Category: Oakland Athletics

Oakland A’s report: Miller fractures hand while trying to exercise

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Oakland A’s closer Mason Miller is on the 15 day IL with a fracture on his left hand, reportedly his left pinkie is fractured. The fracture happened on Mon Jul 22, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum. (photo from MLB)

By Jerry Feitelberg

As opposed to first reports that Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller fractured his pinky finger on his left hand on Monday while pounding a padded training table in the training room after Monday’s win against the Houston Astros in Oakland. An updated report says that Miller fractured his hand while trying to get up to do exercises.

Miller’s injury triggered the A’s to take pitcher Ross Stripling off the 15 day IL. The loss of Miller no doubt sets the A’s back. Miller the ace of the A’s pitching staff as a closer has thrown over 100 MPH pitches, led the American League in saves, and has been reliable in save situations.

The injury is unusual but nonetheless the A’s who had won seven of their last 11 games and won their last 3 three game series from the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels, and Houston Astros heavily rely on Miller’s ability to be a game closer and will now have to figure on how to persevere in closing out games.

Miller was the subject of lots of trade interest before the trade deadline with the heat he brings in save situations and the success he’s had not only at the All Star Game but all season long. With his fractured hand and no telling when he’ll be healthy enough to come back he most likely will stay A’s property for the rest of the season.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s reporter at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sears solid and then implodes lead, as A’s are unable to complete sweep in 8-1 loss to Astros

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Oakland A’s starter JP Sears pitches in the top of the sixth to the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Jul 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Oakland, California

Houston Astros 8 (53-49)

Oakland Athletics 1 (41-63)

Win: Hunter Brown (9-6)

Loss: JP Sears (7-8)

Time: 2:30

Attendance: 14,978

By Stephen Ruderman

The A’s were unable to complete the sweep, as JP Sears imploded late, and the Astros won it 8-1 in what was most likely their final game at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s have been playing better baseball as of late. They took two of three from the Phillies, only the best team in Baseball, in Philadelphia to close out the first half. They also took the two of three from the Angels over the weekend at the Coliseum, but were unable to complete the sweep Sunday.

This week, the A’s have had the chance to play spoilers with the Houston Astros in town. The Astros, who got off to a 7-19 start, perhaps showing wear and tear in their aging core, have since played like the Astros of old, and have bolted themselves into dogfight atop a weak American League West with the Seattle Mariners.

The Astros went into this series in a virtual tie for first place with the Mariners, leading by mere percentage points. The A’s won the first two games of this series, but the Mariners have lost the first two games of their current three-game series with the Angels, which meant the two teams were still in a virtual tie coming into play Wednesday.

This was also most likely going to be the final game for the Astros at the Oakland Coliseum. The Astros came over from the National League to the American League in 2013, so they don’t have as much of a history at the Coliseum as the rest of the American League. Still, they’ve had their fair share of epic moments at the Coliseum over these last 12 years.

The A’s had a chance to complete the sweep today, which they were not able to do against the Angels, and they had the perfect guy on the mound for that in JP Sears. Sears hasn’t had the best season, as he came into Tuesday’s game with a 4.49 ERA, but he’s been a consistent game, who has chomped at the bit to take the ball throughout his year and a half in the big leagues.

Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman both singled to left field to start the game, and Yordan Alvarez grounded into a fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners with one out. Yandy Diaz then knocked in Altuve with a sacrifice fly to right.

The A’s struck right back against Astros’ starter Hunter Brown in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back doubles. Lawrence Butler doubled to center to lead off the inning, and Miguel Andujar immediately followed that up with a double to right to tie the game. Despite the go-ahead run now being at second with nobody out, the A’s were unable to take the lead.

Mauricio Dubon struck out swinging to start the top of the second, but Jon Singleton reached on an error by first-baseman Seth Brown, which allowed Singleton to reach second base. Chas McCormick grounded out to third for an unproductive second out, but Altuve lined the first pitch for the longest single of the year off the bottom of the wall down the left field line to put Houston back ahead.

