Category: MLB

A’s Go 12 Rounds Against The Diamondbacks, But Win 9-8 With A Walk Off Hit In Extra Innings

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Oakland Athletics’ Esteury Ruiz, center, celebrates with teammates after a game winning single during the 12th inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Troy Ewers

OAKLAND–In front of a crowd of 3,261 in the Coliseum, the Arizona Diamondbacks played the Oakland A’s for game two of this three game series. On the hill to start Kyle Mueller (Oakland) and Tommy Henry (Arizona) and they both went four innings and each gave up four runs. The A’s came away with a thrilling 9-8 win over the Diamondbacks in 12 innings at the Coliseum.

Christian Walker’s two run home run for Arizona in the first was just a sign of things to come all game. This was Walker’s tenth home run of the season. A’s responded when the star of this team Esteury Ruiz got a double, then stole third (Ruiz’s 20th stolen base), and Brent Rooker’s single would bring Ruiz in making the game 2-1.

Rooker’s RBI single makes 30 on the season so far, which shows that having Ruiz lead off can almost guarantee a run, because Rooker can bring him in. The second inning saw a quick innings as both sides were retired rather quickly, but in the third the A’s would tie the ballgame up when Nick Allen hit his first homerun of the season.

In the forth, the Athletics would take the lead from a solo bomb by Ramon Laureano with two outs in the inning. This home run seemed like the highlight of the night, but little did everyone know we were in for a longer night than expected.

The Diamondbacks would mute the crowd when a Emmanuel Rivera RBI double would score two men in, but right after that big double, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hits a two run home run making the game 6-4 and the crowd in Oakland assumed that they were in for another Oakland loss at the hands of pitchers taking their foot off the gas when the batters put numbers on the board.

That feeling these A’s fans had was even amplified when two more runs by the D-Backs in the seventh were put up. Then the moment that caused a bigger eruption in Oakland than the K-Pop concert in the Oracle Arena right next to them was when the bottom of the seventh rally started.

With two outs Rooker and Diaz’s singles got them on base and got this momentum going, then an Evan Longoria error put Carlos Perez on base, making the bases loaded, and boom went the dynamite as Ryan Noda hit a monster grand slam over the left field wall.

This didn’t just tie the game 8-8, but it was Oakland’s first grand slam of the 2023 season. The Coliseum went absolutely crazy for this and after two scoreless innings, we had extra innings. A quiet tenth and 11th inning led the crowd to get restless, but it was the calm before the storm as in the 12th inning the Oakland star Esteury Ruiz with the bases loaded would hit the ball right at the shortstop, Nick Ahmed, and the ball would hit his glove, and the man on third walked right on home.This was Ruiz’s second walk off the season and it’s clear he’s making his presence felt on this roster.

The A’s split the series so far with Arizona one game a piece Wednesday is the finale in a day game at 12:37pm PT where Luis Medina (0-2, 8.18) of Oakland will take on Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.20) of Arizona.

Giants hold off Phils in 4-3 win at Oracle

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San Francisco Giants’ Joey Bart, left, scores against Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto during the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue May 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

Philadelphia (20-22). 000 200 001. – 3. 10. 1

San Francisco (19-23). 002 200 00x. – 4. 10. 0

Time: 2:42

Attendance: 24,304

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–In tonight’s battle of underperforming teams, the Philadelphia Phillies fell the San Francisco Giants, 4-3 in a wild a wooly affair.

32 year old Zach Wheeler, who started for the Phillies had been very effective in his last outing, a 2-1 ten inning win over Toronto in Rogers Centre last Wednesday,. On that occasion, he held the Blue Jays to one run, earned, on three hits over seven innings, coming away with a no decision.

He and the Giants share some history. When he was still a prospect, back in 2011, San Francisco traded him to the Mets for Carlos Beltrán. In spite of missing the 2015 and ’16 seasons after undergoing Tommy Johns surgery, the right handed pitcher went on to go 77-59, 3.43 from 2013 through last week’s tidy performance north of the border. He entered tonight’s contest at 3-2, 3.80 for the season..

