Category: Oakland Athletics

Rays outduel A’s 4-2; Both managers Cash and Kotsay get tossed by ump

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Oakland A’s manager Mark Kotsay expresses his displeasure in front of second base umpire Laz Diaz in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Oakland Coliseum Wed Aug 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (64-62) 000 020 200 4 7 1

Athletics (54-73) 100 001 000 2 5 0

Time:2:32

Attendance: 10,339

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Oakland, CA

By Lewis Rubman

Serial A’s killer José Siri, right handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot, and minor league call up umpire Brock Ballou combined to give the team from the western end of the Tamiami Trail a 4-2 triumph over the Erewhon A’s in this Wednesday night’s third game of their four game series.

A night earlier, the Athletics had battled the Rays to a scoreless tie until there were two out in the top of the eighth before succumbing 1-0. Wednesday night, JJ Bleday’s first inning home run, a 373 foot dinger to right, his 17th round trip shot of the year, was too late and, as it turned out, too little to overcome the dashing and resourceful Floridians, who lead the majors in steals since the All-Star break.

Bleday also figured in the Rays’ tying the score in the top of the fifth. He made a diving attempt to catch Siri’s dying quail in center field only to have the ball bounce off the heel of his upturned glove, allowing José Caballero to race to third and then score on Jonny DeLuca’s grounder that forced Siri out at second. Yandy Díaz then drove DeLuca home with the go ahead tally.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lawrence Butler raised the utopian hope that the Athletics might somehow pull off a win, doubling to left and scoring the tying run on Brent Rooker’s single to center. I call the hope utopian because utopia is Latin for nowhere, hence my reference to the Erewhon A’s in the first paragraph. In 1872, the British writer Samuel Butler wrote a once well known novel he called Erewhon. Pedantry and word play can take the sting out of the double loss of a tight game and a tightwad team owner.

Mitch Spence didn’t quite perform up to the standards of Joe Boyle on Monday or Joey Estes on Tuesday, but, even though he made a few mistakes (and what pitcher doesn’t?), he had little to be ashamed of. He struck out ten Rays in seven innings on the mound, allowing four runs on seven hits, one of them a serious four bagger from Tampa Bays’ interstate dwelling center fielder, who, even after three straight scorching games, still is looking up at the Mendoza line.

Nonetheless, the one time Yankee farm hand threw only 30 balls out of 105 total pitches, only to be charged with his ninth loss against seven wins and see his ERA creep up to 4.67. JT Ginn, promoted from the AAA Las Vegas Aviators on Tuesday, made an impressive big league debut, giving up one walk and striking out three opposing batters while shutting out the Rays in the two final frames.

Tampa Bay’s Ryan Pepiot celebrated his 27th birthday by earning a win that improved his record to 7-5, 3.65. His performance was a notch above Spence’s. The Athletics got to him for two runs, both earned, on five hits, one of them Bleday’s homer in the first.

He gave up one walk and hit one batter while striking out five of the 23 he faced. Half of his 105 offerings were balls. Drew Rassmussen, Garrett Clevinger, and Manuel Rodríguez held the A’s scoreless in the one inning that each of them spent on the bump. Rodríguez earned the save, his first.

Wednesday night’s game had the distinction of featuring the ejection of both teams’ managers. In the seventh, the Rays’ Kevin Cash was tossed by plate umpire Brock Ballou, whose atrocious work behind the plate was non-partisan, and A’s skipper Mark Kotsay got the heave-ho from first base arbiter Erich Bacchus in the eighth.

The A’s will try to even the series Thursday, at 12:37 in the afternoon. The Athletics will send righty Osvaldo Bido (4-3, 3.40), who gave up two walks and an infield single in his last start, beating the Giants on August 17th. The Rays will counter with southpaw Jeffrey Springs (1-1,3.86).

