Category: MLB

Giants Lose Rubber Match Against Rays 6-1 at Oracle

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Tampa Bay Rays Christian Bethancourt (left) congratulates Luke Raley (right) at home plate after scoring the first pinch hit inside the park home run in Rays history in the top of the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Wednesday, August 16 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Francisco, Ca – In Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants play the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber match of this 3 game series. The Giants are 5-8 in rubber games this season and hope to make it six wins at the end of this game.

On the hill for the Giants was Ryan Walker for his 10th start of the game against Aaron Civale for the Rays and they got on the board in the first inning when a single hit by Isaac Paredes scored Brandon Lowe, 1-0 Tampa Bay.

The Giants replaced Walker in the second inning and called in Ross Stripling. The Rays didn’t stop the pressure in the fourth inning when Josh Lowe hit a lead off home run to right center field, giving Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

The next inning the Rays weren’t done getting on Stripling. Brandon Lowe hit a 2 run home run to center field and it scored Yandy Diaz, making it a 4-0 lead, but the Rays weren’t done. Randy Arozarena hit a double and then scored off a Paredes single to extend it to 5-0 for Tampa Bay.

After five innings, the Giants only had four hits and no runs and the air deflated out of the park. The scoring avalanche kept rolling in the sixth inning when Luke Raley came in to pinch hit and hit the ball off the triples alley wall and it bounced off the top of the wall in right center, Meckler slipped trying to get the ball, and Raley goes all the way around for an inside the park home run, 6-0 Rays.

As the Giants entered the bottom of the seventh inning, the Rays made a pitching change and called Hector Perez to the hill. Civale put together a scoreless six innings with five hits and five strikeouts.

The Giants take advantage of the pitching change and finally get on the board when Sabol, who got on from a fielder’s choice and Estrada & Camargo hit back to back singles to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Lamonte Wade Jr. pinch hit for Heliot Ramos and got walked, giving San Francisco their first run of the game. 6-1 going into the eighth inning.

The Rays took out Perez after 17 pitches and put in Colin Poche who escaped the inning when Meckler grounded into a double play. The Giants replaced Stripling after six innings and allowed five runs with Scott Alexander and he got the first three up, three down inning since the third for SF.

The eighth inning for the Giants was where fans decided enough was enough, where the Giants grounded into their fourth double play of the game and struck out for the sixth time.

Alex Wood was the pitcher for the Giants in the ninth, but the damage was done, San Francisco had to comeback from five runs in the bottom of the ninth. Pete Fairbanks, the closer for the Rays, retired the side on 12 pitches and the game ended 6-1 Rays and they also took the series.

The winning pitcher for today was Aaron Civale (6-3) and the losing pitcher was Ryan Walker (4-2). The Giants have a needed off day before their next series on Friday, August 18th as they shake off this high scoring series.

The Giants open a three game series Friday night at Truist Park in Cobb County against the Atlanta Braves for a 4:20pm PT first pitch. Starter for San Francisco has not been announced and going for Atlanta Spencer Strider (13-4 ERA 3.75).

Troy Ewers is a beat writer and podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Troy Ewers: Giants bats come alive Tue after Mon night beating; Giants opener Walker starts today

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On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Troy Ewers:

#1 Troy, it looked like Giants manager Gabe Kapler’s ejection from last night fired up the team, they responded with a four pitcher combined shutout and went on a hitting attack to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-0.

#2 It was the Giants debut of rookie centerfielder Wade Meckler who got his first hit in the bottom of the sixth inning that jump started his career. Meckler went onto get two hits and and score a run.

#3 Meckler was at bat when he took a pitch that looked liked a ball which Kapler came out and argued about. Meckler said he didn’t argue the call because he was just in his second day on the job and didn’t want to come off as disrespecting the umpires.

#4 Troy, talk about the two home runs that the Giants got from Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores both hit home runs in the 7-0 landslide of the Rays on Tuesday night. For Estrada it was hit tenth home run of the season and for Flores it was 17th home run.

#5 The Tampa Bay Rays will be starting Aaron Civale (5-3 ERA 2.61) will be matched up against the San Francisco Giants Ryan Walker (4-1 ERA 2.28) expect Walker to be an opener a 12:45pm PT first pitch at Oracle Park.

