@AB84 photo: Former New England Patriot Antonio Brown confers in practice photo with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:
#1 How surprised were you about the New England Patriots letting wide receiver Antonio Brown go on Friday. It looked like prosecutors were not going to go after him for the rape accusations made by his former trainer Britney Taylor.
#2 Baseball no doubt is in a state shock regarding Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez and his child solicitation charges can the Pirates shake this one off.
#3 Amaury talks about the A’s and how they are ahead of Tampa Bay in the wild card by two games. They’ve had to beat some of baseball’s best like the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees in recent weeks.
#4 The San Francisco Giants open a three-game series in Atlanta and the Braves need a win tonight to get back to back NL Eastern Division titles.
Amaury does the A’s Spanish play-by-play broadcasts on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
#1 The Oakland Raiders start the first of six out of town games on Sunday. They’ll be in Minnesota this Sunday followed by trips to Indianapolis, London vs. Chicago, Green Bay, and Houston. Do the Raiders get the sense they got the short end of the stick by the schedule makers?
#2 After what happened against the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday at home, the Raiders certainly would like to regroup and get at least one win at the Oakland Coliseum, but that’ll be some eight weeks before they get to do that.
#3 For the Raiders last Sunday, they jumped to a 10-0 lead, but in the second quarter, the Raider secondary broke down and the Chiefs scored four touchdowns, which would be enough for the 28-10 win as both teams went scoreless in the second half.
#4 Joe talks about the Raiders acquiring wide receiver Trevor Davis from the Green Bay Packers. Davis played only two games last season suffering from hamstring injuries. Davis has nine catches for 122 yards and has averaged 22.6 yards.
#5 The Raiders open up their road trip against the Minnesota Vikings. The Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said this week that while he’s not happy about the schedule and called it unrealistic, uncommon, and unprecedented. Yet, he’s confident the Raiders can handle the long road swing and overcome adversity.
#1 Dee Ford, a Pro Bowl pass rusher who missed the second half of Sunday’s game in Cincinnati due to knee tendinitis and also the early part of training camp, suffered from a healing knee injury. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Ford is day-to-day and has a chance to get in against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.
#2 Safety Jaquiski Tartt is suffering a toe injury. Shanahan said that Tartt’s injury is not a turf toe injury.
#3 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said the 49ers have seen the worst of the worst in past years and said with that in mind, the team is this year will not take it’s foot off the pedal and said it’s what’s pushing them.
#4 A 2-0 start both wins on the road the 49ers really look forward to this week’s game with the Steelers. The Steelers are spending their first week without injured quarterback Ben Roethisberger and adjusting to life without former Steeler receiver Antonio Brown.
#5 The Steelers are 0-2. It’s early, but is it a reflection of who they are or do they have a quarterback and a receiver who can give them their confidence back?
Mark Canha’s walk off double, following Homer Bailey and the bullpen’s (yes, you read that right) 11-inning shutout win over the Royals has faded into recent history, and so has the euphoria it brought. The A’s have a day off, and we have a chance to take a dispassionate look, if baseball fans are allowed to use that adjective, at how things stand for the team.
First of all, no one now has even unspoken illusions about catching up with Houston in the regular season. The Astros hold an eight-game lead over Oakland with nine games to go for each team. Even if the A’s won all their remaining games, all Houston would need is one win to finish the season with a tie for the best record in the AL West. All that would get the A’s would be the chance to play the tie-breaker at the Coliseum.
The A’s outlook is brighter in the wild card race. Boston will be eliminated unless it wins every game left on its schedule and the team it trails loses all of its. Cleveland is on the ropes, which means that there’s a good chance that what’s left for Oakland is a battle by proxy with Tampa Bay for the right to be the home team in the one and done play-in round to determine the wild card team that will get the chance to battle Houston in the ALDS. The one-shot nature of the wild card game and the brevity of the best three out of five format for the ALDS accentuate the craps shoot nature of the whole process. The closest thing to a sure bet is that, if you care enough to read this column, your blood pressure will rise between now and at least October 2, when we’ll finally know–weather permitting–whether Oakland, Cleveland, or Tampa Bay will be on its way to Minute Maid Park to open the Division Series.
