Category: MLB

Robbie Ray throws five no-hit innings in long-awaited Giants’ debut, and offense explodes late for much needed 8-3 win at Dodger Stadium

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second from left San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray talks with Giants pitching coach Brian Price second from right in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wed Jul 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco Giants 8 (49-54)

Los Angeles Dodgers 3 (61-42)

Win: Robbie Ray (1-0)

Loss: Tyler Glasnow (8-6)

Time: 2:51

Attendance: 54,070

By Stephen Ruderman

Robbie Ray pitched five no-hit innings in his long-awaited Giants’ debut, and the Giants’ offense finally came to life and exploded in six-run top of the eighth inning enroute to a desperately-needed 8-3 over the Dodgers Wednesday night at Chavez Ravine.

There’s no sugar coating any of this. The Giants have been off to a horrendous start here in the second half. The offense has gone dead again, and they have dropped four of their first five.

The Giants were in need of a spark, and perhaps with left-hander Robbie Ray making his long-awaited Giants’ debut after signing with the team over the off-season, Wednesday night was the night they would get it.

The Dodgers also started a man tonight who was coming off the Injured List in Tyler Glasnow. Granted, he last pitched on July 5, and he’s been having himself a solid season, as he came into Wednesday night 8-5 with a 3.47 ERA. What his injury did was prevent him from pitching in his first all-star game.

Jorge Soler walked to lead off the game, and Matt Chapman drew a two-out walk three batters later. However, the Giants were unable to come though off Glasnow in the top of the first inning, as Michael Conforto struck out on a curveball in the dirt to end the inning.

We finally got to see Robbie Ray in the bottom of the first. Ray first came up with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, and then was traded over to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he spent the next five and a half years.

Ray was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Toronto Blue Jays in the middle of the 60-game COVID-shortened sprint season of 2020. Ray had his best season with the Blue Jays in 2021, when he went 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA and struck out 248. Ray had another solid season with the Seattle Mariners in 2022, going 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA and 212 strikeouts.

Ray made his first start of last season on March 31, when he allowed five runs, three of them earned, to the Cleveland Guardians in three and a third innings. Ray ended up injuring himself, and had to have Tommy John surgery, which ended his season.

When the Giants signed him over the off-season, it was with the explicit understanding that he would not pitch until the middle of the season. The Giants had hoped to have him back sooner, but now was better than never.

Ray’s first inning back would be a long one. Shohei Ohtani flew out to deep left to begin the bottom of the first, but Ray hit Will Smith and then threw a wild pitch to Freddie Freeman, which moved Smith over to second base.

Freeman walked, and both runners advanced to second and third on another wild pitch by Ray. Just like Tuesday night, the Giants’ starting pitcher threw wild pitchers in the bottom of the first inning. Teoscar Hernandez was hit to load the bases, and Andy Pages walked to knock in a run. Ray then settled down and minimized the damage to one run.

Glasnow pitched a scoreless top of the second, and Ray a 1-2-3 bottom of the second. Brett Wisely singled and stole second to start the third, and Soler walked, but Heliot Ramos grounded into an inning-ending double play, as the Giants’ offense wasted another opportunity. Ray pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, as he had settled down to retire eight-straight.

Matt Chapman led off the fourth with a home run just to the right of straight away center field to tie the game. Later in the inning, Tyler Fitzgerald, who had homered in five-straight games coming in, doubled. Mike Yastrzemski then grounded a base-hit up the middle into right-center to knock in Fitzgerald to give the Giants the lead. It was a much-needed RBI hit with runners in scoring position for the Giants.

Ray pitched two more 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the fourth and fifth, and that would do it for him after five no-hit innings. His control was all over the place, when he gave up a run after walking two and hitting two, but he settled down to retire the final 14 men he faced, and he ended up striking out eight. With his pitch count at 86 in his first start in a year and a half, there was no way he was going any longer, but it was still a much-needed spark for the team.

Glasnow, meanwhile, threw a 1-2-3 top of the fifth to end his night. Anthony Banda came in for Los Angeles in the top of the sixth, and after striking out Chapman and Michael Conforto, he walked Fitzgerald and hit Yastrzemski. However, Curt Casali struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ryan Walker came in for the Giants and threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, and Banda and Yohan Ramirez combined for a scoreless top of the seventh. Submariner Tyler Rogers came in and allowed a two-out double to Chris Taylor, who injured himself and had to leave the game. Rogers then got Kiké Hernández to fly out to end the inning, so no problem.

Ramirez was back out for the top of the eighth, and the Giants finally exploded. Chapman walked to start the inning; Conforto singled to right to put runners at the corners; and Fitzgerald walked to load the bases. Yastrzemski fisted a base-hit to right to score Chapman to make it 3-1, and Patrick Bailey pinch-hit for Casali and made it 4-1 with a base-hit to right.

