Category: Oakland Athletics

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: A’s coming off 1-8 road trip, aiming to beat Reds at Coliseum starting tonight

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Photo credit: @Athletics

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 After a long road trip and going 1-8, the Oakland A’s looked forward to Monday’s day off to gear up for the Cincinnati Reds series starting Tuesday.

#2 Both the A’s and Reds are in last place in their respective divisions. The Reds are 15-10 and the A’s 15-21. It’s hard to believe at one time both these two teams met in the World Series back in 1972.

#3 The Reds are coming off a split with the Giants in four games played in Cincinnati. The Reds got beat by the Giants in two comeback games after leading San Francisco by scores of 8-0 and 4-0.

#4 It’s been a long time since A’s outfielder Khris Davis has hit a home run. He’s sitting on 10 of them for this season.

#5 The A’s will start Mike Fiers (2-3, 6.81 ERA) goes for tonight going against the Cincinnati Reds Tyler Mahle (0-4, 4.09 ERA).

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sportstalk podcast at Rosa Mexicano in downtown San Francisco Monday May 6, 2019

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photo by Rosa Mexicano Restaurant San Francisco

Cast: Michael Duca (host), David Zizmor, Bill Gould, Morris Phillips, Jeremy Kahn, and Lee Leonard (producer) podcasting from beautiful Rosa Mexicano Restaurant at 30 Mission Street downtown San Francisco. Our special thanks to our hosts at Rosa Mexicano Dan Munteanu (General Manager) and Ornin Gosuwin (Manager) and server Connie.

Some of the items we would recommend when you dine at Rosa Mexicano: Guacamole. Rosa Mexicano has been preparing this special guacamole grinded up in a stone charcoal bowl since 1984. The authentic taste of Rosa Mexicano’s signature appetizer will have you going for more.

Some of the main courses of the house we would like to recommend to you from the dinner menu: Chile Poblano Relleno, Carnitas, Budin de Pollo, Pescado a la Veracruzana, Pollo Pibil, Salmon Poblano, Tampiquena de Carne Asada, and Alambre de Camarones.

On the sports headline discussions: Sharks and Avalanche as well as Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets as well as Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA Playoffs plus San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s.

Preview of the series between the Reds and A’s

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Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s returned home after finishing their nine-game road trip with a dismal 1-8 record. They are off on Monday and resume play against the NL Central Cincinnati Reds. The Reds, as the A’s, are in last place in the respective divisions. The Reds are 15-20, and the A’s are 15-21.

David Bell is in his first year as manager of the Reds. He is hoping to rebuild the team and bring them back to being contenders. The Reds are celebrating their 150th anniversary as baseball’s oldest franchise. They were started in 1869. They have won nine National League pennants and five World Series. They won the World Series in 1919 when they beat the heavily favored Chicago “Black” Sox. The Reds were known as the Big Red Machine in the ’70s when they won four pennants and two World Series. That team features Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, and Pete Rose. The A’s beat them to win the 1972 World Series. The Reds, under manager Lou Piniella, swept the A’s in the 1990 World Series. Neither the A’s nor the Reds have made it back to the World Series since then.

The Reds hosted the San Francisco Giants for four games over the weekend. The teams split the series. The schedule makers have the Reds traveling to the Bay Area on Monday, and they play the A’s for three and then play the Giants again three times this weekend.

The Pitching probables for the three-game series will see the A’s send Mike Fiers to the hill for Game One. Fiers is 2-3 with a 6.81 ERA. Fiers pitches well at the Coliseum. In his last two outings, Fiers has given up five runs in 12 innings. He will be opposed by the Reds’ Tyler Mahle. Mahle is 0-4 for the season and lost a tough one when he fell 1-0 to the Mets. Mets’ pitcher Noah “Thor” Syndergaard homered for the Mets only run. On Wednesday, lefty Brett Anderson (4-2, 3.89 ERA) will try to beat the Reds.

