Category: Oakland Athletics

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open two-game series with Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt throwing a two hit shutout against the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum on Thu May 27, 2021 (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s open a nine-game homestand starting Tuesday night at the Coliseum. The A’s will play two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. The A’s are In first place in the AL West with a record of 35-26, the A’s will send righty Chris Bassitt to the mound.

Bassitt’s record is 5-2. Bassitt lasted only four innings in his last start against the Seattle Mariners. However, since the beginning of May, Bassitt has allowed just four walks and three home runs. In last place in the NL West with a record of 20-41, the D-Backs will send out righty Jon Duplantier to handle the pitching chores Tuesday night.

Duplantier will be making his third MLB start for the D-Backs. He is 0-1 with an ERA of 9.35. In his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers, he allowed five runs in four innings of work. On Wednesday, Sean Manaea will go for Oakland. Manaea’s last outing saw him throw a complete-game shutout against the Seattle Mariners. The D-Backs have not announced their starter yet.

There are some familiar names on D-Backs’ manager Torey Lovullo’s roster. Catcher Stephen Vogt, outfielder Josh Reddick, and pitchers Joakim Soria and Ryan Buchter may all be making appearances in the two-game series. The D-Backs’ starting rotation has bit hit by the injury jinx.

Former San Francisco Giant ace Madison Bumgarner is on the 10-day IL. Other starters on the IL include Tyler Widener, Luke Weaver, and Seth Frankoff. Joakim Soria is listed as the D-Backs’ closer. Soria has yet to record a save so far this year.

The D-Backs have several pitchers that they are using as starters as well as relievers. Those players are Caleb Smith and Matt Peacock. Lovullo can use those two or Merrill Kelly, Riley Smith, and Zack Gallen as a starter for Wednesday’s game.

Carson Kelly is the D-Backs primary receiver. Stephen Vogt will back him up. The infield will feature Christian Walker at first base, Josh Rojas at second, Nick Ahmed at short, and Eduardo Escobar at third. Asdrubal Cabrera, in his 15th season, can fill in at either first, second or third.

Players patrolling the outfield will be David Peralta in left, Ketel Marte in center, and Josh Reddick in right. Lovullo may also use Tim Locastro, Josh Rojas, and Pavin Smith as replacements.

The D-Backs may be shopping several of their key players before the July 30th trade deadline. Names that have popped up as trade possibilities are Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar.

Escobar is leading the team with 14 homers and 41 RBIs. The New York Yankees are rumored to have Marte on their radar screen as they need a replacement for the injured Aaron Hicks.

The A’s are in the AL West, leading the Houston Astros by one game. The A’s need to beat teams with poor records, such as the D-Backs. A two-game sweep would be a good way to start the nine-game homestand. A’s manager Bob Melvin will have his team ready.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s open up two game series with Diamondbacks Tuesday night at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s reliever Sergio Romo throws in relief in the sixth against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Sun Jun 6, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Oakland A’s (35-26) took two out of three games from the Colorado Rockies (24-36) over the weekend series at Coors Field in Denver losing the third game on Sunday 3-1. Elvis Andrus and Tony Kemp have helped offensively and at short and second defensively.

#2 Despite the loss on Sunday the A’s hold a one game lead over the Houston Astros and have been getting some key pitching.

#3 In the two games that the A’s won against the Rockies on Saturday night in the second game, A’s starter Cole Irvin pitched six innings, six hits and one run for the win 6-3.

#4 The A’s got a four run win over the Rockies on Friday night 9-5 and A’s starter Frankie Montas went five innings giving up six hits and three earned runs.

#5 The A’s host the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-41) on Tuesday night Jon Duplantier (0-1 ERA 9.35) will start for Arizona and the A’s will go with starter Chris Bassitt (5-2 ERA 3.53) Barbara talk about this match up.

Join Barbara Mason each Monday for the A’s podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Lazy A’s Days: Rockies stand up, shut down A’s 3-1 on getaway day

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By Morris Phillips

Beleaguered opponents are showing up on the A’s schedule at just the right time.

In Denver, this weekend, the A’s cruised Friday and Saturday, holding a lead after each of the 18 innings on their way to a pair of crucial wins that kept them atop the AL West.

But on Sunday, the Colorado Rockies decided they weren’t the A’s stomping post anymore.

German Marquez found his groove, navigating traffic on the bases beautifully, as he kept the A’s scoreless for the first five innings, the centerpiece to the Rockies 3-1 at Coors Field. Marquez went six innings, allowing four hits and a run in the sixth, good enough to remind the A’s that their offense isn’t where they would prefer at this stage of the season.