The A’s had runners at first and second with two outs after base-hits by Brown and Max Schuemann, but the A’s were unable to come through, and Brown got out of the inning without any damage.

Sears pitched a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth. I would have said he settled down, but if it wasn’t for Brown’s error in the second, it would have most likely been three-straight 1-2-3 innings. Brown, meanwhile, pitched scoreless innings in both the third and fourth.

The Astros led 2-1 going to the fifth, with one out, McCormick hit a home run just barely to the left of straight away center to make it 3-1. Altuve reached on a throwing error by third-baseman Abraham Toro, but Sears kept his composure and got out of it without any further damage.

Brown pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth, and then Sears hit another rough patch in the top of the sixth. Yainer Diaz doubled to lead off the inning, and Jeremy Pena followed up with a single to left to score Diaz and extend Houston’s lead to 4-1. Like the fifth, Sears settled down, and he ended up picking off Pena, who was trying to steal second, to end the inning.

Brown threw another scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth, and Sears went back out for the top of the seventh. Even though he got a bad break on Brown’s error in the second, Sear was solid after a bumpy top of the first.

Sears showed some signs of vulnerability in the fifth and sixth, as he allowed a run in each inning, but he was able to minimize the damage both times. Since he had only thrown 74 pitches through his six innings, he was back out for the seventh.

However, as the Astros prepared to go through the fourth time in their order, Sears collapsed. Singleton lined a lead-off base-hit to right, and McCormick was hit by a pitch. Altuve and Bregman then hit back-to-back doubles, and just four batters and eight pitches in, the Astros had scored three runs to open up their lead to 7-1.

Sears was also done, and Kyle Muller was brought into the game. Yordan Alvarez moved Bregman over to third on a fly out to center, and Yainer Diaz got Bregman in with a sacrifice fly to center to make it a laugher at 8-1.

It was quite an unfortunate end to Sears’ day. Sears had given up three unearned runs through six innings, but after giving up four runs in the seventh, his final totals didn’t necessarily reflect his entire outing. He was able to keep the dam from bursting at times, but it finally came unglued in the seventh.

As for his final totals, Sears gave up nine hits and eight runs, seven of them, earned over six innings. He did not walk anybody, and he struck out three.

The A’s wasted an opportunity against Bryan Abreu in the bottom of the seventh, and Muller came back out to throw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth. Muller Worked out of a jam for a scoreless top of the ninth, and he did a great job in three innings out of the bullpen.

Muller also made it so Mark Kotsay did not have to blow through his bullpen. In fact, despite the Astros’ scoring eight runs today, Kotsay only had to use two pitchers.

Taylor Scott pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth for Houston, and Bryan King did the same in the bottom of the ninth, as the Astros ended up winning it 8-1.

Hunter Brown got the win, and JP Sears got the loss. Just like in their series against the Angels, the A’s were unable to complete the sweep, as they fall to 41-63.

The Angels complete their sweep of the Mariners up in Seattle with a 2-1 win at T-Mobile Park, and as a result, the Astros now move a full game ahead of the Mariners atop the American League West.

The A’s will now head to Anaheim for a four-game set against those very Los Angeles Angels starting Thursday night. The veteran, Ross Stripling (1-9, 5.82 ERA), will be on the mound for Oakland, and he will be opposed by left-hander Kenny Rosenberg (0-0, 6.30 ERA), who will make his first start of the season. First pitch will be at 6:38 p.m.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part IX)

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1989 World Series logo (image from baseball.wikia.com)

2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part IX)

A’s vs. Giants rivalry

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Giants arrived in San Francisco from New York in 1958; ten years later, the A’s arrived from Kansas City in Oakland. The Bay Area rivalry between Oakland and San Francisco has grown, drawing huge crowds at the stadiums on both sides of the Bay.

The rivalry became more intense (but still friendly) after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 17, 1989, a few minutes past five in the afternoon, when the ground shook at Candlestick Park.

