Category: MLB

Wade and Chapman homer, and Landen Roupp gets first big league win in Giants’ 9-0 rout of Royals; KC extends losing streak to six

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San Francisco Giant Michael Conforto is caught in a run down with Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin throwing to third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) after Conforto tried to score on a fielders choice hit by Grant McCray in the top of the sixth inning at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City (AP News photo)

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024

Kauffman Stadium

Kansas City, Missouri

San Francisco Giants 9 (76-79)

Kansas City Royals 0 (82-73)

Win: Landen Roupp (1-1)

Loss: Brady Singer (9-12)

Time: 2:14

Attendance: 24,189

By Stephen Ruderman

LaMonte Wade and Matt Chapman both hit two home runs, as the Giants’ offense exploded in a 9-0 win over the Royals on a hauntingly-beautiful late Saturday afternoon in Kansas City.

After an exciting and tense 2-1 win last night, the Giants looked to keep playing spoiler against the struggling Royals. With severe weather moving into Kansas City, this game was moved up two hours. It was a warm and humid afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. It was partly cloudy, and the sun was out at the start of the game.

Royals’ starter Brady Singer retired the first two men he faced in the top of the first inning. LaMonte Wade then came up, and he hit a home run down the right field line to give the Giants an early 1-0 lead.

The Giants turned to Landen Roupp, who took the ball for his third big league start. Roupp escaped a one-out double by Bobby Witt Jr. in the bottom of the first, and he escaped another jam in the bottom of the second.

Singer pitched a scoreless top of the second and a one, two, three top of the third. Roupp then pitched another scoreless inning in the bottom of the third.

As the game reached the middle innings, it became overcast for the most part at Kauffman Stadium with a beautiful touch of blue skies off in the distance.

On the first pitch from Singer in the top of the fourth, Wade hit a towering drive down the right field line that went out for his second home run of the day. Matt Chapman, who returned to the team today after the birth of his daughter, Alexandra, came up to the plate.

Chapman got a hold of one, and hit a fly ball deep to center that got out. Wade and Chapman went back-to-back, and it was now 4-0 Giants.

Roupp survived a leadoff ground-rule double by MJ Melendez in the bottom of the fourth, and he pitched another scoreless inning in the bottom of the fifth. Roupp was done after five.

Roupp allowed a base-runner in every inning he pitched, and the Royals had a runner in scoring position in each of the first four innings, but he kept his focus in every single inning to pitch five scoreless. Roupp gave up three hits, and he walked three and struck out three.

Singer pitched a scoreless top of the fifth and retired Wade to start the top of the sixth. Chapman then came up and golfed out a slider at the knees to the Giants’ bullpen in left for his second home run of the game.

It was Chapman’s 26th home run of the year, and he is now four home runs away from becoming the first Giant to hit 30 in a season since Barry Bonds hit 45 all the way back in 2004. He will have seven games left to do it, so while it may be a tall order, it is certainly doable.

Michael Conforto immediately followed up Chapman’s second home run with a double to right, and Tyler Fitzgerald singled him over to third. That ended the day for Singer, and the Royals Manager Matt Quatraro brought in Carlos Hernandez.

Grant McCray reached on a weird fielder’s choice that saw him get to second, while Conforto was out at the plate. Donovan Walton was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Curt Casali singled to left to knock in a pair and make it 6-0. Those would be the only two runs for the Giants to score on something other than a home run.

Mike Yastrzemski then hit a three-run home run to right to make it 9-0. It was the fifth home run of the day for the Giants, and the third for Yastrzemski in the first five games of this road trip.

It was now a blowout, and as you would expect, there would be no drama the rest of the game. Spencer Bivens pitched a pair of scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, and Tristan Beck threw a pair of one, two, three innings in the eighth and ninth.

Landen Roupp got his first major league win, and this was the second game in a row in which a Giants’ rookie would get their first major league win after Mason Black got his first Thursday night. Brady Singer took the loss.

The Giants have now won four of their last five, as they improve to 76-79. They can now get that first road sweep of the season with a win Sunday. Blake Snell (4-3, 3.31 ERA) will make the start for the Giants, and he will be opposed by the veteran right-hander, Seth Lugo (16-8, 3.08 ERA).

