Oakland A’s Brent Rooker belts a double against the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the sixth inning at Rogers Centre Toronto on Sun Aug 11, 2024 (AP News photo)
On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason:
#1 Barbara, the A’s didn’t waste any time scoring six runs in the first inning and they needed all those runs as the Toronto Blue Jays made a run at the A’s later in the game cutting the lead to two runs for a 8-4 win.
#2 The A’s also got home run help from JJ Bleday and Zack Gelof in the top of the six inning to add some runs for the A’s total.
#3 The A’s are on a 58% winning pace to win 74 games for the season. The A’s picked up their 50th win of the season making them 50-69.
#4 The A’s Lawrence Butler has made up a big difference providing some great on base hitting and base running and adding critical runs. Butler went had three hits in Sunday’s game.
#5 A’s open up a three game set with the New York Mets Tuesday night at Citi Park the Mets second place in the NL East eight games off the pace and have won four of their last six games. Starting pitcher for the A’s might be an opener as Mark Kotsay has not named a starter yet. For the Mets former A’s starter Paul Blackburn (5-2, ERA 3.86) first pitch at 4:05pm PT.
Oakland A’s Lawrence Butler (4) beats the throw on a slide at second base under the glove of the Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Leo Jimenez (49) in the top of the fourth inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto (Canadian Press via AP photo)
By Barbara Mason
JP Sears had a banner day on the mound Sunday in game three of Oakland’s series with Toronto. He was on a tear going through the Toronto Blue Jays (54-64) lineup like a knife through butter. He went seven innings only allowing three hits and three earned runs.
Oakland A’s (50-69) bats were on fire outhitting Toronto 12 hits to five as the A’s took two out of three from the Jays 8-4. The A’s had a perfect blend of long balls and base on hits winning this series. Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday, Zach Gelof and Brent Rooker were also instrumental in the win. Mason Miller capped off the win with another brilliant inning on the mound, three up and three down to once again close the door in relief.
Game recap: Whatever the A’s had in their Cheerios this morning they came out on fire scoring six runs in the first inning. They show-cased a blend of home runs and base hits. The first run of the inning came in thanks to a Blue Jays throwing error which allowed Lawrence Butler to score for the early one run lead and the A’s were just getting started.
Bleday hit a two run home run with Rooker on base followed by a Gelof two run homer with Seth Brown aboard and Oakland had a 5-0 lead. They finished off the inning with a Butler single and Daz Cameron scored taking a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the first inning.
Oakland extended their lead in the fourth inning with a Bleday single that brought Butler home for a 7-0 lead. The Blue Jays finally got on the board in the fourth with a solo home run from Daulton Varsho. That was all Toronto was able to muster so far in the game trailing 7-1.
The A’s tacked another run on in the sixth inning taking a 8-1 lead into the seventh inning. Rooker who was having a great day doubled to left and Max Schuemann scored from second base.
Going into the eighth inning, the Blue Jays were running out of time to make any kind of move, in fact, they were pretty close to finished after six innings. Through seven innings, the A’s had 12 hits while the Blue Jays were quiet with only three.
Sears was having a banner day going into the eighth innings with only 97 pitches in some amazing efficiency. He left the game in the beginning of the eighth inning after walking both Spencer Horwitz and Davis Schneider.
He had an amazing game going seven innings only allowing three hits, three runs, three walks and four strikeouts. Michel Otanez relieved him in the inning. Toronto made a huge move in the eighth inning with only one out.
Luis De Los Santos doubled Spencer Horwitz home and George Springer singled both Davis Schneider and Luis De Los Santos home. Toronto scored three runs to cut Oakland’s lead in half.
A monster threat came to the plate in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This guy is capable of changing a game with one swing of the bat but he grounded into a double play to end the threat. The A’s were now three outs away from winning this series.
Mason Miller closed out this game in the manner that has become customary for him. It was a three up, three down ninth inning. Oakland really took it to Bassitt in this game who is typically a great starter. He allowed eight hits, seven runs, two walks and five strikeouts and only lasted four innings.
Game notes: Saturday, the A’s tied up their series with the Blue Jays after dropping game one on Friday. Game two featured a tense pitchers duel with the A’s finishing on top 1-0 thanks to the pitching of Osvaldo Bido and the closing brilliance of Mason Miller.
