Category: MLB

Oakland Athletics pitcher Paul Blackburn throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Jun 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

On a sunny afternoon in Oakland, CA, at the Oakland Coliseum. The Tampa Bay Rays (50-22) and Oakland A’s (19-52) had their final game in this four game series and it was everything that fans expect from an Oakland game this season.

The scoring happened early for Tampa Bay as they opened the second inning with two singles from Harold Ramirez and Luke Raley, then a third straight single by Issac Paredes scored Ramirez. Right after that Taylor Walls hit a double and scored Raley, it was 2-0 before you knew it.

Paul Blackburn who started on the mound for Oakland took these two runs on the chin and struck the next three batters out to get out the inning, but the damage was done. The Rays were up two early in this game and it’d be a rough thing to come back from for Oakland.

Tampa even got themselves what they thought was a needed insurance home run by Manuel Margot to make it 3-0 Rays, Margot’s third home run of the season and all three have come against the A’s. Rays pitcher Taj Bradley was the highlight for the first five innings as he not only pitched four scoreless innings with only two hits, he struck out 11 out of the 13 batters he faced.

Bradley would’ve gone a couple innings more, but in the fifth the A’s had his number. Two walks put runners on base and an error got Estuery Ruiz on base and bases were loaded. A Ryan Noda single scored Smith and Seth Brown’s single would score Kemp and Ruiz which tied everything up at three a piece.

The next three innings were a battle of bullpens and no team had the upper hand, but by the eighth inning, the door was blasted open when Raley hit a one out, solo home run and the air was taken out of the park as soon as contact was made with the ball and the ballgame was over when Pete Fairbanks got his sixth save after returning from the 15-day IL with inflammation in the left hip.

Robert Stephenson got the winning decision for the Rays and Austin Pruitt was awarded the loss. Next game Friday at 6:45pm PT is game 1 of a three game series against the Philadelphia Phillies and on the mound for the A’s is JP Sears (1-3, 4.15) against Taijuan Walker (6-3, 4.67) for the Phillies.

The A’s are 19-52 so far this season and while the players battle on the field, the fans are battling the owner. The “reverse boycott” made headlines, but may not have made a dent in Fisher’s plans to move forward as he continues his talks with Vegas and the MLB.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena, rear, is tagged out at second by Oakland Athletics second baseman Jace Peterson on a steal attempt during the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Jun 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (49-22).  010 030  101.  –   6   13.  0

Oakland (19-51).        030 000  000 –   3.    7.  2

Time: 2:56  

Attendance: 7,055

Wednesday, June 14

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–On this day in 1899, the Cleveland Spiders were drowned by the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-1, before somewhat more than 100 fans (at least at game time) in the Steel City. The Spiders now were 8-38, .174.

On this day in 1962, the New York Mets took a 10-2 shellacking deep in the heart of Texas at the hands of  the Houston Colt ’45s. Casey Stengel’s minions were left with a record of  16-40, .286.

On this day in 2023, the Oakland Athletics, riding a seven game winning streak,  not unexpectedly saw their streak end with a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays that left the A’s with a winning. percentage  .210 with 17 wins against 51 defeats. Watching it was like watching Awakenings, Robin Williams’ about a group of catatonic patients who briefly recover their mobility only to loss it again,  this time permanently, we wanted to see Major League or Damn Yankees.

The A’s chose Luis Medina as their starting pitcher, who was 1-5, 7.53 at game time, a fair reflection of how the Athletics have been playing this season. Indeed, his most recent and best, start occurred  early in the A’s  winning streak, on June 9th in Milwaukee, where he held the 

Braves to a couple of runs,, both earned, on three hits and as many walks in five innings of work.  Today, Medina held on for 4-1/3 innings, throwing 79 pitches, 49 for strikes, and surrendering four runs, all earned although one was posthumous, one eight hit and a walk. He was the losing pitcher, and now has a record of 1-6, 7.55.

Tampa Bay went with Tyler Glasgow, another right hander who didn’t get his first win of 2023 until June 9th. Unlike Medina, his ERA coming into this evening’s game was low, 2.87, to be precise. He also has eight years of big league experience between Pittsburgh and St. Petersburg.

 The veteran pitched 5-1/2 innings tonight and gave up three runs, all. earned, on six hits one for all the bases, and four walks. He threw 94 pitches, 63 for strikes, and committed two pitch clocks violations. He got the win, and his record now stands at 2-0, 3.43.

The Rays got off to an early lead in the top of the second on a walk to Randy Arozarena, who went to third on a double by Isaac Paredes and scored on Christian Bethancourt’s sac fly to right.  But your fighting A’s came roaring back, going ahead, 3-1 on JJ Bleday’s  fourth round tripper of the season, a 409 foot blast off the State Farm sign in left center.

In  spite of garnering two hits, two walks, and three stolen bases over the next two frames, the A’s advantage stayed at only three runs  after four innings of play. But then Tampa Bay came up like thunder. Taylor Walls singled to center, stole second and advanced to third on Shea Langelier’s errant throw.

The Rays’ second baseman scored on Manuel Margot’s double to center. He, in turn, scored on a two bagger to left by Yandy Díaz, who moved up 90 feet on Wander Franco’s fly to center.

That  signaled the end of Medina’s start. Sam Moll gave up the tie breaking tally when Josh Lowe singled to center, but eventually got the third out without allowing anyone else to cross the plate. Nonetheless, the visitors now led, 4-3.

A lead off single by Brown and walks to Brent Rooker and Jonah Bride led to Glasgow’s departure with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan Thompson replaced him on the mound. He ended the threat by getting Díaz to ground in to a 6-4-3 twin killing.

Lucas Erceg coughed up another run,  pitching in relief of Moll in the top of the seventh. Margot defeated The Curse of the Leadoff Double by going to third on Langelier’s second throwing error of the evening; it came on an attempted pick off. Tampa Bay’s center fielder promptly scored on a wild pitch, making it 5-3, Rays.

Sam Long came on to close out the Rays’ eighth with two outs and two on. He got the final out, keep the A’s within striking distance at 5-3.

Colin Poche retired the A’s in order in their half of the frame.

The visitors put the icing on the cake in their half of the ninth. Margot once more got the better of  The Curse of the Leadoff Double and scored on Díaz’s single to center. 

Jason Adam came in for the Rays in the bottom of the ninth, looking for his 11th save.  Peterson touched him for  leadoff single to right. Bride sent a fly to deep center where Margot corralled it at the warning track.  Díaz took a controversial called strike three.  Bleday popped out to third, and the A’s winning streak was over.

The series will wind up tomorrow, Thursday, at 12:37.  Paul Blackman (0-0, 3.60) will start for Oakland; Taj Bradley (4-3, 4,19), for Tampa Bay.