Anderson won the only game of the A’s on the last nine-game road trip. The Reds’ Sonny Gray will try to beat his old mates. Sonny pitched for the A’s from 2013-17. The A’ traded Sonny to the Yankees in 2017 and Sonny had a tough time pitching in New York. He did well on the road, but was terrible at home. The Yankees sent him to the Reds after the 2018 season. Sonny is being united with his pitching coach from Vanderbilt. Sonny is 25-20 lifetime at the Oakland Coliseum. Thursday’s game will feature Chris Bassitt (1-0, 2.12 ERA) going for Oakland and Tanner Roark, the former Washington National, going for Cincinnati. Bassitt went five innings in his last start against Pittsburgh. He had trouble with his command and gave up two home runs to Josh Bell. He did not get a decision as he left the game with the game tied at three.

The Reds’ key players are the former NL MVP Joey Votto, outfielders Yasiel Puig, and Jesse Winker, and rookie Nick Senzel. Senzel hit two home runs against the Giants on Monday. Reds star second baseman Scooter Gennett is on the 60-day IL. Derek Dietrich, the former Miami Marlin, will play second for the Reds. Former Red Sox and Detroit Tiger, Jose Iglesias, will be at shortstop. Eugenio Suarez will probably be at third. Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer will handle the catching.

The Reds’ pitchers that will see action in relief are lefties Zach Duke and Wandy Peralta. The righties are Raisel Iglesias, Robert Stephenson, and Jared Hughes.

The Reds have players with a lot of pop in their bats. The Oakland Coliseum is a pitcher’s park, and it will be interesting to see if the A’s pitchers can stop the offense of the Reds.

The A’s, on the other hand, will be hoping to get their offense back on track. The hitters did not do well on the road trip, and they hope that the return to Oakland will get them going. The A’s will be getting back slugging first baseman Matt Olson. Olson broke the hamate bone in his left hand and has finished his rehab. The pitching rotation should get a boost when Edwin Jackson is called up from Las Vegas.

A’s On The Brink?: 1-8 road trip has team in need of an immediate turnaround

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By Morris Phillips

Bad? No, actually worse.

The A’s concluded a disastrous 1-8 roadtrip with a 13-inning 5-3 loss in Pittsburgh in which victory was transformed into defeat with one, powerful stroke. Sterling Marte’s three-run homer off Fernando Rodney finished a four-run rally, and erased Oakland’s comfy two-run lead at the inception of the frame.

For the A’s, it was the second, consecutive day the bullpen imploded. The team’s offense seemingly whimpered in all of nine of the trip’s losses. And at 15-21, the club is in worse shape in relation to the .500 mark than they were at any point in 2018.

“Been through some tough ones here recently. This one’s probably at the top,” said manager Bob Melvin.

Are the last-place A’s cooked? Absolutely not, but they’ll need to start playing better baseball immediately starting Tuesday night when the Reds come to the Coliseum if they want to have consecutive playoff berths on their resumes. What’s frustrating is they were playing better baseball–winning Friday, blowing a late lead Saturday, and shutting down the Pirates for 12 innings on Sunday–before adversity struck like a baby grand piano falling on a unsuspecting, Saturday morning cartoon character.

So what’s the club’s biggest issue, the reason they haven’t regained their form from 2018?

That’s easy enough. The answer is, if hasn’t been one thing, it’s been another. In Sunday’s draining, extra-inning meltdown, the lack of hitting was the culprit… at least until the incendiary nature of the pitching took over.

Frankie Montas started and was the six inning wonder he’s been all season, lowering his ERA to 2.75 in the process. Montas allowed five hits and a run, with the Pirates only damage Colin Moran’s run scoring, sacrifice fly in the second.

Four Oakland relievers followed, starting with a dominating two innings from Lou Trivino, and Melvin had his club in an advantageous spot for a breakthrough through 12 innings.

But none came. Khris Davis started in left field, but was done after one at-bat when he injured his hip making a catch against the stands in foul ground. Davis has gone three weeks with a home run, and after departing early, that streak will continue for at least two more days. When asked after the game, the slugger felt confident he wouldn’t miss any time going forward.

But with Pirates’ starter Jordan Lyles and the first four relievers that followed dealing, Davis was missed yesterday.

Ironically, regular left fielder Robbie Grossman got the A’s on the scoreboard with a run scoring single in the seventh.

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: Pirates get bang for their Buc with 6-4 win over A’s Saturday

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photo from apnews.com: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Gregory Polanco, right, and Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrate after scoring on a triple by Kevin Newman off Oakland Athletics relief pitcher J.B. Wendelken (57) during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh on Saturday, May 4, 2019.

