Category: Oakland Athletics

A’s grind out a win over Indians 4-3; Lowrie clouts 10th inning RBI double for gamer

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Oakland A’s Jed Lowrie smashes a tenth inning double at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians on Tue Aug 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (65-48) and the Cleveland Indians (55-56) played another hard-fought game Tuesday night at Progressive Field. The teams played three competitive contests when the Indians were in Oakland last month. Two of the three games were decided by one run. Tuesday’s game was no exception as the A’s won 4-3 in ten innings.

The story of the game was the performance by the A’s bullpen. The A’s starter Sean Manaea had a tough time adjusting to the heat and humidity in Cleveland Tuesday night. Manaea seemed to be having trouble gripping the ball. Sean worked one and 2/3rds innings and gave up three runs, and allowed five hits. He threw 69 pitches. A’s manager Bob Melvin had to go to the bullpen. Burch Smith gave the A’s 3 and 1/3 rd innings and allowed one hit. The bullpen held the Indians hitless the rest of the way. The A’s came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the game 4-3 in ten innings.

The Indians put one on the board in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, shortstop Amed Rosario reached on an infield single. Manaea struck out Jose Ramirez for the second out. Designated hitter Franmill Reyes walked to send Rosario to second base. Left fielder Harold Ramirez singled to center to drive in Rosario with Cleveland’s first run of the night. 

The A’s tied the game in the top of the second. Back-to-back doubles by Josh Harrison and Sean Murphy knotted the score 1-1. The tie didn’t last long as Cleveland plated two runs in their half of the second. Owen Miller started the rally with a single. Manaea walked catcher Austin Hedges to put men on at first and second with no out. Manaea got second baseman Ernie Clement to hit into an unusual 6-4-5 double play. Elvis Andrus threw Clement’s hard-hit grounder to Josh Harrison for the first out. Harrison had no play at first but alertly threw to Matt Chapman, who tagged out Miller for the second out. Myles Straw, who gave the A’s fits when he played for the Houston Astros, doubled to left field. Mark Canha did not field the ball cleanly, and that allowed Clement to score from first. Canha was charged with an error. Bob Melvin decided it was time for a change. Burch Smith was the new A’s pitcher. Smith struck out Franmill Reyes for the third out. The Indians led 3-1 after two.

The A’s right-fielder, Seth Brown, took Indians’ starter Triston McKenzie deep in the top of the fourth to make it a 3-2 game. Brown’s home run traveled 413-feet over the wall in right-center-field.

The A’s tied the game in the eighth. With one out, Starling Marte singled to get the rally going. With Matt Olson at the plate, Marte stole second. It was his 30th steal of the year. Olson followed with a sharp single to right. Marte rounded third and was heading home when he realized the throw home would have mailed him. He slid in safely, just barely beating the throw from the catcher. Jed Lowrie’s ground out drove in Marte with the tying run. 

The A’s won the game in the 10th. With Elvis Andrus at second, and Matt Olson at the plate, the Indians gave Matt an intentional walk. Jed Lowrie, hitting about .360 with runners in scoring position, doubled to left to drive in Andrus with the A’s fourth run of the night. Lefty reliever, Andrew Chafin, earned his first save of the year, shutting down Cleveland in the bottom of the tenth. The A’s win 4-3.

Game Notes and Stats: The A’s won their fifth game in a row Tuesday night. They are 9-2 in their last 11 games and are now 65-48 for the season. The Indians are 55-56 for the year.

The story of the night was the bullpen. Burch Smith, A.J.Puk, Yusmeiro Petit, Sergio Romo, Lou Trivino, and Andrew Chafin allowed one hit after the second inning.

The A’s recalled A.J.Puk from Tripe-A Las Vegas. To make room for him on the roster, they designated for assignment J.B.Wendelken.

The game lasted three hours and forty-eight minutes. Thirteen thousand forty-one fans watched the A’s beat the Tribe.