The Giants were keeping the line moving, as Dave Roberts lifted Ramirez for veteran right-hander Joe Kelly. Brett Wisely flew out to left for the first out of the inning, and Soler knocked in Fitzgerald on a ground out to short to make it 5-1.

Kelly intentionally walked LaMonte Wade, which loaded the bases for Ramos. Ramos singled the other way to right to knock in a pair and open it up to 7-1. Matt Chapman knocked in Wade with a base-hit up the middle to make it 8-1, and the Giants’ offense had finally shown what they were capable of with a six-run top of the eighth.

Freddie Freeman doubled in Nick Ahmed—yes, that Nick Ahmed, who started the season with the Giants; was released; signed this very morning with the Dodgers; and made the start Wednesday night—off Erik Miller in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-2.

Ryan Yarbrough pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, and the Dodgers got to left-hander Taylor Rogers in the bottom of the ninth, but it was for moot, as the Giants won it 8-3.

Robbie Ray got the win in his first big league start in a year and a half, and Tyler Glasnow took the loss. The Giants improve to 49-54, and they are now four and a half games back of the St. Louis Cardinals, who have slipped into the third wild card spot. The Giants are also now 5-0 when they are a season-high six games under .500.

Anyway, the Giants can salvage a split on getaway day Wednesday. Giants’ ace Logan Webb (7-8, 3.59 ERA) will try to bounce back from his rough all-star game appearance and rocky start in Denver Saturday. Clayton Kershaw of all people will come off the IL Thursday to make his 2024 debut for the Dodgers. First pitch will be at 1:10 p.m.

Sears solid and then implodes lead, as A’s are unable to complete sweep in 8-1 loss to Astros

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Oakland A’s starter JP Sears pitches in the top of the sixth to the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Jul 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Oakland, California

Houston Astros 8 (53-49)

Oakland Athletics 1 (41-63)

Win: Hunter Brown (9-6)

Loss: JP Sears (7-8)

Time: 2:30

Attendance: 14,978

By Stephen Ruderman

The A’s were unable to complete the sweep, as JP Sears imploded late, and the Astros won it 8-1 in what was most likely their final game at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s have been playing better baseball as of late. They took two of three from the Phillies, only the best team in Baseball, in Philadelphia to close out the first half. They also took the two of three from the Angels over the weekend at the Coliseum, but were unable to complete the sweep Sunday.

This week, the A’s have had the chance to play spoilers with the Houston Astros in town. The Astros, who got off to a 7-19 start, perhaps showing wear and tear in their aging core, have since played like the Astros of old, and have bolted themselves into dogfight atop a weak American League West with the Seattle Mariners.

The Astros went into this series in a virtual tie for first place with the Mariners, leading by mere percentage points. The A’s won the first two games of this series, but the Mariners have lost the first two games of their current three-game series with the Angels, which meant the two teams were still in a virtual tie coming into play Wednesday.

This was also most likely going to be the final game for the Astros at the Oakland Coliseum. The Astros came over from the National League to the American League in 2013, so they don’t have as much of a history at the Coliseum as the rest of the American League. Still, they’ve had their fair share of epic moments at the Coliseum over these last 12 years.

The A’s had a chance to complete the sweep today, which they were not able to do against the Angels, and they had the perfect guy on the mound for that in JP Sears. Sears hasn’t had the best season, as he came into Tuesday’s game with a 4.49 ERA, but he’s been a consistent game, who has chomped at the bit to take the ball throughout his year and a half in the big leagues.

Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman both singled to left field to start the game, and Yordan Alvarez grounded into a fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners with one out. Yandy Diaz then knocked in Altuve with a sacrifice fly to right.

The A’s struck right back against Astros’ starter Hunter Brown in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back doubles. Lawrence Butler doubled to center to lead off the inning, and Miguel Andujar immediately followed that up with a double to right to tie the game. Despite the go-ahead run now being at second with nobody out, the A’s were unable to take the lead.

Mauricio Dubon struck out swinging to start the top of the second, but Jon Singleton reached on an error by first-baseman Seth Brown, which allowed Singleton to reach second base. Chas McCormick grounded out to third for an unproductive second out, but Altuve lined the first pitch for the longest single of the year off the bottom of the wall down the left field line to put Houston back ahead.

The A’s had runners at first and second with two outs after base-hits by Brown and Max Schuemann, but the A’s were unable to come through, and Brown got out of the inning without any damage.

Sears pitched a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth. I would have said he settled down, but if it wasn’t for Brown’s error in the second, it would have most likely been three-straight 1-2-3 innings. Brown, meanwhile, pitched scoreless innings in both the third and fourth.