The only question is with the wild weather in Kansas City expected to persist into , whether Sunday or not the game will be played. If it starts on time, first pitch will be at 1:10 at Kauffman Stadium, and 11:10 a.m. back home in San Francisco.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Why MLB Players have not signed off for Sacramento 2025 season yet; Coliseum memories

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Chicago Cubs runner Miles Mastrobuoni (left) is forced at second base by Oakland A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson at Wrigley Field on Thu Sep 19, 2024. The A’s play their last homestand between Sep 20-26 before moving to Sacramento at the end of the regular season. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, the countdown to closing up the Oakland Coliseum is just five games away each time you come to the park it’s really hard to believe that this ball club you covered for decades will no longer be playing in Oakland anymore after Thursday afternoon?

#2 When you talk about the A’s move to Sacramento it’s almost hard to fathom. I wanted to ask you about the MLB Players Association they have not signed off on playing in Sacramento yet. They have said that playing on artificial turf in 100 degree heat in Sacramento is not something that’s going to work for the health and safety of the players. Could this end up being a hang up that could drag maybe into December?

#3 When you look back on the history of the Coliseum it opened in 1968 with Governor Ronald Reagan throwing out the first ball and the A’s had joined the San Francisco Giants as the second team in the Bay Area ever since that time in good and bad times it was always exciting for baseball fans to know there were two Bay Area teams to see each and every season.

#4 This last Oakland A’s team showed a lot of grit this season and had players who have a great future in Major League Baseball with hitters like Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, Shea Langeliers, and Seth Brown. These guys competed and gave some of the best teams in baseball fits.

#5 Amaury you’ve been calling A’s games out of the Coliseum since the 1970s you’ve had numerous broadcast partners and working with some of the best Spanish radio broadcast talent in baseball had to really give you something to really look back on over the years.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish voice on 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

Yanks Cole was dealing, Soto was swinging in 4-2 10 inning win over A’s at Coliseum

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New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole pitched nine innings and struck out seven batters in their win over the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum Fri Sep 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

New York (AL, 80-64). 000 010 000 3. 4. 8. 0

Athletics (67-87). 000 100 000 1. 2. 3. 0. 10 innings

Time: 2:36

Attendance: 23,426

Friday, September 20, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–There were some chants of “Let’s go, Yankees” this crisp Friday evening at the Coliseum, but there also were boos for Aaron Judge and plenty of unexpectedly loud and assertive urgings of “Let’s go, Oakland.”

We hadn’t heard a mixture like that on the shores of the Nimitz River in years. The balance of decibels shifted dramatically when the visitors broke open what had been a 1-1 tie between the playoff bound Yanks and the Sacramento bound A’s, putting three runs across the plate to take a 4-1 lead and eventually take the game, 4-2. Judge, by the way, went hitless.

JT Ginn, who made his big league debut this past August 21, pitched five strong innings for the Athletics, not outstanding but nothing like what you’d expect from a 25 year old rookie with 0-1, 4.95 record. Ginn allowed one run (it was earned) on four hits and a walk, throwing 78 pitches, 46 for strikes to 18 pinstripers. Ginn wasn’t involved in the decision but lowered his ERA by more than half a run, bringing it down to 4.40.

The A’s bullpen was effective through the regulation nine frames, with Michel Otáñez, Scott Alexander, Tyler Ferguson, and Mason Miller throwing an inning apiece of shutout ball. Alexander yielded the only Yankee hit over that span, and Otáñez and Miller were the only ones in the quartet to issue a walk.

It was TJ McFarland, pitching two thirds of an inning in the 10th, who couldn’t handle the Yankees’ offense, and you really couldn’t blame him. He gave up a lead off single to Anthony Rizzo that sent zombie runner Jasson Domínguez to third.

Juan Soto, pinch hitting for Tristan Grisham, was at bat when Domínguez scored and Cabrera, pinch running for Rizzo, advanced to second on a passed ball. Soto then smacked a two bagger to left, driving in Cabrera.

Jon Berti ran for Soto, and he scored on Anthony Volpe’s single to right. After Alex Verdugo sacrificed Volpe to second, the A’s called on Grant Holman, who stopped the hemorrhage by striking out Gleyber Torres and retiring Austin Wells on a fly to center.

There must be some sort of a jinx on winning the 2023 Cy Young Award. The National League’s winner was Blake Snell,whose travials with the Giants are well known to fans in the Bay Area. The AL winner, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, started Friday night. He spent the first 75 games of this season on the injured list, courtesy of an inflamed right shoulder.

Did I mention that he’s a righty? Cole brought a 6-5, 3.97 record to the game—hardly Cy Young numbers—and pitched a beautiful nine innings, needing only 99 pitches (68 strikes) and allowing a measly two hits and a walk.

