Author: rxslugger

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

The A’s off day report: Oakland opens up three game set against Seattle Tuesday at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller who pitched during the Chicago Cubs series at the Oakland Coliseum will match up against the Seattle Mariners Tue May 2, 2023 at the Oakland Coliseum for his second big league start. (photo by the San Francisco Chronicle)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s have an off day this Monday. The A’s host the Seattle Mariners for three games starting Tuesday. The Mariners come to town with a record of 12-16, not quite the start they hoped to have. The A’s won their sixth game of the year, beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 at the Coliseum on Sunday. The A’s own the worst record in baseball, 6-23.

The A’s have yet to win two consecutive games this season. The A’s pitching has been terrible. The team ERA for the starters is over eight. The bullpen ERA is not better. The pen’s ERA is over seven. It is challenging to win games with those high-earned run averages.

The Mariners will have two key players back in the lineup on Tuesday. First baseman Ty France and centerfielder Jose Rodriguez will be off the IL that day. The M’s lineup will have Cal Raleigh as their catcher. Raleigh killed the A’s last year. Raleigh has hit five homers this year and has 18 RBIs.

The other infielders are Kolton Wong at second base, J.P. Crawford is the shortstop, and Eugenio Suarez is the third baseman. France, Wong, Crawford, and Suarez have hit four dingers total for the team. The numbers improve when you look at the production of the outfielders.

Left Fielder Jarred Kelenic is hitting the cover off the ball. Kelenic, who struggled at the plate the last couple of years, adjusted his approach. Kelenic has a .306 batting average, seven homers, and 14 ribbies. Center fielder Julio Rodriguez, the AL Rookie of the Year in 2022, will come off the IL on Tuesday.

Rodriguez is hitting .239 with five homers and 13 RBIs. Right Fielder Teoscar Hernandez, acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, has hit seven big flies and knocked in 16. A.J. Pollock is the DH. Tommy La Stella and Sam Haggerty are the utility infielder backups.

The A’s have announced their starters for the three-game Series. The A’s will send Mason Miller (0-1 ERA 6.48) to the hill on Tuesday. Miller is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher. He can throw the ball over 100 mph. Miller will be looking for his first win of his career. The M’s will counter with Logan Gilbert. Gilbert is 1-1 and has a 4.23 ERA. Gilbert was 13-6 last year.

On Wednesday, lefty J P Sear will go for Oakland Sears is 0-2 and has an ERA of 6.23. The A’s hope Sears can give them six or seven innings of work. The Mariners will send George Kirby out to pitch. Kirby is 2-2 and has an era of 2.93. On Thursday, Drew Rucinski will make his second start for the A’s. Luis Castillo will be the M’s starter,

The Mariners’ closer is Paul Sewald. Sewald has recorded seven saves this season. The setup guy is Matt Brash. Other pitchers in the bullpen are Justin Topa, Penn Murfee, Trevor Gott, Gabe Speier, Taylor Saucedo, and Chris Flexen.

There have been some bright spots for the A’s this season. While the team has floundered, several players have done well. The A’s have to be pleased with the play of Shea Langeliers. Langeliers has done the job as the catcher. He has six homers and 16 RBIs. A’s left fielder Brent Rooker, getting playing time after Seth Brown was injured, has paced the A’s offense with nine homers, 22 RBIs, and a sparkling .353 batting average.

Esteury Ruiz, who came to the A’s in the three-team trade that sent Sean Murphy to the Atlanta Braves, had the winning hit in Sunday’s game against the Reds. Ruiz is a good defensive outfielder. He is also a threat to steal anytime he is on base. The A’s are high on second baseman Jordan Diaz. Diaz looks like he is here to stay. Backup catcher Carlos Perez has hit well when he has been in the lineup.

The Mariners will abuse the A’s pitching staff for three days. A’s manager Mark Kotsay hopes his starters will get on track and get some wins. Not one A’s starter has received credit for a win in the first 29 games of the season. The pitchers have to do better. The A’s lost 102 games last year. They may lose more this year unless the pitching improves.

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Kings beat Warriors 119-99 Game seven in Sacramento on Sunday

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Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, front right, tries to get around Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, during the first half of Game 6 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Apr 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings tipped off against the Warriors Friday night at the Chase Center. The Kings, facing elimination with their back to the wall, did what was necessary to beat the Warriors 118-99. Mike Brown, the former Warriors’ assistant head coach, had his team ready.

Brown took a page from the Warriors’ game plan when he used Trey Lyles in the number-five slot. Brown had Domantas Sobonis on the bench and went with a small lineup. That decision turned the tide for Sacramento. The Kings did everything right. The stats show the Kings took more shots than the Warriors.

They held the Warriors to 37% from the floor. It was the Warriors’ worst offensive performance at home this season. The Kings made more three-point shots. They made 17, while the Warriors connected on ten. The Kings outrebounded the Warriors 66-60. The Warriors recorded 20 assists.

When the Warriors are on their game, they usually make close to 30 assists. The low assist total indicated the Warriors needed to move the ball better. Too many Warriors were trying to make plays rather than find the open man. The Kings’ bench, led by Malik Monk and Lyles, outscored the Warriors bench 52-21. Draymond Green scored 21 points on Wednesday and was held to four. Jordan Poole was guilty of too many turnovers and sloppy plays. Poole finished with seven points.