The Astros led 2-1 going to the fifth, with one out, McCormick hit a home run just barely to the left of straight away center to make it 3-1. Altuve reached on a throwing error by third-baseman Abraham Toro, but Sears kept his composure and got out of it without any further damage.

Brown pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth, and then Sears hit another rough patch in the top of the sixth. Yainer Diaz doubled to lead off the inning, and Jeremy Pena followed up with a single to left to score Diaz and extend Houston’s lead to 4-1. Like the fifth, Sears settled down, and he ended up picking off Pena, who was trying to steal second, to end the inning.

Brown threw another scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth, and Sears went back out for the top of the seventh. Even though he got a bad break on Brown’s error in the second, Sear was solid after a bumpy top of the first.

Sears showed some signs of vulnerability in the fifth and sixth, as he allowed a run in each inning, but he was able to minimize the damage both times. Since he had only thrown 74 pitches through his six innings, he was back out for the seventh.

However, as the Astros prepared to go through the fourth time in their order, Sears collapsed. Singleton lined a lead-off base-hit to right, and McCormick was hit by a pitch. Altuve and Bregman then hit back-to-back doubles, and just four batters and eight pitches in, the Astros had scored three runs to open up their lead to 7-1.

Sears was also done, and Kyle Muller was brought into the game. Yordan Alvarez moved Bregman over to third on a fly out to center, and Yainer Diaz got Bregman in with a sacrifice fly to center to make it a laugher at 8-1.

It was quite an unfortunate end to Sears’ day. Sears had given up three unearned runs through six innings, but after giving up four runs in the seventh, his final totals didn’t necessarily reflect his entire outing. He was able to keep the dam from bursting at times, but it finally came unglued in the seventh.

As for his final totals, Sears gave up nine hits and eight runs, seven of them, earned over six innings. He did not walk anybody, and he struck out three.

The A’s wasted an opportunity against Bryan Abreu in the bottom of the seventh, and Muller came back out to throw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth. Muller Worked out of a jam for a scoreless top of the ninth, and he did a great job in three innings out of the bullpen.

Muller also made it so Mark Kotsay did not have to blow through his bullpen. In fact, despite the Astros’ scoring eight runs today, Kotsay only had to use two pitchers.

Taylor Scott pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth for Houston, and Bryan King did the same in the bottom of the ninth, as the Astros ended up winning it 8-1.

Hunter Brown got the win, and JP Sears got the loss. Just like in their series against the Angels, the A’s were unable to complete the sweep, as they fall to 41-63.

The Angels complete their sweep of the Mariners up in Seattle with a 2-1 win at T-Mobile Park, and as a result, the Astros now move a full game ahead of the Mariners atop the American League West.

The A’s will now head to Anaheim for a four-game set against those very Los Angeles Angels starting Thursday night. The veteran, Ross Stripling (1-9, 5.82 ERA), will be on the mound for Oakland, and he will be opposed by left-hander Kenny Rosenberg (0-0, 6.30 ERA), who will make his first start of the season. First pitch will be at 6:38 p.m.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part IX)

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1989 World Series logo (image from baseball.wikia.com)

2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part IX)

A’s vs. Giants rivalry

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Giants arrived in San Francisco from New York in 1958; ten years later, the A’s arrived from Kansas City in Oakland. The Bay Area rivalry between Oakland and San Francisco has grown, drawing huge crowds at the stadiums on both sides of the Bay.

The rivalry became more intense (but still friendly) after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 17, 1989, a few minutes past five in the afternoon, when the ground shook at Candlestick Park.

It all began at Oakland. The first two games of the World Series took place at the Oakland Coliseum; the Athletics won 5-0 and 5-1. We moved to San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for games three and four, but on Game three, a surprise, when the earth moved violently with a 7.1 intensity earthquake (later downgraded to a 6.9), still enough for interim Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent to postpone the World Series for some 11 days until both teams resumed the action in early October for games three and four, which the A’s also won 13-7 and 6-5.

For us, broadcasting that classic was an experience we will never forget for the rest of our lives. This is the first and only time a World Series has been stopped and postponed because of an Earthquake. Note: The Giants returned to the World Series in 2002 (13 years later) and lost to the Anaheim Angels 4 games to 3.

The famous and historic 1989 World Series, which began at the Oakland Coliseum, was the first held there since the team won the last of three consecutive World Series in 1974. Fifteen years later, the Oakland A’s were the talk of baseball, and the Oakland Coliseum was “the place to be.” Coliseum attendance in the 1989 regular season was 2,667,225.