The A’s managed to score and run, and it was earned. In fact, Gerrit didn’t allow an Athletic to reach base safely until Lawrence Butler opened the bottom of the fourth with a 1-0 single to center. The A’s right fielder paid tribute to Friday night’s bobblehead honoree by stealing second and scoring a Rickie run on Sean Langeliers’ RBI single two outs later.

That brief advantage didn’t last long. Ginn weakened in the top of the fifth and issued a two out walk. Back to back singles by Trent Grisham and Anthony Volpe restored the balance. You already know what happened to upset that balance.

The A’s had a shot at making up for their tenth inning meltdown, but all they could muster was a single tally when JJ Bleday led off by singling the placed runner, Brent Rooker, home with a futile run. Luke Weaver earned his third save by fanning Shea Langliers, Seth Brown, and Zack Gelof to end the game.

The three game series will resume Saturday evening at 6:07pm PT, with a battle of southpaws between the Athletics’ JP Sears (11-11, 4.24) and the Yankees’ Carlos Rodón (15-9, 4.12)

Ramos hits for three legs of cycle, Black gets first major league win and Doval struggles to get save in oddly-familiar 2014 World Series rematch in Kansas City; SF edges KC at Kaufman 2-1

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San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos hits for an RBI single in the top of the first inning one of three hits against the Kansas City Royals on Fri Sep 20, 2024 at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City (AP News photo)

Friday, Sept. 20, 2024

Kauffman Stadium

Kansas City, Missouri

San Francisco Giants 2 (75-79)

Kansas City Royals 1 (85-68)

Win: Mason Black (1-4)

Loss: Michael Wacha (13-8)

Save: Camilo Doval (23)

Time: 2:42

Attendance: 22,117

By Stephen Ruderman

Heliot Ramos hit for three legs of the cycle; Mason Black threw a solid outing en route to his first major league win, as the Giants survived some ninth-inning drama from Camilo Doval to beat the Royals 2-1 in an oddly-familiar 2014 World Series rematch at Kauffman Stadium Friday night.

The Giants were officially eliminated Thursday after Anthony Santander hit a walk-off home run. With nine games left to finish the season on a good note, the Giants came into the hot 80 plus degrees confines of Kansas City for a 2014 World Series rematch. This was only the second time the Giants came into Kansas City since that fall classic.

While the Giants are not going to the playoffs, they were thrown right into the middle of the American League wild card race. The Royals came into Friday night in possession of the second wild card spot.

Just as the Giants took advantage of a struggling Orioles’ team in Baltimore, they would have that same advantage this weekend. The Royals came into Friday night with a four-game losing streak, which included a three-game sweep at the hands of the surging Detroit Tigers and wound up extending it to five games after the loss to the Giants.

While the Giants were facing their counterparts from the 2014 World Series, they would be up against the former St. Louis Cardinal, Michael Wacha, who Travis Ishikawa hit his legendary home run off of to win the pennant for the Giants.

The Giants pounced on Wacha in the top of the first inning. Mike Yastrzemski lined a base-hit to center field to begin the ballgame, and Mark Canha drew a walk to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Michael Conforto then flew out to center to move Yaz over to third.

Up came Heliot Ramos, who despite some of his recent struggles, was about to have a night reminiscent of the Ramos we saw in May and June. Though sometimes when you’re struggling, you need a break. Ramos got that break when he hit a chopper out in front of the plate that took a high hop back to Wacha, who had no time to make a play. Everyone was safe, and Yastrzemski scored to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

With the focus now turned to 2025, Bob Melvin is going to give a lot of the young guys a looksie in these final nine games. Friday night, it would be Mason Black, who took the ball for the Giants. Hjelle pitched a scoreless bottom of the first, and then he had to wiggle out of a jam in the bottom of the second.

From there, Black settled down to throw a pair of one, two, three innings in the third and fourth. Wacha also settled down, though the Giants were unable to do anything with a leadoff triple by Ramos in the top of the fourth.

Wacha threw a one, two, three inning in the top of the fifth and retired the first two hitters he faced in the top of the sixth. Ramos then doubled with two outs, and Patrick Bailey singled to right to knock in Ramos and make it 2-0.

Black had pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth. He then allowed a leadoff base-hit to Bobby Witt Jr. in the bottom of the sixth, but he retired the next two. Still, Bob Melvin came out and pulled him for Sean Hjelle, who got the third out.