Game two of the three-game series will be at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Wednesday. Frankie Montas will go for Oakland, and Cal Quantrill goes for Cleveland. The game will start at 4:10 pm.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Field of Dreams Yankees vs. White Sox Thursday

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Actor Ray Liotta (right) played Chicago White Sox Shoeless Joe Jackson in the movie Field of Dreams the real Shoeless Joe Jackson (left) in Cleveland uniform (circa 1915) just before he joined the White Sox (photo from Zimbio)

Field of Dreams Game Yankees vs. White Sox on Thursday

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

One of the most iconic baseball movies ever, “Field of Dreams” in 1989, a sports fantasy drama, will take place in real life, this Thursday August 12, an American League, Major League game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, the two protagonists on the film in Dyersville, Iowa.

But this time it will not be a fantasy, but a reality. Two great franchises, contending this 2021 season will play the game on a temporary field adjacent to the original corn field where the movie was shot. A stadium with capacity for 8,000 people was build just for this game.

Members of the “Field of Dreams” cast will also be on hand, including leading man Kevin Costner. The movie was based on a true story about Shoeless Joe Jackson who played from 1908 to 1920, mostly in left field with the Chicago White Sox.

Although not in the movie, Shoeless Joe ended with a .356 lifetime batting average and literally showed Babe Ruth how to hit. He would be a Hall of Famer but is not, because of the 1919 Black Sox betting scandal. Betting is the “mortal sin” for a baseball player (Pete Rose) that has not changed for more than a century.

The movie is from the 1982 novel by Canadian author WP Kinsella. The game was postponed from its planned 2020 debut by the pandemic and it will mark the first MLB game in the State of Iowa. Fox will broadcast the game at 5PM Iowa Central time and the first pitch around 6:15 PM Central time.

Joe Buck and John Smoltz will call the game and Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will serve as reporters. Uniforms for Yankees and White Sox of that era were made for the game, as they will be re-created by those used by such stars of the past such as Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte.

Thursday it will not be Universal Studios who will be in charge of the production, but Major League Baseball, Commissioner Robert Manfred, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, FOX Sports and the city of Dyersville, Iowa. Major League Baseball hit a home run with this production and I would say it is “must watch television” for the baseball fan.

After almost two years of games with no fans because of the pandemic and all kinds of challenges and changes to the game of baseball on the field, this idea is one of the best things that the game can do to raise interest and even curiosity with the average baseball fan.

 Film: One of the best lines from “Field of Dreams” 1989. Actor Ray Liotta playing Shoeless Joe Jackson, line:  “Ty Cobb wanted to play. But none of us could stand the sunnabitch when we were alive –So we told him to Stick It!!”.

And probably the easiest to remember, when Costner was walking alone inside the corn fields around his ranch, a voice that whispered; “If you build it, he will come” Dyersville, Iowa, population 4,130.  Des Moines, biggest city in Iowa is 190 miles away (2 hours 53 minutes by car) Forecast for the game: Sunny 88F clear skies. Attention Iowa:  Play Ball! 

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play voice on the Oakland A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s visit Cleveland for 3 game series Tuesday night

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea gets the call on Tue Aug 10, 2021 against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Here Manaea stands on the mound after surrendering an RBI single in the first inning against the San Diego Padres Jake Cronenworth on Tue Aug 3, 2021 (file photo from sfchronicle.com)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Oakland A’s open a three game series against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Tuesday night after having Monday off. The A’s are coming off a three game sweep over the Texas Rangers.

#2 The Rangers struggles might be the A’s thankfulness as the Boston Red Sox are flailing and the Toronto Blue Jays are emerging in the Wild Card race and with the A’s winning they gain ground in the Wild Card race as they hold first place.

#3 The A’s have won seven of their last nine games and the A’s at one time were behind the first place Houston Astros in the AL West by as much as 4.5 games have now cut the lead to just two games.

#4 For the first time since June 19 the A’s are some 16 games over .500 and what helps after the A’s acquired outfielder Starling Marte from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline especially after the 80 game suspension of outfielder Ramon Laureano for banned substance use.

#5 A’s travel to Cleveland Tuesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland for the first of three games, the A’s will be starting Sean Manaea (8-7 ERA 3.26) and for Cleveland Triston McKenzie (1-6 ERA 5.89) talk about this match and series.

Join Barbara for the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s open up three game set in Cleveland Tuesday night at Progressive Field

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Starling Marte the Oakland A’s outfielder slugged four hits that help pave the way for an A’s win on Sun Aug 8, 2021 over the Texas Rangers is seen here gesturing to the A’s dugout in the bottom of the sixth inning after collecting his four hit of the game (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s are going to Cleveland, Ohio, to start a ten-game road trip. The A’s, winners of eight of their last ten games, will begin with three against the Indians (54-55). The A’s will then play three against the Texas Rangers and finish the trip with four against the Chicago White Sox.