The one time Giant prospect was up against the current ace of the San Francisco rotation, Alex Cobb took the mound at 3-3, 1.70 and almost immediately found himself in hot water surrendering a lead off walk and a single. He then almost immediately got out of the troublesome situation, inducing a double play and fly to right.

Cobb needed to pull off another Houdini trick in the top of the second after a double, a pair of walks, and a couple of stolen bases loaded the sacks with two down and the top of the order in the person of Bryson Stott at bat. Cobb got him to fly out to left. It had taken 44 pitches for Cobb to get through those two frames. Control problems continued to plague Cobb in the third, in which he issued another pair of passports while still managing to keep the Phils off the board.

Yet it was the Giants who scored first. Blake Sabol led off the bottom of the third with a single to right. After Joey Bart flew out to center, LaMonte Wade, Jr. also sent the ball to center field, this time for a single that Brandon Marsh dropped for a moment, allowing Wade to take second on the error. Sabol reached third on the hit. Estrada singled to center, plating Sabol, and Michael Conforto drove Wade in with a single to left that made it 2-0, Giants.

The Phillies kept on threatening. With one out in the fourth, Marsh singled to left center, and Kody Clemens rattled a single off the fencing in front of Levi’s Landing in right to put runners on the corners. Stott singled solidly to right center, and it was 2-1 with runners still on the corners.

First base umpire Rob Drake called a balk on Cobb, moving Stott to second. The Cobb went to pieces. He unleashed two wild pitches to Trea Turner, one of then on a third strike, and, before you knew what was happening, the game was tied at two, Turner was on first, Stott was on third, and Taylor Rogers was on the mound. He preserved the tie.

Then the Giants got lucky. With one out, Casey Schmitt hit a hard infield single single to third. With two down, Bart’s up the right field line fell off the glove of diving second baseman Stott for a Texas League double that drove in Schmitt. Wade proceeded to smack a double to left, and Bart just beat the throw home. Philadelphia disputed the call, which stood, and the Phillies lost their challenge.

Cobb had gone a precarious 3-1/3 innings in which he allowed two runs, both earned, on five hits, five walks, two wild pitches, and a balk. His ERA rose to a still outstanding 1.94, and he escaped with a no decision. He threw 86 pitches, 52 for strikes.

Then the Giants got lucky. With one out in the fourth, Casey Schmitt hit a hard infield single single to third. With two down, Bart’s pop up near the right field line fell off the glove of diving second baseman Stott for a Texas League double that drove in Schmitt. Wade proceeded to smack a double to left, and Bart just beat the throw home. Philadelphia disputed the call, which stood, and the Phillies lost their challenge. San Francisco now was ahead, 4-2.

Rogers struck out Kyle Schwarber to open the top of the fifth and then passed the ball to John Brebbia. The good John Brebbia was on display tonight, and he shut Philadelphia out for 1–2/3 innings. The submarining Rogers, Tyler, held off the Phils in the seventh and eighth.

Camilo Duval made his expected appearance in the top of the ninth. He fanned Harper. Castellanos flew out to Mike Yastrzemski in right center. The crowd rose to its feet. Schwarber rose to the occasion and sent a home run over the 391 foot sign in center field, bringing the Fightin’ Phils from the City of Brotherly Love to within a run of the representatives of the City of St. Francis. Duval also rose to the occasion and struck Realmuto out swinging.

Tomorrow’s encounter will be a Wednesday afternoon matinee. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:45 with Taijuan Walker (3-2, 5.75) going for the visitors. San Francisco’s starter hasn’t yet been named..

Giants Six Run Second Inning Rally Too Much Heat For Philly in 6-3 SF win

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San Francisco Giants’ Michael Conforto hits a three-run home run during the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon May 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Troy Ewers

SAN FRANCISCO–In front of 23,819 baseball fans, the Philadelphia Phillies (20-21) played the San Francisco Giants (18-23) for the first game of this three game series. On the hill was Alex Wood (SF) and Conor Brogdon (PHI) and it wasn’t long before the bats came alive for both teams. The Giants didn’t waste anytime getting run support scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning at Oracle Park for a 6-3 win over the Phils.