It all began at Oakland. The first two games of the World Series took place at the Oakland Coliseum; the Athletics won 5-0 and 5-1. We moved to San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for games three and four, but on Game three, a surprise, when the earth moved violently with a 7.1 intensity earthquake (later downgraded to a 6.9), still enough for interim Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent to postpone the World Series for some 11 days until both teams resumed the action in early October for games three and four, which the A’s also won 13-7 and 6-5.

For us, broadcasting that classic was an experience we will never forget for the rest of our lives. This is the first and only time a World Series has been stopped and postponed because of an Earthquake. Note: The Giants returned to the World Series in 2002 (13 years later) and lost to the Anaheim Angels 4 games to 3.

The famous and historic 1989 World Series, which began at the Oakland Coliseum, was the first held there since the team won the last of three consecutive World Series in 1974. Fifteen years later, the Oakland A’s were the talk of baseball, and the Oakland Coliseum was “the place to be.” Coliseum attendance in the 1989 regular season was 2,667,225.

The Good Old Days at the Oakland Coliseum, as we remember this 2024, a historic year and the last season they will play at this huge facility,

Schedule: The Oakland A’s will face the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on July 30-31. The last time these Bay Area rivals will face each other is next August 17-18 at the Oakland Coliseum. All these games will air live in Spanish on KIQI 1010AM Bay Area/990AM Sacramento, on the Oakland A’s Spanish Radio Network.

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

Five A’s homers as Oakland downs Astros 8-2 at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s Lawrence Butler connects for a two run home run against the Houston Astros in the bottom of the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Jul 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Oakland’s use of the long ball, along with a strong overall pitching effort, gave the Athletics an 8-2 AL West victory over the visiting Houston Astros Tuesday before an announced crowd of 5,896 at the Coliseum.

The A’s (41-62) collected home runs from Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Seth Brown, Zach Gelof and Shea Langeliers in the win, as Oakland used a 13-hit attack that included an RBI double by Butler and a run-scoring single by Abraham Toro.

Butler just missed hitting for the cycle – missing a single – and finished 3-for-4, while Toro and Brown each went 2-for-4.

Osvaldo Bido (2-1) gave up one run on four hits in the first five innings to get the win. Bido also struck out six without issuing a walk. Scott Alexander, Tyler Ferguson and Michel Otanez each each threw a scoreless inning in relief. T.J. McFarland gave up a solo home run to Jeremy Peria in the ninth.

Pena led Houston’s nine-hit effort going 3-for-4. Astros starter Jake Bloss (0-1) surrendered five earned runs on six hits and a walk in four innings to take the loss, as the Astros (52-49) slipped into a first-place tie with Seattle in the AL West.

The A’s opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Butler tripled to right and scored on Rooker’s 23rd home run and team-leading 69th run batted in of the season. In the top of the third, Victor Caratini sent a 427-foot blast to center for his fifth round-tripper, cutting Oakland’s lead to 2-1. Oakland responded with a solo home run by Butler – his 10th – to lead off the bottom of the third, taking a 3-1 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Brown and Gelof hit back-to-back home runs to the power alleys, extending the A’s lead to 5-1. It was Gelof’s 20th RBI, and Brown collected his 35th RBI.

In the Oakland fifth, JJ Bleday doubled and scored on a single by Toro. One inning later, Butler’s RBI double to right drove in Max Schuemann, who singled, and the A’s led 7-1. Butler has 32 runs batted in on the season.

Langeliers completed Oakland’s scoring with a drive to left for his 19th home run of the season, and his 53rd RBI.

For the Wednesday getaway game, Hunter Brown (8-6, 4.14) starts for the Astros, facing Oakland’s JP Sears (7-7, 4.49). First pitch is at 12:37 Pacific.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Great Coliseum Memories, Star players and World Series years

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1972 World Champion Oakland A’s cover on Sports Illustrated part of the memories of the A’s years at the Oakland Coliseum as the club leaves for Sacramento after the 2024 season (Sports Illustrated cover file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amuary, just two months and two weeks left before the Oakland A’s move to Sacramento for the next four years. Their last game in Oakland will be on September 26th against Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers. After playing at the Oakland Coliseum since 1968 it all comes to an end that day.