Ray’s Baz taking care of Biz shuts out A’s in 1-0 in 1:54 special

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Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane Baz heads to the dugout in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Aug 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (63-62). 000 000 010. 1 3 0

Athletics (54-72). 000 000 000. 0 3 0

Time: 1:54

Attendance: 4,377

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–We’ve become accustomed to well pitched, tight games at the site of the doomed pleasure palace off the Nimitz freeway, and this Tuesday night’s contest between the flirting with .500 Floridians from Tampa Bay and the too late surging Oakland Athletics (54-72) about to desert the bay for Sacramento and the desert was no exception. The Tampa Bay Rays (63-62) wound up on top, 1-0, in a game that could have gone either way.

The Athletics’ starting pitcher Joey Estes, hadn’t been part of the team’s recent renaissance that had given them a 24-15 record since July 1, the fourth best in the majors and earned them sole possession in the AL West, but he sure did pitch masterfully Tuesday night.

The 22 year old right hander pitched deep into the game, 7-2/3 innings, before Estes surrendered his third, and final hit. Unfortunately, it was a home run to José Siri, a 415 foot blast that went over the Sports California sign in center field, his 15th round tripper and 39th RBI of the year.

It brought his batting average up to .195. Aside from that one bad pitch, a 92 mph four seamer, you couldn’t have asked Estes for a better performance. A double by Yandy Díaz in the sixth was the only other extra base hit he allowed.

Estes faced 19 batters, throwing them 94 pitches, only 27 of them balls, issuing but one free pass. But he took the loss, leaving him with a record of 5-6, 4.44. Michel Otáñez got Yandy Díaz to ground out to short for the third out and then put the Rays down in order in the ninth.

Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz was just a smidgen better than Estes. He, too, lasted 7-2/3 frames and surrendered three hits . He walked three and struck out four. All of the hits against him were singles. 31 of his 92 deliveries were balls.

The win improved his season’s record to 1-2, 3.48). Edwin Uceda relieved Daz after Darell Hernaíz got the A’s third and final hit. He pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first save.

Miguel Andj́ar, Sean Langeliers, and Darell Hernaíz were the only A’s not held hitless. Langeliers’ safety was on a high bouncing ball to third. Tampa Bay’s Díaz was the only batter on either team logged a multi-hit game.

The match up for the third encounter of this four game series will start Wednesday, evening at 6:40pm PT and feature right handers Mitch Spence (7-8 , 4.54) for the Athletics and Ryan Pepiot (6-5, 3.69). If it’s anything like the first two games of this series, it’ll be great fun to watch.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Miguel Tejada Inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame

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left to right, Manolo Hernandez Douen, Amaury Pi Gonzalez, and Miguel Tejada celebrate Tejada’s induction into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame on Sat Aug 17, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum (photo by Jose Orellana KIQI radio)

Miguel Tejada Inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–On Sunday, the 18th of August, before the second game of the last ever Bay Bridge series against the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland A’s ceremony on the field officially inducted these players as the sixth Oakland A’s Hall of Fame class of 2024. Born in the Dominican Republic, Miguel Tejada, born in Cuba, José Canseco, who choked up at ther end of his acceptance speech on the field, saying he never dreamed of receiving this honor.

A sunny and joyful afternoon at the Coliseum in front of 32,727 A’s and Giants fans it resembled a big family during an Oakland historic and sad day. We will never again see the Oakland A’s play the San Francisco Giants at this Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum, the home of the four-time World Series champion Oakland A’s.

This was indeed a historic day here in the East Bay. The Giants arrived from New York in 1958, and the A’s from Kansas City in 1968. Numerous families in the Bay Area share fans for each team. They have been friendly geographical rivals ever since.

Miguel Tejada visited the A’s Spanish Radio booth, something the affable ex-player has done in the past, but this time sporting a very bright, nice green jacket, minutes after being inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame. A humble Miguel Tejada told us about his inspiration for baseball, his Dominican Republic compatriot Juan Marichal.

I asked Miguel about his family, who accompanied him in receiving this well-deserved honor. I asked him about his 10-year-old son, and he told me he was playing baseball and might be another shortstop.

Miguel Tejada played for the A’s from 1997 to 2003. A six-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the 2002 American League MVP, and the 2005 All-Star game MVP. His career spanned 16 years, mainly with the A’s, and he made stops later in Baltimore, Houston, San Diego, and San Francisco.