It was a heavy load of offense that came and went like a shooting star. In the first inning both teams combined for three hits, but no runs were scored. The second inning was where everything came alive. It started with the Phillies getting two runs off an Alec Bohm home run which scored Kyle Schwarber.

The park was’nt too happy about this, but they knew it was still an early game with a whole lot of baseball left and when it was Giants turn at bat, the orange and black didn’t disappoint. Casey Schmitt who came into this game hitting .458 started the rally off with a single and even though he’d come out due to Joey Bart’s fielder’s choice, there was no looking back for San Francisco.

Bryce Johnson would hit a single that brought in Bart 2-1 Phillies. After an error got Thairo Estrada on base, Michael Conforto would hit a huge three run home run to give the Giants the lead 4-2 and the bleeding wouldn’t stop there. A J.D. Davis double, Mitch Haniger single (which brought in Davis), and Brandon Crawford single (which brought in Haniger) made the game 6-2 and Oracle Park was louder than a Bad Bunny concert.

Even though it was early, the win probability was high for the Giants, but the question in the park was can the bullpen hold this together for another seven innings. The answer to that question was yes, but it wasn’t without a little drama. Jacob Junis would replace Wood after four innings and would only give an inning after giving up a run making the game 6-3.

Scott Alexander would come out of the bullpen and pitch one inning, but gave up no hits, so he did his job. In the eighth inning the Giants brought in Taylor Rogers and even though he secured two outs, Giants manager Gabe Kapler took him out and put in closer Camilo Doval to finish it off and he did close the door in the 9th inning it was a 1-2-3 quick getaway. The highlight was a beautiful Sportscenter top ten catch from J.D. Davis at third and after Lamonte Wade Jr. catches a foul ball at first, which ended the game. Giants win and Alex Wood leaves with the W.

Tuesday’s game of the series will see Zack Wheeler (3-2, 3.80 ERA) for the Phillies and Alex Cobb (3-1,1.70 ERA) for the Giants on the hill with a 6:40pm PT first pitch. SRS reporters Lewis Rubman will have the game recap and Tony the Tiger Hayes will have a “He was a Giant” feature.

D-Backs win 4th consecutive game defeat A’s at Coliseum 5-2

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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon, May 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

Arizona (24-28). 022 100 000. – 5 10 1

Oakland (9-34). 001 000 010 – 2. 4. 0

Time: 2:35

Attendance: 2,064

Mon May 15, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–On this day in 1899, the Cleveland Spiders fell to 3-20 after a 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The attendance at the game was all of 200.

On this day in 1962, the New York Mets won a 13 inning, four hour and 54 minutes long marathon under the lights at the Polo Grounds against the Chicago Cubs. The winning pitcher was Roger Craig. The attendance was 8,463, but there’s no record of how many of those hung around to the end.

On this day in 2023, the Oakland Athletics fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-2, before an intimate gathering of 2,064 paying customers who saw the team drop to 9-34.

Before game time, the A’s announced that they had reinstated Adrián Martínez from the 15 day injured list and optioned fellow right handed pitcher Zach Neal to their triple AAA farm team in Las Vegas.

It’s easy to make snide remarks about the Athletics; I was tempted to add, “and that’s your A’s highlight for tonight” to that last paragraph, but there are some hopeful signs among the current crop of Athletic players. The team’s game notes point out that going into today Ryan Noda was first among Major League rookies in on-base percentage and walks (27), fourth in OPS , tied for fifth in runs , tied for sixth in doubles and for seventh in three baggers and extra base hits (12), and was eighth in slugging .

That last is a category in which Brent Rooker led all of MLB> He also led the majors in OPS and ws tied for fourth in homers as well as being sixth in OBP. Esteury Ruizis the leader of the pack among rookies ML rookies in hits, doubles, stolen bases, and hit by pitches.

Drew Rucinski took the mound for Oakland with a record of 0-3, 8.16. When he left after 3-2/3 innings,his ERA had risen to 9.00 He’d thrown 89 pitches, 47 for strikes and yielded five runs, all earned, on six hits, two of them home runs, and five walks. He didn’t strike anyone out. The loss left him 0-4.