#2 Just wanted to jog your memory of some of the happier and great years at the Coliseum when the A’s had that remarkable run in 1972 through 1974 winning three straight World Series.

#3 We can go through some of the great names of the players who were a part of those World’s Championship teams. The A’s just had an All Star team and they could slug for the fence with Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, Ray Fosse, Reggie Jackson, Mike Epstein, Dick Green, Sal Bando, Billy North and George Hendrick to name a few.

#4 The A’s really had a ace starting staff during those days with Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman, and Blue Moon Odom. Manager Dick Williams of the 1972 and 1973 teams had the confidence to go in with this pitching staff and win ball games.

#5 Amaury talk about A’s lead off hitter Bert Campaneris who played shortstop on all three championship teams and should go down in history as the best shortstop in Oakland A’s history?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Harris was dealing; Miller shuts the door; A’s blank Astros 4-0 to open series at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Hogan Harris throws against the Houston Astros in the top of the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Jul 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

Houston (52-48). 000 000 000 0. 8. 1

Athletics (40-62). 003 100 00x. 4. 8. 0

Time: 2:07

Attendance: 4,517

Monday, July 22, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Following Sunday afternoon’s debacle, the current occupants of the Oakland Coliseum recovered and returned to the recent winning ways that had given them a 9-6 record for July, defeating the high flying Houston Astros, 4-0.

The A’s starting pitcher, southpaw Hogan Harris, has ridden the Oakland-Las Vegas shuttle for three round trips in addition to taking paternity leave for a couple of days in July. His time in the A’s rotation this season can be divided into two parts, each consisting of four starts.

From May 30 to June 18, he went 1-0, 1.66, with a trio of no decisions thanks to blown saves. He was 0-3, 5.19 in his four subsequent starts, bringing him to 1-3,3.40 when he went into action tonight, when he shut out the ‘stros over on seven hits and two walks.

65 of his 93 pitches went into the books as strikes. Harris earned the win and now has a record of 2-3, 2.98. One of the reasons for the success Harris enjoyed was the pitchers’ best friend. The Athletics turned three double plays for him in his 6-2/3 innings on the mound.

All of those twin killings were of the around the horn variety, Brett Harris to Zack Gelof to Seth Brown. Hogan didn’t have to rely solely on his fielders; he struck out seven Astro batters. He also had the help of four relief pitchers.

Austin Adams got the third out for him in the seventh, stranding two runners by fanning Alex Bregman. Lucas Erceg, last night’s goat, hurled a perfect eighth tonight, and Mason Miller stonewalled the Astros in a 1,2,3 top of the ninth.

The last time the Bochy Boys visited the Bay Area, Spencer Arrighetti, the rookie right hander who was the Astros’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023 and was described by the ’24 media guide as the team’s “top pitching prospect,” started against the Giants on June 10.

He held them to one run on three hits over 6-2/3 innings in a 4-3 10 inning loss to their hosts. This evening he made his second appearance on the warm side of the bay and his third against the green and gold. He had been the winning pitcher against them at Minute Maid Park on May 13, allowing two runs, both earned , in a five inning start. 12 days later, he made another five frame start but lost, yielding all of the A’s runs, and they were earned, in a 3-1 loss, again being touched for five hits.

The rookie brought a record of 4-7, 5.63 to tonight’s contest and left after six innings with the Athletics leading, 4-0. He didn’t pitch poorly Monday night, although the A’s made lots of solid contact against him. They scored all their four runs, which were earned in two innings, the third and the fourth.

The three run outburst in the third was the result of singles by Max Schuemann and Lawrence Butler, followed by doubles of the bats of Miguel Andújar and JJ Bleday. Gelof scored the fourth and final tally in the next frame.He drew a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a Harris ground out, and crossed the plate on Max Schuemann’s single to left.