Black ended up going five and two thirds innings after throwing 84 pitches. He gave up four hits, and he walked just one and struck out four.

Erik Miller and Tyler Rogers got the Giants through the seventh and the eighth, and then Melvin would give his old closer, Camilo Doval, a chance to get the save in the bottom of the ninth. After two dominant seasons that earned him a cool ninth-inning intro at Oracle Park, Doval has had a nightmare season that not only cost him the closer’s role, but also cost him his spot on the roster.

After Ryan Walker pitched in the final two games in Baltimore, Doval would get his shot Friday night. Unfortunately, the nightmare continues for Doval, who walked the first two guys, both on four pitches.

Yuli Gurriel was at second, and Dairon Blanco came in to pinch-run for Robbie Grossman at first. Doval then settled down to strike out the veteran, Adam Frazier, for that much-needed first out.

However, Doval was not out of the woods yet, and he was about to catch a tough break. Maikel Garcia hit a ground ball right to Tyler Fitzgerald that seemed like it was going to be a game-ending double play, but Fitzgerald hesitated, and everyone was safe.

The bases were loaded with one out for Garrett Hampson, who lined a ball just foul past the bag at third. Nevertheless, the Royals wanted the play reviewed, quite possibly to rattle Doval. Hampson then hit a sacrifice fly to right, and Gurriel scored to put the Royals on the board and make it a one-run game. Blanco moved to third on the play

It was now 2-1. The tying run was at third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, which was a familiar position for the Giants at Kauffman Stadium. The veteran, Tommy Pham—also a member of the 2014 Cardinals—was at the plate. With a 1-1 count, Doval threw a pair of sliders off the outside corner, and Pham chased both. Someway, somehow, Doval locked down the save. Well, barely.

Mason Black got his first major league win; Michael Wacha took the loss, just as he did when the Giants won the pennant in 2014; and Camilo Doval picked up his first save since Aug. 7, his 23rd of the year.

Of course, Ramos had the big night offensively for the Giants. Though I might add that his leadoff triple in the bottom of the fourth had a chance of being an inside-the-park home run, just like Alex Gordan’s two-out triple in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7.

Anyway, the Giants improve to 75-79, and the Royals have now lost five-straight. With severe weather expected Saturday night in Kansas City, the game has been moved up two hours to 4:10 p.m. in Kansas City, 2:10 p.m. back in San Francisco. Landen Roupp (0-1, 3.02 ERA) will take the ball for the Giants, and Brady Singer (9-11, 3.53 ERA) will go for Kansas City.

Oakland A’s Commentary: Sad Farewell for Oakland A’s Sports Fans

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The Oakland A’s put out an Oakland Coliseum logo commemorating their years in Oakland from 1968-2024 (Oakland A’s X image)

Sad Farewell for Oakland Sports Fans

By Tony Renteria

OAKLAND–September 20th 2024 the Oakland Athletics host the visiting New York Yankees starting the last homestand for the this storied franchise. After years of trying to get a new stadium and new location the ownership group decided to follow the lead of former fellow Oakland Coliseum tenant the NFL’s Raiders by getting permission to relocate the beloved A’s to the desert in Nevada in a city called Las Vegas.

The 56 year-old man I am understands sometimes in business the deal just not get done, but the five year old boy who was given an A’s hat in 1973 is heartbroken. The Swinging A’s were the powerhouse of the American League in the early 70’s.

They had legends of the game a young Reggie Jackson was starting his hall of famer career right here in the Yellow and Gold. Rollie Fingers had the best handle bar mustache on the planet as he dominated batters from the mound.

As I grew up so did the A’s, after quick tumble after the glory years of the Swinging A’s Charlie Finley hired Billy Martin to manage the team filled with very young and talented players like Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson whose name is graced behind home plate today.

Ricky Henderson Field honors perhaps the most overall talented player the A’s had during the Oakland era. Billy was able manage a playoff appearance for young A’s, but new owner Walter Haas gave Martin too much power in the voice of baseball Operations and the A’s were ever able to create the magic of “Billy Ball” again under Martin’s Leadership.

Haas did make some great changes to A’s in the way of marketing, he brought back the Elephant mascot, the people of Northern California who were reluctant to attend homes due to a dislike for Finley returned in mass as the A’s hit record numbers in attendance in 1980s.