Nine year MLB and four campaign veteran of the Korean Baseball Organization, Diamondback starter Merrill Kelly, took a 3-3, 3.18 record with him to the mound. He was on his game tonight. His ERA fell to 2.92 over the course of his mound tenure, and at game’s end his won-lost record had improved to 4-3.

At one point, Kelly struck out five consecutive Athletics batters. His strike out total was nine. In his seven innings of work Kelly allowed only four hits, one of them for four bases. Only one of the two runs with which he was charged was earned. He threw 97 pitches, 70 for strikes

The Diamondbacks rattled their sticks early. Number nine hitter, Geraldo Perdomo lifted a hanging slider into the stairs behind the Oakland A’s Community Fund sign in right , bringing in Giant killer Dominic Fletcher from second, which he had reached on a lead off double, to grab an early 2-0 lead.

Lourdes Gurriel doubled the margin on another slider, a 2-2 delivery that carried over the NBC Sports California sign to the right of the 388 foot marker in center field. Corbin Carroll, who had led off the frame with a base on balls, scored before him.

Oakland didn’t get a base runner until there were two away in the bottom of the third. Nick Allen beat out Perdomo’s hurried throw on a grounder to third for a single and advanced to second when throw got past first baseman Pavin Smith. A Texas League single to right center by Ruíz made it 4-1.

But the momentum hadn’t shifted. A lead off walk to Perdomo in the top of the fourth was followed, one out later, by a seeing eye single that shortstop Allen chased down in right field while Perdomo motored to third. A broken bat sac fly to short by Carroll brought Perdomo in with Arizona’s fifth run. A walk to Gurriel, and Sam Long was on the mound for Oakland.

He got the last out on three pitches and remained in the game, somehow surviving a bases loaded game in the top of the fifth without yielding a tally and holding the Rattlers scoreless in the sixth. He gave way to Richard Lovelady, who retired the side in order in the top of the seventh. The newly returned Adrián Martínez performed his version of that feat in the eighth.

Jace Peterson made things interesting in the Oakland half of that frame with a lead off home run, his third homer of the year, a 409 foot no doubter to right center. Arizona now led,5-2 first base umpire then ejected Arizona’s manager, Torey Lovullo for arguing a check swing call, and then a walk to Díaz and a Nick Allen single, his third of the night, signaled the end of Kelly’s up to now successful start. Miguel Castro took over for him. He retired Ruíz , walked Noda, and ended the threat by getting Rooker to fly out to right.

The A’s had one more chance. Lefty Andrew Chafin came in to pitch the ninth. Aldemys Díaz pinch hit for Bleday and flew out to center. Langelieres flew out to left. Laureano skied out to right, and Chafin had earned his sixth save.

The D’backs will stick around the Coliseum for a couple of more days before both teams take to the road, Oakland departing for Houston, and Arizona decamping to Pittsburgh. Tomorrow’s, Tuesday’s, match up will feature Kyle Muller (1-3, 7.34)for the home team and Tommy Henry(1-1,4.43) for the visitors.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: 100s of jobs to be lost in Oakland as A’s head to Vegas; Legislature to vote on Tropicana site this week

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Las Vegas ballpark at night the home of the Las Vegas Aviators the Oakland A’s minor league triple A club. The A’s could end up sharing the Ballpark with the Aviators at the end of the 2023 season leaving the Oakland Coliseum (Las Vegas Ballpark photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Amaury, One of the biggest concerns in the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas is the hundreds of jobs that will be lost, in talking with the other broadcasters, writers, radio and TV production staff, official scorers, MLB clock staff, front office staff, fans, concession staff, custodians, engineers, grounds crew, security, and many we haven’t named here that’s a lot of people out of work in bad economy.

#2 Bally’s Corp who struck a deal with the A’s to begin construction at the Tropicana site this summer this is all contingent on an agreement that needs to be reached this week in the Nevada Legislature that would fund part of the park for $395 million.

#3 The Wild Wild West location was looking promising that had 49 acres but the A’s didn’t want to pay the back taxes at that location and the cost was higher to build and move there to the tune of $500 million the Tropicana location looks like the sure thing and it was a place that the A’s were considering when moving to Vegas in the beginning.

