Category: MLB

A’s game wrap: Olson takes Halos deep in extras for 7-3 tenth inning grand slam

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(nbcsports.com photo) The Oakland A’s Matt Olson (28) lays some good wood off of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Hoby Milner in the 10th inning for a walk off grand slam four run win to open the four game series at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Jul 24, 2020

Opening Day At the Coliseum Oakland A’s vs Los Angeles Angels

By Barbara Mason

It’s been a long time coming. The hoops that MLB had to jump through were unprecedented. We haven’t seen the likes of a virus that we are now seeing in most of our lifetimes. Despite all of that MLB and the Players Association plowed through all the red tape and we have come out of the other end of a very long tunnel. The prize is the start of the 2020 baseball season and it’s good, it’s very good for the entire nation. We need sports, not just the fans but the entire nation for not only our entertainment but for our sanity.

Tonight’s game is not your run of the mill opening day of baseball that we have seen for years, it’s much more than that. So with that being said let’s escape for just a few hours and PLAY BALL!

The A’s come into this opening game after losing a pair to the San Francisco Giants in a vastly shortened pre-season. They now take on Mike Trout and the Angels for four games at the Oakland Coliseum to open their season. A very tough start for the A’s but this is a young talented team that is looking forward to the challenge.

The powerful Frankie Montas started the game for Oakland hoping for good control along with the speed that he always pitches with. Montas got out of a sticky situation in the first inning striking Albert Pujols out with the bases loaded and the A’s dodged the early bullet. The first inning was a tough one for Montas throwing 27 pitches. Through 3 innings Montas had thrown 55 pitches and had settled in nicely. The game remained scoreless going into the 4th inning.

The Angels would break through in the 4th inning taking a 1-0 lead off a single by Brian Goodwin driving in Pujols. The A’s would tie up the game when Ramon Laureano homered to right for the 1-1 score going into the 5th inning. Montas would come out of the game with 81 pitches and it would be Yusmeiro Petit on the mound. The A’s would load the bases in the 5th inning with Marcus Simien at the plate but would come away empty. Both teams had had excellent scoring opportunities that came up empty.

TJ McFarland would pitch to start the 6th inning. Soria would take over in the 7th. A sacrifice fly by the Angel’s David Fletcher brought in Simmons to break the tie and give the Angel’s a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 7th inning. The play that would haunt the A’s was an error by Matt Chapman throwing to Matt Olson that missed it’s mark.

The 8th inning would see Jake Diekman come into the game as the A’s were running out of time. It would be a quick inning for the Oakland defense going into the bottom of the 8th. Ramon Laureano would come up with another big hit, down the right field line allowing Marcus Semien to score and tie up the game 2-2. More than making up for his error Matt Chapman hit a deep triple center field as Laureano scored giving the A’s their first lead of the night 3-2. Chapman would get picked off third trying for home in a tough outing for Chapman.

Liem Hendriks would come in to close for the A’s in the top of the 9th inning. He would face Pujols, Jason Castro and Goodwin. The Angels would tie up the game on a homer by Castro 3-3. The A’s would now be looking for a walk-off. While Mark Canha was able to get on base that was all the A’s could muster. The game would go into extra innings.

In extra innings a runner would start on second base. The A’s Burch Smith would pitch to start the 10th inning for the A’s. The Angels were unable to do much of anything in the 10th and so the A’s Marcus Semien would start on second base in the bottom of the 10th. With the bases loaded and 1 out Matt Olson had the opportunity to close out this game which was right about the 4 hour mark. The hero of the A’s opener was Matt Olson with a grand slam winning the game off the first pitch 7-3. The win included a gatorade bath for Olson as Oakland takes the extra inning win.

Muncy homers twice in Dodgers 9-1 win; LA crushes Giants pitching all game long

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Dodgers Max Muncy, #13, celebrates his homers with Cody Bellinger, #35, with an elbow tap during first inning action against the SF Giants at Dodger Stadium Friday, July 24, 2020. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

By Jeremy Kahn

Through the first two games of the Gabe Kapler era as manager of the San Francisco Giants, things are not looking good.

Max Muncy went 3-for-4, including two home runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Giants 9-1 at Dodger Stadium.