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Joey:

#1 The Oakland A’s wasted no time in the first inning of Saturday night’s game at PNC Park, getting three runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s always key to jump to a early lead.

#2 Taking a look at the scoring, Khris Davis singled to right to drive Matt Chapman home to score. Kendrys Morales hit his first triple of the year to drive Davis home to score, and Morales would score the third Oakland run of the inning on a Stephen Piscotty single to left field to help the offense in the A’s three-run rally.

#3 It didn’t last long as the Pirates Josh Bell hit a homer in the second inning off A’s starter Chris Bassitt and Bell came back in the bottom of the third and took Bassitt to deep center with a two-run homer to tie the game.

#4 The Pirates scored three more runs in the bottom of the seventh Kevin Newman hit his first triple of the season off A’s reliever JB Wendelken that drove in two runners on base to score and gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead. Francisco Cervelli then hit a 2-2 change up from Wendelken into left field that allowed Newman to score easily from third base for a 6-4 lead, which was the final.

#5 The Oakland A’s Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.97 ERA) gets the start against the Pirates Jordan Lyles (4-2, 2.42 ERA) to conclude the three-game series at PNC Park Sunday

Joey does the A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s score first, but can’t hold on to get the win in Steel City

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Pit score
Graphic: @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics shot out of the gate quickly on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, hanging three runs up on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Khris Davis singled to right to drive Matt Chapman home to score. Kendrys Morales hit his first triple of the year to drive Davis home to score, and Morales would score the third Oakland run of the inning on a Stephen Piscotty  single to left field. That was a very promising start for the green and gold.

The Pirates put their first run up on the board in the home-half of the second inning when Josh Bell hit a Chris Bassitt 84 mph cutter over the right field wall.

Bell came back to haunt the A’s again in the bottom of the third inning with two out and Starling Marte on at first. Bell hit his eighth home run of the season over the center field wall off a 93 mph sinker that tied the game at 3-3.

The A’s retook the lead in the fifth inning when Khris Davis hit a single to center field that drove Matt Chapman home to score the fourth run of the contest for Oakland.

Pittsburgh broke this game open in the bottom of the seventh inning when they scored three runs. Kevin Newman hit his first triple of the season off Wendelken that drove in two runners on base to score and gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead. Francisco Cervelli then hit a 2-2 change up from Wendelken into left field that allowed Newman to score easily from third base. After seven complete innings, the Pirates held a 6-4 lead.

Pirates (15-15) focus

Pit bell hr
Josh Bell hits one of his two home runs Photo: @Pirates
  • Josh Bell was the star of the game for Pittsburgh. He hit two home runs, picked up three RBI and scored two runs. Bell is batting .291 for the Pirates.
  • Gregory Polanco went 2-for-5 for Pittsburgh on Saturday. He hit a double and scored a run for his team in the win.
  • Outfielder Bryan Reynolds had a good night for his team, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Reynolds also scored a run.
  • Michael Feliz picked up his first win of the season working in relief.
  • Felipe Vazquez recorded his ninth save of the year preserving the win for his team.

A’s (15-20) spotlight

Pit Bolt NBCS
Skye Bolt gets his first major league hit Photo: @NBCS
  • Matt Chapman had a 2-for-4 game scoring two runs. He hit a double and a triple in the game.
  • Khris Davis picked up two RBI and scored a run in his 2-for-4 night for Oakland. Davis played left field in the game because there is no designated hitter because this is a National League ballpark.
  • The A’s are hoping that this was a breakout game for Kendrys Morales who went 2-for-4 with the bat scoring a run and adding an RBI.
  • Skye Bolt, who was just called up to the majors, picked up his first major league hit in the game.
  • Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt did not figure into the final decision. The loss was charged to J.B. Wendelken (0-1) who pitched 1.0 innings giving up three runs (all earned) off four hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Up next

The third and final game of the series will be played on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35 AM Bay Area time. Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.97 ERA) will take the hill for Oakland. The Pirates will counter with Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42 ERA).

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s, Giants on the road for Cinco de Mayo weekend

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Photo credit: youtube.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and it is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, Mexico in 1862, which marks a Mexican military victory over the French forces of Napoleon. It is NOT Mexican Independence Day, that is on September 16. But Cinco de Mayo is a popular day that ironically is celebrated much more in the US than in Mexico.