The A’s swept the Rangers over the weekend. The A’s improved to 64-48 for the year. They find themselves two games behind the Houston Astros in the race for the AL West crown. In addition, they are now 1/2 game ahead of the Boston Red Sox as the number one Wild Card team. If the season were to end today, The A’s would host the Wild Card game at the Coliseum.

The Indians, who will be known as the Guardians next season, are 54-55 for the year. Last month, the two teams met for three games at the Oakland Coliseum, just after the All-Star break. The Indians won the series two games to one. Two of the three games were decided by one run. The other game was won by Cleveland 4-2.

On Tuesday, The A’s will be sending lefty Sean Manaea to the hill to face the Indians. Manaea, in his last start, did not fare well against the San Diego Padres. Manaea’s pitched well in his two previous starts before the San Diego game.

A’s manager, Bob Melvin, hopes Manaea will get back on track. The Indians will counter with righty Triston McKenzie. McKenzie is 1-5 with an ERA of 5.89. On Wednesday, Frankie Montas will go for the A’s. Montas beat the Padres last week.

Montas is 9-8 for the year, and his ERA is 4.10. His opponent will be Cal Quantrill. Cal, the son of former Major League pitcher Paul Quantrill, his 3-1 and an ERA of 3.14. Thursday’s game will feature the A’s ace, Chris Bassitt (11-3, 3.19 ERA), going against Dan Plesac (6-4, 4.84.) Plesac is the nephew of Dan Plesac, who pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The A’s will be facing a team that is rebuilding. The Indians’ star shortstop, Francisco Lindor, signed a free-agent deal with the New York Mets. Their star pitcher, Shane Bieber, is on the 60-day Il. Their manager, Terry Francona, has stepped away from the team for the rest of the season. DeMarlo Hale is the interim manager. The team has a lot of new players that are not familiar to A’s fans. The Indians roster is made up of a lot of young players and a couple of older players.

A’s fans should keep an eye on third baseman Jose Ramirez. Ramirez is hitting .254 with 24 homers and 65 RBIs. Shortstop Amed Rosario is batting .270 to go along with six dingers and 32 ribbies. The other big bat is designated hitter Franmill Reyes. Reyes broke in with the San Diego Padres in 2018. The Padres traded him to Cleveland in 2019. Reyes’ line is .275/20 HR/52 RBIs.

The Indians’ bullpen has all right-handed pitchers. They are using James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase as the closers. Karinchak has 11 saves and Clase has 16. The veteran reliever, Bryan Shaw, has appeared in 55 games so far this season. Expect to see him pitch against the A’s this week. Hale will call Nick Wittgren, Trevor Stephan, Nick Sandin, Blake Parker, and Justin Garcia from the bullpen to shut down the A’s attack.

The A’s cannot afford to take the Indians lightly. They know the Indians can beat them. With the addition of Starling Marte, Josh Harrison, and Yan Gomes, the A’s offense has an entirely different look.

The A’s struggled to get clutch hits with men in scoring position before these three players arrived in Oakland. Marte had a walk-off home run against the Rangers Friday night. Yan Gomes, pinch-hitting in the ninth with two out and down to his last strike, came through with a single to tie the game. The A’s won that game in extra innings.

The A’s are playing well. Their starters have been pitching into the seventh innings. The bullpen has been outstanding—the A’s need to win the series against the Indians and the Rangers. They will have to be at their best when they play the White Sox. The Sox are in first place in the AL Central. They are cruising to the playoffs. The Sox will be gunning for revenge as the A’s eliminated them from the playoffs last year.

The A’s have momentum on their side right now. They know they are a good team. They know they can come back late in a game to win. They lead the AL in walk-off wins. Let’s hope they can have a successful road trip.

Texas Reduced to Size: A’s sweep, keep pace in AL Wild Card hunt

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–This may have been the worst Texas Rangers team to visit the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s treated them in the best way they know how… with little or no empathy.