The Good Old Days at the Oakland Coliseum, as we remember this 2024, a historic year and the last season they will play at this huge facility,

Schedule: The Oakland A’s will face the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on July 30-31. The last time these Bay Area rivals will face each other is next August 17-18 at the Oakland Coliseum. All these games will air live in Spanish on KIQI 1010AM Bay Area/990AM Sacramento, on the Oakland A’s Spanish Radio Network.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants drop four of five to open second half to fall five back of playoff spot, as Hicks struggles in 5-2 loss to Dodgers

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Shohei Ohtani belted a two run double in the bottom of the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles against the San Francisco Giants on Tue Jul 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco Giants 2 (48-54)

Los Angeles Dodgers 5 (61-41)

Win: Landon Knack (4-7)

Loss: Jordan Hicks (3-3)

Save: Evan Phillips (15)

Time: 2:55 

Attendance: 52,627

By Stephen Ruderman

The offense was dead again; Jordan Hicks had to push his way through three and two thirds innings; and the Dodgers beat the Giants 5-2, as the Giants have now dropped four of five to open the second half.

After a tough loss in the series opener Monday night, the Giants hoped for better luck Tuesday night against Landon Knack—hey, another good baseball name. Knack pitched a scoreless top of the first inning, and the Dodgers came to bat against Jordan Hicks in the bottom of the first.

Hicks has struggled since a great start to his season in April and May, and Tuesday night, the Giants were leaning on him to keep their rivals at bat. Hicks’ night appeared as if it was going to get off to a good start, as he struck out Shohei Ohtani (swinging) and Will Smith (looking) for the first two outs in the bottom of the first. 

However, Hicks hit Freddie Freeman, who got to second base on a wild pitch, and he walked Teoscar Hernandez. The runners advanced to second and third on another wild pitch with Gavin Lux at the plate, and then Lux roped a double down the right field line to knock in both runners, but he was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

Knack struck Matt Chapman and Michael Conforto both out swinging to start the top of the second, but Tyler Fitzgerald homered in his fifth straight game with a high soaring drive to left field to put the Giants on the board. Fitzgerald became the first rookie in Giants’ franchise history to homer in five-straight games, as well as the first rookie shortstop in National League/American League history to accomplish the feat.

Hicks was able to work his way through the second and third, but thanks to four walks, his pitch count was up to 65 through his first three innings. Knack also had a high pitch count, as he threw 74 pitches in his first four innings.

Hicks struck out Andy Pages in a six-pitch at-bat to start the bottom of the fourth, but after that, Hicks really struggled. He walked Jayson Heyward and gave up a base-hit to Cavin Biggio. 

During that time, Bob Melvin and Senior Director of Athletic Training Dave Groeschner came out to check up on him, but he stayed in the game. Hicks struck out Kiké Hernandez for the second out, but Ohtani knocked in a pair with a double to right to make it a 4-1 game, and that did it for Hicks.

Hicks threw 92 pitches over three and two thirds innings, and he had himself some interesting final totals. He gave up four runs on three hits, and he walked five, but he also struck out seven. 

Knack threw the game’s first 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, and that capped off his night, as the Giants were stymied by another Dodgers’ rookie. For Knack, he gave up just a run on two hits and two walks, and he struck out six.

Sean Hjelle, who finished off the bottom of the fourth for the Giants, pitched through a jam in the bottom of the fifth. Brent Honeywell Jr. was the new pitcher for Los Angeles in the top of the sixth, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning. Left-hander Taylor Rogers gave up a leadoff base-hit to pinch-hitter Chris Taylor in the bottom of the sixth, but he pitched a scoreless inning.

Honeywell pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, and Luke Jackson came in for the bottom of the seventh to pitch the first 1-2-3 inning of the night for the Giants. Jorge Soler drew a walk off Blake Treinen with one out in the top of the eighth, and Heliot Ramos singled with two outs, but Patrick Bailey grounded out to second to end the inning.

Randy Rodriguez came in for San Francisco in the bottom of the eighth. Andy Pages was hit by a pitch—the third Dodger to be hit Tuesday night—to start the bottom of the eighth, and Heyward singled Pages over to second. 

Rodriguez got a reprieve when he struck Taylor and Kiké Hernandez both out swinging. Pages, meanwhile, had moved over to third on a wild pitch, and runners were at the corners with two outs for Shohei Ohtani.

In an unpleasant deja vu from the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night, in which Teoscar Hernandez lined a two-out, two-strike base-hit to knock in a run for the Dodgers last night, Ohtani knocked in a run with a two-out, two-strike base-hit in the bottom of the eighth Tuesday night to make it 5-1.

The Giants then teased us in the top of the ninth. Alex Vesia walked Matt Chapman and Michael Conforto to start the ninth, and Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to left to score Chapman and make it a 5-2 game. 