“I have been working a lot on my mechanics to get my tempo back and now I’m getting the results,” Marquez said in explaining his effort to extricate himself from an iffy 4-5 start to the season. “I feel really happy about it.”

The A’s left Oakland limping last Sunday after suffering a pair of losses to the Angels in which their offense completely disappeared. The road trip to Seattle and Denver was just what they needed, going 4-2 while hitting .297 and hitting seven homers in the six games. But Sunday wasn’t part of the offensive uptick, with Sean Murphy’s RBI single in the sixth all the A’s could muster to talk about.

“All around, it was a great road trip,” Elvis Andrus said. “We won all series. So that’s what you’re looking for, continue to win series and maintain first place.”

The A’s fell to 35-26, one game ahead of the Astros, and kept the fourth best record in the American League. They’re not where they want to be–hitting on all cylinders–but opponents like the Mariners, Rockies and on Tuesday back in Oakland, the Diamondbacks, give the A’s an opportunity to pick up steam without key performers Ramon Laureano and closer Trevor Rosenthal, who’s status will be updated soon.

Kaprielian has made five starts now as one of those stop gap guys, and overall he’s been a success. Even on Sunday, as a muddled through with too many pitches too early in the ballgame, he kept the A’s competitive. Kaprielian went five innings, allowed two runs, and suffered his first loss of the season. Most importantly, he showed that he’s ready for start number six later this week, as manager Bob Melvin continues to lean on the rookie.

“You give up two runs when you score five, you look like you pitched a really good game,: Melvin said. “You give up two runs when you only score one, and you take a loss. But in this place, I’d take it.”

The A’s travel back to the Bay Area and get their second look at Arizona with Chris Bassitt pitching the opener in a matchup with Jon Duplantier. The A’s swept the two-game set at Chase Field in Phoenix earlier in the season.

Oakland Takes Game Two in Colorado 6-3

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Oakland A’s get to celebrate again with a win over the Colorado Rockies in game two of the series on Saturday night Jun 4, 2021 at Coors Field (@Athletics photo)

Oakland Takes Game Two In Colorado 6-3

By Barbara Mason

Last night the Oakland A’s (35-25) held on to beat the Colorado Rockies (23-36) 9-5. Colorado made several bids to challenge the A’s lead but fell short.

Saturday night both teams clashed again in Game Two. It was a great start in the opening inning for Oakland taking a 2-0 lead when Matt Olson hit a home run and Mark Canha who was on second base scored.

The Rockies answered in the first inning scoring one run and the score going into the second inning was 2-1.

The third inning belonged to Chad Pinder who blistered a home run into the left field deck to extend Oakland’s lead to 3-1. Next at bat was the dangerous Matt Olson who was hit by Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland. Matt Chapman hit into a double play allowing Matt Olson to score. After three innings the A’s led 4-1.

It was quiet for both teams in the fourth inning but the A’s got hot in the fifth inning when Matt Chapman sacrificed driving in Chad Pinder for a run and a 5-1 lead.

It was a three up three down for the Rockies and the A’s in the sixth inning. Oakland’s Irvin had pitched through six innings. Jesus Luzardo would come onto the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning.

After yesterday’s game we all saw the late inning run that the Rockies excel in. We saw this again in the seventh inning of this game. Colorado’s Brendan Rodgers hit a home run and Elias Diaz scored and just like that it was a baseball game again 5-3.

The Rockies Charlie Blackmon did have a hit in the eighth inning but his team could not capitalize and so no damage was done to Oakland’s lead and it was on to the ninth inning.

Tony Kemp had a nice triple to right in the ninth inning. Mark Canha would follow with a single driving Kemp home and the A’s had a nice insurance run on the board 6-3. Lou Trivino would come in to try to save the game for the A’s.

Trivino did indeed save this game thanks in part to an amazing catch by Mark Canha in center field. The offense of the A’s continues to crank and with some amazing defensive play Oakland is looking impressive going in to game three tomorrow. First pitch is at 12:10 PM.

Offensive Fireworks By Oakland Beats Colorado 9-5

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The Oakland A’s rallied for four runs in the top of the third inning to defeat the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Fri Jun 4, 2021 in Denver (@Athletics photo)

Offensive Fireworks By Oakland Beats Colorado 9-5

By Barbara Mason

After some offensive struggles the Oakland A’s (34-25) finished up their last series against the Seattle Mariners with not only some great defensive play but getting back on track offensively winning the series after dropping the first of the three game series.