#4 With the Tropicana location it’s just nine acres almost no room for the office space, the retail space, the condos that A’s owner John Fisher was consider putting in at Howard Terminal. With nine acres sounds like it’s just enough room for the ballpark only.

#5 Some critics are comparing this A’s season to last season of former defunct clubs like the Washington Senators who moved to Texas, the St Louis Browns who moved to Baltimore, Boston Braves who moved to Atlanta, who saw small crowds during the regular season and the Senators in their last game in1971 had fans riot in their last home game grabbing anything that wasn’t nailed down.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: Diamondbacks come calling at the Coliseum as A’s open three game series Monday night

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The Texas Rangers made a laugher out of game 4 of the four game series at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun May 14, 2023 (@Rangers photo)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, in a contest that saw the Oakland A’s (9-32) tie the score up against the Texas Rangers (24-15) in the bottom of the seventh inning 3-3 on a Shea Langeliers home run to left center it would be the last time in the game that the A’s had a shot at taking game 4 of this four game set from the Rangers.

#2 The Rangers opened up on the A’s in the top of the eighth inning scoring eight times when Jonah Heim singled to center scoring Adolis Garcia on a error to break the 3-3 deadlock going up 4-3.

#3 Leody Taveras hit into fielder choice that allowed Heim to score making 5-3 and the Rangers touched up A’s relief pitching.

#4 The Rangers would add four more runs which included Garcia who got up again belting a grand slam homer and put the Rangers up by eight runs 11-3 for their 24th win of the season and the Rangers lead the A’s in the AL West standings by 16 games.

#5 The A’s open up a new series on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs are going Merrill Kelly (3-3 ERA 3.18) as starter, the A’s will be going with Drew Rucinski (0-3 ERA 8.16) for a 6:40 pm PT first pitch at the Oakland Coliseum.

Join Barbara Mason for the Oakland A’s podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

River Cats win Mother’s Day thriller over Salt Lake 4-3 to get back over .500

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Sacramento River Cats celebrate a win and Mother’s Day at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Sun May 14, 2023 (Photo Credit to Ralph Thompson/River Cats)

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The River Cats, twice down to their last strike, beat the Salt Lake Bees 4-3 on a walk-off nubber to take five of six in the series, as they have now won nine of their last 11 games.

Sean Hjelle took the mound for the River Cats, and pitched through jams in the first, third and fourth innings, as he pitched four shutout innings in total. Jake Lee started for Salt Lake, and his outing was more smooth sailing, as he pitched five shutout innings, giving up just a pair of hits, a triple and a double to Tyler Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald’s pursuit of the cycle was the lone drama early in the game, but it was ended by a pair of walks.

Cam Vieaux came in for the Bees in the bottom of the sixth, and pitched his way through a one-out walk, as he got Matt Beaty and Patrick Bailey on back to back strikeouts to end the inning. Vieaux struck out Shane Matheney to start the bottom of the seventh; gave up a single to Clint Coulter; and got Ford Proctor to fly out to center. Bees’ manager, Keith Johnson, then brought in the left hander, Gerardo Reyes, to face Will Wilson. Coulter stole second, and then Wilson hit a two-run home run to left to put the River Cats on the board.

Drew Strotman pitched three shutout innings, following Hjelle, and then the lefty, Chris Wright, came in for Sacramento in the top of the eighth. Wright got Michael Stefanic to pop out to start the inning; walked Jared Walsh; and then struck out Jo Adell for the second out. Trey Cabbage then came up, and hit a towering drive to right for his 10th home run of the year to tie it up. 

The River Cats loaded the bases off Reyes with nobody out in the bottom of the eighth, but Reyes struck out the side to get out of it unscathed.

The game remained tied at 2-2 going to the ninth, as Melvin Adon came in for the River Cats. Jared Oliva beat out a ground ball to short for an infield hit to lead off the inning, and then stole second on a botched hit and run. Zach Humphreys struck out swinging, and then pinch-hitter David Fletcher grounded out to third, which allowed Oliva to advance to third. Michael Stefanic then beat out a roller up the third base line, which knocked in Oliva to give the Bees the lead.