There was not much offensive effort from either team and it was the home run from Brent Rooker in the sixth inning that decided this game. In game three today, Oakland will be looking for their bats to get hot. JP Sears was the winning pitcher on Sunday improving his record to 10-8.
The Blue Jays started Chris Bassitt got lit up, Bassitt went four innings, allowed eight hits and seven earned runs. The stadium welcomed over 35,000 fans on hand for this game despite neither team having any chance for a playoff run.
Oakland will now travel to New York for a three game series with the Mets. The Mets are in third place in the National League East a half game behind the second place Atlanta Braves. Another familiar name will take the mound for the Mets in Paul Blackburn.
Blackburn was recently traded to New York in an effort to bolster the Mets rotation. His 3.86 ERA is solid as is his 5-2 win/loss record. The A’s will go with Ross Stripling with a 2-11, 5.72 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for Tuesday at 4:10 PM.
Oakland A’s Brent Rooker gets congratulations for his home run in the top of the sixth inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto which turned out to be the only run of the game (AP News photo)
On the Oakland A’s podcast with Augie:
#1 The Oakland A’s starter Oavaldo Bido with the help of three relievers got a two hitter blanking the Toronto Blue Jays in a close one 1-0 at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday.
#2 Bido had another strong outing for Oakland and it was enough to ward off the Blue Jays. Bido went six innings allowing two hits, one run, and five strikeouts. He had his variety of pitches working for him.
#3 A’s slugger Brent Rooker accounted for the game’s only run with his 29th home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning. Rooker has been having success with the long ball this season.
#4 For the A’s they’ve won a number of series of late and the good pitching beating the good hitting has been a great help as Saturday’s game was the A’s ninth shutout of the season.
#5 A’s closer Mason Miller shut the door on the Jays pitching in the ninth and striking out three hitters without giving up a run. Miller has been one of the big key reasons why the A’s have won the close games.
Darell Heraniz is congratulated in the Oakland A’s dugout in the top of the third inning after connecting for a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Fri Aug 9, 2024 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Oakland A’s (48-69) played a competitive game against the Toronto Blue Jays (54-62) but came up short losing 3-1 Friday night. The A’s had tied up this game in the third inning off a Darell Hernaiz home run but the Blue Jays went on to score two more runs one of them their second home run of the game, a Spencer Horwitz solo homer.
Game recap: The Blue Jays were first up on the board in the first inning taking a 1-0 lead. George Springer hit a long ball to center field for the early lead. Toronto had both Daulton Varsho, who was thrown out trying to reach third, on base and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also on base but Spence got out of the inning with minimal damage.
It was a three up three down inning for Mitch Spence in the second inning and this game went on to the third inning. Darell Hernaiz tied up this game with a blast to left center, a solo shot.
In the sixth inning, the Blue Jays took back the lead 2-1. Alejandro Kirk grounded into a fielder’s choice to third and Guerrero Jr. scored. After the third inning run, the Oakland A’s did not score through five innings and only had four hits and one walk. They did have opportunity but many of their hits came with two outs.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Jays hit their second home run of the game taking a 3-1 lead. Spencer Horwitz homered, a solo shot to right and Oakland had one last chance to make a move in this game in the ninth inning. When it was all said and done, Oakland finished the game with six hits and the Blue Jays extended their’s to ten hits.
Oakland pitcher Mitch Spence went 5 2/3 innings finishing with eight allowed hits, two earned runs and two strike outsl. T.J. McFarland finished the fifth inning. The Blue Jays Jose Berrios went seven innings allowing six hits, one run and had eight strikeouts. A pretty good game for Berrios.
Game notes: Friday the A’s went into a three game series with the Blue Jays at Roger Centre in Ontario. Oakland is coming off a series win over the Chicago White Sox winning the third game after trailing for most of the game. The A’s scored three runs in in the seventh inning to win the game and the series.
The Blue Jays just won a series from the Baltimore Orioles at home. Last Saturday against the Yankees, pitcher and Friday’s starter Jose Berrios gave up six runs in what was unquestionably one of his worst outings this season.