Tonight the A’s were back on the field in a three game series against the Colorado Rockies (23-35) looking for more great offensive play. Frankie Montas was on the mound for Oakland and Jon Gray for the Rockies. The A’s offense went to work once again with a four run rally in the top of the third inning as the A’s defeated the Colorado Rockies to open the series 9-5 at Coors Field.

The A’s did not waste any time scoring in the first inning. Matt Olson hit a double and Mark Canha who was on second scored for the early 1-0 lead.

Oakland extended their lead in the second inning when Sean Murphy hit his 6th home run of the season for a 2-0 lead.

The A’s Mark Canha would hit a home run in the third inning, his 11th of the season. The offense was on fire and showed no signs of letting down. Matt Olson would single, Brown walked, Lowrie singled scoring Brown. Matt Chapman would sacrifice and drive in Lowrie.

The A’s had 4 runs, 4 hits and a 6-0 lead. The Rockies would have a nice third inning scoring two runs off of hits by Tapia, Daza and Fuentes. The score after three innings was 6-2 in favor of the A’s.

The Rockies would score a run in the fourth inning . It was a quiet fifth inning for both teams going three up three out.

Oakland got something going in the sixth inning. Mark Canha would hit a double bringing in Matt Chapman who had singled. The A’s now led by the score of 7-3 after six innings.

This was offense at it’s finest for Oakland. Sean Murphy hit a double in the seventh inning bringing in Jed Lowrie and now the score stood at 8-3 for the A’s.

The Rockies did rally a number of times but Oakland was able to hang onto the lead. The A’s would finish off the game with a double play. The final score was 9-5. Oakland had scored in six of the nine innings in this game. First pitch in tomorrow’s game will be at 6:10 PM

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s just above water with one game lead over Houston

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The Oakland A’s Mitch Mooreland gets congratulations in the dugout on Wed Jun 2, 2021 in Seattle after hitting a two run home run against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Park. Mooreland and the A’s will face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field Fri Jun 3, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, a little something different for the Oakland A’s (33-25) as they head into Denver to play the Colorado Rockies (23-34). The A’s will be playing in National League park no designated hitter how much of a pitching advantage will that be for the Rockies?

#2 The Rockies are in fourth in the National League West and have a good home record at 18-12 could that mean an interesting series in Denver?

#3 The A’s have an upper hand they have a good road record at 16-8 and could a park like Coors Field be used to their advantage as the A’s need wins in this series to catch up with the Astros who are right behind them in the standings.

#4 A recent article was written about the disadvantages of broadcasting games remotely. You don’t get to see some of the things you might catch when your at the ball park broadcasting since Covid how has this impacted radio coverage in baseball?

#5 Jeremiah talk about the pitching match ups for tonight’s game in Denver starting for the A’s Frankie Montas (5-5 ERA 4.45) and for the Rockies Jon Gray (4-2 ERA 4.45)

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

Preview of the A’s three-game series against the Colorado Rockies

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Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin seen here in Seattle against the Seattle Mariners on Wed Jun 2, 2021 will lead the A’s against the Colorado Rockies on Fri Jun 4, 2021 at Coors Field in Denver (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (33-25) will be in Denver to play a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies (22-34) starting Friday night. The A’s own a modest two-game winning streak and are hoping to extend the streak to five. Things will be slightly different for Oakland as they are playing in a National League park, and the A’s will not be able to use the Designated Hitter. The A’s pitchers will be taking batting practice as they will have to go to the plate and be ready to hit.

The Rockies are currently in fourth place in the National League West. The Rockies’ record for the season is 22-34. That will change as they are playing the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The Rockies are very good at home as they are 18-12. On the road, it’s a different story. Their road record is underwhelming as they have won four and lost twenty-two. The A’s, on the other hand, are great on the road. They are 16-8, while their home record is just 17-17.

Frankie Monras will go for Oakland Friday night. Montas is 5-5 with an ERA of 4.45. Montas has lost his last three starts but has pitched well, posting an ERA of 3.24. Montas is 0-2 in two starts against Colorado. Rockies’ manager Bud Black will send righty Jon Gray to face the A’s. Gray is 4-2 with an ERA of 4.45.

On Saturday lefty Cole Irvin will be on the mound for the A’s. Irvin has not done well in his last three starts. The lefty has allowed at least four earned runs in each start. Lefty Kyle Freeland (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will go for the Rocks. On Sunday, James Kaprelian will be on the hill for the A’s. Kaprielian is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.95. In his last start against Seattle, Kaprielian went three and 2/3rds innings and was tagged for four runs. The Rockies will counter with German Marquez (3-5, 4.13 ERA).