Arrightetti took the loss, having put in six innings of work and thrown 94 pitches, 30 of which were balls. He yielded seven hits, walked one, and struck out three while facing 26 batters. His record when all was over was 4-8, 5.65. Bryan King and Rafael Montero pitched an inning apiece. Montero surrendered a single.

Bleday’s two bagger brought the streak of games in which he has doubled to five. It also was the fifth straight game in which Butler has hit safely.

The resurgent A’s will send Osvaldo Bido (1-1, 3.63) against Houston’s Jake Bloss (0-0, 4.70), Tuesday, evening, at 6:40.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: Angels manager and former A’s coach Ron Washington makes last visit to Coliseum; A’s open 4 game set with Astros tonight

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Former Oakland A’s third base coach and current Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington instructs players from the dugout on Sat Jul 20, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum against the A’s. This is the last visit for the former A’s coach and he left all those memories out on the field. (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Kevin Pillar hit a two run double which helped paced the Los Angeles Angels to a 5 run eighth inning rally that eventually helped defeat the A’s 8-5 at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.

#2 The Angels Logan O’Hoppe started the eighth off with a single, pinch hitter Nolan Schanuel hit an RBI single, and Jo Adell got a base on balls from A’s reliever Lucas Erceg in the five run eighth for a comeback.

#3 The Angels with the win snap a team franchise eight game losing streak. The Angels had got walloped by the A’s in the first two games of this series with a 13-3 loss on Friday and a 8-2 loss on Saturday. They put out a full effort to avoid a sweep on Sunday.

#4 This would be the final visit to the Oakland Coliseum for the Angels and their manager Ron Washington as the A’s are moving to Sacramento after this season. Washington spent many years as the long time third base coach of the A’s and is sad to see his old team leave Oakland, “There’s so much that has been going on in this place, I’m going to certainly miss it as a guy that’s been a coach here, as a guy that watched a lot of young players grow here and now as a guy that came back and managed here,”

#5 The A’s open a three game series against the Houston Astros on Monday night. Starting pitcher for the Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-7, ERA 5.63) starter for the A’s LHP Hogan Harris (1-3, ERA 3.40) first pitch at 6:40pm PT.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s Brent Rooker big candidate for Trade

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Oakland A’s slugger Brent Rooker is one of the most requested players from MLB teams inquiring about his services as the trade deadline approaches on Jul 30th. Rooker could help a club in it’s post season bid and could be with another club before the end of July. (Athletics Nation file photo)

A’s Brent Rooker big candidate for Trade

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, just nine days from Monday, and the A’s have one of the most underrated power hitters in the game. His name is Brent Rooker, and this outfielder, who is mostly a Designated Hitter for the Oakland A’s, is wanted by many contending teams for the last two months of the season.

Rooker should have been at last week’s All-Star Game in Texas. He was an All-Star in 2023. Rooker is having an even better season this year, with an excellent probability of hitting 35 to 40 home runs and driving in close to 100 runs, which will be his best season ever.

In their rebuilding process, the Oakland A’s have been developing young players like Zack Gelof, 24, Lawrence Butler, 24, J.J Bleday, 26, Shea Langeliers, 26, Tyler Soderstrom, 22, plus others, especially the young pitching staff. Rooker is arbitration-eligible for the next three years, but he turns 30 in November, so he might not be in the A’s plans for the A’s future with the younger guys playing in the current lineup.

Brent Rooker 2023: .246 with 30 homeruns, 69 runs batted-in. He played in 137 games.

2024 Brent Rooker with 61 games left this season: .294, 22 homeruns and 67 runs batted in.

Today, the A’s begin a three-game series against the first-place Houston Astros, and Brent Rooker is the DH.

The A’s are sellers again as we approach this trade deadline, and there are teams in search of players with Rooker’s type of power. If they trade him, they should get a handsome return, probably with much younger players, which fits the A’s plan. There are a lot of contenders looking to add offense for the last part of the season. It is very possible that Brent Rooker won’t finish this season with the Green and Gold.