The first quarter was a defensive struggle. The Kings got off to an early 8-0 lead. The Warriors put points on the board, and the lead changed hands several times in the first quarter. Golden State led 25-23 after the first period. The Kings won the second quarter 35-26 to finish the first half with a seven-point advantage 58-51.

The Kings’ Keegan Murray paced the team with 12 points. Murray connected on four threes. De’Aaron Fox had ten, Monk 11, Lyles nine, and Sabonis five. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 16. Stephen Curry had 13. The Kings took nine more shots in the first half, 54 to 45.

The Warriors knew they would have to play better in the third quarter to win. They had to find a way to stop committing turnovers and make stops on defense. Neither happened. The Kings, behind the play of Monk and Lyles, paced the Kings to a 90-80 lead after three quarters. Lyles played more in the third period as Sabonis had to sit on the bench with five fouls.

The Warriors knew a ten-point lead was relatively easy to overcome when trailing to start the fourth quarter. They had to attack the basket, find the open man, and make some threes. The Kings had other thoughts. They knew they had to play well on both ends of the court.

They accomplished their objective. Every time the Warriors made a three, the Kings answered with one of their own. They were blocking shots, rebounding, and getting second-chance points. Their hard work was rewarded with a win.
Sacramento beat the Warriors to force a game seven. The game will be played at the Golden 1 Arena on Sunday. The game will start at 12:30 pm.

San Francisco Giants off day report: Giants prepare for mile high 2 game series with Padres in Mexico City

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San Francisco Giants left hand pitcher Sean Manaea will start to open a two game series in Mexico City against the San Diego Padres on Sat Apr 29, 2023 (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Francisco Giants are in Mexico City to play two games against the San Diego Padres this weekend. The Giants traveled to Mexico City Thursday night. The team spent the day getting acclimated to the altitude. The elevation of Mexico City is 7,349 feet, 2000 feet higher than Denver’s.

The game will be played at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu. It should be interesting to see if the thin affects the flight of the baseballs. Let’s hope a humidor is there to keep the baseball from entering the stratosphere.

The Giants, who had a five-game streak snapped on Thursday, want to return to winning. The Giants are in fourth place in the NL West with a record of 11-14. Their opponent, the San Diego Padres, is in third place in the NL West, with a record of 13-14.

Many baseball pundits have picked the Padres to win the NL West. The Padres have yet to play up to the level that they wanted. Former A’s manager Bob Melvin, in his second year as the Padres’ skipper, wants his team to start playing better. The Padres have spent much money acquiring players over the past several years.

Third baseman Manny Machado was recently signed to a long-term contract. Former Red Sox star shortstop Xander Bogaerts also signed a long-term deal. The Padres traded for Juan Soto. Soto was an All-Star with the Washington Nationals but has not played as well with the Padres.

The Padres know his potential and hope he can return to where he was. Outfielder Fernando Tatis, Jr. is back on the field after serving an 80-game suspension for using a performance-enhancing drug. Tatis was the shortstop, but with Bogaerts in the lineup, the Padres have moved him to the outfield.

Other players to watch this weekend are centerfielder Trent Grisham, first baseman Jake Cronenworth, second baseman Ha-Seong Kim, and designated hitters Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz.

The Padres use lefty Josh Hader as their closer. Nick Martinez is the setup guy. The Padres have five relievers on the IL. Two pitchers, Jose Castillo and Drew Pomeranz, will return this weekend. Other relievers are Luis Garcia, Steve Wilson, Tim Hill, Brent Honeywell, and Raymond Kerr.

The Giants have announced Sean Manaea will be their starting pitcher on Saturday. Manaea was with the Padres last year, and he would love nothing better than to beat his former team. Manaea is 0-1 and has 6.61 ERA. The Padres will counter with Joe Musgrove. Musgrove is 1-0, and his era is 5.40. The Sunday game will feature the Giants’ Alex Cobb (1-1, 1.91 ERA) going against Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.00 ERA).

The Giants welcomed back Mitch Hanger and Austin Slater from the IL. Slater may see some action as Mike Yastrzemski may not be available. DH Joc Pederson is back after a short stay on the IL. The Giants will have La Monte Wade, Thairo Estrada, Brandon Crawford, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, Haniger, and Joey Bart in the starting lineup this weekend. David Villar and Wilmer Flores can fill in if needed.

The Giants would love to sweep the Padres this weekend. The Giants finished a successful homestand and want to continue their winning ways. After the two-game set with the Padres, the Giants travel to Houston to play the World-Champion Astros.

Halos beat A’s 8-7 take series 3-1; Oakland touches up Ohtani for 5 run 4th but it wasn’t enough

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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat as he hits a single during the first inning against the Oakland A’s at the Big A in Anaheim on Thu Apr 27, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (5-21) and the Los Angeles Angels (14-12) met for the fourth time this week on Thursday afternoon in Anaheim. The A’s hoped to win to gain a split of the four-game series. It would be daunting as the Angels had Shosei Ohtani on the mound. Ohtani entered the game with a 3-0 record and an ERA of 0.64. The A’s had lefty J P Sears handling the pitching chores. Sears had yet to win a game this year, and his ERA was 4.98.