Let’s look first at the Indians, if only to take a guess at their chances of displacing the Rays as the A’s play-in opponent, although we shouldn’t forget that there is a possibility, however unlikely this morning, that Cleveland will overtake both Oakland and Tampa Bay and make one of those teams an also ran.
FanGraphs’ probability ratings make no claim to be infallible; their very name indicates that. But they are an extremely valuable tool for assessing a ball club’s chances. They give the Indians a mere 44% chance of making the play offs, which is our immediate concern, and, incidentally, a 42.8% of winning the division title, which would mean defeating Houston in the ALDS. The same source offers a probable season’s won-lost record of 94.5-67.5 for the Tribe. (That half a win points to the difference between a real season and a statistically analyzed one).
Still on the Indians’ schedule are a game against Detroit and a two game inter-league series against the Phillies, both at Progressive Park, né The Jake. Daniel Norris, who pitched well as an opener in the Bengals’ 3-1 September 8 loss, which was charged against him, will start for Detroit. Although the Tigers haven’t announced it, he most likely will be used in the same role today. His opponent, Mike Clevenger, is 11-3, 2.68 ERA, so don’t count on Cleveland’s elimination number dropping today.
Philadelphia, like Cleveland, is hanging on to the chance of a wild card spot, having an elimination number of eight in its division at this writing. Looking at the pitching match ups and the teams’ batting records, I think the Indians have the edge in the series, so Oakland shouldn’t count on getting help from the Phillies.
Like the A’s, the Tribe will finish its season on the road. They’ll start with a three game set on the south side of Chicago. Cleveland’s current 89-63 record is three games off from being a mirror images of the ChiSox’ 66-86, but that doesn’t mean that the Sox are a push over. The Indians are hitting only .239 against their pitching, albeit with a more respectible OPS of .711, and trail them 7-9 in the season series.
Washington will be Cleveland’s last opponent in the regular season. The Nats currently occupy second place in the NL East, where they have been eliminated from the division race and are in the first wild card position by a game and a half.
In short, it would be foolish to predict which series the Indians will win in what’s left to them in 2019 and which they’ll lose. But it seems more than reasonable to expect that they’ll lose at least as many as the A’s need them to, unless the green and gold has an unlikely melt down and need Cleveland to do the same.
That leaves the thorny problem of the Tampa Bay Rays. FanGraphs computes their probable record at the end of the season as 95-67, two games behind the A’s 97-65. If not a razor thin margin, it’s still a well-sharpened scissors thin one, one close enough for FanGraphs to give the Rays a 60% chance of a play off spot. They give the A’s a 96.3% shot at that, and they calculate each team’s chance of winning the wild card game as the same as their getting into it, that is, 60% and 96.3%, respectively. The team from St. Petersburg has the most challenging schedule of the three contenders for the two wild card berths. They’ll battle the Red Sox, the Green Monster, and Peskey’s Pole tomorrow through Sunday. That’s tough, but what’s awaiting them is tougher. They go to the Bronx, where the Yankees will be fighting for home field advantage, not just in the Division Series, which they already have qualified for, but in the rest of the postseason. A strong opponent with something worth fighting for is a formidable obstacle to fulfilling FanGraph’s computerized forecast, and the Bombers just might keep Tampa Bay from reaching the 95-win mark.
So there are grounds for reasonable, but guarded, optimism about the A’s chances as they take on , with Fiers, Manea, and Roark on the mound, the Rangers this weekend in Oakland.
