Category: Oakland Athletics

Part 2 of the Battle of the Bay continues Friday night

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By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Battle of the Bay continues Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum as the Oakland A’s host the San Francisco Giants for three games. The two teams met last weekend in San Francisco, and the A’s won two out of three.

Both teams welcomed back their two All-Star players from Washington D.C. while the other 23 players on each team had a nice four-day vacation.

The A’s, playing their best baseball since the 2014 season, find themselves in the race for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. They are just three games back of the Seattle Mariners for the slot. They play the M’s 10 more times this season.

The A’s are getting solid play from the position players and their DH Khris Davis. The bullpen has been one of the strengths of the team. The starting rotation has been a work in progress. Six pitchers that have started have been on the DL this year.

The A’s, if they were to make the playoffs, need another starting pitcher. The big caveat is this: Will they be able to do it without giving any key players? Do they have enough prospects to make the trade? Rumors are swirling that the A’s are looking at Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer.

The Giants are also in the thick of the race in the NL West. They are in fourth place four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. They trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 3.5 games and are two games behind the Colorado Rockies for third place.

If the Giants are to make the playoffs, they probably will have to win the division. The Dodgers traded for All-Star shortstop Manny Machado, who will give them another potent bat. Corey Seager is on the DL for the year, and the Dodgers have missed him.

The Giants’ starting rotation has seen their share of injuries, too. Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Jeff Samardzija have all missed significant playing time this tear. Samardzija is back on the 10-day DL.

The Giants own a record of 50-48 and are much improved over last season. They have brought up Steven Duggar and Austin Slater. They released veteran outfielder Austin Jackson. Hunter Pence has been relegated to a reserve role. Evan Longoria is on the DL, but Pablo Sandoval has been filling in quite nicely as his replacement. Buster Posey has been hobbled by a hip injury, but he should be able to play in Oakland as DH Nick Hundley will handle the catching chores,

The pitching matchups for the series shapes up this way. On Friday night, the A’s will send the veteran Edwin Jackson to the hill. Jackson is 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA. Jackson, whom the A’s called up in late June, has been a pleasant surprise, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his four starts and showing no signs of age. The veteran journeyman will get the ball for the A’s to kick off the second half. He will be opposed by Dereck Rodriguez, who is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Pudge Rodriguez, is 4-1 and has a 2.89 ERA. Rodriguez has been a welcoming addition to the Giants’ staff.  On Saturday, the game will start at 6:05 pm PDT.

The A’s are honoring the 1989 World Series Champions, many of whom will be on hand. Trevor Cahill will go for Oakland. Cahill is 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA. Cahill was on the DL with a strained Achilles tendon. In his return on July 12th, he lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs and three hits. The A’s need him to pitch better in the second half. Lefty Madison Bumgarner goes for the Giants. MadBum is 3-3, and has a 2.90 ERA. The Giants feel that he is not in top form yet as he is allowing 3.1 walks per nine innings of work.

Sunday’s game will feature Seam Manaea (9-6-3.42 ERA) going for his 10th win of the year. Manaea started strong and slumped a bit, but in his last eight starts, has given up three or fewer runs. He will be opposed by Johnny Cueto, who is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA, and has missed most of the season. Cueto has a history of starting well in the first half and them stumbling in the second half. Since he has been sidelined for most of the season, it will be interesting to see if he can return to form.

After the three-game homestand, the A’s go back on the road for four games against the Texas Rangers and three games against the the Colorado Rockies.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Oakland A’s–What a Difference a Year Makes!

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND, Calif. — Part two of the Bay Bridge Series continues on Friday, July 20, at the Oakland Coliseum, as both Bay Area teams open the second half of their season. The last weekend prior to the All Star break, the A’s took two out of the three games against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

On this date in 2017, the A’s did not play. However, the next day–the first game of the second half–on July 21, they had a record of 43-53 and were in fifth (last place) with 23 games behind the Houston Astros.

As the A’s open the second half of this season, their record is 55-42 and they’re in third place, eight games behind the first-place Houston Astros and three games behind the second-place Seattle Mariners for a Wild Card spot.  From 2017 to 2018 to date, that’s an improvement of 12 more games won and 11 less games lost.