The bees brought in the major league veteran Jonathan Holder in the bottom of the ninth, who gave up a single to Will Wilson on the first pitch of the inning. Michael Gigliotti struck out swinging, and Cal Stevenson flew out to left-center, which left the River Cats down to their last out. Up came Tyler Fitzgerald, who down to his last strike, lined his second double of the game down the left field line, which got Wilson to third. 

The bees elected to intentionally walk Matt Beaty to load the bases, which left it up to Patrick Bailey. Bailey, also down to his last strike, hit a nubber off the end of the bat along the third base line that Bees’ third-baseman, Taylor Jones, booted, and Wilson and Fitzgerald both scored, sending the 6,044 fans at Sutter Health Park home happy.

Through it all, Melvin Adon got the win to improve to 1-1, and Jonathan Holder took the loss to fall to 0-4. The River Cats are now back over .500 at 20-19, as they will head to Reno to face the first-place Aces for a six-game series starting Tuesday.

Today’s game also featured the challenge version of the Automated Balls and Strikes System that Major League Baseball plans to implement next season. Jared Walsh of the Angels, who was here for a rehab assignment, was called out on strikes by home plate umpire, Tanner Moore, and spent close to 10 seconds arguing with Moore instead of requesting a challenge.

Today’s game was also the final one in Sacramento for the 29-year voice of the Bees, Steve Klauke, who is retiring at the end of the season.

A’s dominated at home by Rangers 11-3

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Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Jeff Chiu. Esteury Ruiz steals second base as Marcus Semien catches the ball.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

OAKLAND- Mother’s day did not got in favor of Oakland against the Rangers as they fell by a final of 11-3.

JP Sears got the start against Andrew Heaney with Sears sporting a 0-3 record and a 5.27 era and Heaney having a 2-3 record and a 4.71 era.

The game got off to a rough start for Sears as Robbie Grossman got the Rangers on the board in the first inning with a two run homer on a fly ball to left field.

Oakland did find a response in the bottom of the second inning as Shea Langeliers singled on a ground ball that brought home Ramon Laureano.

In the third inning Adolis Garcia singled on a line drive to left field bringing home Marcus Semien bringing there lead back to two runs at 3-1.

Sears lasted until the sixth inning where he was replaced by Garret Acton who was making his major league debut. Sears finished the game with a stat line of 5.1IP, five hits allowed, two earned runs and six K’s.

Heaney was relieved after the sixth inning as Jonathan Hernández came in to replace him. Heaney finished with a stat line of six innings pitched, four hits allowed, one earned run, and nine K’s.

Hernández’s did not pitch great in the seventh inning as Langeliers homered on a fly ball to left center field tying the game at three.

Things were looking up for the A’s after tying the game up but the eight inning did not go well for the green and white.

It started with Jonah Heim singling on a live drive to center field bringing home Adolis Garcia. Then Leody Taveras grounded into a forceout that also sent Heim home as well.

With two outs already though it looked like the A’s could escape with only minimal damage with the score being 5-3. Sam Moll struggled to get that final out and cost the A’s another two runs bringing on Zach Neal to the mound.

Neal did not fair much better as Adolis Garcia hit a grand slam to left center field bringing the total runs in one inning to eight. That ended up being the rest of the damage but at that point the score was 11-3.

That scored ended up being the final as Hernández took home the win and Austin Pruitt took the loss.

The A’s next game will be tomorrow against the Diamondbacks at home and will start at 6:40 p.m.

Giants drop third straight game to Diamondbacks 2-1

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada, left, turns a double play while avoiding Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker, right, on a ball hit by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the first inning  at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sun May 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sunday, May 14, 2023

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Mother’s Day crowd at Chase Field was treated to a new age pitching duel that involved a combined total of seven hits surrendered by six pitchers. In the end, it was Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s run-scoring double in the bottom of the ninth that gave Arizona its third win in a row over the San Francisco Giants Sunday.

The win pulled the Diamondbacks (24-18) to within 2 ½ games of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, while fourth-place San Francisco (17-23) is 8 ½ games off the pace.

In the Diamondbacks ninth, Christian Walker drew a walk from Giants reliever Tyler Walker (0-3) to lead off the inning, then Gurriel doubled down the left-field line, and, as the ball rattled around by the bullpen, a hustling Walker scored the game-winning run from first base.

