Category: MLB

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants and A’s lockhorns this weekend at Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants starter Tyler Anderson (31) was none too happy with the ball four call by plate umpire Edwin Moscosco in the third inning after the Mariners Kyle Lewis walked in last Thursday’s game at Oracle Park in San Francisco (photo from the mercurynews.com)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1  Michael how important was it moving the game from Seattle on Monday and the Giants hosting the Mariners on Wednesday and Thursday and taking the two game series as the visiting team at Oracle Park?

#2 Lets look at Wednesday’s game first, Giants pitcher Drew Smyly started the game and went 3.2 innings, gave up four hits and three runs but threw shutout ball for his first three innings until the Mariners had that three run fourth.

#3 On Thursday with the M’s once again the home team at Oracle Park the visiting Giants starting pitcher Tyler Anderson argued a ball four call that walked the Mariners Kyle Lewis in the third inning with home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso  and Anderson was ejected. Talk about the pitch and manager Gabe Kapler said the ejection put them in a tough spot.

#4 The Giants are in Oakland today at 1:10 pm, the Giants have won seven out of their last 11 games and the A’s have won seven out of their last 11 games do you see this today’s contest in light of getting shutout on Friday?

#5 The Giants are starting Kevin Gausman (3-2 ERA 4.50) and starting for the A’s Jesus Luzardo (2-2 ERA 4.32)  how do you see these pitchers matching up against each other for this afternoon’s start.

Join Michael Saturdays for the Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

A’s Friday game wrap: Oakland Wins a spot for a playoff; A’s Bassitt sits down Giants in 6-0 shutout at Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt who was bringing them all game long is seen here throwing to the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of Friday night’s game at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

You didn’t hear any of the A’s broadcasters Glen Kuiper, Ray Fosse, Vince Cotroneo, Ken Korach, Amaury Pi Gonzalez or Manolo Hernadez Douen yelling “The A’s win the pennant, the A’s win the Pennant!” But they’ll take a clinch for a playoff spot and look forward to playing the post season in the Southland coming up in October.

The Oakland A’s finally got a day off. After a grueling stretch that saw the A’s play everyday with three double headers included, they received a much needed day off on Thursday. On Friday, it was right back to business at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s were set to take on the hungry San Francisco Giants  that is doing its best to make the postseason despite a rebuilding year. The Giants have won six of their last 11 games.

The first game of the series was all A’s. The A’s scored six runs by the end of the fourth inning and never really looked back. The biggest hit for the A’s was a three run shot by Matt Olson in the bottom of the third inning number 13 of the season for Olson.

The real story of the game was the continued success of A’s starter Chris Bassitt. Bassitt managed to go 6.2 innings without giving up a run. His line finished with only three hits and seven strikeouts and is now 4-2. Bassitt has been the A’s most consistent pitcher this year lowering his ERA to 2.57.

The A’s bullpen would do what they do the rest of the way and the A’s won by a final of 6-0.

Up next: The A’s will take on the Giants in the second game of the series on Saturday at 1:10 PST.  Starters for the Giants Kevin Gausman (3-4 ERA 4.05) and for the A’s Jesus Lazardo (2-2 ERA 4.32). Listen to my podcast between 12-1pm today right here on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Giants shutout by A’s 6-0 at the Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Francisco Giants Donavon Salano (right) takes strike three and a glance at umpire Alfonso Marquez (left) after striking out against Oakland A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt in the first inning of Friday night’s game at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After sweeping the Seattle Mariners in a series that was moved to the Bay Area, due to the smoke in Seattle, the San Francisco Giants began their road series of the season.

Luckily, the road trip that the Giants are on is 15.6 miles away from Oracle Park across the Bay Bridge then down Interstate 880 to the Oakland Coliseum.

It’s nice that everybody got to sleep in their own beds last night,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler. “Considering that these are road games and we did just get to play two road games in our ballpark, there have been a lot of challenges throughout this season and so those are two things that we can point to as positives and pluses.”

Matt Olson hit a three-run home run, helping the Oakland A’s to a 6-0 victory over the Giants, as the A’s clinched their sixth playoff spot in the past nine seasons.

Newly acquired Jake Lamb put the A’s on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit a run-scoring single that gave the A’s a lead that they would never give up.

Chris Bassitt went 6.2 innings, striking out seven, as he won his third straight start for the American League Western Division Leading A’s.