In 1986 Haas hired Tony LaRussa to skipper the A’s with a roster of talented younger players like Jose Cansaco and Mark McGuire. Starting in 1988 Larussa brought three straight American league Pennants to Oakland with a World Series title in 1989 over the bay bridge neighbors the San Francisco Giants that was marred by the earthquake that happened on National Television before Game 3 of the series.

Reality set in again for the A’s as television deals and the reality of small market teams trying to compete the clubs of cities like New York and Boston. Canseco was sent Texas, McGuire and LaRussa were in St. Louis where McGuire broke Roger Maris home run record.

Henderson made a run with Blue Jays for a world title while the A’s fell further away from the top of the standings. I and rest of the A’s faithful found hope again with the likes of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Jason Giambi.

Just like the A;s would lose out of revenue from a lack a huge TV contract like the Yankees our hearts were broken again by the one of the most usual cutoff throws in playoff history a 15 foot cutoff throw to home plate by Derek Jeter.

Once again out hearts would break as the heroes of Oakland sailed off to bigger teams and bigger contracts. As much as Money Ball worked it could not produce the sustained glory of the 70’s and the 80’s. Billy Beane was able to make a run for the pennant every now and then but the glory days were long gone.

Even now as the A’s host Yankees in the last Friday night game here in this place of history from the last team in Major League History to win three consecutive World Series to the Raiders Sea of Hands play. The five-year boy who has worn green and yellow since 1973 is sadden by the fact this place which holds so many memories will be gone soon and with it the magic and joy of Ricky Stealing second base, or seeing a diving Walter Wiess rob some one of a base hit, and above all the one place where small market teams could compete with the bigger ones. I guess in the end it is the size of the dog after all.

Tony Renteria is also podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s last homestand in Oakland open three game series with Yankees tonight

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Oakland A’s Zack Gelof connects for a eighth inning one run double against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wed Sep 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The A’s are coming off a two out three game series win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field it’s another series where the A’s won showing they have lots of talent to compete with the talent they have for next season.

#2 On Wednesday the A’s Tyler Soberstrom homered and Zack Gelof double to break a tie in the eighth inning as the A’s beat the Cubs by two runs 5-3.

#3 Ironically for the Cubs the loss helped the Milwaukee Brewers clinch NL Central title for the third season in a row.

#4 A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson pitched a scoreless seventh inning and reliever Michel Ortanez struck out two in the eighth inning, and Brent Rooker went two for three and an RBI in the A’s win. Proving once again team work has been the success of the second half of this A’s season.

#5 Tonight (Friday) represents the first of the last six games in Oakland history that comes to an end next Thursday. The A’s open up a series with the New York Yankees and will never play at the Oakland Coliseum again leaving decades of history behind.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The One Man Club 50-50

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Los Angeles Dodgers two way mega star Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting his 50th home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Thu Sep 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

The One Man Club 50-50

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

There is only one player in the One Man Club.

He did not pitch this season because he had Tommy John surgery in 2023. Thursday, September 19, 2024, Shohei Ohtani, while playing in Miami with the Los Angeles Dodgers, became the first man ever in the history of Major League Baseball with 50 homeruns and 50 stolen bases in one single season.

The 30-year-old Japanese international mega-star had elbow surgery last year. Now, Ohtani is headed to the playoffs in 2024 and could pitch again in 2025.

Shohei Ohtani, a once-in-a-lifetime player, will be on the Dodgers’ payroll for the next 20 years under the unique terms of the 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. We are fortunate to live during the Ohtani years since not many who witnessed the great Babe Ruth are left.

I know Ohtani was born in Japan, but as we have seen, this talented man plays the most challenging sport to master, baseball, where most of the time you fail; he makes it look easy. His talents make him look like he comes from another world.

Congratulations Ohtani! おめでとう

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants lose to O’s on Santander walk off; Mason Black looks for first win Friday against Royals in KC

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The Baltimore Orioles Andy Rutschman (35) slides in scoring in front of San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) on Orioles Jackson Holiday’s hit in the bottom of the fourth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 The Baltimore Orioles Anthony Santander hit a game winning walk off two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in the Orioles 5-3 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants.

#2 The Orioles had struggled in the series even losing the first of the three game set 10-0 to the Giants but this win Thursday helped them move closer to a shot at the wild card.

#3 The Giants in the top of the ninth inning tied the game 3-3 when Casey Schmitt hit a single off Orioles pitcher Seranthony Dominguez. So it was a game that the Giants nearly scratched out a sweep.