Muncy gave the Dodgers a quick 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, as he took a Tyler Anderson offering and planted it into the right field pavilion.

The seven-time defending division champions did not stop there, as there scored in every inning with the exception of the third inning against Giants pitching.

Anderson lasted 1.2 innings, as he gave two runs and walked three and did not strike out a batter.

Kevin Gausman went four innings, allowing three runs (two of them earned) and gave up six hits, while walking one and striking out two.

Cory Seager also picked up three hits in four at-bats for the Dodgers, who have outscored the 17-2 thru the first two games of the season.

Ross Stripling looked to be in mid-season, despite the fact that it was his first start of the season, as he went seven innings, scattering four hits, not walking a batter and striking out one.

Jaylin Davis came up with the lone bright spot of the night, as he launched an opposite field home run in the top of the third inning off of Stripling.

The Giants defense picked up four errors on the evening, including the second error in as many days by Wlimer Flores.

There was a scary scene in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Chris Taylor reached on a throwing error by Flores and as Taylor was running down the line, he ran smack dab into the backside of Pablo Sandoval and crashed to the Dodger Stadium turf. Taylor, who looked like he was a running back for the Los Angeles Rams and Sandoval was a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers got up and stayed in the game.

UP NEXT: Left-hander Alex Wood will take the mound for the Dodgers on Saturday afternoon, while the Giants have yet to announce a starter.

A’s opening night preview: A’s face a very multi talented Angels pitcher/DH Ohtani in four game series

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(AP file photo) Los Angeles Angels pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani will be the starter on Sundays for Angels games and will get a chance to hit and pitch against the Oakland A’s in the four game series in Oakland starting Friday night

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s open up the 2020 season on Friday night and will face a very multi talented Los Angeles Angel pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani who is coming off post season surgery and is scheduled to pitch for the Halos every Sunday and swing a bat for the rest of the week.

Ohtani pitched last Sunday in intersquad play allowing one run, five innings, with six strike outs and four walks. Ohtani said he’s ready to pitch Sunday against the A’s making his first game appearance since his last game he pitched Sept 2, 2018.

Ohtani was the designated hitter for the Angels in 106 games last season and he said that pitching Sundays gives him something to look forward to, “It looks like going on Sundays is the best option,” Ohtani said. “We have the most off-days on Monday. I’m not going to hit the following day, so it gives me a chance to rest up.”

The Angels will be without Anthony Rendon who finished 11th in the American League with a batting average of .247 and was tenth in homers. The Angels paid Rendon $245 million for a seven year deal but Rendon will not be in the opener on Friday night because of oblique soreness.

A’s starter Frankie Montas: Frankie Montas gets the starting nod for opening night   tonight at the Oakland Coliseum to start the four game series against the Angels. Montas pitching record in 2019, 9-2 ERA 2.63, 96 innings pitched, 103 strike outs.

Montas was on his way with the 9-2 record and even selected to make the 2019 American League All Star team until he tested positive for PEDs and was suspended for a majority of the season before returning in September.

Montas brings a 90 MPH heater and a great splitter into Friday night’s opener. His slider was part of his bread and butter last season that kept hitters off balance and  helped him achieve a winning record.

A’s manager Bob Melvin is really looking forward to what Montas will bring this season after having 12 out of 16 quality starts. Montas says he amped up to start the season. Montas last May hit the radar gun at 100 MPH. At 27 years old Montas says he’s hoping to have a type of season he had last year. Montas may not be a 20 game winner in a abbreviated 60 game season but if he can pitch anywhere like he did last season he could pick up ten wins.

The A’s starting rotation for 2020: Motas (RHP), Sean Manaea (LHP), Mike Fiers (RHP), and Chris Bassitt (RHP) and Daniel Mengden (RHP). A’s pitcher AJ Puk is out for at least two weeks with a sore shoulder. Puk received an injection this week for his throwing shoulder that has hampered him.