The oddsmakers favored Ohtani and the Angels. They were right the Angels won the game 8-7. Ohtani had a meltdown in the fourth inning when the A’s plated five runs to tie the game at five. Ohtani stayed in the game, and his teammates supported him enough to make him the winning pitcher.

The Angels put five on the board in the bottom of the third. Sears walked Angels’ catcher Chad Wallach to start the inning. Taylor Ward singled, sending Wallach to third. Ohtani doubled to drive in Wallach with the Angels’ first run. Ward stopped at third.

Right fielder Hunter Renfroe’s sacrifice fly drove in Ward with the second run of the inning. Sears now had to face the hottest hitter in the Angels’ lineup, Brandon Drury. In the previous three games, Drury had homered three times and driven in nine. The battle was on. It did go well for Sears as Drury blasted another home run to put the Angels ahead 5-0. It was Drury’s fourth homer of the series, and he has batted in 12.

The A’s answered in the top of the fourth. Shohei Ohtani faced nine men in the first three innings and retired them all. Things changed in the fourth. A’s leadoff hitter Esteury Ruiz reached first when hit by a pitch. Ruiz stole second and went to third on a wild pitch.

Ohtani walked Conner Capel. The A’s had two men on and no out. The next hitter was Brent Rooker. Rooker, filling in for the injured Set Brown in left field, has been a very productive hitter. Rooker homered for the seventh time in 2023 to make it a 5-3 game. Ohtani hit Jace Peterson with a pitch. The next batter was Shea Langeliers. Langeliers homered over the wall in center field to tie the game. Ohtani settled down, and the A’s could not do more damage.

In the bottom of the fifth, J P Sears was still on the hill for Oakland. Sears retired Ohtani for the first out. The Angels’ third baseman Anthony Rendon singled. A’s manager Mark Kotsay removed Sears from the game and brought in righty Chad Smith to pitch.

The next batter, Hunter Renfroe, singled, sending Rendon to third. Smith walked Drury and Luis Rengifo. Rengifo’s walk forced in Rendon with the Angels’ sixth run. Gio Urshela’s fielder’s choice drove in Drury with the second run of the inning and the seventh of the game. The Angels led 7-5 after five complete.

The Angels added a run in the sixth. Domingo Acevedo was on the hill for the A’s. Acevedo retired the first two hitters he faced, Taylor Ward and Mike Trout. Shohei Ohtani tripled and scored on Rendon’s double to put the Angels up by three runs, 8-5.

The A’s, in the eighth, plated two runs off Angels’ reliever Jose Quijada. With one out, Langeliers singled. Mark Kotsay sent Jesus Aguilar to the plate to pinch-hit for Ryan Noda. Aguilar loves to hit lefties, and he did his job when he singled up the middle. Langeliers stopped at second. Alesmys Diaz then hit a ground ball that hit the mound and changed direction.

Angels’ second baseman Luis Rengifo misplayed the ball, and Langeliers was able to score. Kotsay sent Carlos Perez in to pinch-hit for Tony Kemp. Perez, like Aguilar, singled to drive the big man in to bring the A’s within a run of tying the game. Angels’ skipper Phil Nevin brought in left Aaron Loup to quench the fire. Loup got the Angels out of the jam. The A’s failed to score in the ninth.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s drop to 5-21. The Angels improved to 14-12.The winning pitcher was Ohtani. He is now 4-0. Sears took the loss. He is 0-2.The Line Score for Oakland was seven runs, seven hits, and no errors. The A’s homered twice in the game. The Angels’ line was eight runs, ten hits, and one error. The Angels outscored the A’s 34-24 in the series.

The A’s will play the Cincinnati Reds for three games starting Friday night in Oakland. The A’s have yet to announce their starter for Friday’s game. Luis Cessa (0-3 ERA 10.80) will pitch for the Reds. The game will start at 6:38 pm.

The time of Thursday’s game was 3:03. 21,740 fans watched the Angels beat the A’s 8-7.

Angels rout A’s 11-3; Eighth loss for Oakland in last ten games

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An Oakland A’s fan watches from the Big A in Anaheim stands with a bag over his head during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Wed Apr 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s gave the ball to rookie Luis Medina Wednesday night to face the Los Angeles Angels. Medina, who can throw the ball 100 mph, started well, setting the Angels down in order in the first inning. Things went south in the second inning. The Angels sent ten men to the plate and scored five times.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay did not want to use his bullpen early in the game. Medina pitched five innings and gave up eight runs and eight hits in his Major League debut. The A’s offense scored three runs off Angels’ starter Patrick Sandoval. Sandoval improved to 2-1 for the year.

Both of his wins have been over the A’s. Sandoval is 4-0 lifetime against Oakland. The Angels rolled to an 11-3 victory over the hapless Oakland A’s.

The A’s manufactured a run in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter Esteury Ruiz reached on an infield single. Angels’ starter Patrick Sandoval retired Jordan Diaz for the first out. With Brent Rooker at the plate, Ruiz stole second and went to third on catcher Matt Thaiss’ throwing error. Rooker grounded, and Ruiz scored.