Fiers has gotten rid of the nerve irritation that cut short his last start and also has gotten rid of his number six, lying on its back beard by cutting it off entirely, thereby restoring his facial equilibrium. He didn’t pitch well in his two starts at Texas this summer, but he’s been having an excellent season overall, including a no-hitter and a near record streak of starts without losing. Like most of the A’s rotation, he’s bullpen reliant. Manaea has looked great since coming off the IL, and Roark’s 3.83 ERA over 47 innings since joining the A’s at the trade deadline was inflated by two of the runners he’d left on base in his last start scoring after he’d been relieved. The Rangers haven’t yet announced their Sunday starter. Of the two they have announced, the choice for Friday, Mike Minor, is the one more likely to give the A’s trouble. He’s 13-9, 3.33 ERA, but only 5-4, 4.22 ERA at home.
Then it’s on to Anaheim for a pair of games against the Angels. The Halos are having an awful season and have been further weaken by the loss of Shohei Ohtani, but they’re always a menace when they play the A’s.
The A’s will close out the season with a four-game series against Seattle at T-Mobile Park, booking ending their opening and closing games of the 2019 season against the same team but in a different domed facility. My guess is that it will be then that they decide (or learn) if there’s life after game 162 for them. I think there will be, in spite of the problems that still hover over them. The bull pen remains is unpredictable. Khris Davis isn’t going to carry the team on his shoulders. (I suspect that he’s been playing hurt). Jurickson Profar isn’t throwing wildly, but he still looks awkward with his throws, and, though he has power batting left, it’s from the right side that his batting average is good. Since most pitchers are right-handed, this combination makes Profar’s somewhat of a weak spot in the batting order. Laureano’s legs aren’t 100% yet, and Piscotty’s on the IL. Chapman’s BA is slipping, but he’s still a joy to watch in the field. And Oakland counts with (if not yet on) some definite assets that were missing before September. Luzardo and Puk, though still relatively untested, have been all you could hope for. Manea has been (knock wood) lights out. Brown and Murphy are looking good and might find their way on to a post season roster, if there is one, with some judicious juggling of the injured list.
Another plus is Mark Canha’s stepping up to the role of every day center fielder. From high power, low average utility player, he has become a well-rounded batter whose defense has improved from good to excellent thanks to his playing consistently in one position. Not to mention Semien and Olson, both of whom, in addition to their prowess at the plate and their virtues in the field, help compensate for Profar’s throwing problems. Let’s hear it, too, for Liam Hendriks and Yusmeiro Petit.
The great comedy team of Bob and Ray, the voices of Harry and Bert Piels in a classic series of beer advertisements from the 1950s, used to sign off their radio show by saying, “Write if you get work and hang by your thumbs.” We’ll have to settle for hanging by our thumbs for a while.
photo file from nytimes.com: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez admitted to Pennsylvania Police that he had sexual relations with a 13 year girl. Vazquez’ admissions has sent shockwaves through the Pirates organization and MLB.
On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:
Breaking: Antonio Brown will not be prosecuted for rape allegations from Florida ex-trainer Britney Taylor
#1 Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez admitted that he did have sexual relations with a 13 year old minor. The mother of the minor said she contacted police after finding photos that Vazquez sent to her daughter’s phone. Vazquez reportedly admitted to contacting the minor, who he met at a Pirates game when he was in the bullpen and got her contact information at the time.
#2 Houston Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole struck out 300 batters becoming the 18th pitcher in MLB history to do so. Cole is 18-5 with an ERA of 2.61. The Astros are having a great year and having pitching like this from Cole certainly has complimented the ball club.
#3 Just looking ahead to the postseason, the Oakland A’s are in first place in the AL wild card. They have dominated some of baseball’s best teams winning series from teams like the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. If the A’s can get past the wild card, the road to the World Series is past teams like the Astros and Yankees.
#4 After Sunday’s second quarter drubbing by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders are regrouping and taking a look at their secondary, who took a bath when the Chiefs scored four touchdowns all the scoring they needed to upend Oakland 28-10.