The A’s Friday night wanted an upset after coming on strong after the break going 11-7 the second best in the AL. Oakland was the underdog and indeed lost in a two run game. Despite that they have won some impressive games from the Dodgers and the Giants.
They have also won series off the Angels and the Astros, much of it due to some great pitching. Mitch Spence has turned things around on his last three outings while Jose Berrios has not been good at all in the month of July posting a 6.08 ERA.
Berrios fortunately had turned the tables on the A’s with some decent pitching on Friday going seven innings allowing just the one home run to Hernaiz in the third inning. A’s starter Mitch Spence went 5.2 innings pitched well enough to win but didn’t get the run support.
Saturday the A’s will be looking to tie up this series in game two. Osvaldo Bido (9-8, ERA 4.35) will take the mound for the Athletics. For the Blue Jays, Yariel Rodriguez will get the nod. He has a 1-4 record and a 3.96 ERA. First pitch for game two is scheduled for 12:07 PM PT and will air on NBC Sports California.
FILE – Fans walk outside of the Oakland Alameda Coliseum before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. The Oakland Athletics have reached a tentative agreement to sell its half of the Coliseum to a private Black development group for $125 million. The Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, announcement paves the way for the African American Sports & Entertainment Group to build in a long neglected part of the San Francisco Bay Area city. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu,File)
On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:
#1 With the Oakland A’s selling their half of the Oakland Coliseum to the African American Sports Entertainment Group (AASEG) can the Coliseum property now be developed to house a major league franchise or will the Coliseum be a location that will not attract future sports franchises?
#2 AASEG plans to build a giant sports and entertainment complex on the Coliseum grounds. So far the pro soccer teams Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul have committed to play there. It’s very unlikely that Oakland as Mayor Sheng Thao was hoping for will get a Major League Baseball franchise. East Oakland is somewhere MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to return to and after as Manfred said Howard Terminal was over and done with Manfred decided to move the team out of Oakland.
#3 AASEG was created to enhance the economic path to equality for the black community which is the goal for East Oakland. If AASEG can successfully build a giant sports and entertainment complex at the Oakland Coliseum and lure just one professional sports franchise they would have made a start to turn things around but after losing the Raiders, Warriors and now the A’s it’s looking like a long shot to impossible.
#4 The Oakland A’s after losing two out of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Coliseum turned around and took two out of three from the Chicago White Sox. The Sox ended their 21 game losing streak on Tuesday night.
#5 The A’s open up a three game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Both teams are in last place. The Jays have won four of their last ten games and the A’s five of their last ten. How do you see the beginning of this road trip.
Miguel Tejada former Oakland A’s shortstop was part of the 2002 A’s team and huge part of the A’s history (USA Today file photo)
2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum- (Part X) ‘A’s 20-game winning streak
By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
According to Major League Baseball archives, the longest American League winning streak is 22, held by the 2017 Cleveland Indians. In 2022, the Cleveland Indians changed their name to Cleveland Guardians. The Oakland A’s are second with a 20-game winning streak. In 2022, A’s players Miguel Tejada, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson, among others, were in Oakland as the A’s honored that great 20-game winning streak team.
Dominican shortstop Miguel Tejada said the 2002 winning streak is among the most incredible memories of his 16-year career in the major leagues. Tejada, who was an All-Stat six times, a two-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, and the prominent league leader in runs batted in 2004, played for the Athletics from 1997 to 2003, then went on to play for the Orioles, Astros, Padres, and Giants.
Miguel Tejada won the 18th consecutive games of that 20-game record-setting streak when he hit a walk-off home run at the Oakland Coliseum over the left field fence from a pitch thrown by Twins Eddie Guardado. “Nunca se me olvidará ese momento” trans-“I will never forget that moment”. Ironically, it will also be the Twins, not in Oakland but in Minnesota, on September 6 when they shut out the A’s to end that winning streak. Manager Art Howe was part of the ‘Moneyball’ A’s that broke an American League record by winning 20 contests in a row.
The most incredible winning streak in Athletics history, from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland, belongs to Oakland. The streak began in Oakland and ended in Minnesota. It began at Oakland on August 13 against the Blue Jays and lasted until September 6 when they beat the Twins in Minnesota, 20 consecutive in the win column.