What? How can that be.The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Bay Area is one of the most wealthiest areas of the country. The South Bay and Silicon Valley is leading the way when it comes to the world’s technology. Today, the nine-county Bay Area has a population of over seven million people and we are denied to have one our teams at home? For the record, it also happens in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, three metropolitan areas with two major league teams who play less than 50 miles apart.

The MLB’s 30 team schedule is truly a crazy one, with interleague games since 1997, beginning with the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants in Arlington, Texas. That day, Texas and three other games on the West Coast, teams from the National League, played teams from the American League during the regular season for the first time. In the end, they played a total of 214 games spread over three periods, the last ending on September 3.

I was working that first ever interleague game, broadcasting for the Giants when they played the Rangers in Arlington. On June 12 ,1997, a historical first interleague game where the Giants beat the Rangers 4-3. Mark Gardner (7-2) got the victory for the Giants, while Darren Oliver (3-8) was charged with the loss for the Rangers, and Rod Beck saved his 20th game for the Giants. I remember it well and I still have a souvenir they passed in the press box for that historical day.

It is a shame with the great weather we are enjoying in the Bay Area, baseball fans will not be able to attend a game this Cinco de Mayo. However, on Monday, September 16, the A’s will be at home hosting the Kansas City Royals, so you can celebrate Mexican Independence at the Coliseum that day. Also, on September 16, the Giants have an off-day in Boston and will begin a three-game set against the Red Sox the next day. Oh, yes…interleague play!

Anyways, Feliz Cinco de Mayo amigos!

Phegley Plates 8, A’s Sink Pirates 14-1

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland Athletics boast one of the most fearsome hitters in Khris Davis, so it’d be no surprise to see an nine RBI game for an A’s player. What is surprising is that it was journeyman catcher Josh Phegley, who did it Friday night at PNC Park in a 14-1 A’s win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, not Davis.

The A’s knocked in 11 runs between the second and fourth innings, including scoring seven off Bucs starter and losing pitcher Joe Musgrove (1-3, 2.63 ERA). Phegley went 4-for-5, knocking in an obvious career high in eight runs, including a solo homer in the ninth inning. Matt Chapman also homered in a pair in the seventh for the A’s runs after their early game rally. Brett Anderson (4-2, 3.89 ERA) got the win after going six innings allowing four hits and the one run on a Josh Bell RBI ground out in the bottom of the first.

Khris Davis started the second inning rally, reaching base on a throwing error from Jung Ho Kang, the Stephen Piscotty doubled. Kendrys Morales knocked in Davis with an RBI single to tie the game. Jurickson Profar was hit by a pitch to load the bags for Phegley, who cleaned them with a double for a 4-1 lead. Marcus Semien knocked in Phegley later in the inning on a grounder to first and a 5-1 lead.

Davis led off the next inning and advanced to 2nd on Morales’ single, but the A’s were looking at two outs and coming up empty after Profar flew out. Phegley knocked in Davis for a 6-1 edge and later in the inning Semien walked with the bases loaded for a 7-1 edge. Semien, along with Chapman and Phegley were the only A’s with multiple RBI.

Profar singled in a run off Nick Kingham in the top of the third and Phegley hit another bases-loaded two-bagger to knock in three and give the A’s an 11-1 advantage. They wouldn’t need more, but they’d get more with the two long balls in the late innings.

The A’s hope they have more runs in their bats Saturday when they continue their interleague trip to Pittsburgh. Chris Bassitt takes the mound after a sterling season debut in his last outing, while Trevor Williams takes the hill for the Pirates.

Preview of the A’s series against the Pirates

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s are in Pittsburgh to start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning Friday evening. The A’s are on the last leg of a nine-game road trip. Things have not gone well for the Green and Gold as they have lost all six games played so far. They were swept by the Blue Jays in Toronto and by the Red Sox in Boston. They will be going up against a team that is in fourth place in the NL Central Division. The Pirates, under the tutelage of manager Clint Hurdle, are 14-14 so far this year.