In his better years, he was wearing Green and Gold. Inducted also; Hall of Fame Broadcaster Bill King (1927-2005), Manager Dick Williams (1921-2011), and Eddie Joost, who was born in San Francisco and played in the 1940s as an infielder for the Philadelphia Athletics. Carney Lansford, a 2023 inductee, was also there.

In 2019, A’s Cuban-born shortstop Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris, the great lead-off hitter who Reggie Jackson once called a key piece of the A’s 1970s dynasty, was inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame.

Campy played the most number of games in Oakland Athletics franchise history, with 1,795 games in his career. Campaneris was the A’s shortstop during those three consecutive World Championships in 1972-73-74. Campy Campaneris is the A’s Franchise All-Time Hits Leader (1882), All-Time Plate Appearances Leader (7895), All-Time At Bats Leader (7180),

Tremendous shortstop defensively, a base stealer, a great bunter (a lost art today), and an excellent teammate. He is a humble man who represented his country of Cuba, Major League Baseball, and the Oakland Athletics, as well as anybody I know.

There are no more ceremonies scheduled for the A’s in 2024. The A’s missed retiring #19, the number Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris wore during their dynasty of the 70s. Unfortunately, fans who wanted to see his number retired will never see it.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play 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

A’s starter Boyle throws gas in 3-0 shutout over Rays at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Joe Boyle delivers against the Tampa Bay Rays in the top of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Aug 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tampa Bay (62-62) 000 000 000 0 2 1

Athletics (54-70) 200 010 00x 3 6 1

Time: 2:22

Attendance: 3,938

Monday, August 19, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–This comfortable August evening, the incipient I’m a Stranger Here Myself Athletics, fresh from splitting and coming within a hare’s breath of sweeping the Bay Bridge Series, opened a four game series Monday night against the team representing the region spanned by another Bay Bridge, the one that connects Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The resultant 3-0 Athletic triumph brought the team’s record to 54-71, playing well above .500 since July 1st, the fourth best in the majors since that date. The Rays fell to 62-62.The attendance was a little over 10% of Saturday evening’s afternoon crowd for the Giants game and less than 10% of the number of mourners at Sunday afternoon’s wake.

The unhoused occupants of the homeless encampment known as the Coliseum got six full and shut out innings out of southpaw Joy Boyle, who dispatched the 24 Rays he faced on two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch.

His brilliant performance earned him his third win against five losses while reducing his ERA to 6.21. Grant Holman and TJ McFarland, held the Rays off the board in the seventh and eighth frames, respectively. The former allowed a base on balls; each of them notched a strikeout. Mason Miller came through with his 19th save, allowing only a 3-2, two out walk to José Siri.

The A’s opened the scoring early and never looked back. Lawrence Butler drew a leadoff walk against Rays starter Taj Bradley, who did a pretty good job on the mound himself. Indeed, he followed Butler’s free pass by whiffing Brett Rooker.

JJ Bleday, however, had Bradley’s number. Bleday’s were 16 (his HR total for the season), 388 (the feet it travelled into the left field seats), 102.6 (the blast’s exit velocity), and 91.2 (the speed of Bradley’s 1-1 four seamer). The green and gold scored only once more, but with the pitching they got, even that was superfluous.

Zack Gelof defied The Curse of the Leadoff Double. Max Schuermann sacrificed him over to third, and Butler’s 362 foot sac fly to right brought him home for the final tally of the game.

Bradley was charged with the loss, which left him with a record of 6-8, 3.55. Like Boyle, Tampa Bay’s starter had toiled six frames before his exit. He gave up five hits, and the three runs scored against him were earned. He struck out three and walked two.

53 of his 89 deliveries counted as strikes. Richard Loveland allowed a single to Abraham Toro, struck out Gelof and Butler, and uncorked a wild pitch while shutting out the A’s in the seventh. Joel Kuhnel, recalled earlier in the day from the Durham Bulls, struck out a couple of Athletics in a perfect eighth.

The Athletics benefited from a replay review in the bottom of the fourth. Seth Brown originally was called safe at first on what would have been a 6-4-3 double play. Tampa Bay challenged the decision, which was overruled, and Brown was out on a 6-4-3 double play.