Anywho, the Giants on July 20, 2017, were in last place in the National League West with a record of 37-61, 29 1/2 games out of first-place, which was held by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants ended in the cellar last year as they lost 98 games. In the second half of last season, the Giants had one of the worse second halves in their history, winning just 27 more games to to end the season with a 64-98 record. Because 2017 was such a pathetic season for the Orange and Black, they’re better this season. The Giants begin this series against the A’s in fourth place with 50-48 record, four games behind the first-place Dodgers and also four games behind a Wild Card berth.

Both teams are fighting to get into the postseason at this time, which is a totally different situation at this time last year when both teams finished in last place in their respective divisions. The big difference this season is that the A’s weren’t expected to contend. The Giants acquired two veteran players in Evan Longoria, who should return to the lineup soon, and Andrew McCutchen.

Both clubs have their fair share of injuries, especially to their pitching staffs, with the Giants suffering more than the A’s when it comes to position players. Two regulars, second baseman Joe Panik and third baseman Evan Longoria are still out.

Both teams, however, should be buyers. July 31 is the trade deadline, and after that day, players have to clear waivers and trades will become more complicated.

Notes: The A’s  released veteran Santiago Casilla. The 37-year-old pitched in 26 games in relief with a 3.16 earned run average. The Dominican began his career with the A’s in 2004, went to the Giants for the next six seasons, and came back home full circle to the A’s in 2017.

The A’s announced they’re opening Mount Davis, 8,190 seats behind center field this Saturday, and the game is at 6:05 pm PDT. On that day, the A’s will honor their 1989 World Champion team, who won the World Series against the Giants. Many A’s stars of the 1989 roster will be on hand.

The current total capacity of the Coliseum is 56,782. The record attendance for an A’s game at the Coliseum was established on June 26, 2004. Also, an A’s game against the Giants would’ve seen 55,989.

Bay Bridge series continues as the Giants visit the A’s this weekend

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By Jeremy Harness

The Giants are in the thick of things in the National league playoff race, and that they have a good chance to make it back to the postseason for the first time in two years.

But they have two things immediately standing in their way.

The Oakland A’s will be waiting for them on Friday when the regular season resumes, and that just like the Giants, they are making a huge resurgence, and they also have a chance to make the playoffs, for the first time in four years.

Dereck Rodriguez will take the hill in Friday’s opener at the Oakland Coliseum, and the rookie has made a huge impression on the Giants’ brass and stands a great chance to be a fixture in the starting rotation for years to come.

Madison Bumgarner, who is still making his way back to his form after missing the first two months of the season with a fracture in his pitching hand.

Johnny Cueto, who has missed significant time with an injury to his pitching elbow, will take the ball Sunday afternoon. The A’s, on the other hand, have not announced their starters for this weekend’s series.

The Giants are four games back of the division lead at this point, while the A’s are eight games back of the American League West-leading Houston Astros and are three games behind the second-place Seattle Mariners.

Sportstalk podcast at Diplomat Steakhouse in downtown Sacramento

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Cast: Michael Duca (mlb.com and host), Jeremy Kahn (SF Giants and Oakland Raiders reporter), Jeremy Harness (SF Giants and PGA reporter), London Marq (Sacramento Kings and SJ Earthquakes reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Sacramento Kings reporter), Charlie O (Oakland A’s and Sacramento Kings reporter), Lee Leonard (producer).

Sportstalk is proud to podcast at The Diplomat Steakhouse at 1117 11th Street in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to our hosts: owner Ramesh Prasad, Marketing Patrick Harbison, Manager Chriss Lamm, Assistant General Manager Danielle “Feisty Spice” Feist, Event Concierge Aimee Spaulding, and Kaitlin Deathriage.

Being diplomatic is our brand’s core binding. We are intuitive when in conducting your dining experience, and can achieve peaceful resolutions to any quandary while facilitating intriguing discussion with anyone on the map. We broadened the scope and magnified the habitual steakhouse fare. We resolve differences by implementing international fusion cuisine to please any and all palates. We strive to achieve a peaceful atmosphere, and our ingenuity gives us the edge to connect to any guest.

Restaurateur, Ramesh Prasad, has has dined worldwide in the vast ever occurring steakhouse traditional fine dining concepts. Complacent with their predictability, he manifested his vision into reality. Sacramento is in the prime of revitalization, and developing a signature steakhouse is pioneering the industries’ cravings.