The A’s led 1-0 In the bottom of the second, the Angels sent ten men to the plate and put five runs on the board. Medina gave up five hits, three of which were doubles and a walk. Brandon Drury, Matt Thaiss, and Zach Neto had the doub

The A’s made it a 5-2 game in the third. A’s shortstop Kevin Smith blasted his second homer of the season over the center field wall. Sandoval hit Esteury Ruiz with a pitch with one. Ruiz stole second and third, but the A’s could not get him home. Ruiz has three steals in three innings.

The Angels increased the lead to 6-2 in their half of the third. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe blasted his seventh dinger of the year to give the Halos a four-run advantage after three innings of play.

The A’s continued to chip away at the Angels’ lead. With one out, Kevin Smith singled. Conner Capel singled, sending Smith to third. Esteury Ruiz singled to drive in Smith with the A’s third run. Ruiz stole second. It was his fourth steal of the game.

Sandoval retired the next two hitters to end the rally. The Angels lead 6-3 midway through the fifth. The Angels answered by plating two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Luis Medina, starting his fifth inning of work, walked Hunter Renfroe. Brandon Drury, who has hammered A’s pitching in the series, homered to give the Angels an 8-3 lead.

The Angels added an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. Shintaro Fujinami was now pitching for the A’s. Fujinami retired Taylor Ward for the first out. Mike Trout worked Fujinami for a walk. The next hitter, Fujinami’s countryman Shohei Ohtani, lined a single to left. A’s left fielder Brent Rooker had the ball hit his glove and got by him for an error. Trout scored. The Angels have a commanding 9-3 lead at the end of six complete.

The Angels’ offense continued to pound the A’s pitching. In the bottom of the eighth, A’s reliever walked the first hitter, Taylor Ward. Smith retired Mike Trout for the first out. Smith now had to face Shohei Ohtani. The A’s pitchers had controlled Ohtani so far in the series. Not this time, as Ohtani blasted his sixth tater of the season to put the Angels ahead 11-3.

The A’s went down 1-2-3 in the ninth. The Angels win 11-3.

Game Notes- With the loss, Oakland is 5-20. It is the worst record in baseball. The Angels improved to 13-12.

The line score for Oakland was three runs, six hits, and three errors. The Angels’ line score was 11 runs, 12 hits, and one error.

The A’s Esteury Ruiz had four stolen bases. Ruiz is the first player under 24 years old to have four stolen bases in a game since Rickey Henderson did it in 1983.

Brandon Drury was the hitting star for the Angels. Drury doubled and homered and had three RBIs. In the first three games of the series, Drury has hit three home runs and knocked in nine.

The A’s will send J P Sears (0-1 ERA 4.98) to the hill to face Shohei Ohtani (3-0 ERA 0.64) on Thursday.

The time of the game was two hours and 30 minutes. 24, 924 fans watched the Angels rout the A’s 11-3.

Angels bounce back beat A’s 5-3 to even series

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Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) celebrates in the dugout after scoring off of a triple hit by Brandon Drury during the first inning against the Oakland A’s at the Big A in Anaheim Tue Apr 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Los Angeles Angels evened the four-game series at one apiece Tuesday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The A’s sent Mason Miller to the hill to start for the Green and Gold. Miller made his Major League debut last Wednesday in Oakland when he faced the Chicago Cubs.

On Tuesday, Miller had a rough first inning. The Angels scored four times in the inning. Miller threw 39 pitches and didn’t look sharp. However, A’s manager Mark Kotsay let Miller stay in the game. The young hurler pitched well the next three innings and allowed just one hit and no runs.

The A’s, trailing 4-1, scored a run in the fifth and one in the sixth to make it a 4-3 game. Kotsay called on Adam Oller to pitch the sixth inning. Oller pitched two innings Monday night and kept the Angels off the board. Tuesday night was a different story. Oller gave up three hits, and the Angels plated an insurance run. Oller almost got out of the jam, but the A’s could not complete an inning-ending double play. The Angels win 5-3

The A’s drew blood in the first inning for the second night. With one out, first baseman Ryan Noda walked. Angels’ starter Griffin Canning struck out Brent Rooker for the second out. Jace Peterson tripled into the right field corner to drive in Noda with the A’s first run.

The A’s lead 1-0 halfway through the first inning. The A’s starter Mason Miller had a tough inning. The young flamethrower struck out Taylor Ward for the first out. Angels’ superstar Mike Trout hit a 101-mile-an-hour fastball deep into the right-field corner for a double.

Miller retired Shohei Ohtani for the second out. Miller walked Anthony Rendon. Brandon Drury, who had two home runs in Monday’s game, lined a rifle shot to centerfield that got by Esteury Ruiz for a triple. Trout and Rendon scored. Luis Rengifo singled to drive in Drury. Rengifo then stole second and scored on Gio Urshela’s single. The Angels lead 4-1. Miller threw 39 pitches in the inning.

The A’s crept closer in the top of the fifth when leadoff hitter Shea Langeliers blasted a 408-foot home run over the fence in left field. The ball had an exit velocity of 108 mph. The A’s now trail 4-2.