Fitzgerald’s base-hit also brought the tying run up to the plate. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit and popped into an infield fly, and Brett Wisely struck out swinging. 

After Wisely struck out, Dave Roberts brought in his closer, Evan Phillips to face Jorge Soler. Soler then walked with two outs to load the bases for Late Night LaMonte Wade. The stage was set for the Giants to have another epic come-from-behind ninth-inning win at Dodger Stadium here in late July like they did twice in the crucial four-game set at Dodger Stadium in 2021.

Wade, who had so many big hits late in games for the Giants that season, including what proved to be the game-winning hit on July 22 of that year in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium, was up. It was the perfect time for him to come up with the biggest hit of the season here in 2024.

However, it was not meant to be. Wade ended up grounding out to second, and the Dodgers won it 5-2.

Landon Knack got the win; Jordan Hicks got the loss; and Even Phillips got his 15th save.

There were at least a couple of positives to take out of this one. Heliot Ramos, who has slumped a bit following his all-star appearance last week, went 2-for-4 Tuesday night. Tyler Fitzgerald, who of course has now hit home runs in five-straight games, went 3-for-3, and knocked in both of the Giants’ runs Tuesday night.

However, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Really, reality outweighs the positives. The reality is that the Giants have lost four of five to start off the second half, and have tied their season-high six games under .500 at 48-54. They are also now five games back of the New York Mets for the third wild card spot. To be blunt, the Giants are in serious trouble.

The good news is that the Giants are 4-0 when they’ve been six games under .500 this season, and they will need some luck Wednesday. Left-hander Robbie Ray will make his long-awaited Giants’ debut Wednesday night, and he will be opposed by Tyler Glasnow (8-5, 3.47 ERA), who is also coming off the injured list Wednesday. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m PT.

Five A’s homers as Oakland downs Astros 8-2 at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s Lawrence Butler connects for a two run home run against the Houston Astros in the bottom of the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Jul 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Oakland’s use of the long ball, along with a strong overall pitching effort, gave the Athletics an 8-2 AL West victory over the visiting Houston Astros Tuesday before an announced crowd of 5,896 at the Coliseum.

The A’s (41-62) collected home runs from Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Seth Brown, Zach Gelof and Shea Langeliers in the win, as Oakland used a 13-hit attack that included an RBI double by Butler and a run-scoring single by Abraham Toro.

Butler just missed hitting for the cycle – missing a single – and finished 3-for-4, while Toro and Brown each went 2-for-4.

Osvaldo Bido (2-1) gave up one run on four hits in the first five innings to get the win. Bido also struck out six without issuing a walk. Scott Alexander, Tyler Ferguson and Michel Otanez each each threw a scoreless inning in relief. T.J. McFarland gave up a solo home run to Jeremy Peria in the ninth.

Pena led Houston’s nine-hit effort going 3-for-4. Astros starter Jake Bloss (0-1) surrendered five earned runs on six hits and a walk in four innings to take the loss, as the Astros (52-49) slipped into a first-place tie with Seattle in the AL West.

The A’s opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Butler tripled to right and scored on Rooker’s 23rd home run and team-leading 69th run batted in of the season. In the top of the third, Victor Caratini sent a 427-foot blast to center for his fifth round-tripper, cutting Oakland’s lead to 2-1. Oakland responded with a solo home run by Butler – his 10th – to lead off the bottom of the third, taking a 3-1 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Brown and Gelof hit back-to-back home runs to the power alleys, extending the A’s lead to 5-1. It was Gelof’s 20th RBI, and Brown collected his 35th RBI.

In the Oakland fifth, JJ Bleday doubled and scored on a single by Toro. One inning later, Butler’s RBI double to right drove in Max Schuemann, who singled, and the A’s led 7-1. Butler has 32 runs batted in on the season.

Langeliers completed Oakland’s scoring with a drive to left for his 19th home run of the season, and his 53rd RBI.

For the Wednesday getaway game, Hunter Brown (8-6, 4.14) starts for the Astros, facing Oakland’s JP Sears (7-7, 4.49). First pitch is at 12:37 Pacific.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Great Coliseum Memories, Star players and World Series years

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1972 World Champion Oakland A’s cover on Sports Illustrated part of the memories of the A’s years at the Oakland Coliseum as the club leaves for Sacramento after the 2024 season (Sports Illustrated cover file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amuary, just two months and two weeks left before the Oakland A’s move to Sacramento for the next four years. Their last game in Oakland will be on September 26th against Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers. After playing at the Oakland Coliseum since 1968 it all comes to an end that day.

#2 Just wanted to jog your memory of some of the happier and great years at the Coliseum when the A’s had that remarkable run in 1972 through 1974 winning three straight World Series.