The A’s and Pirates have been playing baseball for many, many years. The A’s started playing in the AL in 1901, and have won 15 pennants and nine World Series in their long and storied history. The Pirates joined the NL in 1887 and played in the first World Series against the Red Sox in 1903. The Pirates have won nine NL pennants and five World Series. The won the World Series in 1979 and have not been back since. The Pirates, from 1993 to 2012 had 20 consecutive losing seasons. Hurdle, named manager before the 2011 season, took the Pirates to the playoffs in 2013. He was named NL Manager of the Year for his efforts.

The A’s will enter Friday night’s game with a record of 14-19. They are in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Also, they are 4-13 on the road this year. Since they will be playing in an NL park, they will not be able to utilize the designated hitter. Their DH, Khris Davis, probably will play left field for the three games.

The A’s will send lefty Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.35 ERA) to the mound Friday night. Anderson will be trying to get back on track as he has not completed five innings of work in his last two starts. However, he has a record of 1-0, and a 1.38 ERA in two career starts at PNC Park. Pittsburgh will counter with former Houston Astros hurler Joe Musgrove. Musgrove came to Pittsburgh in the trade that sent Gerrit Cole to Houston. Musgrove is 1-2 with a 1.54 ERA. He has five quality starts so far this year, and he allowed 3 runs (one earned) over 6 2/3 innings of work in the loss to the Dodgers last Saturday.

Game two will feature the A’s Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.75 ERA) going against the Bucs’ Trevor Williams. Bassitt has allowed just one run over his last two starts. Williams has completed at least six innings in each of his six starts this season.

The A’s will send Frankie Montas to the hill on Sunday. Montas has been the A’s best pitcher. His record is 4-2 and he has a 2.97 ERA. Montas took the loss against Boston in his last outing. His work was undone by an error by the second baseman Jurickson Profar, and the Red Sox were able to put six runs on the board. A’s manager Bob Melvin was seen giving Montas a pat on the back and saying that he was pitching and well and that the error was part of baseball and to not get upset. The Pirates’ Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to get the win for the Bucs. Lyles has a 2.25 ERA in three starts at PNC Park.

Since the A’s don’t see the Pirates very often, some players will be unfamiliar to the A’s fans. The Pirate infield will be manned by first baseman Josh Bell. Bell is one of the stars in the Pirate lineup. Second base will be handled by either Adam Frazier or Cole Moran. Cole Tucker is at shortstop, and Jung Ho Kang will start at third. Colin Moran also plays third for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will play Starlin Marte in center field. Marte got off to a slow start and is hitting just .198. However, he is a significant player for Pittsburgh as the team is 12-5 when he is in the lineup and 1-9 when he isn’t. The A’s may see rookie Brian Reynolds at an outfield slot during the season. Reynolds was drafted by the San Francisco Giants and came to Pittsburgh when the Giants traded for Andrew McCutchen before the start of the 2018 season. In his first nine games, Reynolds has six doubles and a home run, and this is something no other player has done in nearly 100 years. One player whose name is familiar to A’s fans will be in right field. VMelky Cabrera will see time in the outfield this weekend against the A’s.

The A’s are hoping that their offense comes to life this weekend in Pittsburgh. The attack did very little against Toronto and Boston. They did show a sign of life in the ninth inning against the Red Sox, but it was a case of too little, too late. The A’s know that the offense goes into a funk at times over the course of 162 games. They are hoping that the bats will wake up against the Pirates. It should be a good series.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s head to Pittsburgh, try to snap out of six-game skid

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Photo credit: @Athletics

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feiteberg:

#1 The Oakland A’s are getting tired of other teams taking out the broom as the A’s were in another sweep. This time by the Boston Red Sox in a 7-3 loss at Fenway Park.

#2 The loss represents the A’s six straight loss as they’re 0-6 on this current road trip. It has been a tough go as A’s manager Bob Melvin tries to figure all this out.

#3 Amongst those struggling is Oakland A’s starter Mike Fiers, who pitched five innings and gave up three runs on five hits.

#4 Fiers has given up the big fly this time to the Red Sox’s Mitch Moreland, who hit his fifth homer of the season over the Green Monster and it was Fiers’ ninth home run surrendered.

#5 On Friday, the A’s will try it all over again as they’ll open up a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The A’s will start Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.35 ERA) and the Pirates will start Joe Musgrove (1-2, 1.54 ERA).

Jerry does the Oakland A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com