Another intimate gathering is expected Tuesday, evening at 6:40. Right handers Shane Baz (0-2, 4.21) of the Rays and Joey Estes (5-5, 4.72) for the As will entertain the guests.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s keep rolling and playing solid ball; Opposing teams know A’s are the team to beat

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San Francisco Giant Mike Yastrzemski is tagged out by the Oakland A’s Max Schuemann at second base at the Oakland Coliseum Mon Aug 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The A’s are rolling they have won five of their last seven games and are now 16-10 since the All Star Game and is the sixth best record in MLB and are currently 53-71.

#2 The A’s have won more games than last season and are just seven games short of their 60 wins in 2022.

#3 The A’s are now tied for fourth place with the Los Angeles Angels for fourth place in the AL West and could move into third place if they could eclipse the Angels with a successful four game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

#4 The A’s so far are 8-6 in the month of August. There is no doubt since going 15-9 in July that teams are gearing up for the A’s knowing they had one of the best records in baseball in July.

#5 Just had to ask the Las Vegas Stadium Authority held a meeting last Thursday and LVSA CEO Steven Hill who headed the meeting was confident that the A’s would have their financial house in order by the October 17th meeting and that the A’s share of the construction should all in place by that time. The A’s said their financing $350 million and getting private financing $850 million in private equity. Can the A’s pull off the financing for the Las Vegas ballpark before the December deadline?

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s open three game match with Rays tonight at Coliseum

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (26) tags out the Oakland A’s JJ (33) at third base in the bottom of the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Aug 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Barbara, the San Francisco Giants who won the second game of the brief two game series at the Oakland Coliseum did some damage in the top of the tenth inning with the score tied 1-1 when Jerar Encarnacion belted his second home run of the season a two run shot to center to give the Giants a 3-1 lead.

#2 Michael Conforto followed up Encarnacion with his 13th home run of the season a blast to right for 395 feet to give the Giants a 4-1 lead and it looked like the Giants were going to put this one away.

#3 Not so fast the Oakland A’s in the bottom of the tenth inning never a team to give up made a valiant effort to get back in the ball game when they cut the Giants lead in half to two runs when Max Schuemann hit a ball to Giants second baseman Brett Wisely who made a fielding error and allowed Lawrence Butler to score making it 4-2.

#4 With the bases loaded and two out and a chance to tie it up A’s hitter Shea Langeliers struck out swinging and the Giants came away with a 4-2 win to conclude the final Bay Bridge Series resulting in a split.

#5 The A’s will open a three game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at the Oakland Coliseum Monday night at 6:40pm PT. Starting pitchers for the Rays RHP Taj Bradley (6-7, ERA 3.49) for the A’s RHP Joe Boyle (2-5, ERA 7.39)

Barbara Mason does the Oakland A’s podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s game wrap: Giants two homers in 10th beats A’s 4-2 in Bay Bridge Series Split

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Oakland A’s manager Mark Kotsay (center) argues with plate umpire Emil Hernandez (82) after getting tossed for questioning a pitch in the top in the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Aug 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

San Francisco (63-63). 000 000 100 3. 4. 9. 1

Athletics (53-71). 000 001 000 1. 2. 8 0. 10 innings

Time: 2:42

Attendance: 32,727

August 18, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The Sacramento Athletics of Las Vegas made what probably will be their last appearance of their brief 54 year tenancy of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this warm and sunny Sunday afternoon in what Peter Gammons once correctly called the best stadium in major league baseball by falling to the San Francisco Giants, 4-2, in ten innings Sunday.

For the second time in this two game series between a pair of severely flawed teams the starting pitchers gave outstanding performances. The San Franciscan had begrudged the existence of their transbay rivals ever since Horace Stoneham colluded with Walter O’Malley to strip New York of its two National League franchises discovered that Charles Finley had bereft Kansas City of its claim to be a major league city by spiriting its representative in the American League off to the East Bay. You can call the A’s imminent departure for Sacramento and Las Vegas KC’s Revenge. This afternoon’s come from behind San Francisco victory sealed the deal.