Starters for tonight’s opener at the Oakland Coliseum for the Los Angles Angels Andrew Heaney (0-0) for the Oakland A’s Frankie Montas (0-0) a 6:40 pm first pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

Giants game wrap: LA smashes Giants 8-1 in season opener

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San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Heineman, second from left, dives back to third before being tagged out by Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner after he was caught between third and home during the fifth inning of an opening day baseball game, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill/AP

By Jeremy Harness

The Giants hung in there with the heavy favorite Los Angeles Dodgers for six innings, but the Dodgers broke it open in the sixth and kept pouring it on.

Los Angeles came away with an 8-1 win over the Giants, in a season opener that, frankly, had the feel of a glorified scrimmage, despite the cutouts dispersed in the lower as well as the upper deck to go along with fake crowd noise.

But again, beggars can’t be choosers, and at least this was live baseball that one did not have to wake up in the middle of the night to watch, as was the case with the Korea Baseball Organization.

Speaking of the KBO, it was announced that the league will begin to allow fans into the ballparks starting Sunday, after months of playing games with no fans, giving hope that MLB will able to move on from the without-fans phase sooner rather than later.

As for the game, Clayton Kershaw, was scheduled to be the Dodgers’ starter on Thursday, but he suffered from back tightness that forced him out of action, as he was replaced by rookie Dustin May.

The Giants had a real opportunity in the third inning, loading the bases with nobody out. However, the Giants only were able to get one run across, via sac fly by Pablo Sandoval.

The Dodgers tied the game in the fourth when Kike Hernandez knocked in Corey Seager, and then dropped a five-spot on the Giants three innings later. Hernandez added a two-run homer in the eighth to cap off the scoring.

The starters held their own, as Johnny Cueto gave up only a run on five hits over four innings, and May surrendered only a run on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.

MLB podcast with Jessica Kwong: Yankees are picked to win division; Dusty says Astros pitching staff won’t be ready week one; plus more

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New York Yankee slugger Aaron Judge gives thanks to the almighty after connecting against the New York Mets on Sunday July 19th. Judge hit two home runs in Tuesday’s exhibition game. (AP photo)

On the MLB podcast with Jessica:

#1 Jessica you had a chance to take a look at the New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and most predict that the Yankees could win the division in this abbreviated 60 game season. What was impressive about his delivery from you’ve seen of him throwing against the Mets last week.

#2 The Yankees Aaron Judge in pre season action hit two big flies he is expected to provide some power for the Yankees and some run production.

#3 Masahiro Tanaka the Yankees pitcher who took one on the head from a comebacker  is still recovering from the concussion he sustained on July 4th.

#4 Houston Astro manager Dusty Baker said that a number of his pitchers will not be available during the first part of the season, Joe Smith won’t be available and his status is undefined, Brad Peacock and Roberto Osuna will not be ready on time, reliever Austin Pruitt is reported recovery from an injury. The bullpen has to solidify as there are concerns with the Astro pitching staff.

#5 Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin said that A’s starter Sean Manaea should be ready to go in Anaheim on Saturday night. On Monday Melvin said that Manaea struggled in the first couple of innings against the Giants but settled down getting hitters to swing and miss.

Join Jessica every other Thursday for the MLB podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Puk to return to A’s in two weeks; Trump says Giants made him get over the game; Kapler says kneeling was the right thing to do

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Oakland A’s left hander AJ Puk will sit out the next two weeks due to left shoulder pain. Puk took an injection in the left shoulder to ease the pain (athleticsnation.com file photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 A’s left handed pitcher AJ Puk received a injection on Monday for his left shoulder that was giving him pain he’s expected to be out for two weeks. What will it be like for Puk to recover from an injury like that.

#2 Jerry, talk about Ramon Laurenano he was in the A’s line up against the Giants on Tuesday night after sitting out the night before on Monday night with a calf injury how did he look on Tuesday and how the calf feeling?

#3 Trump criticized San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler and the club for taking a knee during the national anthem on Monday night saying “the game is over for me” or the other hand Kapler said nobody should stop us from doing the right thing.

#4 Former A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell was asked what he thought of Kapler and the Giants taking a knee ironically where Maxwell became the first MLB player to do it at the Oakland Coliseum Maxwell said he “felt joy”

#5 The Giants Mike Yastrzemski went deep in the first inning at Oracle Park Tuesday night nearly putting the ball into the Cove but landed in the left field stands.