The A’s completed a three-game sweep with a 6-3 win Sunday that extended the Rangers’ road losing streak to 14 games. A bad Rangers’ team might have been only part of Oakland’s motivation, the other part may have been a wild card race that’s heating up fast with the Red Sox flailing and the Blue Jays emerging. Whatever the reason the A’s are playing better–winners of seven of nine–manager Bob Melvin’s not divulging. He knows the final 50 games of a postseason push won’t be defined by any one stretch or a bad opponent.

“There’s a lot of baseball left,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “The main thing you need to do is just focus on yourself. We’re playing better baseball right now.”

The A’s moved to 16 games above .500 for the first time since June 19, and they assumed the lead AL Wild Card position by percentage points over the Red Sox. The Yankees and Blue Jays are within three games of the leaders, and a race that wasn’t a few weeks back during the trade deadline, is now.

Starling Marte stepped into the playoff push right before the trade deadline and immediately made himself comfortable, hitting .425 in his first nine games with Oakland, including four hits on Sunday. Seth Brown, Sean Murphy and Jed Lowrie also drove in runs in a game the A’s took control of early with three runs in the first and a 5-1 lead in the fourth. Marte’s arrival and performance seem almost miracle-like given he’s basically replacing the dynamic Ramon Laureano, who was shelved by an 80-game suspension for use of performance enhancing drugs.

James Kaprelian returned from the injury list, and didn’t miss a beat, pitching six innings and allowing two earned runs to gain his sixth victory of the season. Meanwhile, Jordan Lyles, who was undefeated in his previous appearances at the Coliseum, fell to 0-4 since the All-Star break, allowing all six A’s runs and walking four batters in the process. At one point, Kaprelian retired 11 straight batters before walking Brock Holt in the fifth.

He gives us six innings, only three hits, gets swings and misses, real efficient,” Melvin said of Kaprelian. “After having a little bit of time off, he didn’t miss a beat. He pitched in the fashion that he basically has been all year.”

“I was pretty tough on myself,” Kaprelian said. “It’s the in-game stuff. The not getting ahead with the fastball, the not throwing enough strikes. The four straight balls to walk (Brock) Holt. Obviously the bats were going today and things were on our side. But, maybe in another situation if I do that, I might not be in the game anymore. So I need to clean that up and I was disappointed in myself for that.”

The A’s outscored Texas 22-7 in the three-game sweep, and they trailed for only two innings all weekend. The Rangers had a lot to do with the lopsided nature of the games, but they simply haven’t ever been in this poor of shape. They’ve lost six, consecutive games, and their road losing streak is only two away from the franchise record. If things continue to be this bad on the road, they could win as few as 22 road games this season, which is almost unheard of.

“We’ve been playing our best, but just trying too hard,” Isiah Kiner-Falefa said. “I think everybody realizes what’s at stake, and instead of seizing the opportunity, it’s almost like (we’re) scared to mess up because you know what could happen if you don’t start producing.”

The A’s have six games remaining with Texas, and Seattle and the Yankees will see the Rangers as well in the final month plus of the season. How unkind the contenders are to the struggling Rangers could be a key factor in the race for the postseason.

The A’s travel to Cleveland, where they open a series on Tuesday with Sean Manaea facing Triston McKenzie in the opener.

Oakland crushes Rangers 12-3, could sweep on Sunday

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The Oakland A’s Matt Olson swings for a two run double against the visiting Texas Rangers in the bottom of the third inning where Oakland scored seven times at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum on Sat Aug 7, 2021 (AP News photo)

Texas 3 – 7 – 0

Oakland 12-16 – 0

By Lewis Rubman

Saturday, August 7 2021

OAKLAND–The A’s got off to a rocky start before they righted their ship in the third frame, finally anihilating the Texas Rangers by the score of 12-3 this afternoon.

Starter Cole Irvin got ahead of Texas rookie third baseman Jonny Hernández 0-2 with one out in the first but let the newcomer work the count full and then smack a single to center. That set up Adolis García’s 24th home run of the year, a 450 foot blast to center that had the home team down 2-0.

It took a spectacular leaping grab over the center field fence by Sterling Marte to catch Andy Ibáñez´s blast and keep Oakland from trailing by three before the home team even came to bat. It was not an auspicious start to the souhpaw’s quest for an eighth victory to offset the 10 defeats on the season that he brought with him to the mound.