Both Tommy La Stella and Marcus Semien each added run-scoring singles for the A’s, who were coming off a day off on Thursday and the Giants played a two-game series.

Logan Webb went just 3.1 innings, as his record fell to 2-4 on the season and his streak for winless starts is now at five. Since defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park on August 21, Webb is now 0-2.

Not a good performance from our offense. I think all of our players will tell you that,” Kapler said. “We have to play better baseball than that down the stretch if we’re going to get into the postseason.”

The Giants could manage just three hits on the evening, as their 6,7,8 batters of Brandon Crawford, Darin Ruf and Joey Bart went a combined 3-for-11, while the other six batters in the lineup went a combined 0-for-19 with five walks and 11 strikeouts against four A’s pitchers.

NOTES: Mike Yastrzemski missed the game after he left Thursdays game with tightness in his right calf. Yastrzemski underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed a mild calf strain and is listed as day-to-day and will not be placed on the injured list.

Yaz is important enough to this club where we really don’t know how long it’s going to be, whether it’s one, two, three days or more and we want to ensure that we have (options) there,” Kapler said.

Prior to the game, the Giants sent Rico Garcia and Wandy Peralta to the alternate site, while both Shaun Anderson and Andrew Suarez were recalled from the alternate site. Peralta threw a career-high three innings in Thursdays 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

This was just the fourth time this season that the Giants have been shutout and just the fifth time that they picked up five hits or fewer in the same game.

All four shutouts have been by teams in the State of California, as the Los Angeles Dodgers shut them out twice, the San Diego Padres on Sunday and the A’s tonight.

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman will take the mound after missing his start on Sunday after the Colorado Rockies due to elbow soreness, while the A’s will send Jesus Luzardo to the mound, as they look to clinch their first AL Western Division Championship since 2013, as their magic number is 2.

Flores, bullpen bail Giants out of an early hole in 6-4 win over the Mariners

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Forgotten in the Giants’ chaotic week of uncertainty and inactivity: the team’s bullpen is showing improvement and becoming a reliable force.

Trailing 4-1 after two innings, and reeling from starting pitcher Tyler Anderson’s ejection, and Mike Yastrzemski’s calf injury, just one of the things on manager Gabe Kapler’s wish list was scoreless innings from his relievers.

When it was all done, Kapler got seven of them, and a huge, offensive rally to squeeze past the Mariners, 6-4. Anderson, who drew Kapler’s ire for his ejection, received a huge reprieve as well.

“We were put in a really bad situation because of me, and our guys fought, and that was really great,” Anderson said . “I felt really terrible inside leaving them out to dry like that. But to see everybody step up and have big performances, that was huge for the team.”

Wandy Peralta pitched the third, fourth and fifth innings in the lengthiest and most effective outing of his big league career. Peralta threw 49 pitches while maintaining his velocity throughout, allowing no hits, one walk while striking out three. The reliever’s 207th big league appearance came and went without a hold or a win–or a change on the scoreboard–but it definitely made an impression.

“As tough as (Anderson’s ejection) was, it was equally rewarding, and in some ways inspiring, to see him come out and give us the length that he did and battle. He gave us a chance to climb back into the game,” Kapler said of Peralta.

Rico Garcia, Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers and Sam Selman followed Peralta, giving the Giants a scoreless frame each. None had it easy in terms of numbers of pitches thrown, but the strikeouts piled up. The Giants recorded 12 on Thursday, and 29 strikeouts in the two-game series.

Evan Longoria’s RBI single kicked off the Giants’ comeback in the sixth. Luis Basabe, the rookie inserted into the game when Yastrzemski departed, gained his first big league hit and scored for the first time on Longoria’s hit. Later in the inning, Brandon Crawford’s sacrifice fly scored Wilmer Flores and the Giants trailed by one, 4-3.

In the seventh, Flores tripled home a pair to give the Giants the lead, and Alex Dickerson’s run-scoring, sacrifice fly gave the Giants some insurance.

The Mariners dropped all four games with the Giants by an aggregate score of 31-13. Playing all four in San Francisco didn’t help, neither did the team’s offense which stalled at critical junctures.

“The Giants had our number this year,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I can’t really put my finger on it. They swung the bats very, very well against us and we struggled to close out innings against them.”