#4 Giants manager Bob Melvin said after the game, We come back in the ninth and have some good at-bats late in the game like we typically do,” said Melvin. “But just fell an at-bat short.”

#5 The Giants open a three game series in Kansas City on Friday night. The Giants will start RHP Mason Black whose looking for his first win (0-4, 7.07) starting for the Royals RHP Michael Wacha (13-7, 3.29) at Kaufman Stadium first pitch 5:10pm PT.

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Anthony Santander eliminates Giants with walk-off home run, as Orioles take series finale 5-3

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Baltimore Orioles Jackson Holliday (7) heads to first base after hitting a two run RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Camden Yards on Thu Sep 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Baltimore, Maryland

San Francisco Giants 3 (74-79)

Baltimore Orioles 5 (85-68)

Win: Gregory Soto (3-5)

Loss: Ryan Walker (9-4)

Time: 2:48

Attendance: 23,181

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants were officially eliminated Thursday after failing to secure the sweep in Baltimore, as Anthony Santander hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Orioles to a much-needed 5-3 win.

The Giants’ offense clicked to win the first two games of this three-game series against the struggling Orioles. Thursday, the Giants had a chance to do two things that they have yet to do all season: sweep a series on the road, and sweep a team other than the Colorado Rockies.

After two wet and misty nights, the stage was set up perfectly for the Giants to complete the sweep on a beautiful partly cloudy early fall day in Baltimore. They had an offense playing situational baseball, and their ace, Logan Webb, making a rare start after a win.

Zach Eflin made the start for Baltimore, and he stymied the Giants’ offense with three scoreless innings out of the gate. Webb, meanwhile, pitched three no-hit innings to start his day.

Things then changed in the fourth inning. Jerar Encarnacion reached on an infield hit to lead off the inning, and then Michael Conforto hit a home run to right-center field, his second of the series, to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

There seemed to be a balance early on in this game. Both pitchers pitched three scoreless innings to start the day, but both of them had a rough go of things in the fourth.

Webb, too, ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth after he walked Anthony Santander to start the inning. Two batters later, Adley Rutschman engaged Webb in an eight-pitch at-bat and worked the count full. On the eighth pitch, Rutschman golfed out a low changeup and lined a double down the right field line that scored Santander to put the Orioles on the board.

Webb was on the ropes. The Orioles had a run in, and runners at second and third with still nobody out. However, with the Orioles’ recent offensive struggles, that gave Webb some room, as he retired the next two hitters he faced.

Webb was now an out away from limiting the damage to just a run and keeping the Giants’ lead. Unfortunately, that would not come to be for Webb, as Jackson Holliday shot a base-hit up the middle into center field, and both runners scored to give Baltimore the lead.

The Orioles had a 3-2 lead going to the fifth, and that delicate balance continued, as neither team scored from the fifth to the eighth.

Webb ended up going five innings after the long bottom of the fourth ballooned his pitch count, which got up to 96. In total, Webb gave up three runs on four hits, and he walked just two and struck out eight. Other than the bottom of the fourth, Webb only allowed one base-runner in four no-hit innings.

The Giants had runners at first and second with two outs against Eflin in the top of the sixth. Patrick Bailey came up and hit a low-hanging fly ball deep to right, but Orioles’ right-fielder Heston Kjerstad went back and two his right to make a nice running catch at the wall to end the inning. That would end the day for Eflin, who went six innings for the O’s, and allowed two runs on six hits.

Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth for the Giants. Spencer survived a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, and then he threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

Back to that delicate balance, the ninth inning would be full of action. The Orioles brought in Seranthony Dominguez for the ninth, and he couldn’t find the zone. Dominguez walked Bailey to start the inning, and then he walked Heliot Ramos on four pitches.

The Giants had runners at first and second with nobody out for Casey Schmitt. Schmitt hit a fly ball to right-center that kept carrying. Center-fielder Cedric Mullins and right-fielder Austin Slater—the latter just into the game—both came for it, but they collided, and the ball went to the wall. Bailey scored to tie the game, but after what transpired, Ramos only went to second, and that limited Schmitt to the longest and weirdest single of the year.

It’s understandable to be a bit confused after the craziness that transpired on that fly ball, but the ball laid on the ground next to the wall for a few seconds, and Ramos had all the time in the world to get to third. He even could have scored on that play.

Ramos has been a great story for the Giants this season, and he will be a big part of their future. However, he made the kind of fundamental blunder that we have seen far too much from players throughout Baseball in recent years, especially this season.