Troy Ewers is a http://www.sportsradioservice.com beat writer and podcast contributor

Headline Sports podcast with Bruce Magowan: 49ers Lance needs more chances; Which Giants team will show up; plus more news

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) throws under pressure from Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Jordan Willis (99) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Bruce:

#1 Bruce, what is your take away regarding all the criticism that 49ers quarterback Trey Lance had been receiving about his performance last Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

#2 Which Giant team will show up, the Giants before last night who lost 10-2 on Monday night or the Giants of last night who got some hitting and used four pitchers to get a 7-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays.

#3 Bruce what do you make of the possibilities of the Baltimore Orioles relocating. It sounds preposterous but Orioles managing partner John Angelos said recently that the Orioles would never leave Baltimore but Orioles are looking for prime downtown property and although they would get $600 million for Camden Yards improvements Angelos whose wife owns a music entertainment company in Nashville makes the idea of moving all the more interesting.

#4 Bruce the Pac 12 reportedly will incur 11 teams from the ACC. It was first mentioned the four remaining Pac 12 teams Cal, Stanford, Washington State, and Oregon State would join the ACC but that has been reversed with the ACC planning to not charge 11 schools exit fees and move to the Pac 12.

Join Bruce Magowan for Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants find their offensive strength in late innings for 7-0 shutout of Rays

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San Francisco Giants’ Wade Meckler hits a single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Aug 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (72-50). 000 000 000 – 0. 3. 2

San Francisco (64-56). 000 003 22x.- 7 9 1

Time: 2:15

Attendance: 26,322

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants this evening once more used an opener to get them through the early going of the second of this three game transcontinental battle of the bays. The task fell to John Junis, who was 3-3, 4.36 when the day started although he’d allowed only three earned runs in his previous 13-1/3 innings.

Junis pitched four shutout innings in San Francisco’s overwhelming 7-0 triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. In that stint, Judis faced 16 batters and allowed two hits and one base on balls while striking out seven. This performance brought his ERA more than a quarter of a run to 4.10.

Zack Littell, who started for the visitors, has been both a Giant and an opener. He went 5-2, 4.68 for San Francisco in 2021-22. Although this was his seventh start and 20th appearance of the season, it was only his fifth traditional start of the year.

Littell had walked just one batter in his last 33 innings of work. He relies on a mix of fast balls and about, throwing one or another of them about 72% of the time. Tuesday night, in his first appearance against his old team, Littell pitched an excellent game until he didn’t.

Littell lasted 5-2/3 innings and gave up two runs, both earned although the second was posthumous, on three hits, one of them a homer. He struck out five and didn’t walk anyone. He threw 59 pitches, 52 for strikes and was tagged with the loss, ending the night with a record of 2-4, 3.99.

With the game still a scoreless tie after four innings of play, Sean Manaea entered the fray. He pitched brilliantly, yielding only one hit and two walks over 3-1/3 innings to earn his fourth win against three defeats and lower his earned run average to 4.89. He was relieved by Tyler, the right handed Rogers twin, with one out in the eighth.

Thairo Estrada broke that tie with his one out line drive home run into the left field bleachers, over the SF Nothing Like It sign in the bottom of the sixth.. The blast was the Giants’ second sacker’s tenth round tripper of the year and travelled 374 feet.

The crowd had more to cheer about two batters later when Wade Meckler got his first major league hit, a single to center. that drove Littell from the mound. The rookie got his second safety lone inning later, beating the throw on a grounder to second.

But that wasn’t all. Wilmer Flores took Kevin Kelly, Littell’s replacement, deep on the first pitch he threw. It was almost a replica of Estrada’s four bagger, landing in the left field bleachers 373 feet from home. Just like that, the orange and black were ahead, 3-0.

They continued their attack in the seventh, loading the bases with none out on a single by Conforto, a walk to Bailey, and an error by the Rays’ first baseman, Yandy Díaz, on Blake Sabol’s grounder. Then the attack stalled But that didn’t stop the Giants from scoring twice more.

Crawford went down swinging. Estrada forced Conforto out at home on a grounder to third for the second out. Then Tampa Bay’s catcher, René Pinto, tried to pick Bailey off at third and threw the ball into left field, allowing Bailey and Héctor Ramos, pinch running for Sabol, to cross the plate. The seventh ended with San Francisco enjoying a 5-0 lead.

Erasmo Ramírez pitched the bottom of the eighth for Tampa Bay. He gave up Mecker’s second hit. Flores was retired on a soft liner to short. Meckler was forced out at second by Pederson. Then Conforto doubled to left, bringing Peterson home on a call that was reviewed and upheld. Ramos followed by a single to center that brought Conforto home for the Giants’ seventh tally.