The Rockies traded their best player, Nolan Arenado, to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2021 season. There are rumors that their star shortstop, Trevor Story, will be traded before or at the trading deadline. Currently, on the 10-day IL, Story will be a free agent at the end of the year.

The Rockies still have players that the A’s will have to handle. Rockies’ right fielder, Charlie Blackmon, is having a down year. Blackmon, a career .300 hitter, is hitting .250 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. The A’s pitchers will be hoping that Blackmon doesn’t find his stroke in the series.

Another player the A’s are familiar with is first baseman C.J.Cron. The A’s faced Cron many times when he was with the LA Angels. Cron is hitting .275 with five dingers and 18 RBIs. Their new third baseman, Ryan McMahon, is making a name for himself. His batting average is .259, and he has 13 homers and 32 RBI’s to his credit.

The A’s offense woke up in the last two games against the Mariners. The A’s had 23 hits in the last two games and scored 18 runs. A’s shortstop, Elvis Andrus, is hitting over .300 for the last three weeks. Tony Kemp had five RBIs in Tuesday’s game in Seattle. Matt Chapman, struggling at the plate, had two hits Wednesday night. Matt Olson had three. Mitch Morland blasted a 444-foot monster home run Wednesday night.

The A’s lead in the West is precarious. The Houston Astros are just 1/2 game the A’s in the race for first place in the AL West. The Astros have won four in a row. They have won the last three against the Boston Red Sox and will be going for a sweep of the four-game set Thursday afternoon. A Houston win will tie the A’s for first place. A loss will put them a game behind Oakland.

The A’s will be ready for the Rockies as they have an off-day on Thursday after playing 17 consecutive days. Oakland will need their starters to pitch well. The Rockies would love nothing more than to upset the A’s plans. The series starts Friday night at Coors Field at 5:40 pm.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s showing improvements Manaea throws 6-0 shutout

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea in the process of throwing a four hit complete game shutout against the Seattle Mariners is seen here pitching in the fifth inning on Wed Jun 2, 2021 at T Mobile Center in Seattle (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Sean Manaea has had some tough outings his last few times out but that all seemed to change on Wednesday night when he threw a complete game four hit shutout.

#2 Manaea struck out eight hitters and kept the Mariners off balance all night.

#3 Previous to Tuesday night’s game which the A’s won the A’s had lost four of five games to the Mariners and they knew they had to come back and they have showed some improvement over these last two games.

#4 Like Tuesday night when the A’s rallied for six runs in the seventh inning on Wednesday night the A’s rallied in the top of the third inning getting five runs and getting solid pitching from Manaea the A’s capped off the three game series taking two out of three from the Mariners in Seattle.

#5 The A’s open up a three game series against the Colorado Rockies starting on Friday night the A’s pitcher Frankie Montas gets the start (5-5 ERA 4.45) will be matched up against the Rockies Jon Gray (4-5 ERA 3.71)

#6 Lastly the Oakland A’s minor league system says that the food served to the players have been an embarrassment and it was widely reported on Wednesday that the A’s have served the players either a slice of cheese with a slice of tomato between two slices of white bread or a tortilla with a little chicken and bell pepper. A’s president Dave Kaval apologized for the fare that was photographed and made the rounds on social media and said we have to do better and put the blame on the caterer saying they will redouble their efforts at serving better options.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat writer and podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Thursday

Manaea pitches a gem shuts out Mariners 6-0 in complete game

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea throws to the Seattle Mariners line up in the fifth inning at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Wed Jun 2, 2021 in Seattle (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (33-25) met the Seattle Mariners (28-29) at the T-Mobile Park in Seattle Wednesday night. It was the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day. MLB had the day to recognize efforts to combat ALS. The A’s sent lefty Sean Manaea to the hill, hoping to get the win. The Mariners’ starter, Chris Flexen, an East Bay kid from Newark, Ca entered the game with a 5-2. Manaea wound up pitching a gem going the distance for a 6-0 victory over the Mariners.

The A’s had not given Manaea a lot of run support this year. The A’s scored three runs in Manaea’s last three starts. A’s manager Bob Melvin wanted Sean to cut down on his pitch count so that he could go deep into the game.

Manaea came through with one of his best performances ever as an Oakland Athletic. Manaea pitched a complete game. He allowed four hits and no runs. The Mariners loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Manaea got the M’s shortstop, J.P.Crawford to end the inning by hitting into a ground out.

Chris Flexen retired the first six A’s hitters. Things went south for him in the top of the third as the A’s put five runs on the board. Matt Chapman walked to start the rally. Flexen retired Tony Kemp for the first out. The A’s shortstop, Elvis Andrus, lined a double down the left-field line, sending Chapman to third.