The win was the Giants 10th in their last 15 outings, a sign of team’s ability to stay locked in despite the team’s just completed week long odyssey which resulted in three, consecutive losses and confinement in two hotels. Now, they’ll finish the season with 11 games in 10 days, first in Oakland against the A’s then the final eight at Oracle Park against the Rockies and Padres.

The Giants are above .500 at 25-24 and the Rockies’ loss to the Dodgers Thursday night increased the Giants lead to three games in the important race to finish third in the NL West. The two other third place clubs in the National League–the Phillies and the Cardinals–also lost on Thursday enhancing the possibility that the Giants could finish seventh in the playoff stack and avoid the Dodgers in the postseason’s opening round.

Preview San Francisco Giants vs Oakland A’s: Three-game series in Oakland this weekend

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

The San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s will meet for three games starting on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum (image is from rollinghills.com)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The A’s welcome their cross-town rivals, the San Francisco Giants, to the Oakland Coliseum for three games starting Friday.

It should be a fascinating series with lots at stake for both teams. The A’s currently own the third-best record in the American League. They are a game and 1/2 behind the Chicago White Sox for the number one slot.

They trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 1/2 game for the second-best record. The Giants would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. They are 28-28 and own one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League. The Philadelphia Phillies are also 28-28 and would be in the playoffs, too. The Giants play the Seattle Mariners Thursday night, and their status could change.

The A’s played the Giants earlier this year in San Francisco. The A’s came from behind in two of the games to stun the Giants. On August 14th, the Giants blew a 6-0 lead and lost 8-7 in ten innings.

Stephen Piscotty hit a grand slam in the ninth off Giants’ closer Trevor Gott to tie the game. They scored a run in the tenth, and the A’s bullpen closed out the game. The next night, lightning struck again for Oakland.

The Giants led 6-3 in the ninth. Trevor Gott was in to close. A’s catcher Sean Murphy hit a solo homer to make in 6-4. With two men on, Mark Canha blasted a three-run dinger to win it for Oakland 7-6. The A’s won the finale of the series 15-3. The Giants will be looking for payback this weekend.

The team, under the first-year skipper Gabe Kapler has improved since the series with the A’s. The Giants are stacked with guys that have a lot of pop in their bats. The A’s starters will have their work cut out for them to shut the Giants’ offense down.

The G-men are led by outfielders Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson, Austin Slater, and Darin Ruf. All are hitting about .280 or higher. Yaz has nine dingers and 33 RBIs. Dickerson has eight and 24 RBIs.

The greybeards in the infield, Evan Longoria, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Wilmer Flores, Donovan Solano, are all raking at the plate. Longo is hitting .282 with six homers and 25 RBIs.

Solano’s average is .351 with five round-trippers and 28 ribbies. Belt’s numbers are .305, eight big flys, and 24 RBIs. Flores .283, nine home runs, 23 RBIs. Crawford is resurgent as his average is .281, five homers, and 18 RBIs.

The A’s announced righty Chris Bassitt will start on Friday night. The A’s have not determined the pitchers for Saturday and Sunday. The Giants have not indicated their pitchers for the series yet.

The Giants’s starters are Johnny Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, Tyler Anderson, Drew Smyly, and former A’s starter Trevor Cahill. Smyly pitched on Wednesday and will not be available. The Giants’ closer Trevor Gott is on the 10-day IL. Kapler will use lefties Caleb Baragar, Wandy Peralta, Tony Watson, and Sam Selman. Righties Sam Coonrod, sidewinder Tyler Rogers, and Cahill probably see action.

The A’s are 31-19 with ten games left. The A’s pitching has been outstanding. Mike Fiers, who beat the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, will not see any action. A’s manager Bob Melvin will probably use Frankie Montas, Mike Minor, or Jesus Luzardo.

The A’s bullpen has done a stellar job for the Green and Gold this season. Pitchers that will see action will be Yusmeiro Petit, J.B.Wendelken, Jake Diekman T.J.McFarland, Lou Trivino, Joakim Soria, along with closer Liam Hendriks.

The A’s have been inconsistent on offense so far this year. Designated hitter Khris Davis is having a down year. Stephen Piscotty injured his knee and may not be available. Matt Chapman is having hip surgery and is sone for the year. Chad Pinder has a hamstring problem and may not play.