#5 After the tough loss last Sunday at home, the Raiders have four away games in their next five games, which schedule wise can be considered their toughest challenge of the season.
Obviously, it’s no surprise that true freshmen are getting to contribute for the Stanford football team. Last year, the NCAA adopted a new redshirt rule that allows them to play in four games without losing a year of eligibility.
Typically, freshmen are spoon-fed and sprinkled into the lineup. Due to injuries, the process has been ramped up. At UCF last Saturday, 13 played in the game.
“It’s very exciting,” said frosh running back Austin Jones, who scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 35-yard run. “The fact that we can go in there and make plays and have fun, that’s what I want everyone on this team to do.”
Walter Rouse, a top offensive line recruit, figured he would receive playing time this season, but not this quickly. When starting left tackle Walker Little was lost for the season late in the game against Northwestern, Rouse got the call and has started the last two games.
“I was the next man up and you have to take it head on,” Rouse said.
Rouse’s first start came at USC under the lights in a nationally televised game.
“I’ve just been taking it day by day,” said Rouse. “My teammates and coach (Kevin) Carberry have been helping me along and each day I’m trying to learn and get better. I’m getting more comfortable being out there and I’m starting to play more instead of just thinking.”
Jonathan McGill, a safety, made a big play last week, scooping up a fumble and returning it 28 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
“It was just a freaky accident,” McGill said. “I was really supposed to be closer to the line of scrimmage. Right before the quarterback snapped the ball, I came into the box and the ball started bouncing. I just sprinted to it and the ball tipped my way, so I picked it up and ran to the end zone. That was a pretty fun moment and I wish it would have come sooner.”
McGill attended the same high school (Coppell) as former Cardinal standout Solomon Thomas, now a San Francisco 49er. As a group, McGill said the freshmen are embracing their early playing time.
“Coming in this summer, we had a group chat and were talking about potentially playing with the redshirt rule, so we knew we were probably seeing the field once or twice,” said McGill. “Injuries happen and it’s the next up mentality.”
“The upperclassmen did a really great job of introducing us to the system and we had player-led meetings that helped us grasp the system. They really helped us out and gave us the confidence to get on the field.”
The first time McGill stepped on campus and met his future teammates, he felt something special.
“The vets took us under their wing and set the standard,” McGill said. “We really came in just wanting to learn. I think what really separates Stanford from a lot of schools is that the upperclassmen don’t distance themselves from the younger guys. They’ve done a great job helping us out.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
The freshman class is tight and took pride in seeing Jones score last Saturday.
“Everybody on the sideline was going crazy,” McGill said. “But it meant a little more to us seeing one of our guys make a huge play.”
Although Stanford (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) hoped for a better start against a challenging schedule, veteran players are appreciative of what the freshmen have done and expect more good things on Saturday against No. 16 Oregon (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12).
“I’ve been really impressed how they have stepped up, some in pretty big roles,” said junior tight end Colby Parkinson. “I think it’s a testament to how hard they worked during the summer. I know the older guys wanted to bring them up to speed as fast as we could. It’s cool to see.”
Added junior center Drew Dalman: “The whole mentality this offseason was getting everybody ready, not just the freshmen. We know these seasons take everybody, especially on the offensive line, which is a position where sometimes people get dinged up so guys have to be ready to play. They’ve been awesome.”
Jones has leaned on fifth-year senior Cameron Scarlett and senior Dorian Maddox for advice.
“Austin and Nate (Peat) have been like sponges trying to soak up as much as they can,” Scarlett said. “We’ve just tried to instill some of the things Coach G (running backs coach, Ron Gould) teaches us like being physical, running with a purpose, breaking tackles, being great with our eyes and being calm in the chaos.
“I told them you’re going to get your opportunity. When you do, capitalize and make the most of it.”
Jones did against UCF. He gained a team-high 65 yards on seven carries. The touchdown is still a blur.