Raiders update: Papa out and Flores also out

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Photo credit: mercurynews.com

By Jeremy Kahn

Well, the Oakland Raiders will have a new play-by-play announcer when they take the field against the Detroit Lions on August 10.

Greg Papa, who replaced Joel Meyers prior to the 1997 season, will not be returning to the Raiders booth and will be replaced by veteran announcer Brent Musburger.

Tom Flores, who played in the NFL, was an assistant coach and head coach, and more recently, the color analyst alongside Papa, will not be returning.

Flores, who is 81 years old, led the Raiders to their last Super Bowl Championship, when they defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984 at Tampa Stadium.

Raiders owner Mark Davis released this statement confirming the replacement of Papa with Musburger.

“The Raiders organization would like to thank Greg Papa for his two decades of service to the Silver and Black.. He wasn’t just given the job.. He earned it.. With intense preparation Greg was always ready for the call.. Just as my generation remembers Bill King and ‘Holy Toledo’.. The Raider Nation will remember Greg Papa and ‘Touchdown Raiders’.. We wish Greg and his family the best in whatever the future brings.”

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum for Jerry Feitelberg: Can A’s stay MLB’s hottest team as they host Giants Friday?

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On the Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel:

The Oakland A’s start their second half of the season against the San Francisco Giants Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum after taking two out of three from the Giants last weekend in San Francisco. Daniel talks about the A’s starting rotation for the second half–Sean Manaea, Trevor Hill, Brett Anderson, and Edwin Jackson.

Will the A’s be sellers before the trade deadline? Will the A’s hold onto Jed Lowrie, Khris Davis, and Jonathan Lucroy? How impressive was the A’s hitting during the series in San Francisco last week? After the Bay Bridge Series, the A’s are in Texas for four games and in Colorado for three the weekend after next week.

Daniel is filling in for Jerry who does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s are the surprise American League team right now

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The second half of the 2018 season begins on Friday when the Oakland A’s host the San Francisco Giants for three games at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s, without question, are one of the biggest surprises in the MLB this season. They’ll resume their quest to make the playoffs. The A’s, picked by many pundits to finish last in the American League West and win no more than 67 games, are sitting in third place in the AL West and just three games behind the Seattle Mariners in the quest for the second Wild Card seed.

The A’s went 7-3 on the 10-game road trip just before the All-Star break and picked up four games on the Mariners, who went 3-7 in their last 10 games. The A’s won two out three at Cleveland then won three out of four from the Houston Astros. They almost had a sweep, but they lost a game on a very unusual play that most fans and people in the media cannot recall ever seeing. But the A’s refused to fold. They regained their composure and were able to hold their own with the Astros. The Astros arguably have the best starting rotation in baseball. The A’s were unfazed as they faced Gerrit Cole, Justin, Verlander, Lance McCullers, and Charlie Morton. They then finished the trip by winning two out three against the Giants.

The A’s, under manager Bob Melvin, shows no sign of quitting. They are very resilient and play with a ton of confidence. They know that no game is out of reach and that they have shown a propensity for scoring runs late in the game.

The starting rotation has been a work in progress all season. The A’s were counting on Jharel Cotton and A.J. Puk to be in the starting rotation. Both players are on the DL as they have had season-ending Tommy John surgeries. Paul Blackburn, Daniel Gossett, Daniel Mengden, and Andrew Triggs have all been sidelined due to injury. Mengden is off the DL, but has been optioned back to the Nashville Sounds.

The A’s current rotation consists of lefties Sean Manaea and Brett Anderson. Edwin Jackson, Trevor Cahill and Frankie Montas are the right-handed starters. Cahill and Anderson have spent time on the DL. Both have had a couple of good games, but have not been consistent. Montas is 5-2 and has impressed even the biggest critics.

The A’s bullpen has been one of the best in baseball. Emilio Pagan, Yusmeiro Petit, Ryan Buchter, Lou Trivino, and Blake Treinen have been outstanding. Chris Hatcher did well earlier in the season, but has not been effective lately. Ryan Dull and Danny Coulombe did not do the job, and both are in Nashville. Liam Hendriks and Santiago Casilla have been designated for assignment and are probably not in the A’s upcoming plans. The A’s added lefty Jeremy Bleich and righty J.B. Wendelken, but they have to prove that they can stay in Oakland.