Meanwhile, the Rangers’ rookie hurler Drew Anderson (0-0,0.00 in two games), a right hander who had a sip of espresso with the 2018 Phillies, looked unfazed in his first time through the A’s batting order in this, his second major league start.

He surrendered a single in each of his first two innings but didn’t let things go any further until the home third. A walk to number nine hitter Elvis Andrus, followed by another to lead off man Mark Canha set up a down the line double to right by the sterling Starling Marte that went for a two run two base hit to tie the game up. Olson doubled down by doubing to left, which put Oakland ahead with still nobody out.

Lowrie took a page from Canha’s book at got hit by a ptich. Anderson took a walk to the showers. He left after throwing 60 pitches, 34 for strikes and allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. He would end up the losing pitcher.

Anderson’s replacement, Jimmy Herget, who had coughed up Marte’s 11thinning walk off homer last night, served up a double to Yan Gomes, which plated Olson and sent Lowrie to third. Harrison fouled out to deep left, but Chapman doubled off the right field wall, driving in Gomes.

All of those runs except Gomes’s were charged to Anderson, leaving final total of runs allowed at five. Singles by Andrus and Canha hiked the A’s lead to 7-2. This has not been a kind week end to Mr. Herget. It was no surprise that Jharel Cotton opened the fourth on the bump for the Rangers.

Nor was it entirely unexpected that Gomes, who, along with Marte has added considerable umph to the Oakland batting order since their recent arrival, whacked a three run round tripper wto center with Olson and Lowrie on base before the hapless Cotton could retire a batter. It was Gomes’s 11th long ball of the season, the second since he donned the green and gold a week ago. And you thought Carmen Miranda was the Brazilian Bombshell!

Cotton sandwiched a couple of outs between a single by Harison and another by Andrus, followed by a bases loading walk to Canha, but he struck out Marte looking to staunch the hemorrage. Demarcus Evans replaced him on the reliever merry-go-round for the fifth.

Josh Harrison hit a two run homer to center off him. Evans was rewarded for this relatively successful performance by being kept in the game another inning to pitch a scoreless sixth, including two strike outs, before handing the ball to Josh Sborz.

Irvin’s afternoon ended after seven innings of excellent work. Think of the discipline it took to maintain his concentration and rhythm in such a lopsided contest. He allowed two runs, both earned and coming in the first inning, on four hits, three of them also in the initial frame, and two walks. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to 3.45, while bettering his won-lost record to 10-8. 62 of his 92 offerings were strikes.

Irvin’s successor, JB Wendelken, didn’t fare as well but still showed the same ability as Irvin to take a beating and keep on ticket . The Rangers combined three singles and a wild pitch to push a run across the plate with one out, but Wendelken buckled down and put an end to that nonsense.

Infielder Brock Holt pitched the eighth for the Lone Star state. He somehow managed to set the side down in order with a repetory that topped out with a 77 mph slider.

Burch Smith closed out the game for the A’s with a scoreless ninth.

Several Oakland batters had multi-hit games. Olson went four for five; Harrison, three for five; Andrius, two for three and Marte, Gomes, and Chapman, two for five.

Oakland will close out this homestand with on Sunday afternoon with James Kaprielian (5-4, 3.24) facingJordan Lyles (5-8, 5.25) at 1:07.

The A’s will play in Cleveland, Arlington, and Chicago before returning home to face the rampaging Giants at 6:40 in the evening of August 20.

A’s rally in 11th for 3 runs in comeback victory 4-1 over Rangers

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Oakland A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt throws against the Texas Rangers line up in the first inning on Fri Aug 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

Texas 1 – 6 – 0

Oakland 4 -4 – 0 (11 innings)

By Lewis Rubman

Friday August 6, 2021

OAKLAND–The big news from the Athletics today came before the game began. Ramón Laureano received an 80 game suspension .after testing positive for the performance enhancer Nandrolone. The team released a statement by their spirited and now sidelined outfielder in which he said, “I would never knowingly ingest any banned substance and put the game that I’ve loved all my life at risk. When I found out that I tested positive for nandrolone, I was shocked. I take great care of my body and have an extremely regimented diet. Based on the minuscule amount that was briefly in my body, I’ve learned that it is likely that it was a contamination of something I ingested.” Nandrolone is found in pork.

Oakland’s recent acquisition of Starling Marte couldn’t have come at a better time.