#3 We can go through some of the great names of the players who were a part of those World’s Championship teams. The A’s just had an All Star team and they could slug for the fence with Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, Ray Fosse, Reggie Jackson, Mike Epstein, Dick Green, Sal Bando, Billy North and George Hendrick to name a few.

#4 The A’s really had a ace starting staff during those days with Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman, and Blue Moon Odom. Manager Dick Williams of the 1972 and 1973 teams had the confidence to go in with this pitching staff and win ball games.

#5 Amaury talk about A’s lead off hitter Bert Campaneris who played shortstop on all three championship teams and should go down in history as the best shortstop in Oakland A’s history?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Snell solid again, but River Ryan shuts down Giants’ lethargic offense in big league debut,Teoscar Hernandez carries LA to 3-2 win with two key RBI singles

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San Francisco Giants Jorge Soler (right) is tagged out by Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Chris Taylor (left) in the top of the first inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Mon Jul 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

Monday, July 22, 2024

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco Giants 2 (48-53)

Los Angeles Dodgers 3 (60-41)

Win: Blake Treinen (4-2)

Loss: Erik Miller (3-3)

Save: Daniel Hudson (7)

Time: 2:26

Attendance: 49,576

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants’ offense sputtered against River Ryan in his major league debut, as they were unable to support Blake Snell, who pitched another strong outing, and the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-2, thanks to a pair of RBI base-hits by Teoscar Hernanez, in the opener of this four-game series at Dodger Stadium.

The Giants were able to get out of Denver with a win Sunday, averting a disastrous sweep at the hands of the third-worst team in Baseball. With the Giants in need of a spark, they are in LA for a four-game series just as they were this very week in 2021. The Giants took three of four in that series, which featured two epic come-from-behind ninth inning wins on July 21 and 22.

That series is when everybody realized that 2021 was going to be a magical season. Three years later here in 2024, the Giants have come into this four-game series four games under .500 at 48-52, and three games back of the New York Mets for the third wild card spot in the National League.

For the Dodgers, they send the young right-hander, River Ryan, who has a great baseball name, to the mound to make his major league debut. Ryan was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2021 out of the University of North Carolina, where he was a two-way player. He was traded to the Dodgers on March 28, 2022, and then bounced around the minors this season before getting the call to start tonight.

This was one of those rare games where the designated hitter was the lead off guy for both teams. For the Giants, it was Jorge Soler, who walked to start off the game. The Giants appeared to be in business when LaMonte Wade lined a base-hit to left-center field, but Soler was nailed by left-fielder Miguel Vargas trying to take third base.

Wade advanced to second on the throw, but that essentially killed the rally for the Giants. Heliot Ramos lined out to left, and Patrick Bailey popped out to short, as Ryan ended up getting out of his first big league inning in a quite unusual way.

Blake Snell nearly got his first win as a Giant after he took a perfect game into the seventh inning of the first half finale last Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. However, that was not to be, as Camilo Doval blew the save and gave up two runs in the top of the ninth.

Still, it was the first time the real Blake Snell showed up for the Giants, and he was looking to build off that Monday night. Snell walked Shohei Ohtani to start the bottom of the first inning, but catcher Patrick Bailey nailed Ohtani trying to steal second, and Snell ended up facing the minimum.

Ryan pitched a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the second and third. Snell escaped a two-out rally in the bottom of the second, and then he threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the third.

Wade walked to start the top of the fourth, and Bailey grounded a single up the middle with one out. Michael Conforto moved the runners over to second and third on a ground out to first, and they left things up to Matt Chapman.

Unfortunately, after the Giants’ offense finally showed what they were capable of over the final four weeks of the first half, they have fallen back on their old bad habits to begin the second half.

Chapman did work the count full to 3-2, but the Giants caught a break when Ryan threw a fastball on the outside corner that was dropped by catcher Will Smith and went to the Giants’ on-deck circle, which allowed Wade to score. The Giants were unable to come through with that key RBI hit with runners in scoring position. Instead, they got their run on a passed ball.

The Dodgers struck right back when Teoscar Hernandez, who won the Home Run Derby last Monday night in Arlington, Texas, tied the game with his 21st home run of the season. It was a no-doubter, as Hernandez hit it half way up into the pavilion out in left field.

Both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the fifth, and base-hits by Wade and Bailey put runners on the corners for the Giants with one out in the top of the sixth. That ended the night for Ryan, but he had himself one helluva of a major league debut, as he was thrown into a rivalry game and gave up just an unearned run over five and a third innings. Not bad.

Looks like I gave away the ending to the Giants’ rally. Of course they wasted it, as left-hander Alex Vesia came in and struck out both Luis Matos and Chapman to end the inning.