Mason Miller? I doubt he will go. However, never put it past the A’s because if they get a haul of players from this tremendous young closer arm, then “it is on.” Many teams are trying to win the World Series this October. The A’s are not one of them, but they are always: “open for business,” especially at this time of the year when the trade deadline is around the corner.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish play by play lead announcer on the A’s Spanish Radio Network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburgh and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Halos avoid sweep, 5 run eighth inning rally lends to 8-5 win over A’s at Coliseum

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The Los Angeles Angels Mickey Moniak (left) gets congratulated from third base Eric Young Sr (right) after hitting a home run off Oakland A’s starter Joey Estes in the top of the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Jul 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (42-57). 000 110 051. 8. 15. 0

Athletics (42-57). 002 010 200. 5. 8. 0

Time: 3:08

Attendance: 10,380

Sunday, July 31, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–They say that the third time’s the charm. This pleasant Sunday afternoon at the vacant lot off the Nimitz, it was more of a curse than a charm. The Wandering Athletics who visit there 81 times a year and had just won two straight games against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, blew 5-2 lead in the eighth inning and went down to an ignominious 8-5 loss.

As was expected, the A’s placed Jacob Wilson on the ten day injured list, retroactive to July 20, when he strained his left hamstring while scoring a run in his major league debut. They concurrently reinstated Abraham Toro from the IL.

Joey Estes, who started for the Athletics, has pitched some good baseball recently, including a complete game shutout of the Angels here at the Coliseum on July 3. Still, he was only 4-4, 5.29 at game time. His performance Sunday was more in tune with the rest of the season than with that highlight.

He went 5-2/3 innings, not even enough for a so-called quality start, and allowed two runs, both earned, on eight hits, one for all the bases, two walks, and a hit batter. Estes ended the day with a slightly reduced ERA of 5.11.

TJ McFarland replaced him while the A’s were ahead 4-2 with the Angels threatening with runners on first and second and two down and closed out the inning and allowed only a single in the following one, throwing 18 pitches in the process.

(Estes had thrown 97, 64 qualifying as strikes). The A’s used, and the Angels abused, three more hurlers. Lucas Erceg, the eventual loser, whose record now stands at 2-3, 4.01, failed to get an out against the four batters he faced and who scored four runs, all earned, against him on two hits, a walk, a wild pitch, and a hit batter.

He was followed by Scott Alexander, who was charged with a blown save after staying on the mound for a third of an inning and allowing a run, earned, and a hit. Michel Otáñez also took his lumps, yielding a run, also earned, on two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch although he did log five strikeouts.

Carson Fulmer had a brilliant future in front of him when the White Sox made him their first round choice (eighth overall) in the 2015 draft. Nine years later, his promise remains unfulfilled. The 30 year old righty had a lifetime big league record of 7-10, 6.14 when he accompanied the Halos as a non-roster invitee to spring training after having appeared in three games in 2023.

He was sent to Salt Lake, where he pitched all of three innings before rejoining the Angels, for whom he went 0-2, 3.45 before making his second start and 26th of the season Sunday. Fulmer lasted only 4-2/3 innings before Hunter Strickland relieved him. In his brief tenure on the mound, the 30 year old AAAA pitcher surrendered three runs, all earned, on five hits, one which left the park, and two bases on balls. He faced a score of batters in the no decision that raised his ERA to 3.66.

The team from Anaheim sent five bullpen denizens to the mound. Hunter Strickland (a hit in 1-1/3 innings), Hans Crouse, two runs, earned bug posthumous, on a hit and two walks in 1-1/3 frames), Ben Joyce (a hit and a wild pitch in two thirds of an inning), Luis García (one inning, one strikeout), and Carlos Estevez, who earned his 18th save with by holding the A’s to a walk in the ninth inning.