Luke Jackson mopped things up in the top of the ninth. He struck out all three batters he faced.

Gabe Kapler was ejected by home plate umpire Chad Whitson in the top of the fourth for arguing balls and strikes. It was the second time this season that the skipper had received the heave-ho.

The rubber game of this three game series will starts Wednesday, afternoon at 12:45. The Rays expect to send righty Aaron Civale (5-3, 2.61) to the mound. The Giants haven’t yet announced their intentions.

Cardinals beat A’s again 6-2 to extend A’s losing streak to five games

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Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler celebrates as he arrives home after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the St Louis Cardinals on Tue Aug 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s continued their losing ways as they lost for the fifth consecutive game in St. Louis. The A’s gave the start to 30-year-old Spenser Watkins. Watkins was pitching for his third team this year. Watkins started the season with the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles traded him to the Houston Astron on June twenty-third. Watkins’ stay with the Astros was short. The Astros designated him for assignment on August eighth, and the ‘s signed him a few days later. Watkins was filling in for Freddy Tarnok, who went on the IL a few days ago.

Unfortunately for Watkins, the Cardinals’ first three hitters put three runs on the board before Watkins retired a single Cardinal hitter. Watkins pitched better, but the A’s offense failed to support him. The Cardinals went on to beat the A’s 6-2.

The Cardinals’ leadoff hitter Lars Nootbar doubled to get things rolling for the Cardinals. The Redbirds’ big first baseman Paul Goldschmidt doubled to drive in Nootbar with the game’s first run. Third baseman Nolan Arenado sent a Watkins’ changeup into the left-field seats to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

It was Arenado’s 25th home run of the season and the 324th of his storied career. Watkins retired the next two hitters. Rookie sensation Jordan Walker, the hero of Tuesday night’s game, blasted his 11th big fly of the 2023 campaign over the fence in right field. The Cardinals led 4-0 after one inning.

The Cardinals tacked on another run in the fourth. Watkins walked Jordan Walker leading off the inning. The Cardinals’ catcher Andrew Knizner, filling in for the injured Willson Conteras, doubled to left field. Walker scored to give St. Louis a 5-0 advantage.

The A’s plated two runs in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals’ starter Dakota Hudson had allowed the A’s just three hits in the game’s first six innings. With one out in the seventh, A’s catcher Tyler Soderstrom singled. Rookie centerfielder Lawrence Butler blasted his first Major League home run to make it a bit closer as they trailed the Cardinals 5-2 midway through the seventh. 

The Cardinals scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the eighth. Cardinal shortstop Tommy Edman homered to put the CArdinals in the driver’s seat. The A’s failed to score in the ninth. St. Louis wins 6-2.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 33-87. The Cardinals improved to 54-66.

The line score for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors. The line for St. Louis was six runs, 14 hits, and no errors.

Dakota Hudson was the winning pitcher. Spenser Watkins was the losing hurler.

The hitting stars for the Cardinals were Nolan Arenado, with a home run and three singles. Paul Goldschmidt had two doubles, and Andrew Knizner had a single and a double.

Lawrence Butler’s first Major League home run was the big hit for the A’s. 

The A’s end the six-game road trip Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis. The A’s Paul Blackburn (2-3 ERA 4.52) will be on the hill looking for his third win of the year. The Cardinals will send lefty Matthew Liberatore out to pitch. Liberatore is 2-4 and has an ERA of 5.72.

The game will start at 3:45 pm.

MLB The Show podcast with Augie Messenburg: Umpire loses racial discrimination case; Broadcaster is bat boy for a night for losing fantasy football; plus more

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Umpire Ángel Hernández during the first inning of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in New York. Hernández lost again in his race discrimination lawsuit against Major League Baseball when a federal appeals court refused to reinstate his case on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. (AP News photo)

On the MLB The Show podcast with Auggie:

#1 Auggie, umpire Angel Hernandez lost a racial discrimination case against MLB accusing baseball of passing over him for a crew chief job and MLB passed over him for a World Series assignment. MLB said that Hernandez miss 15 calls last Saturday between the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners which might be their reasoning for keeping him off some of the assignments he’s been asking for.

#2 San Francisco Giants bat boy at least for a night and broadcaster Dave Flemming filled in picking up the lumber, shin and elbow guards, helmets and batting gloves on the field. Flemming was given the punishment of being bat boy on Monday night for losing the fantasy football league last season.