It was a costly base-running mistake by Ramos, and it came back to bite the Giants. Donovan Walton tried to lay down a bunt to move the runners over to second and third, but he bunted it in the air to catcher Adley Rutschman. Brandon Hyde then brought in the lefty, Gregory Soto, who induced a 4-3 double play off the bat of Mark Canha to end the inning.

Bob Melvin brought in his closer, the reliable Ryan Walker, for the bottom of the ninth. Walker caught Emmanuel Rivera looking at a sinker at the knees to start the inning, but Gunner Henderson singled to right. Walker then struck Cedric Mullins out swinging, and he quickly got Anthony Santander to an 0-2 count.

Walker was a strike away from sending the game to the tenth. However, Santander battled with two strikes. He took a sinker inside for ball one, and he fouled off four-straight pitches. Then on the eighth pitch, Walker hung a slider just above the knees, and Santander hit a fly ball deep to right-center that kept carrying and went out just over the wall. The Orioles won it 5-3.

Gregory Soto got the win, and Ryan Walker had to take the loss.

Going back to that delicate balance. Neither team scored in the first three innings, and from the fifth through the eighth. However, both teams scored in the fourth and the ninth, and that accounted for all of the runs scored Thursday.

The Giants fall to 74-79, and they have officially been eliminated from any possible postseason contention. With the Giants being eliminated in their 153rd game, this is the earliest they have been eliminated since 2018, when they were eliminated right before their 151st game.

With nine games left and their fate sealed, the Giants can still end the season on a high note. Despite not being able to complete the sweep Thursday, the Giants still played well, and they showed the resilience they’ve had all year when they tied the game in the ninth.

The Giants can now carry that momentum into Kansas City, where they will begin a three-game series and 2014 World Series rematch with the Royals starting Thursday night. The Giants will really have a chance to play spoiler against a Royals’ team that holds the second wild card spot in the American League, and is only two games up on a playoff spot.

Mason Black (0-4, 7.07 ERA) will make the start for the Giants, and he will be opposed by the longtime veteran and old friend, Michael Wacha (13-7, 3.29 ERA). First pitch at Kauffman Stadium will be at 7:10 p.m., and 5:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Oakland A’s commentary: My Farewell to the Green and Gold

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Former great Oakland A’s catcher the late Ray Fosse looking upwards smile on face with catcher’s glove is one of the people the author will remember and be thankful for in covering A’s baseball over the years (file photo Athletic Nation)

My Farewell to the Green & Gold

By Mauricio Segura

As a lifelong fan of the Oakland A’s, who used to dream (like many) of donning a green and gold jersey, #21, playing centerfield, and hitting home runs into the ivy behind the bleachers (before Mt. Davis ruined that), writing these words feels like carving out a piece of my soul.

The ever-approaching finality of the A’s leaving Oakland is not just the loss of a team—it’s the tearing apart of decades of memories, a community, and the beating heart of baseball in the East Bay. For those who’ve been there since the beginning, watching games in the windy chill of the Coliseum, there’s an indescribable ache that settles in knowing this chapter is closing.

It feels like losing a loved one, something irreplaceable, where nothing will ever refill the void. It is with tears streaming down my face that I write these words—my farewell and tribute to an old friend.

The A’s have always been a team of movement—born in Philadelphia in 1901, where they first made history as one of the original American League franchises. Winning five world championships under the legendary Connie Mack, the A’s became a powerhouse of early Major League Baseball.

After a rocky tenure in Kansas City (1955-1967), they landed in Oakland in 1968. We welcomed them with open arms, and what a ride it’s been. The 1970s became the Golden Age of the A’s, with owner Charlie Finley turning the team into champions—and not just any champions, but a team that captured the imaginations of baseball fans everywhere.

Finley was a showman. He brought in oddities that left people shaking their heads and laughing, like the introduction of “The Mechanical Rabbit” that delivered new baseballs to umpires, or his insistence that the team wear white cleats—a move that was mocked at first but ended up setting a fashion trend that teams followed for decades.

It wasn’t just gimmicks that made those A’s teams legendary, though. On the field, they were a force of nature. Between 1972 and 1974, they won three consecutive World Series titles, with Hall of Famers like Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers delivering one clutch performance after another.

Who could forget the cannon arm of Reggie Jackson, “Mr. October” himself, or the speed of Bert Campaneris flying around the bases? These players didn’t just play the game; they electrified it, turning it into something bigger than a sport—a cultural moment.