#6 On Monday night the A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty went deep with his swing and where the ball landed it looks as he hasn’t missed a step.

Jerry is a beat writer for the Oakland A’s and does A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Toronto Blue Jays are Homeless as 2020 season begins

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Pennsylvania Department of Health have ruled against the Toronto Blue Jays sharing PNC Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates because of the increased cases of Covid-19 (photo from tripadvisor.com)

Toronto Blue Jays are Homeless as 2020 season begins

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Toronto Blue Jays might have to play their full 60-game season on the road after PNC Park the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates (team they were talking to) denied them access to play their 30 home games at PNC.

Statement by the Pennsylvania Department of Health:

“In recent weeks, we have seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in southwestern Pennsylvania,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement.

“To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams. We know that this virus does not discriminate, and can even make professional athletes very sick. We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians.”

Over the weekend, the Blue Jays were denied by the Canadian Government to use their home station Rogers Centre, because they feared bringing American League East teams to Toronto could spread the Coronavirus in the largest city in Canada.

On Monday the Pirates announced they were in discussions with the Blue Jays and MLB, hoping they could host the Toronto team at PNC Park this season.

The Blue Jays will begin their season this Friday the 24th as they are expected to play the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida.

In the meantime MLB is trying desperately to find the Homeless Blue Jays a home for 30 games.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play lead announcer on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: As the 2020 Season Opens Your Favorite Baseball Team

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Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium in Miami the former spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles was one of the founding teams that Amaury worked for in starting his career in Major League Baseball (wikipedia.com photo)

As the 2020 Season Opens Your Favorite Baseball Team

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Finally, the baseball season gets under way on Thursday. The inaugural game as the NY Yankees visit the World Champion Washington Nationals and later the San Francisco Giants visit the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Baseball is generational. Good chance that your father (with all the respect to mother) introduced you to the game. My father surely did since I was a little boy playing catch with him and my brother and taking me to Estadio de El Cerro in Havana, to watch the famous Cuban Professional Winter League.

Some people grow up following a team, because that was the team that their family rooted for, as simple as that. That is one of the beauties of the game we all love. But, many might have a preference for one of more teams. While growing up my team in Cuba was Leones del Habana (Havana Lions). In the US because a country of its size and tradition there are numerous people that were born in one city, rooted for their team there, but moved someplace else and now pledge their allegiance to their home team.

In the US, the first Major League team I saw were the Baltimore Orioles, in the early 1960’s when they trained at the old Miami Stadium, in Miami, Florida, later named Bobby Maduro Stadium, who was a Cuban entrepreneur and executive who was dedicated to the game of baseball. I was lucky enough -through a friend- to have worked for the Baltimore Orioles as a bat boy during Spring Training and I will forever remember the players of the Orioles during those years. Milt Pappas, Brooks Robinson, Jackie Brandt, John (Boog) Powell, Gus Triandos and many others. I was on the field with them, and for me they were like Gods.

So for me, my introduction to Major League Baseball was the Orioles, although I have visited Baltimore, but never lived there. It was like my first love to baseball in the US, and therefore, the Orioles will forever have a place in my heart. As a broadcaster I enjoy the game and I always want to see the best baseball possible, I like to see the Oakland Athletics win their fifth World Series in Oakland this year. I was broadcasting A’s games the last time they won it in 1989, a historical year and World Series with the Loma Prieta earthquake right in the middle of the series.

So (for some) it it is possible to have a double-allegiance in baseball. The Orioles have been a terrible team during the last few years but they also had some great years when Earl Weaver was their manager. As a professional in this business, yes, the A’s are definitely my team, but the Orioles are always in my heart, because they are part of my life, the memories of those years as a youngster, my family a much different Miami than today. My kids are also huge A’s fans who used to seat right behind the visiting dugout at the Coliseum with their Mom during the great years of Billy Ball and later Tony LaRussa, Dave Stewart, Ricky Henderson and the Bash Brothers. Those years for the A’s were like the Bruce Springsteen hit, “Glory Days”

My question to you the reader, which is your favorite team or teams? Did you adopt the team because your father your mother, anybody in your family or a friend introduced you to the team as a fan? Did you just follow baseball because you like the game, regardless of who is playing? Who do you root for? And my last question. Do you still own that terrible cap that has the A’s logo in one side and the Giants logo on the other? Just asking.