Well, the Dodgers made the Giants pay in the bottom of the sixth. With Freddie Freeman at second and two outs, Hernandez got a hanging curveball from Snell and lined a base-hit out to center field to score Freeman and give the Dodgers their first lead of the night.

Snell escaped the inning without any further damage, and that would end his night. It was a good night for Snell, who went six innings, and gave up two runs and four hits. We’re now seeing what Snell is capable of, and if he can keep pitching like this, it will be huge for the Giants down the stretch.

Snell was unfortunately unable to get his first win as a Giant, but he didn’t get the loss either. Tyler Fitzgerald tied the game with one out in the top of the seventh when he hit a home run off Ryan Yarbrough. For Fitzgerald, he has now homered in three-straight games.

Ryan Walker threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh for the Giants. Bailey drew a two-out walk off Blake Treinen in the top of the eighth and stole second, but with a full count, Matos struck out when he chased a slider down and away to end the inning.

It was another wasted opportunity for the Giants—a sentence I have written far too many times this season—and Erik Miller ran into trouble right away when he came in for the bottom of the eighth. Kiké Hernandez led off the inning with a double to center, and Will Smith walked with one out.

Freeman grounded into a 6-4 fielder’s choice for the second out, and the Giants were hoping that they could get Will Smith on interference for his slide at second, as Bob Melvin challenged that play. The play was upheld, and Melvin went to Randy Rodriguez to face Teoscar Hernandez

Hernandez was up with the go-ahead runner at second with two outs, just as he was in the sixth. Rodriguez was a strike away from getting out of it with the count at 2-2, but he threw a 98-MPH fastball right on the outside corner that Hernandez lined off the end of the bat and up the middle into center field for a base-hit that scored Smith to put the Dodgers back ahead.

It was deja vu all over again. Just as he did in the sixth, Hernandez gave the Dodgers the lead with a base-hit up the middle.

Daniel Hudson came in for the ninth, and while Fitzgerald walked with two outs, Brett Wilsey flew out to left to end the game.

Blake Treinen got the win; Erik Miller got the loss; and Daniel Hudson picked up his seventh save of the year.

The Giants’ offense are struggling again at the worst possible time. As Marcos Breton pointed out on Twitter—yes, I’m still calling it that—Jorge Soler, Heltiot Ramos, Luis Matos, Matt Chapman, Mike Yastrzemski and Matt Chapman went a combined 0-for-22, and Yastrzemski ended up with the hat trick. To be blunt, things need to change, and they need to change soon.

The Giants fall to 48-53 and four games back of the Mets for the third wild card. They will need a win Tuesday night. Jordan Hicks (4-6, 3.79 ERA), who has hit a rough patch as of late after a great start to his season will make the start for the Giants Tuesday. Landon Knack of all people will counter to make his season debut for the Dodgers. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m.

Giants News and Notes:

Following his dominant 12-strikeout performance in Colorado Sunday, Hayden Birdsong was sent all the way down to the Low-A San Jose Giants. The move was simply made to clear a roster spot for right-handed reliever Mike Baumann, whom the Giants acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners yesterday.

Harris was dealing; Miller shuts the door; A’s blank Astros 4-0 to open series at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Hogan Harris throws against the Houston Astros in the top of the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Jul 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

Houston (52-48). 000 000 000 0. 8. 1

Athletics (40-62). 003 100 00x. 4. 8. 0

Time: 2:07

Attendance: 4,517

Monday, July 22, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Following Sunday afternoon’s debacle, the current occupants of the Oakland Coliseum recovered and returned to the recent winning ways that had given them a 9-6 record for July, defeating the high flying Houston Astros, 4-0.

The A’s starting pitcher, southpaw Hogan Harris, has ridden the Oakland-Las Vegas shuttle for three round trips in addition to taking paternity leave for a couple of days in July. His time in the A’s rotation this season can be divided into two parts, each consisting of four starts.

From May 30 to June 18, he went 1-0, 1.66, with a trio of no decisions thanks to blown saves. He was 0-3, 5.19 in his four subsequent starts, bringing him to 1-3,3.40 when he went into action tonight, when he shut out the ‘stros over on seven hits and two walks.

65 of his 93 pitches went into the books as strikes. Harris earned the win and now has a record of 2-3, 2.98. One of the reasons for the success Harris enjoyed was the pitchers’ best friend. The Athletics turned three double plays for him in his 6-2/3 innings on the mound.

All of those twin killings were of the around the horn variety, Brett Harris to Zack Gelof to Seth Brown. Hogan didn’t have to rely solely on his fielders; he struck out seven Astro batters. He also had the help of four relief pitchers.

Austin Adams got the third out for him in the seventh, stranding two runners by fanning Alex Bregman. Lucas Erceg, last night’s goat, hurled a perfect eighth tonight, and Mason Miller stonewalled the Astros in a 1,2,3 top of the ninth.