Side note, did you know that Debbi Fields of Mrs. Fields Cookie’s fame was one of the original Oakland A’s ball girls? She was! And Stanely Kirk Burrel, who you know better as MC Hammer was a ballboy.

By the 1980s, the A’s reinvented themselves again under the fiery and relentless Billy Martin. The term “Billy Ball” became synonymous with aggressive, no-holds-barred baseball. Billy Martin was a manager with a spark, and he brought that spark to Oakland in full force.

Players like Rickey Henderson, who would go on to become the all-time stolen base leader, were at the forefront of this era. Henderson wasn’t just fast; he was a magician on the base paths, stealing more bases in a single season (130) than any other team in the league, then years later finishing his career as the king of steals with 1,406—a Major League Baseball record that may never be broken. Alongside him, players like Dwayne Murphy, Tony Phillips, and pitcher Steve McCatty embodied the hustle, grit, and toughness that came to define this period.

Then came the LaRussa years and the rise of the Bash Brothers—Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. The late ’80s were a time of thunderous home runs, and the team was crowned champions again in 1989, winning the World Series in the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

That series against our Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco Giants, became known as the “Earthquake Series,” a poignant and surreal moment in sports history that transcended baseball. The image of Dave Stewart staring down batters with a look of a tiger eyeing its prey or Dennis Eckersley pumping his fist after each pivotal strikeout is etched in our memories. And who can forget the heartwarming, gap-toothed smile of Dave “Hendu” Henderson? Every time he smiled, you knew something good was afoot.

In the 2000s, the A’s were ahead of their time with the Moneyball era. Billy Beane, the architect behind it all, revolutionized baseball with a strategy that turned conventional wisdom on its head. While teams like the Yankees spent hundreds of millions, the A’s thrived by analyzing data and exploiting inefficiencies. Players like Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, Eric Chavez, and Scott Hatteberg became household names, not for their superstar status, but for their incredible contributions to a team that embraced innovation and defied the odds.

And even now, with a team expected by everyone in the league to be thrown out with the morning trash, a special shoutout goes to players like Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, and Zack Gelof, who, despite the chaos swirling around them, continue to play their hearts out and win games for us. Their perseverance, despite resistance, has shown the utmost dedication and loyalty to their craft.

Through it all, something else stands out—the unwavering loyalty of the fans. The Oakland Coliseum, often called a “dump” by outsiders, was home for us. Sure, the plumbing was bad, and the seats were outdated, but it was our dump—where we witnessed moonshots and forearm bashes.

Our dump where, in May of 1991, Rickey Henderson proudly declared, “Today, I am the greatest of all time.” Our dump where Catfish Hunter and Dallas Braden achieved perfection on the mound almost 42 years apart. It will always be our dump, and we’re damn proud of it!

The stadium has reverberated with the chants of the fans who packed the bleachers, beating drums, blowing horns, and throwing themselves behind this team. Even as attendance waned in later years due to poor ownership decisions and the looming threat of relocation, Oakland fans refused to go quietly.

Who could forget the reverse boycott of 2023, when fans donned “Sell” shirts in protest of ownership—a movement so significant that one such shirt ended up in the Hall of Fame! That was more than a protest—it was a love letter to the team, a declaration that we wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Yet here we are, at the end of that fight. The A’s are leaving, and it’s hard to fathom a future without them in Oakland. But they leave behind a legacy, one that can never be erased. This city, with its rich and complicated history, has been the backdrop for some of the most incredible moments in the history of this beautiful game.

Even as the team moves to Sacramento, Las Vegas—or wherever the winds of ownership take them—those of us who lived and breathed Oakland baseball will carry these memories forever.

As the final out is recorded next Thursday afternoon, and the team leaves the Coliseum for the last time, our hearts will remain torn. But the memories we made—of championships, rivalries, legends, and wild innovations—will never die. We can only hope that somewhere, in the heart of Las Vegas or wherever the A’s land, they carry a piece of Oakland with them. Because no matter where they go, the spirit of the Oakland A’s will always belong to us.

In my ten years covering this final chapter of A’s baseball from the Coliseum press box, I want to give a thankful shoutout to three people who have made it so much more memorable: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, the Spanish Voice of the Oakland A’s since 1977 and my mentor; Lee Leonard for countless hours of stories and laughs between innings… and during; and the late great Ray Fosse, who was always available for questions and advice. Thank you!

Mauricio Segura Golden Bay Times Die-hard Green and Gold since 1983