The A’s love players that can play multiple positions. Mark Canha has played all three outfield slots. Tony Kemp can play a couple of infield positions. Tommy La Stella has played second and third for the A’s. After being released by the Arizona D-Backs, Jake Lamb, signed as a free agent, has played third and is five-for-eleven as an Athletic. Lamb has also been the DH.

The A’s offense has failed to take advantage of the opportunities they had with runners in scoring position. The guys hit home runs, but getting hits in bunches has not happened this year. Bob Melvin knows it’s a problem, but has not yet come up with a solution.

As mentioned above, it’s always fun when these two teams get together. The season series winner gets to keep the Bay Bridge Trophy and bragging rights for a year. Usually, the Coliseum would be jammed to the gills with fans. Not so, this year. It’s a shame, but it’s the reality due to Covid-19. Turn on the TVs, folks, and enjoy three games of great baseball.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Good pitching is beating good hitting for A’s

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) is part of a successful A’s pitching staff of starters and relievers. Bassitt will be the starting pitcher Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum versus the San Francisco (file photo from Athletics Nation)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry we’ll be taking a look at the Oakland A’s pitching staff and to the whys of their success this season. The pitching makes all the difference for a big league’s club success and the A’s this season hasn’t been an exception.

#2 The A’s are coming off a split in Colorado losing on Tuesday but on Wednesday afternoon they got some traction from starter Mike Fiers who pitched six innings and the bullpen came in and closed the game for the 3-1 win.

#3 Lets take a look at last Monday’s game in Seattle under 200 plus air quality conditions and A’s starting pitcher Mike Minor on the mound in the second game of the doubleheader making his first start for Oakland going the distance pitching seven innings for a two hit shutout.

#4 Sean Manaea did lose Tuesday’s game in Colorado 4-3 but previous to that he’s had some great starts including the outing he had when he pitched against the Houston Astros last week on Thu 10th going seven innings, surrendering two hits, one run for a 3-1 win.

#5 The A’s host the San Francisco Giants Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The Giants had struggled against the San Diego Padres in San Diego last weekend had to fly to Seattle on Sunday night for a Monday doubleheader which was canceled because of bad Seattle air quality and then moved the two game series to San Francisco on Wednesday and Thursday. The Giants have not announced a starting pitcher yet for Friday night and the A’s will start Chris Bassitt whose had a great last outing now 4-2 ERA 2.92.

Join Jerry each Thursday for the Oakland A’s podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Giants acclimate quickly as Oracle Park visitors, whip the Mariners, 9-3

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants’ offense this season has shown less pop when they’re the visitors than it has when they play at Oracle Park.

Following that equation, Wednesday’s return to McCovey Cove was just what the Giants needed to get things rolling–on the road.

With the Mariners the designated home team for the game originally scheduled for Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, but moved due to poor air quality enveloping the Northwest, the Giants didn’t assume a secondary role as the visiting team. Batting first in each inning, the Giants immediately made themselves at home by blasting to an 8-0 lead midway through the fourth inning, then cruising to a 9-3 win.

Give the Giants the win, and bonus points for improvisation, according to manager Gabe Kapler.

“We knew there would be situations we haven’t had to deal with in Major League seasons past,” Kapler said. “We have to be good within the construct of whatever the season hands us.”

“It’s definitely a lot easier to deal with this stuff when you’re at your own place,” Brandon Belt said. “It’s definitely a lot more comfortable here for us. We get to go to our own house or whatever it may be. We get to use our own facilities when we come to the ballpark. I think that definitely plays a role.”

The first 31 games of this unusual season went off as planned. Since then, the Giants have experienced it all: social activism, virus outbreaks–and false positive tests–and now poor air quality due to the plethora of wildfires. And the adjustments weren’t initial successes: the Giants were listless in dropping hastily-scheduled doubleheaders to the Dodgers and Padres. But this time, they were ready, and their home park helped in that regard.

Belt, Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford each homered in the win, and Crawford added two doubles to his big night, part of the team’s 15-hit parade, seven of those for extra bases. Seattle starter Ljay Newsome was hit hard, allowing eight hits and eight runs– five of which were earned.

Giants’ starter Drew Smyly recorded the first 11 outs–eight via strikeout–in an abbreviated appearance, his first start since landing on the injured list August 1 with a sprained finger. The short outing opened the door for Trevor Cahill, who picked up the win by pitching two innings in relief.