“Surreal moment,” said Jones. “When I came off the field, I celebrated with my teammates, but I didn’t really realize I had scored. It didn’t really sink in until I walked out to kick off and I was like, ‘Man, I just scored my first college touchdown.’ It was like a dream come true for me.”
The moment wasn’t too big, thanks to mentoring from Scarlett and Maddox.
“Cam and Dorian have been a big help,” Jones said. “They’ve been telling me everything I need to read on the plays and to just be yourself and play your game. Once you get on the field, be you.”
In Dalman’s mind, they are no longer freshmen.
“The people on the field are the guys we trust, regardless of age or experience,” said Dalman. “If you’re in a Stanford jersey, we’ve got to trust you and we will.”
INJURY UPDATE: Help could be forthcoming for the Cardinal. Following Wednesday’s practice, David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, said junior starting right tackle Foster Sarell is “probable,” senior offensive guard Dylan Powell is “doubtful,” and senior starting inside linebacker Andrew Pryts is “really close” for Saturday against the Ducks. He previously announced that freshman Branson Bragg is out indefinitely.
TIGHTEN UP: In three games, Stanford has surrendered 18 plays of 20 yards or more.
“That’s not us,” Shaw said. “We’re built to be better than that.”
The defense will be tested by Oregon, sparked by senior quarterback Justin Herbert and a list of playmakers.
“He’s got pure talent,” said Shaw. “He’s a great college quarterback and will be a great quarterback at the next level.”
Stanford must make Herbert uncomfortable and limit big plays. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns and hasn’t been intercepted in his last 150 attempts, dating back to last season.
“Our job is to keep them out of the end zone,” Shaw said.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
NEAR MISSES: The Cardinal offense has had chances to make big plays in every game and looks to cash in Saturday.
“It is definitely frustrating,” said junior wide receiver Connor Wedington. “It is also a part of the game. Practice makes perfect. At the end of the day, getting more reps before practice and after practice is what is going to make things click.”
Added senior quarterback K.J. Costello, “Nobody knows what we can do on offense because we haven’t done it yet.”
OVERTIME SHOCKER: Parkinson caught the game-winning touchdown from Costello in overtime last year in Eugene to lift Stanford to an improbable 38-31 comeback victory against Oregon. The Cardinal trailed 24-7 at halftime and was down by 10 points with 90 seconds left in regulation.
“Not necessarily the game itself but more the atmosphere and how we felt as a team in the second half,” Parkinson said, when asked what he recalled most. “The belief and no-doubt feeling that we were going to come back. It’s something that we draw on a lot. The feeling of unity in the second half was second to none.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
Dream realized that Costello is still smiling after meeting Tiger Woods last Saturday at the UCF game.
“It was so cool,” said Costello, who competed in junior golf and is a scratch player. “I’ve been a fan my entire life. He was probably the first athlete that I adored. Just the way he walked around. I remember going to junior tournaments wearing the same (Sunday) red.”
SET THE EXPECTATION: Saturday’s theme is Sexual and Relationship Violence Awareness. Additional themes include New Student Orientation, Hall of Fame recognition and presentation of the Capital One Cup.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
EXTRA POINTS: Shaw described the Tuesday and Wednesday practices as “spirited” … Under Shaw, the Cardinal is 20-7 coming off a loss and 5-0 after consecutive losses … Stanford has won the last three meetings against Oregon … The Cardinal hasn’t allowed a first quarter touchdown in five of the last six games … Parkinson leads Stanford with 17 receptions, followed by Wedington with 15 … The Cardinal has been outscored, 31-14, in the first quarter … Former Stanford head coach John Ralston, who guided the program to Rose Bowl wins in 1971 and 1972, will be recognized. He passed away last week.
QUOTE: “We’ve got to do what we do and play our style of football.” — Senior outside linebacker Jordan Fox
Young San Jose State University alumni and Spartan fans now have an exclusive new way to connect and engage with San Jose State Athletics through the launch of the New Spartan Club.