#3 The Tampa Bay Rays roster as of Tuesday night did not list Franco Wander anywhere on the roster sheet or the restricted list, Franco was accused of being in social media relationship with a 14 year old girl who allegedly was not given hush money and reported the relationship. Wander had addressed his teammates this week saying he is not in a relationship and that the accusations are not true and is one the restriction list until this current road trip is over.

#4 The Oakland A’s sent outfielder JJ Bleday to the ten day IL and pitcher Angel Felipe is on the 15 day IL. Bleday sprained his left knee. Bleday is hitting .203, 10 home runs, and 27 RBIs and Felipe is suffering elbow sprain going 1-1 with an 4.20 ERA. The A’s got swept in Washington and are trying to pick up at least one win in St Louis. The series ends on Wednesday afternoon.

#5 Auggie didn’t get to catch up to you and ask you about the Milwaukee are requesting funds from the state of Wisconsin for improvements at American Family Park. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers proposed $290 billion as a package that the Brewers would sign as an extension through 2043. The Baltimore Orioles and the NFL Baltimore Ravens are to receive $600 million each for bond authorization for stadium improvements. The Orioles have said they would consider moving out of Baltimore if they don’t get money for stadium improvements.

Join Auggie for MLB The Show podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Could Orioles and Brewers relocate over lack of funding upgrades?

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A general aerial view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards is seen, June 27, 2020, in Baltimore. A Maryland official on a powerful state board says there’s “too much foot-dragging” between the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Baltimore Orioles to renew the team’s lease at Camden Yards. Treasurer Dereck Davis, who is one of three members of the Maryland Board of Public Works, expressed his concerns at the end of a board meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, the Baltimore Orioles are in first place, have the best ballpark in Major League Baseball and are getting a $600 million commitment from the state of Maryland and Orioles owner John Angelos is not satisfied. He wants deal similar to what the Atlanta Braves got in Cobb County stadium improvements (in the case of the Orioles) Braves had their stadium paid by the county also the Orioles want prime downtown real estate in Baltimore.

#2 Camden Yards was built in 1992 and is the tenth oldest park in MLB and it has so many nuances with it’s wide concourses, lots of food varieties, it’s throw back look and rated as one of the best parks in the majors. It’s hard to imagine that anything needs to be added to improve Camden yet the Orioles want improvements and if they don’t get it they could ask to relocate.

#3 The Milwaukee Brewers were ordered by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to do stadium improvements on American Family Park and the state of Wisconsin is offering up $290 million towards those improvement as approved by Governor Tony Evers.

#4 The Brewers have also threatened to move out of Milwaukee if they don’t get financed for improvements for their ballparks. If the Brewers don’t get funded to their satisfaction it would take years to prepare their move.

#5 To name some of the cities that would like to have MLB and welcome the Brewers and Orioles two that come to mind Charlotte and Nashville. It would be ashamed if Baltimore and Milwaukee would lose their teams due to relocation. Also chances are they would not have to pay a relocation fee.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Giants just couldn’t stop Rays on Monday night

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Luke Jackson gives up a home run to Tampa Bay Rays hitter Luke Bethancourt in the top of the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon Aug 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Giants podcast with Stephen:

#1 The Tampa Bay Devil Rays got lots of support on Monday night from their starting pitching Tyler Glasnow was in command of the San Francisco Giants line up pitching six innings, three hits, one earned run, three walks, and seven strikeouts as the Rays landslide the Giants 10-2.

#2 Glasnow had come back from back from back spasms and threw 98 MPH and broke the webbing of catcher Christian Bethancourt’s glove.

#3 Bethancourt got a homer and a single to score a run and Glasnow chalked up his fourth straight win the Rays are 72-49 and one of the dominating teams in the American League they trail the first place Baltimore Orioles by three games in the AL East.

#4 Giants reliever Tristan Beck got the worst end of it from the Tampa Bay hitters giving up ten hits, five runs and two strikeouts. Giving up the most runs for the Giants.

#5 The Rays and Giants go at it again at Oracle Park on Tuesday night going for the Rays Mack Littell (2-3 ERA 4.10) and the Giants have . First pitch at Oracle 6:45pm PT.

Join Stephen for the Giants podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Rays open up the flood gates on Giants in 10-2 laugher at Oracle Park

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Tampa Bay Rays’ Christian Bethancourt, right, is congratulated by third base coach Brady Williams (4) after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023.(AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (72-49). 000 320 122. – 10. 18. 1

San Francisco (64-56). 000 010 010. – 2. 6. 1

Time: 2:45

Attendance: 25,748

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–What league do the Giants play in, any way? Tonight’s humiliating 10-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays was the ninth consecutive game they’ve played against an American League opponent. They’ve now lost seven of them.