The A’s sent JP Sears, at 10-8, 4.32 at game time, their winningest pitcher to the mound. This was his 25th start of the season. Seven of them came in July and August, months in which he went 6-1, 2.91. He performed well this afternoon, shutting the Giants out for six innings before Héliot Ramos sent an 82 mph change up 448 feet into center field to tie the game at one all.

The blast was Ramos’s 18th round tripper of the year. That was the only tally Sears allowed at the end of his 7-2/3 innings on the mound. He surrendered seven hits without a base on balls while striking out nine.

Sears also made a difficult and significant play in the top of the fourth when he turned Mark Canha’s pop between the mound and the third base foul line into a 1-3 double play. The Athletics used three other pitchers; the first two were effective.

Tyler Ferguson closed out the eighth by fanning the Giants’ DH, Jenar Encarnación, whose tenth inning home run would drive in the winning run. Mason Miller struck out two of the three batters he faced in retiring the side in order in the ninth.

It was Dany Jiménez, fresh off the injured list, who gave up three runs to the five Giants he faced in the tenth and was charged with the loss that left him 1-3, 3.65. In addition to Encarnación’s two run round tripper, his second four bagger of the year.

It traveled 399 feet into center field. Michael Conforto, pinch hitting for Casey Schmitt, who had followed Encarnación in the Giants batting order, gave San Francisco an insurance run with his 13th homer, a shot that cleared the fence in right.

The Giants took the field looking up once more at the .500 plateau and placing their hopes in the finally hitting his stride southpaw Blake Snell (2-3, 3.91 but 2-0, 0.99 with an 0.62 WHIP and opponents’ batting average of .097 in his last seven starts. He kept the A’s off the board for 4-2/3 innings, when the A’s notched their first run after Daz Cameron singled to left and advanced a base on Brent Rooker’s single to right.

After JJ Bleday’s ground out forced Rooker at second, Miguel Andújar drove in Cameron with a single to right. That run scoring play, however, ended the inning because Mike Yastrzemski’s throw cut down Bleday at third.

The Athletics loaded the bases against him with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but last year’s Cy Young winner pitched his way out of the jam. Snell continued to contain the A’s lineup unit he exited after seven innings having surrendered six hits, allowed two walks, and hitting one batter.

He notched 10 Ks, and, like Sears, had to settle for a no decision. The outing brought his ERA down to 3,67. Tyler Rogers threw a perfect eighth, and Ryan Walker gave up nothing but a single in the ninth. He got the win, making him 8-3, 2.10, after yielding two runs, neither of them earned, after zombie runner Lawrence Butler scored when Max Schuemann reached base on an error by Brett Wisely, now playing second following Conforto’s insertion into the lineup.

Sean Langliers made a spectacular catch of Yastrzemski’s safety suicide bunt attept with runners on the corners and one away in the San Francisco fifth.

The Athletics benefited from a video review of what originally had been called a second inning double by Encarnación was ruled a single and thrown out attempting to advance, The play went 7-4, Andújar to Gelof.

Schuemann;s single to left in the third frame, the Athletics’ first of the game, ended shortstop’s 16 at bat hitless streak.

Monday the 19th, the A’s will face Tampa Bay, where the Giants would have moved if Walter Haas hadn’t saved their bacon by yielding Oakland’s territorial rights in the south bay, a debt that the current Giant ownership has conspicuously failed to repay.

Right hander Joe Boyle (2-5, 7.39) will start for the A’s; fellow righty Taj Bradley (6-7, 3.49) will toe the rubber for the gang from St. Petersburg. Say what you will, the Coliseum, even in its current deteriorated condition, beats Tropicana field hands down.

Oakland A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg: Giants and A’s close up shop on Bay Bridge Series Sunday at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s pitcher Osvaldo Bido delivers to the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg:

#1 The Oakland A’s starter Osvaldo Bido pitched a six innings of no hit ball against the San Francisco Giants at Oakland Coliseum on Saturday night for a 2-0 shutout.