The A’s pulled ahead with a two run bottom of the third on doubles by Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday, and Brent Rooker only to give up one of those runs in the visitors’ fourth on two singles, a hit batter, and Brandon Drury’s sacrifice fly to the center field wall.

The Angels chipped further at the A’s lead one frame later when Mickey Moniac’s fly to right made it just over the wall, 377 feet from the plate, for his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot that made it 3-2.

The Athletics retaliated in the bottom of the frame when Miguel Andújar drove a liner off the front of the left field seats for his four dinger of the year and Fulmer to the showers with the green and gold now leading 4-2. They tacked on another pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on a walk to Schuemann, singles by Andújar and Butler, a bases loaded walk to Rooker, and a wild pitch.

That newfound three run lead was obliterated by an Angel’s blitz in the top of the eighth. Lucas Erceg relieved McFarland and gave up back to back singles to Logan O’Hoppe and Zach Neto, both of whom advanced on a passed ball. Erceg hit Brandon Drury with a pitch to load the bases but not before releasing a wild one that gave O’Hoppe the gift of third base.

A walk to Jo Adell and the basepaths still were crowded with Angels after O’Hoppe hopped home. A pinch hitting Nolan Schanuel beat out an infield single in spite of Gelof’s mighty effort. Brett Harris, who entered the game as a defensive replacement for Toro, chose not to try for the force at home on Rendon’s grounder but instead went for the around the horn double play.

All he got for that was a force out at second. Kevin Pillar, hitting for Moniak, smacked a double that drove in two more runs. He was at third while trying to advance on the play, but the review crew in New York overturned that call.

At that point, Mich Otáñez was called on to stop the hemorrhage. He applied the tourniquet, but the Angels now held a 7-5 lead, which they stretched to 8-5 in an inning that featured a wild pitch by Otáñez and the pitcher’s failure to cover first on a grounder hit to Brown.

The win was the 5,000th regular season victory in the history of the California, Anaheim, and Los Angeles Angels. The loss was a bitter one for the Athletics, in spite of good performances from Andújar (three for five, including a home run), Rooker (a double and two RBI), Butler (2 for 3, a double, and two walks; his fourth consecutive multi-hit game), and Bleday, whose third inning RBI two bagger put him in second place for doubles in the American League.

The Houston Astros come to The Town for a night game set for 6:40 Monday evening. Hogan Harris (1-3, 3.40) will hurl for the homeless heroes; Spencer Arrightetti (4-7, 5.63), will throw for the ‘stros.

Oakland A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg: A’s offense springing into action, Rooker and Butler tee off for 3 RBIs a piece

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Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (left) gets congratulated by teammates JJ Bleday (33) and Miguel Andujar (22) after slugging a three run home run in the bottom of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jul 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg:

#1 The Oakland A’s made a fast two wins to start this second half of the 2024 season after the All Star break. Taking Friday night’s game in a 13-3 laugher over the Los Angeles Angels and Saturday getting run production from Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler with 3 RBIs each in the A’s 8-2 win.

#2 Before the All Star Break the A’s took two out of three from one of baseball’s toughest team the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia. If the A’s are on the way to winning a whole bunch of games was the Philadelphia experiment a good curve of that?

#3 A’s are getting a sense that this team is starting to jell. Their hitting has vastly improved but the pitching has also kept them in games with recent help from starters JP Sears on Friday and Saturday starter Mitch Spence on Saturday.

#4 A’s have been rolling they’ve won six of their last ten games they’re 13.5 games off the pace in the AL West and have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to be a factor in this race. Some say this A’s team can’t do it and would be lucky if they don’t lost 100 games this season. In view of what you’ve seen in recent games is this just a passing phase or are these A’s serious?

#5 The Angels will try and avoid getting swept today at the Oakland Coliseum and will start RHP Carlson Fulmer (0-2, ERA 3.45) and the A’s will try for the sweep with starter RHP Joey Estes (4-4, ERA 5.29).

Augie Mesenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and is a reporter at 1080 KWAI Honolulu