The last time the Bochy Boys visited the Bay Area, Spencer Arrighetti, the rookie right hander who was the Astros’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023 and was described by the ’24 media guide as the team’s “top pitching prospect,” started against the Giants on June 10.

He held them to one run on three hits over 6-2/3 innings in a 4-3 10 inning loss to their hosts. This evening he made his second appearance on the warm side of the bay and his third against the green and gold. He had been the winning pitcher against them at Minute Maid Park on May 13, allowing two runs, both earned , in a five inning start. 12 days later, he made another five frame start but lost, yielding all of the A’s runs, and they were earned, in a 3-1 loss, again being touched for five hits.

The rookie brought a record of 4-7, 5.63 to tonight’s contest and left after six innings with the Athletics leading, 4-0. He didn’t pitch poorly Monday night, although the A’s made lots of solid contact against him. They scored all their four runs, which were earned in two innings, the third and the fourth.

The three run outburst in the third was the result of singles by Max Schuemann and Lawrence Butler, followed by doubles of the bats of Miguel Andújar and JJ Bleday. Gelof scored the fourth and final tally in the next frame.He drew a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a Harris ground out, and crossed the plate on Max Schuemann’s single to left.

Arrightetti took the loss, having put in six innings of work and thrown 94 pitches, 30 of which were balls. He yielded seven hits, walked one, and struck out three while facing 26 batters. His record when all was over was 4-8, 5.65. Bryan King and Rafael Montero pitched an inning apiece. Montero surrendered a single.

Bleday’s two bagger brought the streak of games in which he has doubled to five. It also was the fifth straight game in which Butler has hit safely.

The resurgent A’s will send Osvaldo Bido (1-1, 3.63) against Houston’s Jake Bloss (0-0, 4.70), Tuesday, evening, at 6:40.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: Angels manager and former A’s coach Ron Washington makes last visit to Coliseum; A’s open 4 game set with Astros tonight

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Former Oakland A’s third base coach and current Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington instructs players from the dugout on Sat Jul 20, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum against the A’s. This is the last visit for the former A’s coach and he left all those memories out on the field. (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Kevin Pillar hit a two run double which helped paced the Los Angeles Angels to a 5 run eighth inning rally that eventually helped defeat the A’s 8-5 at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.

#2 The Angels Logan O’Hoppe started the eighth off with a single, pinch hitter Nolan Schanuel hit an RBI single, and Jo Adell got a base on balls from A’s reliever Lucas Erceg in the five run eighth for a comeback.

#3 The Angels with the win snap a team franchise eight game losing streak. The Angels had got walloped by the A’s in the first two games of this series with a 13-3 loss on Friday and a 8-2 loss on Saturday. They put out a full effort to avoid a sweep on Sunday.

#4 This would be the final visit to the Oakland Coliseum for the Angels and their manager Ron Washington as the A’s are moving to Sacramento after this season. Washington spent many years as the long time third base coach of the A’s and is sad to see his old team leave Oakland, “There’s so much that has been going on in this place, I’m going to certainly miss it as a guy that’s been a coach here, as a guy that watched a lot of young players grow here and now as a guy that came back and managed here,”

#5 The A’s open a three game series against the Houston Astros on Monday night. Starting pitcher for the Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-7, ERA 5.63) starter for the A’s LHP Hogan Harris (1-3, ERA 3.40) first pitch at 6:40pm PT.

Barbara Mason does the A’s podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Thin air, two long homers give Giants lift at Coors Field Sunday

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San Francisco Giants Jorge Soler takes off up the first base line after he connects for a first inning solo shot and the longest homer for the Giants this season at 478 feet against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sun Jul 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 San Francisco Giants Jorge Soler tattooed the longest Giants home run this season at 478 feet to deep centerfield in the top of the first for the Giants first run of the game.

#2 Tyler Fitzgerald got ahold of one and took it 434 feet for a top of third inning home run to center taking advantage of the thin Coors Field air and putting the Giants on top 2-0.

#3 A crucial passed ball by the Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings allows the Giants Matt Chapman what would be the game winning run in the top of the fourth inning as the Giants took a 3-0 at that point.

#4 The Giants got pitching from Hayden Birdsong who picked up his second win of the season against no loses. Birdsong pitched six innings, allowed two hits and two earned runs and struck out 12 batters. As the Giants avoid getting swept.

#5 The Giants head to Dodgers Stadium for a four game series which opens on Monday night at 7:10pm PT. Starting pitcher for the Giants LHP Blake Snell (0-3, ERA 6.31). Updated the Dodgers will be starting RHP Landon Knack (1-2, ERA 3.23).

Join Marko Ukalovic for San Francisco Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com