The A’s continued to chip away at the Angels’ lead. In the sixth, Brent Rooker started the rally by hitting a ground-rule double. The Halos’ skipper Phil Nevim made a pitching change. He brought in lefty Aaron Loup to pitch. Loup retired Jace Peterson and Jesus Aguilar.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay had Jordan Diaz pinch hit for Conner Capel. The rookie came through with a double down the left field line to drive in Rooker with the A’s third run. Oakland trails 4-3. The Angels got the run back in the bottom of the frame. Adam Oller was now pitching for the A’s.

With one out, Gio Urshela singled. The next hitter, catcher Matt Thaiss singled, and Urshela stopped at second. Oller got shortstop Zach Neto to hit a ground ball to third. The throw to second erased Thaiss, but the relay to first did not get there on time, and Neto was safe. Taylor Ward singled to drive in Urshela with the Angels’ fifth run. The Halos lead 5-3 after six.

The Angels’ bullpen did not allow the A’s a run in the game’s last three innings. Aaron Loup, Matt Moore, and Carlos Esteves allowed the A’s two hits in the last three innings to secure the win for LA 5-3.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 5-19. The Angels improved to 12-12.

The line score for Oakland was three runs, six hits, and no errors. The big hit for the A’s was Shea Langeliers fifth dinger of the season.

The Angels’ line was five runs, ten hits, and no errors. 

The line for Mason Miller was four innings pitched, five hits, four runs, six strikeouts, and one walk. Miller took the loss. 

The Angels Griffin Canning was the winning pitcher. Canning went five-plus innings. He allowed four hits and three runs. Carlos Esteves earned the save.

Game three of the series will be played Wednesday night in Anaheim. The A’s will be sending Luis Medina to the hill. Medina recalled from the Las Vegas Aviators, is right-handed, and will be making his Major League debut. Lefty Patrick Sandoval will pitch for LA.

The time of the game was two hours and forty-seven minutes. There were 26,971 fans on hand to see the Angels win.

A’s win slugfest hit 5 homers defeat Angels 11-10 in tenth inning

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Oakland Athletics’ Jesus Aguilar (99) celebrates in the dugout with teammates after hitting a home run during the first inning against Los Angeles Angels at the Big A in Anaheim on Mon Apr 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s and Angels played a wild one Monday night in Anaheim. The game saw eight home runs hit. The A’s blew a 7-2 lead but came back from an 8-7 deficit to tie the game in the ninth. The A’s came back in the top of the tenth inning scoring three runs to take a 11-8 lead. In the bottom of the tenth the Angels scored twice but came up short as the A’s defeat the Halos 11-10 at the Big A in Anaheim.

The A’s scored three in the tenth but had to hold their breaths as the Angels scored two and had the tying run at second base with the three-time AL MVP, Mike Trout, coming to bat. The A’s reliever, Jeurys Familia, found a way to get Trout out. He labored through the tenth but, somehow, received credit for the save. 

The A’s starter Ken Waldichuk pitched well for the first five innings. The A’s offense put seven runs on the board in the first three innings. Brent Rooker and Jesus Aguilar hit back-to-back home runs in the first and third innings.

It may have been the first time in A’s history that two players achieved that feat. The big hit in the second inning was Kevin Smith’s three-run blast. Things went south for the A’s in the sixth as the Angels sent ten men to the plate and scored five runs to tie the game. Here’s how the scoring went in the game.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the top of the first. Back-to-back home runs by Brent Rooker and Jesus Aguilar gave the A’s an early 2-0 lead. The home runs came after two were out in the first.

The A’s plated three more runs in the second inning. Aledmys Diaz gets things going by working Jose Suarez for a walk. A’s DH Carlos Perez doubled to left, and Diaz stopped at third. The next hitter, the light-hitting Kevin Smith, sent Suarez’s 82 mph pitch over the wall for a three-run dinger.

The A’s lead 5-0 midway through the second inning. The Angels got one back in their half of the inning. With two out, Angels’ first baseman Brandon Drury homered to make it a 5-1 game.

The A’s continued to play long ball as Rooker and Aguilar hit back-to-back home runs to give the A’s the lead, 7-1, in the third. It was his fifth of the year for Rooker and Aguilar, his fourth.

The A’s have hit five home runs in the first three innings. The Angels struck back in the bottom of the inning. Angels’ catcher Chad Wallach, son of former big leaguer Tim Wallach, homered to left to make it 7-2. It was the seventh home run of the game in the first three innings of play. 

The Angels’ bats came to life in the bottom of the sixth. Leadoff hitter, Mike Trout, reached on an infield single. Shohei Ohtani doubled down the right field line, sending Trout to third. Third baseman Anthony Rendon doubled to left drive in Trout ad Ohtani.

The Angels trail 7-4, and still no one out. Waldichuk struck out Hunter Renfroe for the first out. Waldichuk’s night ended when A’s manager brought in James Kaprielian to pitch. Kaprielian did not start well as he walked Brandon Drury and Luis Rengifo to load the bases. Chad Wallach, who had homered earlier, singled to drive in Rendon with the Angels’ fifth run. The bases are still loaded.

The next hitter, Zach Neto, doubled down the left-field line to drive in two. The game is tied at 7-7, and men are on at second and third. Kaprielian struck out Taylor Ward for the second out. Trout struck out to end the inning. The Angels sent ten men to the plate. They scored five runs on five hits and two walks. 