#2 Bido’s no hit bid ended in the sixth inning when Grant McCray got an infield hit that A’s third baseman Darrell Hernaiz barehanded and his throw was too late to get McCray who broke up the no hitter.

#3 Bido’s effort he struck out six hitters and walked two batters. Bido had a good mix of pitches and kept a potent Giants line up off balance for most of the game.

#4 The A’s who had attendance problems in recent years got their biggest crowd on of the season Saturday against the Giants at 37,551 which beat out their previous high of 35, 207 against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sat Aug 3 at the Coliseum.

#5 Giants and A’s play the very last Bay Bridge series here at the Coliseum as the A’s will move to Sacramento next season. The Giants will start LHP Blake Snell (2-3, ERA 3.91) and the A’s will start LHP JP Sears (10-8, ERA 4.32) a 1:07pm PT first pitch.

Augie Mesenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Giants’ offense stays dead, as A’s open most-likely final Bay Bridge series with 2-0 shutout

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San Francisco Giants Tyler Fitzgerald (right) strikes out for the final out as Oakland A’s catcher Shea Langeliers (left) puts the squeeze on the ball behind the plate at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 

Oakland, California

San Francisco Giants 0 (62-63)

Oakland Athletics 2 (53-70)

Win: Osvaldo Bido (4-3)

Loss: Hayden Birdsong (3-3)

Save: Michel Otanez (1)

Time: 2:37

Attendance: 37,551

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants’ offense once again went dead, as the A’s shutout the Giants 2-0 in the opener Saturday of what will most likely be the final Bay Bridge Series at the Oakland Coliseum, and the Giants have been knocked back down under .500.

Saturday began what will likely be the Giants’ final series at the Coliseum, and this weekend would highlight the history between the two Bay Area rivals. Jose Canseco was inducted into the A’s Hall of Fame prior to the game on this mostly-cloudy late afternoon at the Coliseum.  

It was fitting that Canseco was inducted today, as he was of course a big part of the 1989 A’s, who swept the Giants in four games in the historic Bay Bridge World Series that fall. The series was most noted for the tragic Loma Prieta Earthquake that struck right before Game 3 was supposed to begin at Candlestick Park on Oct. 17.

Despite the tragic nature of the quake and the lives that were lost, the fact that many people left work early to either go to the Stick or watch the game on TV kept the freeways mostly empty during rush hour and saved many lives. The series resumed 10 days later on Oct. 27, and prior to the game, the two teams came together to celebrate the Bay Area and honor the lives that were lost in the disaster. 

Canseco broke down during his speech Saturday and described himself as an emotional wreck, as he felt the emotions of this likely final season for the A’s in Oakland. However, Canseco was the very man who ended the honeymoon after a pair of up-and-in pitches from Scott Garrelts caused Canseco to react and the benches to begin to empty in the top of the first inning of Game 3.

With the implementation of Interleague Play in 1997, these two teams created many more memories. Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the All-Time Home Run list with his 714th-career home run on May 20, 2006 at the Coliseum. Nate Schierholtz electrified fans at then-AT&T Park with an inside-the-park home run on June 14, 2009.

As for A’s fans, they had their memories too. Eric Byrnes hit for the cycle at then-Pacific Bell Park on June 29, 2003. Another memorable moment for A’s fans was when Derek Norris walked off the Giants at the Coliseum with his first major league home run on June 24, 2012.

One memory that both teams’ fans will never forget was when Barry Zito and Tim Hudson squared off at the Coliseum on Sept. 26, 2015, as the two pitchers wound down their careers. Zito, Hudson and Mark Mulder constituted the Big Three, which played a vital part in the A’s success in the early 2000s. 

Zito then signed a seven-year deal with the Giants prior to 2007. After five brutal seasons across the A’s in San Francisco in which he drew the ire of Giants’ fans, he won the love, admiration and respect of the fans when he played a massive role in the Giants’ world championship in 2012.

Hudson signed with the Giants prior to 2014 and made his mark in the Giants’ world championship this season. Zito had re-signed with the A’s for the 2015 Season and was back with the Green and Gold after spending most of the season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

Neither pitcher went very far on Sept. 26, but that game proved to be quite special for Giants’ outfielder Jarrett Parker. Parker hit three home runs that afternoon with the third being a grand slam en route to a dramatic 14-10 win for a Giants’ team that was grinding down the stretch with a roster of minor leaguers to defend their title.