The A’s offense is led by Jed Lowrie. Lowrie, at age 34, made the All-Star team this year. Lowrie, who set a club record with 49 doubles last year, is probably having the best year in his career. Lowrie is hitting a smidge under .290 and has 16 home runs and about 60 runs batted in so far.

The A’s have power guys up and down the lineup. Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Mark Canha, Stephen Piscotty, Marcus Semien, and Khris Davis all are capable of sending a baseball into the stratosphere.

The catching chores are handled by Jonathan Lucroy and Josh Phegley. Lucroy doesn’t have much power, but he knows how to get the most from the pitching staff and has been invaluable to the A’s.

The A’s are on the right track. The big question right now as the trade deadline nears is whether the A’s will be sellers or buyers or will they do nothing? Many think the A’s need to make a move to get another quality starter. The price could be too high for Beane and Forst to make a move. The fans would be upset if the A’s traded any of their young stars. Many people speculate that the A’s might move Lowrie and play Barreto at second base.

Time will tell, and in the meantime, the team has to keep on winning.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: All-Star break gives needed rest to pitching staff’s arms; What representing the A’s at the All-Star Game means for Lowrie and Treinen

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 How important was the break for everyone, considering all the arm and pitching injuries the club had endured in the first half?

#2 A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie and pitcher Blake Treinen both represented the A’s Tuesday night at the All-Star game. No doubt, that had to be a very special honor for both players.

#3 The A’s finished the first half the hottest team in baseball. They struggled in April and part of May, but really turned it on in June with the lineup they have. Can you see them keeping it going?

#4 There’s been talk that if this keeps up, A’s manager Bob Melvin could be voted the A.L. Manager of the Year.

#5 The A’s open the second half of the season this Friday against the San Francisco Giants after what happened in the City, the Giants are going to look to at least win the series in Oakland.

Charlie O has the A’s podcast each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: 2018 MLB All-Star Game in Washington DC–Crawford, Lowrie, Treinen worked hard to get to this point

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On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Amaury, let’s talk about the Oakland A’s reliever Blake Treinen, who made 24 saves for the first half of the season, which helped the A’s be the winningest team in baseball. Also, it helped Treinen get selected for the All-Star Game.

#2 How important is it for Treinen to have had the first half that he had? Does that give confidence to the ball club going into the second half?

#3 The A’s Jed Lowrie hit .285 with 103 hits, 16 HRs, and 62 RBIs. He had a great first half. Amaury talks about how important his role was to the club.

#4 Three San Francisco Giants had three players in the running for the All-Star game, including a last minute push to stuff the ballot box for Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, who fell short in the voting; Buster Posey, who was elected chose to sit out the All-Star game get a cortisone shot for his hip and rest during the break, and Brandon Crawford, who will be in the National League lineup tonight at second base.

#5 Tonight’s the big night American League All-Stars versus National League All-Stars. Who do you like in this game?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish play-by-play talent, the vice president of the MLB Hispanic Heritage Museum Hall of Fame and  does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

MLB 2018 All-Star Game podcast with Morris Phillips: Crawford to represent Giants; Lowrie and Treinen to represent A’s

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On the 2018 MLB All-Star Game podcast with Morris:

The San Francisco Giants had three players who were favorites to make this year’s MLB All-Star game: Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, and Brandon Belt. Posey and Belt didn’t make it this year, Belt lacked the votes, Posey is resting a sore hip and got a cortisone shot on Sunday. Crawford will be the lone Giants representative.

Crawford has 94 hits, 39 RBIs, 10 home runs, .289 and a Gold Glove kind of first half. Crawford is looking forward to an exciting second half, but first, Morris talks about what kind of an All-Star game Crawford will be looking forward to having.

For the Oakland A’s, they’ll be represented by second baseman Jed Lowrie, who has 103 hits, 62 RBIs, 16 home runs, and a .263 average for the first half. For reliever and closer Blake Treinen, 5-2, 0.96 ERA, and 24 saves.

Morris has covered his fair share of MLB All-Star games and will take a look where this year’s mid summer classic in Washington D.C. rates with the ones in the past.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com