Mark Canha followed with a single to drive in Chapman and Andrus. A’s third-base coach, Mark Kotsay, threw up the stop sign, but Andrus ran through it and scored on the play. Flexen retired Jed Lowrie for the second out. Matt Olson singled and scored ahead of Mitch Moreland, who blasted a monster 444-foot blast to centerfield. It was Moreland’s fifth of the year.

The A’s added a run in the top of the ninth to win 6-0.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the A’s are 33-25 for the year. They remain 1/2 game ahead of the Houston Astros. Houston beat Boston for the third night in a row. The Mariners are 28-29.

Manaea improved to 4-2 for the season. His line was nine innings pitched, four hits, and no runs. He threw 111 pitches, walking two and striking out eight. The A’s line was six runs, ten hits, and one error.
Chris Flexen took the loss, and his record is now 5-3.

Matt Olson had three hits. Matt Chapman, still struggling at the plate, had a couple of hits. Hopefully, Matt will get his bat going again.

Olson made an unusual double play in the bottom of the eighth. With Jack Mayfield on first, Jake Fraley was thrown out 4-3. Olson noticed Mayfield round second and went a bit too far. Olson threw a strike to Matt Chapman that nailed Mayfield as he scrambled back to the base.

A’s manager Bob Melvin recorded his 800th win since taking over the helm in 2011.
The A’s have a day off Thursday. They went 17 days without a break. They meet the Colorado Rockies in Denver for three games starting Friday night. The game will start at 5:40 pm.

A’s offense comes alive six run rally in 7th helps beat Mariners 12-6

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Oakland A’s Matt Olson makes contact for a two run RBI single in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Tue Jun 1, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s downed the Seattle Mariners 12-6 Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. The way the game went for the first six innings seemed to be a replay of Monday afternoon’s game. Seattle won that game 6-5 in ten innings.

The A’s drew first blood when Matt Olson connected on his 14th big fly of the season to put the A’s ahead 1-0 in the third. Seattle rocked A’s starter Chris Bassitt for three runs in the third and one in the fourth. In the bottom of the third, with two out, M’s shortstop, J.P. Crawford singled. Doubles by Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager, and Ty France put the three runs on the board for Seattle. In the fourth, left fielder Taylor Trammell took Bassitt deep to give the M’s the lead 4-1 after four.

The A’s inched closer as they scored their second run of the night in the fifth. With one out, Elvis Andrus walked. Second baseman Tony Kemp doubled to drive in Andrus. The A’s trailed 4-2 after five complete.

The A’s put the game away as they scored six runs in the seventh, two in the eight, and two in the night. In the seventh, the A’s sent ten men to the plate. They put together three singles, two doubles, two walks, and a sacrifice fly to put the runs across the plate.

Tony Kemp blasted a two-run dinger in the eighth to make it 10-6. The Mariners catcher, Tom Murphy, homered off lefty reliever Jake Diekman to close within four 10-6. The A’s responded with two more in the ninth to put the game out of reach. Oakland wins 12-6.

Game notes and stats- With the win, the A’s are 32-25 for the year. They remain 1/2 game ahead of the Houston Astros, who beat the Boston Red Sox for the second night in a row.

The Mariners are now 28-28.
Bob Melvin passed former A’s manager Tony LaRussa for most wins as an Oakland A’s skipper. Melvin recorded his 799th win. The Most wins by any A’s manager is Connie Mack, who managed the club for 50 years in Philadelphia.

Tony Kemp was the A’s hitting star Tuesday night. Kemp hit his second homer of the year and tied a career-high with five RBIs. Matt Olson hit his 14th of the season and had three RBIs. Sean Murphy knocked in two with a double in the seventh. Mariners’ first baseman, Ty France, had two doubles and a single. Their catcher, Joe Murphy, homered off Diekman to drive in two.


A’s starter, Chris Bassitt, worked four innings. He was charged with four runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Lefty Jesus Luzardo, coming off the 10-day IL, pitched well in his three innings of work. He allowed two hits and no runs.

He struck out six and allowed one walk. Luzardo received credit for the win. The Mariners’ starter, Marco Gonzales, out since April 27th, went four innings and left the game after reaching his limit of fifty pitches. He gave up one run and two hits.


The A’s line was 12 runs, 13 hits, and no errors. Seattle’s line was six runs, 11 hits, and no errors.

The A’s and the M’s will play the rubber match Wednesday night at T-Mobile park in Seattle. The game will start at 7:10 pm. Seam Manaea will go for Oakland, and the A’s will face the M’s Chris Flexen.