“We generally play our defenders to the most likely spot the ball is going to be hit, based on spray charts,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “Sabol did everything he could to hit the cutoff man and have a play at the plate, but we weren’t able to convert.”

Gurriel’s 21st run batted in of the season made Miguel Castro (2-1) the winning pitcher. Castro, the fourth Diamondbacks hurler, retired the Giants in order in the top of the ninth, striking out Blake Sabol and Casey Schmitt in the process.

Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt struck out the side in the first inning and retired 11 of the first 12 hitters he faced until surrendering a solo home run to Michael Conforto in the fourth inning. It was Conforto’s seventh home run of the season.

Pfaadt, a fifth-round pick from Bellarmine University in 2020, struck out five, walked three and gave up only one hit – the home run by Conforto – in his five innings. Jose Ruiz worked the next two innings, striking out four without a walk, and Scott McGough threw a scoreless eighth.

“I just wanted to go out there and trust myself,” Pfaadt said. “That’s what we did today. Hopefully, we can get rolling after this.”

Arizona tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out RBI double down the right field line by Josh Rojas. Geraldo Perdomo, who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored from first.

Logan Webb gave the Giants a quality start, giving uo one earned run on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in seven innings, while throwing 98 pitches. Tyler Rogers retired Arizona in order in the eighth before facing Walker and Gurriel in the ninth.

Webb worked out of an early jam in the first inning. After Ketel Marte was hit by a pitch with one out, walks to Corbin Carroll and Christian Walker loaded the bases. But Gurriel hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Giants return home Monday to start a three-game series with Philadelphia. Alex Wood (0-0, 2.45) will start Monday’s game for the Giants and Alex Cobb (3-1, 1.70) starts on Tuesday. No probable starter has been announced for the Wednesday contest.

GIANTS JOTTINGS: INF Brandon Crawford was activated from the 10-day injured list following Saturday’s game; INF David Villar was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento and RHP Luke Jackson was placed on a rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose. … Beofre going 0-for-4 on Sunday, INF Casey Schmitt hit safely in his first five games in MLB, batting .550 (two home runs, five runs batted in, 1.550 OPS). Schmitt’s 11 hits in his first five games is second-best in Giants history (since 1901), trailing only Jim Davenport with 12 in 1958, the Giants’ first season in San Francisco. … The Giants can become the first MLB franchise to reach 11,500 wins (including playoffs) with their next win. .,. San Francisco has hit 61 home runs through its first 38 games, third-best in MLB behind Tampa Bay (80) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (67). … The roof was closed on Sunday at Chase Field. Game time temperature was 97 degrees outside, 74 degrees inside. … The announced attendance was 26,267; time of game was 2 hours and 24 minutes.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Countdown to $395 M less than 30 days for A’s new Vegas ballpark

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The front of the Tropicana Casino and Hotel entrance in Las Vegas site of the proposed 9 acre new ballpark location of the A’s set to open in 2027 (photo from WJAR 10 Providence)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Oakland A’s proposed new ballpark site in Las Vegas at the Tropicana site is facing opposition by casino owners and slowing traffic on the strip.

#2 Amaury, wanted to get your thoughts on the long shot possibility of A’s owner John Fisher selling the team to Bally’s who owns the Tropicana property and Bally’s would run the team from that point.

#3 If the tax credit fails or time runs out for the $396 million that the A’s are seeking for the Tropicana project and it’s not likely that Bally’s would put in their own money for the project unless they have ownership of the team.

#4 State of Nevada residents have sounded off that they don’t want to spend anymore public money on state funded arenas or stadiums. The Tropicana site is a nine acre site that has a reduced price tag from the Wild Wild West location that was $500 million to $395 million but that’s still not sitting well with the local tax payers.

#5 It’s been said with the expiration of last Friday’s deadline to extend the Howard Terminal plan that ship sailed and if the $395 million in tax credits fails if MLB or someone comes up with the $395 million the A’s may not have end up in a homeless situation.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for all the play by play of Oakland A’s baseball on the A’s Spanish radio network at http://www.sportsradioservice.com