The Giants added two reinforcements before game time. They promoted Wade Meckler and Johan Camargo from Sacramento. Both started tonight’s game, Meckler in center field and batting second, Camargo at third base and batting ninth.

Meckler, the first of the Giants’ 2022 draft picks to reach the majors, went 0 for 3 but handled himself well at the hot corner. Camargo, a veteran of 416 games in six seasons in the show, where he posted a lifetime batting average of .255, went 1 for 4.

Tampa Bay made a newsworthy roster move of its own before game time. They placed infielder Wander Franco on the restricted list because of illicit behavior on the internet.

Southpaw pitcher Jacob López, who made his major league debut when he entered the game to pitch the bottom of the seventh, took Franco’s place on the roster. Stayed in the game, allowing one run, earned, on three hits in his three innings of work.

The orange and black went with an opener for the fourth time in six games. The choice was Ryan Walker , making his ninth start of the season as an opener.. His was a respectable 4-1, 2.40 before pitching his two scoreless innings and giving way to Tristan Beck.

The Rays, inventors of the bullpen game, went with a traditional starter, Tyler Glasnow. He had held the Yankees to one run in a seven inning start on July 31 but had to leave the game due to back spasms. This was his first appearance since then.

Glasnow brought a 5-3, 3.15 record (3-2, 2.11 in July) with him to the mound. Glasnow pitched a strong game, going six innings while holding the Giants to one run, which was earned, on three hits and three bases on balls. He threw 87 pitches, 58 for strikes, en route to his sixth win and bringing his ERA down to 3.01.

Beck pitched himself out of a two on, one out jam in the third, but he couldn’t wiggle out of the mess the Rays created in the fourth, Curtis Mead shot a one out single to center and moved up a notch on Christian Bethancourt’s safety to left.

Manuel Margot’s ground out to third offered a respite to the Ray attack, Oslleiivis Basabe singled both runners home, and Yandy Díaz capped the scoring with an RBI double to center. Tampa Bay was up, 3-0.

Beck coughed up another run in fifth. With two down and Harold Ramírez, who had led off with a single, on first, Mead hit a hard drive back to the mound. It escaped Beck’s grasp. He attempted a fancy back hand toss to first and threw the ball away.

Mead was safe at first on the single, and both he and Ramírez advanced another base on the error. Bethancourt sent a grounder through the second base hole, driving in Ramírez and sending Mead to third. Margot also smacked a single to right, bringing Mead home with the visitors’ fifth run.

San Francisco’s bats had been dormant ’til now, with Conforto’s second inning single their only hit. But they came alive in the bottom of the fifth, even if they only managed to produce one run. Pederson opened the frame with a single to right center. Conforto walked.

Thairo Estrada hit a single off shortstop Basabe’s glove and into left that brought Pederson home. With the exception of Blake Sabol’s fly to the left field warning track, that was the extent of the Giants’ offensive resurrection for the inning. They still trailed, only now it was by 5-1.

Luke Jackson replaced Beck for the sixth and held the Rays in check for a while, until Bethancourt planted a 3-2 slider half way up the left field bleachers, 407 feet deep, for his eighth home run and 24th RBI of the season and a 6-1 advantage for the team from St. Petersburg. A walk to Margot, and Jackson was gone, replaced by Scott Alexander, who notched the two outs to hold the damage at 6-1.

The home team loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against the rookie López after Crawford reached first on an error, Camargo singled, and Wade was hit by a pitch. But Mecker went down swinging on a full count.

Tampa Bay added to its already comfortable lead in the eighth. Arozamena started it with a walk. Meckler made a beautiful play on Ramírez’s grounder to third, but the out call at first was reversed on. aooeal. Singles by Paredes and Siri, and it was 8-1, Rays.

A Conforto single to left and Estrada’s double to right gave the Giants a fig leaf second run in their half of the eighth.

Taylor Rogers allowed two more tallies in the Tampa Bay ninth on a single to Arozarena, a triple to Ramírez, and a wild pitch.

López set the Giants down in order in the ninth to complete the debacle.