Baseball is the longest season of any of the main sports leagues in the country. It is a grind that develops a lot of character on people, demands a lot of loyalty, passion and dedication to your favorite team.

I wish your favorite team enjoys a good abbreviated season, and regardless of your opinion, on how you feel about baseball this year, we are all making history in 2020 and that includes baseball with this new experience.

The season opener for the Oakland Athletics is this Friday the 24th when the Los Angeles Angels are the first visitors to the Oakland Coliseum for a weekend-four-game series which concludes on Monday. Joe Maddon in his first season as the Manager of the LA Angels and Bob Melvin manager of the A’s have already named their pitchers. This should be fun, two of the best skippers in the game.

A’s fireballer Frankie Montas is scheduled to start, while lefty Andrew Heaney will open the season for the Halos.

You can follow all the action En Español; on KIQI 1010AM radio here in the Bay Area and KATD 990AM Sacramento- Stockton. Every A’s game at home on weekend and night games at home on weekdays will be broadcast in Spanish.

Sintonize este Viernes, primer lanzamiento 7:10 PM.

Stay tuned, stay well.

Giants preview report: Amid pandemic, baseball is back…. with plenty of questions

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Martha Arreola cleans seats occupied with cardboard cutouts of fans at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Jul 20th before the San Francisco Giants visit against the Oakland A’s in pre season action (photo from the San Francisco Chronicle)

By Jeremy Harness

So many questions, so few answers. And a lot of these questions, frankly, have nothing to do with baseball.

How much longer will players be forced to play inside empty ballparks, with the exception of a few employees, cutouts and teddy bears?

The Giants and A’s played a two-game home-and-home exhibition series earlier this week, and the two teams went about this issue in slightly-different ways. The first few rows of seats behind the plate at Oakland Coliseum were filled with said cutouts, which supposedly could give a pitcher a certain sense of support but seemingly have no other purpose.

Oracle Park, on the other hand, did not have any of that, instead relying on the regular public-address announcer as well as fake crowd noise that all teams are employing, to give the impression that these games – and this season – are, but in reality are anything but.

Normal.

Who will emerge with the tightest mask game?

Wearing a mask over the nose and mouth while in an active sports competition is a concept that not everyone has warmed up to – a local driving range just this week made wearing masks mandatory while hitting golf balls – but expect it to be a thing throughout the coming weeks and months.

Only a portion of players wore masks during MLB’s exhibition series, aka Summer Camp, but that number is expected to grow as well. And just like shoes – or any other part of clothing, really – masks come in different forms and can be certainly be used as a fashion statement or to get a certain message across. Which brings us to our next question.

How many players will choose to kneel for the national anthem?

In 2016, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick famously started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality toward African Americans, and was soon joined by fellow NFL players such as his teammate, safety Eric Reid, as well as safety Malcolm Jenkins.

The next year, A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first MLB player to kneel. Fast forward three years, and following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor that involved law enforcement and the ensuing re-emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the number of players has increased considerably. Giants manager Gabe Kapler as well as three Giants players and a pair of coaches knelt during the national anthem during the recent Giants-A’s exhibition games.

This has also occurred around the league, as Joey Votto was among a number of Cincinnati Reds players to take a knee. Even though the silent protests did not catch on in baseball back in 2017 when Maxwell broke the mold, this has certainly gained momentum, as has the movement in general.

Last but not least, will even this abbreviated season be cut short once more should the COVID-19 pandemic spike to the point where mass shutdowns are to occur?

This has obviously been the most unprecedented, uncertain four-month span of our generation, so to expect anything different for this upcoming baseball season would be absurd. There have been recent spikes in COVID-19 cases, particularly in California, and there is no guarantee that there will not be any roadblocks that arise during this shortened season.

Just like with anything regarding everyday life, we have to take a wait-and-see approach. With that, the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers will convene inside a mostly-empty Dodger Stadium on Thursday to begin a season that was nearly scrapped entirely amid wrangling between the league’s owners and the MLBPA.