News of Laureano’s suspension came on the heels of another, more serious medical development. Ray Fosse, the A’s highly respected radio and television analyst, revealed today that he was taking a leave of absence in order to continue his 16 year battle with cancer, a battle that he and his wife, Carol, had been waging silently. He expressed their “gratitude to the baseball community, and community at large, for your thoughts and prayers.” I’m sure we all are pulling for Ray and his family.

The nature of Fosse’s announcement puts matters like Laureano’s troubles in a sobering perspective.

Leaving aside the big picture, in which Fosse’s announcement makes the Laurano situation insignificant, it might seem that, even from a purely baseball perspective. the news about Laureano, while boding ill for the Athletics’ pennant chances, would have little effect on tonight’s meeting with the Texas Rangers, but don’t let the visitors’ game time won-lost record of 39-70 fool you. Playing against them is no walk in the park for this year’s A’s. The teams are 5-5 against each other since opening day.

They also have split their three series against each other this season; each of them has won a series, and the remaining one was a tie. The Rangers have beaten the A’s in seven of their last 13 encounters and emerged victorious in two of their last three games at the Coliseum.

It’s easy to sneer at Ranger starter Mike Foltynewicz’s record of 2-10 ERA 6.00 going into the game, but one of those wins was against Oakland, coming on June 29 at the Nimitz Freeway funhouse, where he held his hosts to two runs on four hits in seven innings of masterful hurling.

Tonight’s game pitted him against Chris Bassitt, the A’s all star right hander, who brought an 11-3, 3.28 record with him to the mound. The result was a nail bitter that took three and a half hours and eleven innings before Oakland, out hit by six to four achieved a 4-1 triumph.

It started out, as most nail bitters do, as a pitcher’s duel. Foltynewicz held the A’s hitless over the first three innnings he pitched, although he allowed one base runner in that period, hitting Elvis Andrus with one down in the bottom of the third. Matt Olson put an end to that dominance by leading off the fourth with an aiutomatic double to right. Jed Lowrie filled the void behind Olson by walking. A full count walk to Sean Murphy loaded the bases with no outs, bringing up Mitch Moreland.

He bounced into a crisp 4-6-3 double play, sending Olson home with the game’s first tally and sending Lowrie to third. Harrison send Foltynewicz’s second offering to the deep center field, where DJ Peterss corralled it for the third ut. Not quite the Curse of the Lead Off Double, but another example of the A’s difficulty in scoring with RISP.

The Rangers didn’t score against Bassitt for four and a half frames, but they did rough him up a bit. They suffered the Curse of the Lead Off Double in the first and hit a pair of safeties in the third.

A one out double by Curtis Terry, followed by a two out single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa put an end to Oakland’s brief and slender lead. Bassitt got out of the inning when Kiner-Falefa, who had taken second on the throw, tried to steal third and was thrown out by Murphy.

Bassitt had put a half a dozen Rangers down on strikes by then. He would end up striking out eight by the time he left after pitching seven full frames and yielding one run, earned, on five hits. He didn’t walk anyone. 66 of his 94 pitches were strikes.

Foltynewicz left the game at the start of the home seventh. He had held the A’s to a single run, which was earned, one two hits, one of them a bunt single by Marte, three walks, and two hit batters. He threw 93 pitches, 52 of them considered strikes. His replacement was Brett Martin, who, after a perfect seventh, was replaced, in turn, by Joe Barlow.

Sergio Romo served as the A’s set up man and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Closer Lou Trivino entered the fray with the score still tied at one in the top of the ninth. Texas almost got a foot in the door with one out when Andrus’s throw on a grounder by Adolis García pulled Olson off the bag and Chris Guccione called him safe at first, a decision that was overturned on video review.

The Rangers proceeded to get two feet in the door when Nathaniel Lowe singled toright and Charlie Ciulberson, pinch running for him, stole second. But Trivino wiggled out of the jam by getting Jonah Heim to pop out to Chapman.

Oakland came to bat in the bottom of the ninth facing Danny Santana, who held them to a single, sending the game into extra innings.

Andrew Chafin took the mound for Oakland, and Heim took his position at second base as the zombie runner. He remained there while Chafin set down DJ Peters, Andy Ibánez, htting for Brock Holt, and Curtis Terry, who had scored the Rangers´s run that tied the game, in order.