From the electrifying clinching home run by Scott Hatteberg for the 20th consecutive win against Kansas City on September 4, 2002, to all the cast of players from Barry Zito, who won the American League Cy Young that season, to shortstop Miguel Tejada won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award to Manager Art Howe. 2002 Oakland A’s were among the most exciting teams in history, prompting Hollywood to make “Moneyball” released in 2011.
Moneyball – Film synopsis: Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the Oakland A’s general manager, one day has an epiphany: Baseball’s conventional wisdom is all wrong. With a tight budget, Beane must reinvent his team by outsmarting the richer ball clubs.
Joining forces with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane prepares to challenge old-school traditions. He recruits bargain-bin players whom the scouts have labeled flawed but have game-winning potential. Based on the book by Michael Lewis.
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
OAKLAND–It took a whole month, but the White Sox shed that onerous 21-game losing streak on Tuesday night, avoiding the possibility of a mind-bending seventh, consecutive series in which they were swept.
That’s good. That’s great, really. But the challenges that put the South Siders in such a precarious position persist. After two runs in the first inning on Wednesday afternoon, eight, empty frames followed along with a 3-2 loss. The occasion of the final ChiSox game in Oakland was a bust, like the tiny Coliseum crowd, the 14-game losing spell that ended June 6, the 0-17 run following the All-Star Break, and the frustrating season as a whole.
Whatever happens next, started happening 11 hours after the Sox emptied the dugout with sheepish grins in celebration of their 5-1 win. No jumping around in a near empty Oakland Coliseum, coincidently another well-known place for baseball strife.
Instead, the youthful Sox kept it cool and applauded themselves for hanging in there without berating each other because of the losing. After recounting their saga for the media inside their less-burdened clubhouse, the Sox made a quick trip to their San Francisco hotel to prepare for the series matinee finale and sleep.
“I don’t hide away from blame. Blame is what it is. I’ve got the position, the office, that’s the chair. I would never blame our players for this season. That’s not my makeup.” -Pedro Grifol, CWS manager
Wednesday morning at 11:00 am, trade deadline acquisition Miguel Vargas was not where he needed to be and cranky, bench coach/fungo master Eddie Rodriguez was ready to light up the 22-year old infielder when Vargas materialized for warm-ups at 11:06 am.
“You said you’d be here at 11 o’clock. Everything’s picked up,” Rodriguez barked.
After a short discreet conversation, Rodriguez relented, and a fielding exercise unfolded with the veteran coach hitting grounders to the 6’3″ Vargas. The young Cuban got an opportunity to assume an everyday, middle infield role with the Dodgers in 2023, but his bat was underwhelming. He hit .195 with seven home runs in 81 games, and was demoted in July and spent the remainder of that season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. His defense wasn’t elite either, as he committed five errors as the Dodgers’ second baseman.
On Wednesday, fielding grounders didn’t change much. Vargas batted leadoff as the designated hitter, going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. He was filmed after Monday’s loss sitting dejectedly outside the Sox dugout, likely trying to process his fate as a star minor leaguer given a chance to impact the contending Dodgers, but suddenly traded to Chicago to contemplate his baseball future with a moribund franchise. The White Sox envision that Vargas can settle in, but everyone in Chicago knows that plan has a limited shelf life.
Gavin Sheets gained a measure of notoriety as the son of Larry Sheets, who started all 21 games for the Orioles during their notorious, 1988 losing string that torpedoed that season. The Orioles posted a winning record and contended in 1989, which is something the father and son have discussed in their daily phone calls the last month. Gavin admitted the phone calls have been critically important for his resolve as he navigates a nearly two-month stretch without hitting a home run.
On Wednesday, Sheets broke a hitless streak with a pair of base hits while hitting seventh in the lineup. But his homerless streak reached 43 games, which is troubling for a guy billed as a power-hitting first baseman. Sheets has enjoyed some nice stretches across four seasons in Chicago, but right now, his 43 home runs in 1,173 career at-bats is a glaring negative.
Luis Robert has struggled to gain traction after missing 53 games earlier this season with a hip flexor. He came into Wednesday hitting .149 over his last 17 games with one homer over his last 21 games. The Cuban product is a performer with impressive history in Oakland, as well as a breakout season in 2023. But right now, he’s a prisoner of his thoughts.
