. Edwin Jackson, Trevor Cahill and Frankie Montas are the right-handed starters. Cahill and Anderson have spent time on the DL. Both have had a couple of good games, but have not been consistent. Montas is 5-2 and has impressed even the biggest critics.

The A’s bullpen has been one of the best in baseball. Emilio Pagan, Yusmeiro Petit, Ryan Buchter, Lou Trivino, and Blake Treinen have been outstanding. Chris Hatcher did well earlier in the season, but has not been effective lately. Ryan Dull and Danny Coulombe did not do the job, and both are in Nashville. Liam Hendriks and Santiago Casilla have been designated for assignment and are probably not in the A’s upcoming plans. The A’s added lefty Jeremy Bleich and righty J.B. Wendelken, but they have to prove that they can stay in Oakland.

The A’s offense is led by Jed Lowrie. Lowrie, at age 34, made the All-Star team this year. Lowrie, who set a club record with 49 doubles last year, is probably having the best year in his career. Lowrie is hitting a smidge under .290 and has 16 home runs and about 60 runs batted in so far.

The A’s have power guys up and down the lineup. Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Mark Canha, Stephen Piscotty, Marcus Semien, and Khris Davis all are capable of sending a baseball into the stratosphere.

The catching chores are handled by Jonathan Lucroy and Josh Phegley. Lucroy doesn’t have much power, but he knows how to get the most from the pitching staff and has been invaluable to the A’s.

The A’s are on the right track. The big question right now as the trade deadline nears is whether the A’s will be sellers or buyers or will they do nothing? Many think the A’s need to make a move to get another quality starter. The price could be too high for Beane and Forst to make a move. The fans would be upset if the A’s traded any of their young stars. Many people speculate that the A’s might move Lowrie and play Barreto at second base.

Time will tell, and in the meantime, the team has to keep on winning.

A’s rally in the 8th to beat the Astros again, 6-4

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s did it again as they rallied to score three runs in the top of the eighth to beat the World Champion Houston Astros 6-4 at Minute Maid Park on Thursday. With the win, Oakland took three out of four in Houston.

The A’s are continuing to show everyone that they are for real. They are playing with a lot of confidence as they have now scored 69 runs in the eighth inning. They lead all of baseball in that department. The A’s have won eight games when trailing after seven innings. That, too, leads the Major Leagues. They are 35-0 when leading after seven innings and 44-0 when leading after eight. No one else in baseball is undefeated.

“When you do it so many times, you have confidence doing it,” manager Bob Melvin said. “And it was different guys today, too. At this point, it’s a true team effort, and that’s powerful when you have 25 guys contributing.”

Trevor Cahill started for the As. Cahill was activated off the 10-day DL. He struggled. Cahill went just 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs and three hits.

Below is the game summary:

In the third inning, the Astros roughed up Cahill for two runs. With one out, Cahill issued walks to Tony Kemp and George Springer. Both advanced a base when Cahill uncorked a wild pitch. Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman slammed a double to left to drive in Kemp and Springer.

The Astros made it 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Cahill retired the first two hitters: Evan Gattis and Marwin Gonzalez. Former A’s player, Max Stassi, singled. Melvin had seen enough, and he brought in Chris Hatcher to pitch to Kemp. However, that strategy failed as Kemp homered.

The A’s took it in stride as they mounted their comeback in the top of the fifth. Chad Pinder and Mark Canha singled to start the rally. Astros’ starter Charlie Morton to load the bases with no out. Nick Martini doubled to drive in Pinder and Canha. Lucroy went to third. Morton retired Semien for the first out. The next hitter, Stephen Piscotty, reached on an infield single. Lucroy scored on the play. The Astros made a pitching change. Morton was out, and Collin McHugh was in. McHugh retired the next two A’s hitters. The A’s trailed 4-3.

There was no more scoring in the game until the top of the eighth. Astros’ manager A.J. Hinch brought in Chris Devenski to pitch. The A’s Khris Davis and Matt Olson singled to get things going. The other Matt, third baseman Matt Chapman, doubled to left field to drive in Davis. Olson stopped at third. Devensiki retired Chad Pinder for the first out. Mark Canha followed with a single to deep left field to drive in Olson and Chapman. The A’s were now ahead 6-4, and they needed the bullpen to finish off the Astros.