Alumni and fans ages 32 and under who give $50.00 or more to the Spartan Athletics Fund will be enrolled in the New Spartan Club.
Join the New Spartan Club and check your email for invitations to exclusive events and game day experiences. When signing up online, please include “New Spartan Club” in the Special Instructions field.
The New Spartan Club will open doors to some of San Jose State’s best game day experiences while supporting Spartan student-athletes.
Join now and register for the New Spartan Club’s launch event — a watch-party for the September 27 San Jose State at Air Force football game — at Fourth Street Pizza in downtown San Jose located at the corner of Fourth & San Carlos Streets. Kickoff and the watch party starts at 5:00 p.m. PT.
In addition to the upcoming watch-party, hospitality benefits of the New Spartan Club include: An exclusive 2019 Homecoming football experience on October 19, New Spartan Club night at the Hardwood Lounge during basketball season, and networking events in downtown San Jose.
The New Spartan Club benefits the Spartan Athletics Fund, which provides resources for student-athletes and coaches in San Jose State’s 22 NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics programs. For questions regarding the New Spartan Club or the Spartan Athletics Fund, dial (408) 924-1450 or email spartanathleticsfund@sjsu.edu.
OAKLAND — Last night’s thrilling come-from-behind win over Kansas City, starting with Olson’s astounding home run blast in the seventh and culminating in Hendrik’s electrifying revindication of Mondaly’s debacle in the ninth, nudged the A’s an inch or two further towards a play off berth. They entered this afternoon contest against the pesky Kansas City Royals two full games ahead of Tampa Bay, who lost last night to the Dodgers, for the home field advantage and two and a half games in front of Cleveland, whose elimination number from wild card competition stands at 11 with just that many games left to play. At game time Oakland had 10 to go. Any combination of Oakland wins and Cleveland losses of 11 or more in those 21 contests would put the A’s in the postseason, if only for a single encounter. After the game was over, they’d picked up a half a game on Cleveland, who now have an elimination number of 10 with 11 games remaining on their schedule.
Danny Duffy, the Royals’ starting pitcher is a reminder that Kansas City’s most recent glory days are not that far back in the team’s past; he pitched a half a dozen innings in the 2014 and 2015 World Series for them. So far this year, his record had been a mediocre 6-6, 4.55 ERA, and he had yet to throw a pitch against the A’s. The Oakland hitter with the best record against him was Robbie Grossman at six for 17 (.353). The A’s switch-hitter outfielder was not in the A’s opening lineup, probably owing to his .180 batting average against lefties this year.
Oakland’s starting pitcher, Homer Bailey, has ties to a less glorious time in Kansas City baseball history. He had gone 7-6, 4.80 ERA for the Royals this season when they dealt him to the A’s on July 14. Between then and the time the A’s took the verdant, recently rained upon field after a 28-minute delay caused by same light rain that had refreshed the playing surface, the veteran right hander had gone 6-2 with an ERA of 4.70, sometimes pitching very well, other times, not.
Looking at the starters’ records, you wouldn’t have anticipated how well they would perform. The once and future Royal hurlers traded shutout innings until they both had left the game. Their successors did the same until there were two men down in the bottom of the 11th inning.
Oakland threatened in their half of the fourth when Semien opened the frame with a two bagger to right center, but the A’s fell victim to the curse of the lead off double when Duffy struck out Chapman and Canha, with Olson’s fly out to deep right sandwiched between the two Ks.
It was Kansas City’s chance to threaten in the top of the seventh. With one out, Jorge Soler smacked a double to left for the Royals’ third hit. A strikeout and an intentional walk later, Ryan O’Hearn hit a sinking fly to left. Chad Pinder made a spectacular diving grab of the ball to preserve the tie.
Bailey finally left the game after the A’s went down in the seventh. He had pitched seven complete innings and yielded only three hits and an intentional walk. His strike out total was a personal season-high 11. 66 of his 95 pitches were strikes. His replacement was Yusmeiro Petit, making his league leading 76th appearance.