The two teams created many more memories, and fans hoped that perhaps there could be some final memories created this weekend. The Giants looked to build off a desperately-needed win over the Braves on Thursday. The A’s have not had the greatest season, but they have been playing solid ball this second half, as they came into today 22-14 in their last 36 games.

The A’s were relishing in their role as spoilers, and they were going to make things difficult for a struggling Giants’ game that snapped a four-game losing streak with their win Thursday. Osvaldo Bido made the start for Oakland Saturday, and he got things started with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning.

Hayden Birdsong got off to a great start in his first six big league starts, as he went 3-0 and didn’t give up more than three runs in any of those starts. However, after the Nationals pounded him for seven runs on Aug. 6 in Washington, D.C., he struggled against the Tigers at Oracle Park on Sunday. 

Birdsong, like Bido, started his afternoon with a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the first. This game turned into a pitcher’s duel, as through four innings, the A’s got just one hit off Birdsong, and the Giants didn’t get a single base-runner against Bido. Mike Yastrzemski drew a two-out walk in the top of the fifth to be the Giants’ first base-runner of the day, but Patrick Bailey then flew out to right field to end the inning.

Birdsong had pitched much better Saturday, but the A’s loaded the bases against him with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Lawrence Butler then put the A’s on the board with a sacrifice fly to center. It would end Birdsong’s day, and it was an unfortunate end, but he still had a strong start Saturday, as he gave up just a run and three hits, and he struck out five over four and two thirds innings.

The A’s led 1-0 going to the sixth. With one out in the top of the sixth, Grant McCray got the Giants’ first hit with a swinging bunt. Tyler Fitzgerald then walked to put runners at first and second with one out. However—you guessed it—the Giants were unable to come through and wasted it.

Spencer Bivens, who finished the bottom of the fifth, was back out for the bottom of the sixth, and he ran into trouble. Miguel Andujar doubled to left with one out, and he scored two batters later on a two-out base-hit off the bat of Seth Brown to make it 2-0.

Left-hander Scott Alexander, who pitched for the Giants the last two seasons, came in for Oakland in the top of the seventh. With one out, two former A’s made some noise. Matt Chapman walked, and Mark Canha lined a base-hit to left to put runners at first and second. However, just as they did in the sixth, the Giants wasted this golden opportunity in the seventh.

Jordan Hicks came in for San Francisco in the top of the seventh and survived a two-out jam to keep the deficit at 2-0 going to the eighth. 

As the sun broke through the clouds for the top of the eighth, McCray started the inning by lining a base-hit to right-center, and then he alertly took second, as A’s center-fielder JJ Bleday casually fielded the ball. However, it would just be another wasted opportunity for the Giants, as Grant Holman and T.J. McFarland combined to retire the side in order.

Erik Miller threw a scoreless bottom of the A’s, and with the fact that A’s Closer Mason Miller had to convert a six-out save on Thursday, Mark Kotsay went to rookie Michel Otanez instead for the top of the ninth. 

Otanez struck out the first two he faced in the top of the ninth. However, Canha extended the game with a swinging bunt, and Patrick Bailey walked to put runners at first and second for the potential go-ahead run in Casey Schmitt. 

The Giants had already wasted opportunities in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, so of course they were going to do the same in the ninth. Schmitt struck out on three pitches, and the A’s won 2-0.

Osvaldo Bido got the win; Hayden Birdsong took his first tough-luck and third-career loss; and Michel Otanez picked up his first big league save.

I can keep saying the same thing over and over about the Giants’ offense, but we all can see with our eyes that they just can’t buy a crucial hit with runners in scoring position right now. They are just floundering as the clock begins to wind down on the Giants’ already-slim playoff chances this year.

The Giants have now dropped five of their last six, as they fall back to under .500 at 62-63—so much for winning 100 games—and four games back of the Braves for the third wild card. They will look to get back to .500 again and split the series with Blake Snell (2-3, 3.91 ERA) on the hill Sunday. JP Sears (10-8, 4.32 ERA) will take the ball for Oakland in what will most likely be the final-ever game of the Bay Bridge Series.