Bob Melvin selected lefty Ryan Buchter to pitch the eighth. Buchter did his job as retired the Astros in order. Melvin went to the bullpen again, and this time he brought in Lou Trivino to close out the game. Trivino, a rookie sensation, came through once again as he, too, set the Astros down to secure the 6-4 win for the A’s.

Game Notes: The A’s are now 53-41 for the season and are a season-high 12 games over .500. Melvin used five pitchers, and Yusmeiro Petit was the winning pitcher. Trivino earned his fourth save. Chris Devenski took the loss for the Astros.

Up Next: The A’s conclude the three-city, 10-game road trip with three games against the San Francisco Giants. Edwin Jackson will pitch for Oakland, and he will be opposed by San Francisco lefty Madison Bumgarner. The first game of the Battle of the Bay Series will be on Friday at 7:15 pm PDT.

A’s rebound to beat Astros 8-3

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, who felt they should have beaten the Astros Tuesday night, rebounded from that ignominious loss and sent a message to the Houston-based team.

Their message? We are not the same guys that you beat eight times in the first nine games. We are a different team now, and we know that we can play with the big boys.  Just ask the Red Sox!

The A’s won the season series 4-2 and the Red Sox have the best record in baseball. The A’s have been playing well on the road, and their confidence has been building. They know that they are never out of any game, no matter what the score. They scored four runs in the ninth to tie Tuesday night’s game and took the lead in the 11th only to lose on a once-in-a-lifetime play.

Since the days when Tony LaRussa was the A’s skipper, the players have been to turn the page. Tony would tell them, “You can’t do anything about what happened yesterday. Forget what happened as today’s game is a new canvas.”

The young A’s did just that as they defeated Lance McCullers and the Astros by a score of 8-3. McCullers was making his fourth start of the year against the A’s. He owned a record of 3-0 and had a 1.89 ERA against the A’s. The A’s made a statement early in the game as they pounced on McCullers for three runs in the first and three more in the fourth. The hitting heroes for the A’s were Chad Pinder with a home run and Khris Davis with three RBIs.

With one out in the first inning, McCullers issued consecutive walks to Marcus Semien and Jed Lowrie. A’s DH, Khris Davis, extended his hitting streak to 13 with a double to drive Semien and Lowrie. Stephen Piscotty singled to send Davis to third, and Davis scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Chapman to take a 3-0 lead.

The A’s tacked on three more runs in the top of the fourth. The rally started when McCullers hit Matt Chapman with a pitch. McCullers then walked Mark Canha. The next hitter, Chad Pinder, sent a McCullers pitch into the seat in left field to put the A’s ahead 6-0.

The Astros retaliated by scoring two in the bottom of the fourth. Alex Bregman continued his hot hitting with a single. AL MVP Jose Altuve followed with a single that sent Bregman to third. Altuve then stole second. Yuli Guriel drove in both runners with a single to right to make it a 6-2 game.

Astros’ first baseman Tyler White hit his first home run of the season in the fifth to inch his team a bit closer. The A’s got the run back in the top of the sixth. Former A’s pitcher Brad Peacock gave up a double to Marcus Semien. After retiring Jed Lowrie, Peacock could not get by Khris Davis. Davis hit a triple to deep center field to drive in Semien. Josh Phegley singled to right field in the top of the ninth to drive in the A’s eighth run of the game.

The A’s bullpen held the Astros scoreless after the fifth inning. Emilio Pagan allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings of work. Ryan Dull worked an inning, and Ryan Buchter pitched the ninth for Oakland. Oakland wins 8-3.

Game Notes: Chris Bassitt earned his second win of the year. He is now 2-3 and has a 3.38 ERA. He has won his last two starts. He pitched five innings and allowed three runs and five hits.

McCullers record dropped to 10-4. He worked just four innings and gave up six runs on four hits.

The A’s are now 4-2 on the road trip and are back to games over the .500 mark with a record of 52-41.

A’s right fielder Stephen Piscotty left the game in the fifth inning after he was hit by a pitch. The team confirmed that it was just a bruise.

Up Next: The A’s will conclude their road series against the Astros Thursday at 11:10 am PDT on the MLB Network.

Trevor Cahill will come off the 10-day DL and pitch for Oakland on Thursday. His record so far this season is 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA.

Cahill’s opponent will be Charlie Morton, who is 11-2 with a 2.77 ERA. Morton has won four of his last five starts.