Smyly and six Giants relievers piled up 17 strikeouts, a real measure of the misery suffered by the Mariners, who needed a win to boost their postseason aspirations. Instead the Giants got that win, along with a Rockies loss (to the A’s, 3-1) to get them back to .500 with 12 games remaining.

The Giants returned home having played just three of six scheduled games, losing all three. The silver lining is all three cancelled games are late additions to the Oracle Park schedule, and part of the finishing kick that has the Giants in the Bay Area for the last 13 games of the regular season.

A’s beat Rockies 3-1 to finish eight-game road trip

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Oakland A’s starter Mike Fiers went six innings and the A’s bullpen shut down the Colorado Rockies as the A’s and Rockies split the brief two game series at Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s ended their eight-game road trip win a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies Wednesday at Coors Field in Denver. The A’s played four with Texas, two with Seattle, and two with Colorado. They played games in three cities in three days. They played a doubleheader in Texas, a doubleheader in Seattle, and two games in the thin Rockie Mountain air. The air quality in Seattle was abominable.

It was so bad that MLB canceled the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Mariners on Tuesday. They then moved the two games to San Francisco on Wednesday and Thursday. MLB was able to do it as both teams had an off-day on Thursday.

The A’s met the Rockies for the fourth time this season. The Rockies had won the previous three games and were looking to sweep the A’s. The A’s sent Mike Fiers to pitch. Fiers entered the game with a 5-2 record and had been pitching well. The Rockies countered with German Marquez. Marquez was 2-5 but had thrown well against the A’s when the teams played in July at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the third. Tony Kemp, leading off, drew a walk. He went to second on Marquez’s throwing error to first in an attempt to pick him off. Marquez walked Semien. Kemp went to third on the play as Marquez’s last pitch to Semien got past catcher Tony Wolters.

The A’s had men on at first and third with no out. Robbie Grossman hit into a fielder’s choice. It was a strange play as Tony Kemp was caught in a rundown. Instead of trying to tag Kemp, Wolters threw to third base to nail Semien. Kemp, in the meantime, was able to avoid the tag. Rockies’ third baseman Nolan Arenado, who tagged Semien out, dropped the ball. He made a hurried throw to home, which was not on the mark, and Kemp could slide past the tag. The A’s lead 1-0.

The lead didn’t last long. In the Rockies’half of the third, the Rockies put together three straight singles by Ryan McMahon, Tony Wolters, and Ramiel Tapia to tie the game with one out. Fiers had his work cut out for him as he had to face two of the Rockies’ best hitters, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon. Story hit into a fielder’s choice, and he struck out the ever-dangerous Blackmon to end the threat.

The A’s added two more runs in the sixth. Tommy La Stella reached on an infield single. Matt Olson doubled to send La Stella to third. Olson’s double snapped an 0-for-18 slump. Mark Canha grounded out to drive in La Stella. Olson went to third. Jake Lamb, playing third, singled to drive in Olson with the A’s third run. The A’s lead 3-1.

A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Fiers after six innings of work. He brought in lefty Jake Diekman to start the seventh. Diekman held the Rockies scoreless in the seventh and faced one batter in the eighth. Liam Hendriks recorded the last two outs in the eighth and then sent the Rockies down in order in the ninth to record his thirteen save of the season.

Game Notes- With the win, the A’s are now 31-19 and have a six-game advantage over the Houston Astros. The magic number to clinch the AL West division is five. Any combination of A’s wins or Houston losses will give the Green and Gold the title.

Mike Lamb is five-for eleven since joining the A’s. Hed had two hits and drove in a run on Wednesday. La Stella was two-for-four and scored a run.

The defensive play of the day came in the bottom of the fifth. Rockies’ catcher Tony Wolters led off with a double. Left fielder Raimel Tapia hit a ground ball down the first baseline. Olson, playing in, fielded the ball. Instead of making the out at first, he threw a dart to Lamb at third to tag Wolters out. Bob Melvin said, “it was the play of the game.”
Melvin also said, “it was a big win for us” and that Mike Fiers was “fantastic.”

Fiers’ line was six innings pitched, seven hits, four strikeouts, and one earned run. The line for the A’s was three runs, six hits, and no errors. The Rockies’ line was one run, nine hits, and one error.

The A’s do not play on Thursday. They have ten games left to play. The meet the Giants for three this weekend. They are off on Monday. They play three against the Los Angeles Dodgers in LA and finish the season with four against the Mariners in Oakland.