“When you’re going well, you don’t have to think about anything,’’ he said. “When you’re struggling, that’s where the spiral goes. You have to get back to how things feel and your process.”
“I think he’s pressing,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “His swings in the strike zone are down. People forget how young this kid is. He’s learning the game. He has inconsistencies now.”
Davis Martin, in his second ever big league start on the road, was Wednesday’s bright spot for the Sox. Martin navigated six innings and kept the power hitting A’s from adding to their 148 home runs in just 115 games. Martin allowed two hits and a walk in a season-best six innings. Afterward, he exuded confidence.
“(Tommy John surgery) is hard. Sometimes you don’t have the feel for stuff,” Martin said. “The fact you can have some success in the big leagues post-TJ brings a lot of confidence the next week and the week after that. Just going forward, it’s a really good starting point for me to build off of and go from there.”
The Sox have 45 games remaining, starting with a series on Friday against the Cubs back home at Guaranteed Rate Field. They need to win 13 of those to avoid finishing with a worse record than the 1961 Mets that finished 40-120.
Thirteen wins shouldn’t be too taxing, except:
The Sox have won just 17 times at home (17-40).
And they’ve won just 11 times on the road (11-49).
And Thursday started with the hardly unexpected news that Grifol was let go after compiling a record of 89-190 in less than two seasons after he replaced Miguel Cairo to start 2023.
Stayed tuned. The losing streak has ended, but another one could be coming like a wind storm gathering off Lake Michigan. If so, it won’t be pretty for Chicago.
Oakland A’s reliever Mason Miller (right) gets a hug from catcher Kyle McCann (left) after retiring the Chicago White Sox in the top of the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland, California
Chicago White Sox 2 (28-89)
Oakland Athletics 3 (48-68)
Win: T.J. McFarland (2-1)
Loss: Touki Toussaint (0-2)
Save: Mason Miller (16)
Time: 2:14
Attendance: 6,964
By Stephen Ruderman
OAKLAND–We weren’t going to see history today at the Coliseum, but it was still a beautiful day for a baseball game, and the Oakland A’s rewarded the faithful who showed up with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox to take the series in a Wednesday matinee.
Tuesday night, the A’s suffered the misfortune of being the team that the White Sox beat to snap their historic 21-game losing streak. Wednesday, the A’s still had a chance to take the series behind their young right-hander, Joey Estes.
Estes started the afternoon inning with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning. Davis Martin made the start for White Sox, and he also pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first.
Andrew Vaughn doubled to right field to start the top of the second and advanced to third base on an error. That brought up Andrew Benintendi, who hit a home run to right-center to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead.
The A’s had a rally for free going against Martin in the bottom of the second. However, Martin struck out the side, and the A’s were unable to come through.
Both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the third. Estes had to deal with a pair of two-out singles in the top of the fourth, but Nicky Lopez grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Martin then threw another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth.
Both pitchers pitched scoreless innings in the fifth, and Estes was done after five innings. Estes was a bit shaky, as he gave up six hits, but he limited the damage to two runs.
Will Klein pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth for Oakland, and Martin did the same for Chicago in the bottom of the sixth to cap off his afternoon. Martin went six shutout innings, giving up just a pair of hits and striking out four. The fact that he was done after six innings and 82 pitches was a bit surprising, but hey, I’m not the manager.
The A’s were trailing 2-0 going to the seventh, and they were nine offensive outs away from losing two-straight to a team that had just snapped a 21-game losing streak. T.J. McFarland pitched a scoreless top of the seventh for Oakland, and when Touku Toussaint came in for the White Sox in the bottom of the seventh, the A’s finally pounced.
Brent Rooker lined a base-hit to left to lead off the inning, and Abraham Toro walked with one out. That brought up Armando Alvarez, who flipped a base-hit to left. Rooker scored, and the A’s were on the board. Zack Gelof then flipped a base-hit to left, and Toro scored to tie the game. After a fielder’s choice moved the runners to second and third, Lawrence Butler gave the A’s the lead with a sacrifice fly to left.