Spencer Patton was tasked with shutting out the A’s, who started their half of the tenth with Gomes placed on second. He got Chapman on a fly to shallow right field. Tony Kemp batted for Andrus and flew into an 8-5 double play, another case of a mistaken Oakland baserunning decision.

So Yusmeiro Petit pitched the eleventh with Terry placed on second, where he remained while the veteran right hander mowed down Jonny Hernández, Kiner-Falefa,and Jason Martin.

It was Jimmy Herget facing the top of the order with Kemp on second in the Oakland eleventh. Canha tied the A’s team record for hit by pitches in a season when he was plunked for the 20th time to lead off the frame. Then Starling Marte sent us and the two runners home by blasting a definitve home run deep into the left field seats.

The win went to Petit, who now is 8-1, 2.91, and the loss fell to Jimmu Herget, 0-1, 6.00.

With tonight’s win and Houston’s 5-4 loss to Minnesota, the A’s now trail the Astros by three games in the AL West.

The A’s and Rangers will meet again Saturday afternoon at 1:07 with Cole Irvin on the mound for Oakland and Drew Anderson toeing the rubber for Texas.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s look to Marte after Laureano’s 80 game suspension

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Oakland A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano said that he is educated enough about banned substance abuse and that he would never dishonor teammates, family and coaches. MLB says they have found traces of banned substance in Laureano’s test and Laureano has been suspended from baseball for 80 games effective immediately (file photo from athleticsnation.com)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremaiah:

#1 Oakland A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano suspended for 80 games for traces of a anabolic steroid the traces were minimal enough for MLB to rule that Laureano violated baseball’s zero tolerance policy on steroid or illegal substance abuse policy.

#2 The A’s newly acquired outfielder Starling Marte who also was suspended for the same substance in 2017 when Marte played with the Pittsburgh Pirates will be heavily relied on to pick up the pieces of the loss of Laureano.

#3 The A’s can’t afford to get too relaxed with the Texas Rangers (36-69) who are without Joey Gallo who was dealt to the New York Yankees. Even so the A’s have split their first ten meeting with the Rangers who are looking for more wins.

#4 The right now would love to get within range of the AL West first place Houston Astros who have a 4.5 game lead on Oakland and the A’s are hoping to cut down some of those games before it gets away from them.

#5 For the first of the four games at the Coliseum the Texas Rangers will be sending Mike Foltynewicz (2-10 ERA 6.00) he’ll be matched up against the Oakland A’s Chris Bassitt (11-3 ERA 3.28) Jeremiah tell us how you see this match up tonight at the Coliseum.

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

A’s announce broadcaster Ray Fosse will be undergoing treatment for cancer

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Oakland A’s broadcaster Ray Fosse working in the A’s broadcast booth seen in Mar 8, 2015 photo at Mesa in Spring Training will be taking time away from the team to receive medical treatment for cancer (photo by Michael Zagaris Oakland A’s team photographer)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s announced today that longtime broadcaster Ray Fosse would be stepping down from the microphone to undergo treatment for cancer.

Everyone at Sports Radio Service is sending their thoughts and prayers to Ray and his family for his speedy recovery. Ray’s family is requesting privacy during this very difficult time.

Ray has been the color analyst with the A’s since 1986. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and Gold Glove award winner. He broke in with the Cleveland Indians in September 1967 and had a 12-year career in Major League Baseball.

Fosse is most remember for the 1970 All Star Game when a speedy Cincinnati Reds of the National League Charlie Hustle Pete Rose was rounding third and didn’t put on the breaks when a throw to Fosse who was catching for the American League at the time caught and dropped the ball after Rose had collided with him at the plate. Rose’s effort was counted as a run on the scoreboard. Fosse was injured on the play and it was that play that he felt shoulder pain for decades after.

Fosse later went onto play for some great World Series teams with the Oakland A’s in 1973 and 1974 as starting catcher and helped signal call with some of the greatest pitchers including Jim Catfish Hunter, Ken Hotlzman, and Vida Blue. These teams won those World Series in 73 and 74 and Fosse was instrumental in the success in handling those A’s winning pitchers.