The Angels took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the seventh. Zach Jackson was now pitching for the A’s. Jackson retired the first two Angels’ hitters. Angels’ right fielder Hunter Renfroe doubled off the wall in right field. Brandon Drury singled to drive in Renfroe with the Angels’ eighth run. The Halos lead 8-7 after seven.

In the ninth, the A’s first two hitters walked. Angels’ skipper Phil Nevin replaced Andrew Wantz with Jaime Berria. The first hitter Barria faced, Conner Capel, singled to right field. Hunter Renfroes’s throw home kept Smith from scoring. The A’s have the bases loaded. Barria then walked Brent Rooker to force in the tying run.

Barria struck out Tyler Wade for the second out. Shea Langeliers’ blast looked like it was going to leave the park. Angels’ left fielder Taylor Ward made a leaping catch to rob Langeliers of a grand slam. The Angels failed to score in the bottom of the ninth. The game is tied at 8-8. 

In the top of the tenth, the A’s scored three times to take an 11-8 lead. Langeliers was the ghost runner to start the frame. Langeleliers went to third on Aledmys Diaz’s fielder’s choice. Diaz was safe at first as the Angels tried to nail Langeliers at third. Shea made it in safely.

The Angels challenged the call, but it was not overturned. Ryan Noda doubled to drive in two. Kemp singled to drive in Noda with the A’s third run of the inning. The Angels kept coming back. Hunter Renfroe was the ghost runner at second base. Brandon Drury, who had homered earlier, blasted his second of the game to make it 11-10.

Familia walked Thaiss and Neto to put a man in scoring position with one out. Familia struck out Ward for the second out. Familia now how to face Mike Trout. Trout grounds out to end the game. The A’s win 11-10.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 5-18. The Angels fall to 11-12. 

The line score for Oakland was 11 runs, 14 hits, and one error. The Angels’ line was ten runs, 13 hits, and no errors. 

Adam Oller pitched two innings and earned the win. He allowed one hit. The losing pitcher was Andrew Wantz. 

The Line for Waldichuk was five and 1/3rd innings pitched. He allowed six hits and five runs. James Kaprielian pitched 2/3rd of an inning and allowed two hits and two runs. 

The A’s face the Angels again Tuesday night in Anaheim. Starting for Oakland Mason Muller (0-0 ERA 4.15) getting the call for Los Angeles Griffin Canning (0-0 ERA 3.48) The game will start at 6:38 pm

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors win thriller 126-125; Even playoff series with Kings 2-2; Series moves to Sacramento Wednesday

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Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry (30) gets congratulations from daughter Riley at the completion of game four of the NBA Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors beat the young and talented Sacramento Kings 126-125 Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The game had everything a fan could want. The Warriors needed the win to even the series. The Warriors knew that a loss would have Sacramento in the driver’s seat with three games to one advantage, and the next game would be on their Kings’ homecourt in Sacramento.

The fans of both teams knew that each team could put points on the board in a hurry. The Kings and The Warriors were the top two scoring teams in the NBA. The defending NBA champs, the Warriors, had to find a way to defend the upstart Kings.

The Warriors found a way last Thursday when they held the Kings under 100 points. The Warriors did that without their best defensive players, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II. Green was suspended for one game, and Payton was too ill to play. The Kings had to find a way to slow down the Warriors offense. The Kings had an advantage as their head coach Mike Brown had been an assistant head coach with the Warriors for the past six years and was familiar with the Warriors offense.

All that was left to do was play 48 minutes of basketball. The teams performed at a very high level. The first half featured two high-octane offenses going at each other. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, coming into his own this season, paced the offense in the first half with 21 points.

Rooke Keegan Murray helped out the Kings’ attack with 15 points. Both Murray and Fox made three threes in the first half. The Kings won the first quarter 31-29. The Warriors fought back in the second period. With the score tied at 49, the Kings went on a 7-0 run to lead 56-49.

Sacramento increased the lead to nine, 60-51. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson helped the Warriors close the gap to one, 66-65. Murray made a three, and the Kings finished the first half leading 69-65. Both teams went to the locker room, feeling they could win. The fans needed the break to relax from all the intensity they felt from the players on the floor.

The Warriors emerged from the halftime break with one objective. Shut down the Kings’ offense and outscore them in the third quarter. Over the many years they have been in the playoffs, the Warriors have owned the third quarter. The Warriors knew if they would demoralize the Kings.

Sacramento had not been in the playoffs for 16 years. The Kings’ players were experiencing playoff basketball for the first time in their careers. How would they handle the pressure? The intensity is ramped up in these games. The Warriors fell behind by seven early in the third quarter when former Warriors forward Harrison Barnes connected on a three.

The Warriors then outscored the Kings 37-20 to finish the third quarter leading by ten, 102-92. Curry and Jordan Poole led the Warriors in the period. The Warriors defense, led by Green and Andrew Wiggins, put the clamps on Fox for those 12 minutes. 

The fans were standing at the start of the game’s fourth quarter. The fans also knew a ten-point lead could be overcome. Fox, the NBA’s Jerry West Clutch Performer of the Year, was ready to attack. The Warriors assigned Green to defend him, and the quarter started with Sacramento going on a 7-0 run to close within three points of the lead, 102-99.