Beck was charged with the loss, making him (3-2, 3.62)

The Giants will try to tie the series Tuesday, at 6:45. They’ll haven’t yet announced who they’ll send against Zack Littell (2-3, 4.10)

A’s beat themselves fall to Cardinals 7-5 Monday night at Busch

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neill is safe at second for a stolen base as Oakland Athletics shortstop Nick Allen handles the throw during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Mon Aug 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s lost for the fourth time in a row and the sixth time in the last seven games. Oakland blew a 7-2 lead on Sunday as the Washington Nationals scored six times in the ninth to beat the A’s. A’s manager Mark Kotsay told his team to turn the page.

Put the loss behind you and go out and figure out a way to get a win. It is good advice for a young team, but the A’s found a way to beat themselves as they lost to the host St.Louis Cardinals, 7-5 on Monday night.

The A’s sent left J.P. Sears to the hill Monday night. Sears has a record of two wins and nine losses. The A’s hoped to get five or more innings of work from the young lefty. Sears did not start well, as he walked three Cardinal hitters in the first inning.

He was lucky to get out of the inning unscathed. St.Louis plated a run in the second inning. With one out, CArdinal right-fielder Jordan Walker singled. Sears struck out Taylor Motter for the second out. The inning appeared to be over when Sears’ throw to first base got Walker in a rundown.

A’s first baseman, Tyler Soderstrom’s throw to second was slightly off the mark. Zack Gelof, standing behind the bag, applied the tag. The umpire called Walker out. The Cardinals challenged the call, and the replay showed Gelof failed to tag the runner. Walker was ruled safe. The next hitter, Tommy Edman, singled to drive in. Walker with the run. The Cards lead 1-0 after two.

The A’s took the lead in the top of the fifth. Cardinal starter Miles Mikolas hit Nick Allen with two out with a pitch. Esteury Ruiz, playing left field for the A’s, blasted his second home run of the year. The ball barely made it over the 375-foot marker in left field.

Mikolas, like Sears, is a leader in allowing gopher balls. For Mikolas, it was the 24th dinger allowed this season. The A’s led 2-1 midway through the fifth inning. The lead didn’t last long as the Cardinals put two on the board in their half of the fifth.

Edman singled, leading off the inning. The next hitter Paul Goldschmidt, a former National League MVP, hit a bomb that went 411 feet in the seats in left field. For Goldschmidt, it was his 19th of the year. For Sears, it was the 23rd homer allowed. Sears ranks third in home runs allowed. The Cards led 3-2 after five.

Oakland rallied to put three runs on the board in the seventh. With one out, rookie centerfield Lawrence Butler and shortstop Nick Allen singled. Ruiz lined out to the shortstop for the second out. Zack Gelof doubled down the left field line to drive in Butler with Oakland’s third run.

Gelof continues to impress. The young second baseman from Delaware has 18 extra-base hits in his first 26 games in the Major Leagues. Allen stopped at third. Set Brown singled to drive in Allen and Gelof. The A’s needed the bullpen to do its job and keep the Cardinals off the board.

The A’s brought Angel Felipe to pitch in the bottom of the seventh. It was not a night that Felipe would remember. He walked the leadoff hitter, Paul Goldschmidt. Felipe struck out Nolan Arenado for the first out. Felipe walked the next two hitters to load the bases.

Mark Kotsay had seen enough. Felipe was removed, and newly acquired lefty Francisco Perez was now pitching. Perez could not find the strike zone either. He walked Lard Nootbar to force in a run. The A’s still were leading, 5-4. Perez struck out Luken Baker for the second out.

The next hitter was the 21-year-old Jordan Walker. With three balls and two strikes, the three runners were running on the pitch. Walker boomed a line drive to right field. Seth Brown, attempting to make the catch, saw the ball bounce off his glove. The Cardinals scored three runs and took a 7-5 lead. They were able to plate four due to four walks and one hit. Baseball is a crazy game.

The A’s failed to score in the eighth or nine innings. Oakland’s bullpen failed to hold the lead for the second game in a row.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are 33-86 for the year. The Cardinals are 52-66. The Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central Division. The Cardinals have had just one losing season since the year 2000.

The line score for Oakland was five runs, eight hits, and no errors.
The line for St. Louis was seven runs, eight hits, and two errors.

The winning pitcher was Jo Jo Romero. The losing pitcher was Angel Felipe.

The A’s have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday’s game. Freddy Tarnok was supposed to start but was placed on the IL on Monday. The Cardinals will send Dakota Hudson to the mound. Hudson is 3-0 and has a 4.31 ERA.