Fosse had become part of the Oakland broadcast network in 1986 through the present, he works television and radio. He worked the radio side with Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo and television with Glen Kuiper, Kuiper’s brother Duane who calls the play by play on television for the San Francisco Giants had to take some time off because he had to be treated for chemotherapy during this season.

Fosse was working the A’s and Los Angeles Angels game Sunday in Anaheim and felt ill and had to leave the game.

Texas Rangers-Oakland A’s preview: A’s can’t afford to take Rangers lightly; Texas always up for A’s series

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt will get the call on Fri Aug 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum for the first of four games against the Texas Rangers (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–This weekend, the Oakland A’s have an off-day on Thursday before their three-game series with the pesky Texas Rangers. The Rangers are 39-69 for the season and are in last place in the AL West. They are 4-6 in their last ten games and are 13-40 on the road.

The Rangers sent their best pitcher, Kyle Gibson, and their closer Ian Kennedy to the Philadelphia Phillies at the July 30th trade deadline. They traded one of their best players, right fielder Joey Gallo, to the New York Yankees. There is no doubt that the Rangers are in rebuild mode.

The A’s cannot afford to take Texas lightly. So far this season., the teams have split the ten games played. The Rangers would love nothing better than upsetting the A’s applecart. The players can be loose. The young guys on the Texas team will be playing hard, hoping to make sure that they will be in the Rangers’ plans for next year.

The A’s, on the other hand, are fighting for a playoff berth. Oakland is 61-48 and owns the second AL Wild Card. They would love to win the AL West crown. They trail the Houston Astros by four and 1/2 games. They have six games left with Houston in September.

The A’s know that they have to keep winning to maintain the second Wild Card spot. They lead the revitalized Yankees by two games. The Yanks are 16-8 and are moving up in the AL East division. The additions of Gallo and Anthony Rizzo have helped the Yankees surge. The Toronto Blue Jays are also playing better ball since the trade deadline. Toronto, as well as the Seattle Mariners, trail Oakland by three games. 

The Rangers will not have two players available to play against the A’s this weekend. This year, versatile Eli White, who has given the A’s fits, is on the 10-day IL. Outfielder Willie Calhoun is on the 60-day IL with a left ulnar bone fracture.

Players to keep an eye on are catchers Jose Trevino and Jonah Heim. Heim, who went to Texas in the trade for Elvis Andrus, would love nothing more than find a way to beat his old mates. Ranger center fielder Adolis Garcia is hitting .251 and has 23 homers and 64 RBIs. Without Joey Gallo hitting behind Garcia, the A’s pitchers will be able to pitch around him. 

On Friday night, the A’s will send Chriss Bassitt to the mound to face the Rangers. Bassitt is 11-3, and his ERA is 3.28. Mike Foltynewicz is 2-10 for the year. For some reason, Folty had had success against the A’s in his career. He beat them when he was with the Atlanta Braves, and he beat the A’s earlier in the season. With three new players, Starling Marte, Yan Gomes, and Josh Harrison, the A’s want to send Folty to an early shower.

Saturday’s game will feature lefty Cole Irvin going for Oakland. Irvin lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Angels last weekend. The Rangers have not announced their starter yet. On Sunday, the A’s are hoping James Kaprielian will be ready to pitch. Kaprielian has been on the 10-day IL.

If he can’t go, the A’s will use Daulton Jefferies. Jefferies recorded his first Major League victory against the Angels last Sunday. The Rangers have penciled in Jordan Lyles to start against the A’s.

After the three-game series against the Rangers, the A’s have a ten-game road trip. They play three against Cleveland, three more with the Rangers, and four with the Chicago White Sox. 

Player signing: The A’s announced they have signed slugger Khris Davis to a Minor League Contract. Davis hit forty or more home runs in four consecutive seasons with Oakland. He slumped in 2019 due to an injury when he ran into a wall attempting to catch a foul ball.

He had a poor 2020 season, and the A’s sent him to Texas in exchange for Andrus. Davis was released on June 13th. He was hitting. 157 and had two home runs in 22 games. “Given an opportunity, we’d love to have him back in the organization,” manager Bob Melvin said on Wednesday. “

It’s giving an opportunity for him to get back to where he was in the past, and he hasn’t had the opportunity here recently, so we’ll see what happens in Triple-A. “Obviously, we wish him the best. We hope he gets off to a good start and plays his way here.”