Sacramento kept the pressure on and took the lead 107-106 on a Malik Monk bucket. That was the last time that Sacramento would lead. 

Curry made the next two baskets for the Warriors to make it a 110-107 game. The Kings came back to within a point, 118-117. The Warriors pulled away to lead by five, 126-121. With 43 seconds left to play and Curry with the ball, Curry called a timeout.

There was only one problem. The Warriors were out of timeouts. The referees awarded the Kings a technical foul and possession of the ball. Sacramento made the technical free throw, and Fox connected on a three to close the gap to one, 126-125. With ten seconds left, the Kings had control of the ball. They had to make a bucket or go to the free-throw line to win the game. The Warriors’ defense held, and the Warriors evened the series at two apiece with a thrilling one point win.

Game Notes: The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the parade with 32 points. Thompson had 26, Poole 22, Andrew Wiggins 18, and Green with 12. Green had ten rebounds to complete a double-double. Kevon Looney tallied eight points and pulled down 14 boards. The Warriors, on defense, had 51 rebounds, eight steals, and six blocked shots. 

The Kings had four players in double figures. Fox led the Kings with 38 points. Murray had 23, and he made five threes. Monk had 16, Davion Mitchell 12, and Domantas Sabonis finished with 14. Sabonis had seven rebounds and eight assists. 

The teams are off until Wednesday night, when they play game five of the series will be played at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento. The game will start at 7 pm.

A’s snap six-game losing streak beat Orioles 8-4

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Oakland Athletics’ Carlos Perez watches his home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Wed Apr 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a difference a day makes. The Oakland A’s snapped their six-game losing streak Wednesday night as they downed the Baltimore Orioles 8-4. The A’s scored eight runs for the second night in a row. What was the difference? The answer is pitching and hitting.

The A’s starter, lefty Ken Waldichuk, had his best outing of the season. He did not get the win, but he pitched into the seventh inning. The A’s bullpen did the rest. Oakland’s pitching held the Orioles’ Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle hitless Wednesday night.

Hays has homered in each of the first two games. On Tuesday, Ryan Mountcastle had two homers and nine RBIs but was held hitless. The A’s offense rapped out 15 hits, including two home runs. It was a gritty win for the Green and Gold. There were a lot of smiles in the A’s clubhouse after the game. Here’s how they did it.

The A’s jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Tony Kemp doubled to deep right-center field. With one out, Orioles starter, Dean Kremer, hit Ramon Laureano with a pitch to put two men on base. Right fielder Brent Rooker blasted his first homer of the season over the centerfield wall to give Oakland an early advantage.

The Orioles scored twice in the bottom of the second. Orioles shortstop Ramon Urias reached on an infield single. Waldichuk walked Gunner Henderson. Second baseman Jorge Mateo doubled to drive in Urias with the Orioles first run. Henderson went to third on the play. Ryan McKenna’s sacrifice fly drove in Henderson with Baltimore’s second run. The A’s lea 3-2 after two innings.

In the top of the fifth, A’s catcher Carlos Perez belted his first home run of the season to give the A’s a 4-2 lead. It was Perez’s first home run 2018.

With the talent the Orioles have, no lead is safe. The Orioles came back from a 7-3 deficit on Tuesday to beat the A’s 12-8. A’s manager Mark Kotsay let Waldichuk start the seventh inning. With one out, Orioles right fielder Adam Frazier singled.

Kotsay ended Waldichuk’s night as he brought in Jeurys Familia to pitch. Frazier was able to advance to second on a passed ball. Familia gave up a single to Cedric Mullins. Frazier was able to score on the hit. Familia got Austin Hays to ground out, and Mullins went to third on the play.

Familia had to face the dangerous Adley Rutschman. Rutschman won the battle as he singled to drive in Mullins with the tying run. The score was tied 4-4 after seven.

Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde brought Keegan Akin to pitch the eighth inning. The A’s played small ball and put three more runs on the board. Brent Rooker singled to get things rolling for the A’s. Kotsay inserted Esteury Ruiz to run for Rooker. The next hitter, Jace Peterson, singled. Ruiz stopped at second.

The Orioles summoned Cionel Perez from the bullpen to relieve Akin. A’s second baseman Aledmys Diaz reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Jesus Aguilar’s sacrifice fly drove in Ruiz with the a’s fifth run. Peterson tagged and went to third on the play. Kotsay sent Nick Allen into the game to run for Diaz.

Kevin Smith’s sacrifice bunt allowed Peterson to score on the play. Allen went top second. Carlos Perez singled to drive in Allen. The A’s led 7-4 midway through the eighth inning.

Oakland added a run in the top of the ninth. Ryan Noda reached on an infield single. Ramon Laureano singled, sending Noda to third. Esteury Ruiz reached on an infield single. Noda scored the A’s eighth run of the game. A’s reliever Chad Smith pitched a scoreless eight and ninth innings to secure the win for the A’s.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 3-9. The Orioles fall to 6-6.

Waldichuk had his best game this year. Waldichuk’s line was six and one-third innings pitched. He allowed five hits and three runs. Waldichuk walked three and struck out four. Familia went 2/3rd of an inning and allowed two hits and one run. Chad Smith earned his first Major League win. 