Series between Giants and Mariners moved from Seattle to San Francisco for Wed and Thu

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

This is how T Mobile Field looked like on Monday night and on Tuesday the Seattle air quality level was 285 and the Seattle Mariners and MLB decided Tuesday’s game should be moved to San Francisco with the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday and Thursday nights (photo from sfchronicle.com)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO–After seeing two of their four games in San Diego postponed, the San Francisco Giants are seeing it happen all over again.

Due to the smoke levels reaching the high 200s, major league baseball decided to move the series between the Giants and the Seattle Mariners from T-Mobile Park in Seattle to Oracle Park in San Francisco.

“We appreciate the Giants’ willingness to work with us on this challenge, and we look forward to returning to T-Mobile Park on Friday to host the Padres,” Mariners president Kevin Mather said.

The Mariners, who split a doubleheader with the Oakland As on Monday night much to the dismay of As staff and players.

“I’m a healthy 22-year-old. I shouldn’t be gasping for air or missing oxygen. I’ll leave it at that,” said Jesus Luzardo, who started the opener for Oakland.

As manager Bob Melvin said that several players began to complain about the air as the game got into the later innings.

According to Mariners manager Scott Servais, he thought that the visibility and playability were fine on Monday night.

The Giants and Mariners will begin their two-game series on Wednesday night at 6:40 with the Mariners being the home team, and the two-game series will conclude on Thursday afternoon with the game beginning at 1:10.

Former Giants star Pablo Sandoval signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves and will report to the teams minor league site in Gwinett

Sandoval, who was released by the Giants last week, his second stint with the team after he hit just .220 with one home run and six runs batted in this season.

Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela pitches complete game stymies A’s 3-1

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Colorado Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela went the distance for the Rockies going nine innnings, giving up six hits and one earned run to defeat the visiting Oakland A’s at Coors Field on Tuesday night (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s met the Colorado Rockies for a two-game set in Denver Tuesday night. The temperature at the start of the game was 84 degrees, and the air was clear. It was quite a contrast from Seattle, where the air quality readings were over 200.

Very unhealthy, and some of the A’s players complained they had difficulty breathing. The thin air in Denver may have been a factor as the Rockies’ starting pitcher, Antonio Senzatela, held the A’s offense to just one run and six hits as the Rockies downed the A’s 3-1.

The A’s have played the Rockies three times this year and have lost all three. Senzatela faced the A’s on July 10th in Oakland and, in that game, went five innings and allowed two runs.

The A’s scored their lone run of the night in the second inning. A’s designated hitter Jake Lamb drew a walk. He went to third on a Ramon Laureano single. Second baseman Tony Kemp drove in Lamb with a sacrifice fly to center.

A’s starter Sean Manaea got out of a jam in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded and two out, Manaea had to face Charlie Blackmon. Blackmon is one of the best hitters in baseball, and getting him out is no easy task. Manaea rose to the challenge as Blackmon grounded out 4-3 to end the inning. The A’s still lead 1-0 after three.

The Rockies got to Manaea in the bottom of the fifth. Rockies’ first baseman Josh Fuentes reached on an infield single. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien had to make a long throw to nail Fuentes. His throw got by Matt Olson, and Fuentes went to third on the error. As it turned out, the error didn’t matter as catcher Elias Diaz blasted his first home run of the year to put the Rockies in the lead 2-1.

The Rockies added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Third baseman Nolan Arenado led off with a single. Kevin Pillar followed with another single to put men on at first and second with no out. Matt Kemp hit into a fielder’s choice. Arenado advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly to left. The Rocks lead 3-1.

The A’s were toast. Senzatela allowed just one hit in his last four innings of work. The A’s fall to Colorado 3-1.

Game Notes with the loss, the A’s drop to 30-19. They lead the Houston Astros by 5 1/2 games with eleven games left on the schedule. The Rockies improved to 22-25 and are still a contender for a wild card spot in the National League.

Senzatela’s line was one run and six hits in pitching his first complete game. Sean Manaea took the loss. Manaea went five and 2/3rds innings allowing three runs and seven hits.

The A’s and the Rockies meet Wednesday again for the fourth time this year. Mike Fiers will go for the Geen and Gold, and German Marquez will throw for Colorado. Game time will be at 12:10 pm.