Tyler Ferguson came in for the A’s in the top of the eighth, and he pitched a 1-2-3 shutdown inning. John Brebbia then pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
Mason Miller, who last pitched on July 22 against the Houston Astros before breaking his left pinkie finger, was activated off the 15-Day Injured List prior to today’s game, and he came in for the top of the ninth to try and notch down the save. Miller didn’t miss a beat, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning to close it out
“I’m just excited to be back and part of the group,” said Miller, who didn’t pitch in a rehab assignment and convinced the A’s he was ready to go after throwing live batting practice on Monday. “
T.J. McFarland got the win; Touki Toussaint took the loss; and Mason Miller got the save.
The A’s improve to 48-68, and they will head north of the border to play the Toronto Blue Jays for three this weekend. After a day off Thursday, the two teams will kick off a three game series Friday night. Mitch Spence (7-7, 4.40 ERA) will make the start for Oakland, and the Blue Jays have yet to announce who they will go with.
First pitch will be at 7:07 p.m. in Toronto, 4:07 p.m. back home in Oakland.
The Oakland A’s will be giving away an Oakland Coliseum replica at the last home game on Thu Sep 26, 2024 against the Texas Rangers the final home game in Oakland history for the A’s before moving to Sacramento in 2025 (Oakland A’s photo)
The one “Must See” Baseball Game this Year in the Bay Area
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
OAKLAND–The last game of the Oakland A’s at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is scheduled for September 26 against the Texas Rangers. It will be a Thursday afternoon game, with the first pitch at 12:37.
Fans in attendance will receive a Replica Coliseum Stadium, a memorable giveaway to remember the stadium many of you and your family have visited for generations. It has been a popular spot for sports and entertainment in the Bay Area for over 50 years.
For that historic last game at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s might open the Mount Davis seats in center field, approximately 12,000 extra seats. The decision is imminent. One way or another, it will be a sellout, and the following day, three million people in the Bay Area will tell you they were there and were part of history.
It always happens like that. But it is “all good”, It is the last time you will hear vendors walking by your seat selling hot dogs, beer, and popcorn or welcoming you at the entrance with a friendly smile like Kenny Keltz did for years; this is part of the experience of attending a baseball game in Oakland.
The people who worked at the Coliseum are part of our community; they live, work, and pay taxes like everybody. September 26 will be an extraordinary day in Oakland, where the Oakland A’s have played and won numerous championships, including Four World Series.
The only other California team to have won in their park more is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have played in Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium since 1958 and have five World Series titles. The Dodgers were recently here and some of the media from LA share the nostalgia of the Oakland Coliseum, and they will never return to watch a game here.
Understandably, A’s fans are distraught for the A’s to leave town. Baseball is a generational sport; kids were raised going to these games with their parents and friends, and after all, it is not every day that a Major League team leaves the city and place they have played for over a half-century.
Of course, people are upset for many reasons, which we all know, from ownership to poor leadership by politicos in Oakland City Hall and all reasons in-between that we are very familiar with, at least those of us who made our home in the Bay Area.
But this last game at Oakland should be a memorable game, as we will close the book inside our brains of attending games here. For me although I have broadcasted for a total of five different major league teams (including the Giants) and traveled with them, the Oakland Coliseum has been my baseball home since the early 1970’s and I always comeback to work here, because this is my home and I love the Bay Area. It will be a sad day, but a memorable and unforgettable day, at least for me. September 26, will be the One Must See Baseball game in the Bay Area in 2024.
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
Chicago White Sox Andrew Benintendi watches the flight of his two run home run in the top of the fourth inning against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)
On the Oakland A’s podcast with Morris Phillips:
#1 The Chicago White Sox ended their 21 game skid against the Oakland A’s. The A’s know about losing streaks and can appreciate the services the Sox went through.
#2 How relieving does it got to be for a ballclub that’s suffered through all this to get that weight off their backs.
#3 The Sox got home run help from Andrew Benitendi who hit a two run home run and the Sox didn’t look back winning it 5-1.
#4 The A’s starter Ross Stripling suffered his 11 loss. Pitching 5.1 innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, walked one and struck out two hitters.
#5 The White Sox and A’s wrap up the three game series today at the Coliseum. Starting pitcher for the Sox RHP Davis Martin (0-1, ERA 7.11) and for the A’s RHP Joey Estes (5-4, ERA 4.77). How do you see today’s match ups.