When Scott Barlow took over for Duffy to pitch the Oakland eighth, the Royals’ starter had gotten through seven innings, allowing just two hits and a walk on 103 pitches, 67 of which were strikes. He struck out six Oakland batters.
Barlow lasted until he yielded a two out walk to Chapman in the bottom of the ninth. Those two outs had come about on strikeouts of a pinch hitting Jurickson Profar, followed by another against Semien. It took left-handed sidearmer Tim Hill one pitch to retire Olson on a pop to short.
Jake Diekman, another ex-Royal, replaced Petit to pitch the 10th.
He stuck out the two men he faced. Then Cheslor Cuthbert was announced as a pinch hitter for Ryan O’Hearn, which brought in JB Wendelken to strike Cuthbert out on five pitches. Ah, the intricacies of lefty-righty match ups!
Monday night’s winning pitcher, Kevin McCarthy gave up two quick singles to Canha and Laureano but bounced back to fan Khris Davis and get Sean Murphy to get Laureano out at on a bounder up the middle that second base man Merrifield made a good catch of and flipped to short stop Mondesí for the force. It was cold comfort that Canha advanced to third because he died there when Grossman, facing the latest Royal reliever, grounded out short to first.
Wendelkin survived a hairy top of the 10th. Bubba Starling began it with a single to right. Meibris Viloria sacrificed him to second. Brian Phillips was out on a hard line drive to Canha in center. Mondesí walked to load the bases with two out. Then Wendelkin got Jorge Soler to swing and miss on a 1-2 slider.
Jesse Hahn was on the mound when the A’s came to bat in the bottom of the eleventh. Profar worked him for a walk. Semien went down swinging, but Profar swiped second on the strike out pitch, so the play was a functional sacrifice. Chapman took a called third strike. Now, with Olson at the plate, it was time for Kansas City to grant an intentional walk. Mark Canha, whose Hometown Hero t-shirt was the afternoon’s give away, sent a 1-2 offering from Hahn down the right field line for a walk off double.
The hard earned win went to Wendelken, bringing his season’s totals to 3-1, 3.66 ERA for his 1 1/3 innings of work. Hahn was saddled with the loss.
11 innings of excitement, played in three hours and seven minutes, under clear skies in warm weather. This is how a play off chase should be conducted.
The A’s have a day of rest tomorrow. I won’t; I’ll be writing a discussion of the state of the race for the postseason. The team returns to the Coliseum on Friday, where Mike Fiers (14-4, 4.09 ERA) will face Mike Minor (13-9, 3.33 ERA) and the Texas Rangers at 7:07 p.m.
#1 Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injured his right elbow and will need surgery and said after last Sunday’s game that it was heartbreaking to be out on an injury. The injury knocked Roethlisberger out for the rest of the season and Roethlisberger said he looks forward to coming back next season.
#2 New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees torn thumb will need surgery. Brees sought a second opinion in Houston, and after being looked at in Los Angeles, Brees will miss six to eight weeks of the football season, which would put him at Week 10 at the latest that he can return.
#3 The Oakland A’s continue to believe in miracles. They got a huge win past the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. The A’s, who lost the first game of the series Monday night to the Royals 6-5, who came back on them, came back on the Royals on Tuesday night after being down 1-0 scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 2-1 win. The A’s lead second place Tampa Bay by two games.
#4 What happen to the Raiders after having a 10-0 lead on Sunday? The visiting Kansas City Chiefs took over in the second quarter scoring four touchdowns and won it 28-10 and the Raiders couldn’t score in the second half.
#5 The San Jose Earthquakes, who have lost three of their last five games battled against one of the MLS’ best NYC FC, on Saturday losing 2-1. The Quakes’ Chris Wondolowski continues to find the back of the net with the Quakes’ only goal — his 14th of the season.