With all the questions that are out there, at least one can be answered at this point: There will be baseball to be played, and watched, around the country, and that’s a good start to possibly getting back to the place that we had known for so long but has since been taken from us.

Normal.

A’s start 2020 season at Coliseum against Angels Friday

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Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin pulls Mike Fiers in the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park the final pre season game for 2020 (mercurynews.com photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s are looking forward to the four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels starting Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum. It has been a very long wait to start the season. The season has been delayed due to pandemic caused by the coronavirus. Many changes have been made in order to get things going.

The teams will have 30 players on the roster for the first two weeks of the season. The roster will be reduced to 28 players for the next two weeks and then down to 26 for the rest of the year. The Designated Hitter will be universal. It will be the first time the DH will be used in the National League’s home parks.

The teams will play 60 games. Forty of the games will be played against the A’s Western Division rivals. The other 20 games will be played against the National League Western Division teams. In order to speed up the games, MLB has a new rule for extra-inning contests. The league has mandate that a runner will placed at second base to start the 10th inning. The rule will not be in effect for the playoffs.

The A’s feel that they have an excellent chance to go all the way to the World Series this year. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, in his 10th year at the helm, knows he has the talent to get there. The A’s won 97 games in 2018 and 2019.

They have a good solid nucleus of All-Star caliber players. The team has a lineup that can strike fear into opposing pitchers. There are no easy outs in the lineup. The infield is good defensively, too. Big Matt Olson will be back at first, Matt Chapman at third, Marcus Semien at shortstop.

Semien came in third in in last year’s vote for Most Valuable Player. The only question mark will be at second base. The A’s traded last year’s second baseman Jurickson Profar to the San Diego Padres for catcher Austin Allen. Franklin Barreto, who is out of options, will be in a fight with Tony Kemp and Chad Pinder for the job.

The A’s outfield is also solid. All three outfielders are good defensively and they are all capable of sending the baseball flying out of the park. Mark Canha, who played so well last year in centerfield, will start the season in left. Ramon Laureano will be back in center, and Stephen Piscotty, who missed playing time last year due to injury, will patrol right field. The A’s will use Sean Murphy as the everyday catcher. Austin Allen or Jonah Hiem will be the backups.

The A’s lost three pitchers from last years rotation. Homer Bailey, Brett Anderson, and Tanner Roark all have found new homes. The A’s rotation will feature Frankie Montas, Mike Fiers, Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt, and Daniel Mengden to start the season. Montas will start against the Angels Friday night.

Montas was on his way to being the ace of the staff last year until he was suspended for 80 games for use of an illegal substance.The A’s were hoping to use lefties Jesus Luzardo and A.J.Puk as starters. Luzardo is recovering from a bout with Covid-19. Puk, who had Tommy John surgery last year, is experiencing some shoulder pain and is on the Injured List. He is visiting an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles for a consultation.

The A’s bullpen is also very good. Liam Hendriks is the A’s closer. Hendriks was an All-Star last season. The setup men will be Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria, Lou Trivino, Jake Diekman, T,J,McFarland and J.B. Wendelken.

The A’s will use Robbie Grossman and Chad Pinder as backups. Grossman is a switch-hitter and can fill in for Canha. Pinder can play both in the infield and outfield. Another play the ‘s will be keeping is Rule-5 selection Vimael Machin. He is an infielder and the A’s may use him if Barreto or Kemp don’t wor out at second base.

The A’s main challenger for the top spot in the West will be the Houston Astros. Even though the Astros lost Geritt Cole to the Yankees and Will Harris to the Nationals, they still are powerful club. They made it to the World Series twice in the last three year. They won it in 2017 and lost to the Nationals last year.

The club has been in turmoil since they were caught stealing signs. The Astros replaced their manager A.J.Hinch with Dusty Baker. Baker, known as a players’ manager, has the tools to make sure the Astros are competitive.

The A’s know they have to get off to a good start. They know that a slow start can doom their chances of winning the division. They made the playoffs in 2018 and 2019 as a wildcard. They lost each time in the one-game playoff format. If they win the division, they will escape the win or go home syndrome. The time has come to play games that count. Let’s play ball.

Jerry Feitelberg is a beat writer for the Oakland A’s on http://www.sportsradioservice.com