The line score for Oakland was eight runs, 15 hits, and one error. The Orioles line was four runs, eight hits, and no errors.

The hitting starts for Oakland were Brent Rooker and Carlos Perez. Rooker had two hits. One of his hits was an Earl Weaver special- a three-run dinger. Carlos Perez has three hits and two RBIs. One of Perez’s was a home run.

The A’s pitching held the Orioles’ big three, Hayes, Rutschman, and Mountcastle, to one hit in eleven at-bats. 

After the game, Mark Kotsay said:” I thought the guys did a great job.” “We played offense tonight.” I am “happy about the way we executed.” 

The A’s finish the four-game series with the Orioles on Thursday. Mark Kotsay has selected Adam Oller to pitch for Oakland. Former A’s pitcher, lefty Cole Irvin, will pitch for the Birds. Irvin will be making his first start as an Oriole, and the crafty lefty would love a victory over his former teammates. The game will start at 10 am.

The time of the game was two hours and fifty-one minutes. Attendance was 10,181.

Ryan Mountcastle’s monster night delivers Orioles to victory 12-8; A’s cough up 7-2 lead

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The Baltimore Orioles Ryan Mountcastle was a one man wrecking crew gets congratulated in the Orioles dugout after one of his hits against the Oakland A’s at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Tue Apr 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s ( finally got some offense Tuesday night in Baltimore. The A’s hitters put eight runs on the board. The A’s had 12 hits in the game. The only problem is the A’s pitching surrendered three homers to the Orioles (6-5), and the A’s lost their sixth straight game 12-8.

The A’s pitching could not stop the Orioles’ offense. O’s first baseman Ryan Mountcastle was a one-man show. Mountcastle alone beat the A’ 9-8. Mountcastle had three hits, including a three-run home run and a grand slam. Mountcastle’s nine RBIs were the most ever by an A’s opponent.

The A’s pitching needs to be fixed. The A’s have the worst run differential in baseball this year. They need better performances from the starters, and the bullpen has not stopped anyone. 

The A’s drew first blood in the top of the first. Oakland put a run on the board when Brent Rooker singled to drive in Tony Kemp. Baltimore answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Austin Hays doubled and scored on Mountcastle’s single.

Oakland went ahead 2-1 in the third. The Orioles tied the game in their half of the inning 2-2. Baltimore took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. O’s second baseman, Ramon Urias, leading off, walked. DH James McCann doubled to deep right field to drive in Urias. 

In the fifth, the A’s batted around, scoring five times to go ahead 7-3. The rally started when O’s starter Grayson Rodriguez walked leadoff hotter Ryan Noda. A’s DH Jesus Aguilar struck out. Rodriguez walked Rooker and Jace Peterson to load the bases. O’s manager, Brandon Hyde, brought in Austin Voth to pitch.

A’s shortstop Kevin Smith singled to drive in Noda. Conner Capel grounded out, and Rooker scored on the play. The A’s led 4-3. The next hitter, catcher Shea Langeliers, blasted his second big fly of the season to put the A’s ahead 7-3. The Orioles plated three more runs as they did in the first and third.

Kyle Muller was still on the mound for the A’s. Orioles leadoff hitter Austin Hayes reached on an infield single. Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman singled to put men on at first and second with no out. Ryan Mountcastle was the next hitter. Mountcastle homered to make it 7-6. The big first baseman had driven in five of the Orioles’ six runs.

Lefty Trevor May was on the hill for Oakland in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Austin Hays jumped on a hanging curve and sent it out of the park to tie the game 7-7

The Orioles’ onslaught continued in the bottom of the seventh. Baltimore put five runs on the board. With one run in and the bases loaded, Ryan Mountcastle sent the Orioles’ fans into delirium when he sent a Danny Jimenez pitch over the wall for a grand slam. The pitch was right over the center of the plate, and Mountcastle did not miss. 

The A’s scored a run in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Orioles down the A’s 12-8.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 2-9. Oakland has the worst record in baseball right now. A’s starter Kyle Muller did not get a decision. His line was four innings pitched, seven hits, and six runs. He gave up a home run to Mountcastle. Muller walked three and struck out three.

The hitting stars for the A’s were Brent Booker, Jace Peterson, Kevin Smith, and Shea Langeliers. Booker, Peterson, and Smith each had two hits. Langeliers had a three-run blast.

Baltimore’s starter Grayson Rodriguez went four and 1/3rd innings. He gave up six hits and five runs.

The hitting stars for the Orioles were Mountcastle, Rutschman, and Austin Hays. Mountcastle had three hits to drive in nine runs, including a three-run dinger and a grand slam. Rurschmand had two hits and scored two runs. Austin Hays homered for the second night. Hays finished with four hits, four runs scored, and two RBIs.

The time of the game was three hours and eight minutes. 12,305 were on hand to see the Orioles beat the A’s

On Wednesday, the A’s will send lefty Ken Waldichuk (0-2 ERA 14.54) to the hill to face the Orioles righty Dean Kremer (0-0 ERA 10.13) will pitch for Baltimore. The game will start at 3:35 pm.