First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.

National League Wild Card Standings:

1. Padres 70-54 +4.5

2. Diamondbacks 69-55 +3.5

3. Braves 65-58 —

Mets 64-59 1.0

GIANTS 62-63 4.0

Cardinals 61-62 4.0

Cubs 61-63 4.5

Reds 60-63 5.0

A’s Bido takes no hitter into sixth; A’s two runs stands up to defeat Giants 2-0

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Oakland A’s starter Osvaldo Bido in the top of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

San Francisco (62-63). 000 000 000. 0. 4. 0

Athletics (53-70). 000 011 00x. 2. 6 0

Time: 2:37

Attendance: 37,551

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The Athletics have been obscenely promoting this evening’s encounter with their soon to be erstwhile Trans Bay rival, the San Francisco Giants, as celebration of past Bay Bridge Series past and the culmination of a glorious tradition. The was a doozy in which five Athletics pitchers combined to shut the Giants out on four hits to the departing A’s two runs on six hits to defeat the Giants 2-0 at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday.

The pregame festivities centered around the induction of the members of the 2024, and last, class of the Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame. The honorees were José Canseco, Terry Steinbach, Miguel Tejada, Dick Williams, Bill King, seven years after the major league HOF had awarded him the Ford Frick Award for broadcasting excellence, and Eddie Joost. Canseco was effusive in his praise of Tony LaRussa, the man who called him “the village idiot.”

The A’s starter, Osvaldo Bido, went 4-2/3 innings before allowing his first base runner. It came on a walk to Mike Yastrzemski after Bido had thrown 67 pitches. In the next frame, the Giants touched him for their first hit, a swinging bunt in front of the mound that the athletic Grant McCray beat out for a single.

That was the only safety Bido allowed in his six innings of work that got the win and improved his record to 4-3, 3.40. He walked two and struck out six of the 21 batters he faced. His final pitch count was 91,with 58 considered strikes.

Scott Alexander relieved him to open the top of the sixth and, in spite of walking Matt Chapman and Mike Yastrzemski, escaped he seventh unscathed, thanks to Grant Holman, a right hander whom the A’s had promoted Saturday from Las Vegas and was making his major league debut.

The youngster came through, needing only four pitches to shut down the threat by getting a pinch hitting Casey Schmitt to ground out to Gelof at second. Holman gave up a leadoff double to fellow rookie Grant McGray and struck Tyler Fitzgerald out looking in the visitors’ eighth before TJ McFarland replaced him to face the left handed La. Monte Wade, Jr., who popped out to short.

The slumping right handed batter Héliot Ramos followed with a ground out to Darell Hernáiz at third. TJ Righty Michel Otáñez struck out Michael Conforto and Matt Chapman for a quick two outs in the top of the ninth.

Next up was one time Athletic Mark Canha, who worked a full count before scratching out an infield single, 1-3. Patrick Bailey also worked a full count. Otáñez walked him, putting the tying run on base and the potential leading run, in the person of Casey Schmitt, at the plate. Otáñez fanned him to earn his first save.

San Francisco’s rookie starter, Hayden Birdsong couldn’t match Bido’s performance, but he acquitted himself well, going 4-2/3 innings and allowing one run, earned, on three hits and an equal number of free passesand throwing 78, of which 30 were balls.

The Giants used three relievers. Spencer Bivens finished up the fifth and got one out in the sixth. He allowed the A’s’ second run, which was earned and came on JJ Bleday’s one out double down the left field line and Seth Brown’s single to right. Jordan Hicks allowed a single and a walk in the seventh, and Erik Miller allowed a walk and struck out two in the the eighth.

Seth Brown went three with an RBI. Lawrence Brown went one for three, also with one run batted it

The A’s will try to repeat their success Sunday, afternoon afternoon at 1:07, in a battle of southpaws. JP Sears (10-8, 4.32) for the Athletics and Blake Snell (2-3, 3.91) for the Giants.