Category: Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics’ Daniel Mengden, left, and Bruce Maxwell celebrate after a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland Athletics rotation has its holes, but still it’d be hard to believe that Daniel Mengden would turn in the best start of the season for the green and gold.

That’s just what happened Friday night, with the mustachioed hurler who sports that herky-jerky wind-up just as peculiar as his facial hair choice throwing a complete-game shutout on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies. Matt Olson and Matt Joyce had two-run homeruns to seal a 4-0 shutout for Mengden.

Mengden surrendered just two hits, baffling the Phillies bats to the tune of 7 strikeouts. He coaxed 15 ground outs to just 5 fly outs in a hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park

Olson cracked a two run shot in the 1st of Phillies starter off Mark Leiter Jr. Joyce ripped his an inning later for a 4-0 lead after six outs. Leiter would finish 6 innings but pick up the loss.

Saturday Kendall Graveman takes the hill for the second game of the interleague series. He’ll be opposed by Ben Lively for Philadelphia.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Boston- The Red Sox and A’s played the final game of the three-game set Thursday afternoon. The Red Sox made it look easy as 1-2-3. That’s scoring one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and three in the seventh as they downed the A’s 6-2. Daniel Gossett started for Oakland and lefty Drew Pomeranz was on the hill for the Sox. Gossett pitched well for the first five innings of the game but ran into trouble in the sixth. Pomeranz, on the other hand, went six and gave up just one run and five hits on his way to his sixteenth win of the season.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth. The A’s put a run on the board after Matt Chapman walked to start the inning. Mark Canha, playing center field, doubled down the left field line to put men on at second and third with one out. A’s catcher Josh Phegley hit a sacrifice fly to left-field. Chapman tagged up and scored. The throw home was cut off by Pomeranz and Canha was caught napping off second base. He was caught in a rundown and thrown out at third to end the inning. The Red Sox tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when catcher Christian Vasquez led off with his fifth big fly of the year that went over the wall in left field.

The Red Sox plated two more runs in the sixth. With one out, Dustin Pedroia doubled. The next hitter, Andrew Benintendi also doubled to deep centerfield to drive in Pedroia. The ball almost went out of the park as it hit high off the wall. A’s manager Bob Melvin ended Gossett’s day. Ryan Dull was the new A’s pitcher. Dull retired Mookie Betts for the second out but could not get by Mitch Moreland. Moreland slugged the third double of the inning to drive in Benintendi.

In the seventh, the A’s missed an opportunity to get back into the game. They loaded the bases with two out, but Sox’ reliever Addison Reed was able to strike out Chad Pinder to end the threat. The Red Sox, in their turn in the bottom of the inning, scored three more times to take a 6-1 advantage. Melvin brought in the lefty reliever Sam Moll to pitch to the left-handed hitter, Rafael Devers. Devers beat the strategy as he hit a double down the line into the corner in left field. Brock Holt attempted a sacrifice bunt. Matt Chapman fielded the ball, but his throw was offline and hit Holt as he was about to reach first base. The error put men on at second and third with no out. Moll struck out Jackie Bradley, Jr. for the first out. The A’s brought in Santiago Casilla. Devers scored on a Dustin Pedroia sacrifice fly. Holt went to third on the play. Casilla drilled Xander Bogaerts with a pitch. Bogaerts stole second, and both men scored on Benintendi’s third hit of the day.

The A’s got one back in the eighth when Ryon Healy crushed a Joe Kelly pitch that went over the line in deep left-center field. There was no more scoring. The Red Sox win 6-2

Game Notes- The Red Sox won the series two games to one but lost the season’s series to the A’s. The A’s won the season four games to three. The ‘s used five pitchers in the game while Boston countered by using six.

Drew Pomeranz improved to 16-5. He is tied with Chris Sale for most wins on the Red Sox staff. The Sox activated David Price who had been on the DL. Price didn’t pitch and may be relegated to the bullpen in the next few days. Andrew Benintendi was the hitting star for Boston. He had two doubles and a single and drove in three runs. Gossett’s record is now 4-9.

The A’s travel to Philadelphia to play three games before moving on to Detroit to play the defanged Tigers for four next week. Daniel Mangden will pitch Friday and will be opposed by the Phillies Mark Leiter, Jr. Saturday will see Kendall Graveman versus Ben Lively and Sean Manaea will be trying to rebound from his tough outing Tuesday night and he will be opposed by Henderson Alvarez. Alvarez has no record this year.

Time of game was 3 hours and nineteen minutes and 35,470 Red Sox fans watched as the hometown team beat the visiting A’s.

A banner is unfurled over the left field wall during the fourth inning of a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry:

1 The A’s got a big morale victory by defeating the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night 7-3 and even the series. The A’s got some offense from Matt Olson with a two run homer and Jed Lowrie drove in two runs.

2 A’s are going hot right now they are playing like they need to clinch a wild card spot before Thursday’s game in Boston they have won six out their last seven games.

3 It seems like Jharel Cotton is picking up the pace improving his record to 8-10 giving up three runs in five innings.

4 Four fans dropped a banner over the Green Monster on Wednesday night that said, “Racism is as American as Baseball” the four fans were ejected from the park and there was a few smattering of boos. While the sign for that time and place might have been inappropriate but some fans said it wasn’t a lie either.

5 Sox and A’s concluded their three game series with the Sox taking the three game set today 6-2. The A’s now move onto their next road series in Philadelphia starting on Friday night

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

by Jerry Feitelberg

On Wednesday, September 13th, the A’s president Dave Kaval announced the location where the A’s baseball only facility will be built. The team has been looking for a new home for many years. Most people will agree that the Oakland Coliseum is not the best place to watch a ball game. The Coliseum is the last multi-purpose stadium used for two sports, ie football and baseball. Cities like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Houston all tore down the multi- use stadiums and built separate facilities for the teams. Even San Francisco built a baseball only stadium.

The A’s looked at locations in Fremont and San Jose. Nothing happened. The San Jose stadium search was hampered by the San Francisco Giants’ claim of territorial rights. The A’s finally decided to look for a place in Oakland to build the park. They looked at the Howard Terminal site but decided against it. They felt the weather would be like Candlestick Park. Cold and windy and no one wanted that. They looked at the Coliseum Complex. The Coliseum has parking and access from the 880 freeway and BART, but there is no baseball ambience surrounding the park.  There are tail gate parties, but there are no restaurants or bars in the surrounding area. People come to the game in cars and leave. The A’s looked t the game experience in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. There is not a lot of parking at these sites, but there is a lot to do before and after the game.

With that in mind, the A’ picked the thirteen-acre site at Laney College. They will have to move some administration offices, and they will have to build freeway exits, and the BART station at Lake Merritt is just a nine-minute walk. Dave Kaval said this about the location:”you’re right in the city, and having the walkable environment, where you can have bars and restaurants and a really vibrant kind of energy around the ballpark, kind of like Fenway or Wrigley.” Kaval also said that the building of the stadium is “bigger than baseball, it’s a gathering place to bring our community together.”

A’s manager Bob Melvin had these thoughts:” I think it’s something certainly for our fan base to look forward to, especially for the people that live in Oakland.”

There is a lot of work to do before ground is broken in 2021. The A’s expect the park to be ready for the 2023 season. They have to do an environmental impact study, get all the necessary permits, and get all the financing in order. The A’s are not planning to use public money to build the stadium. The park will seat 35,00 people. Everything will be better. They will have luxury suites, of course, and they will have better food. Their goal is to make the new park the best baseball experience possible. They are on the right track as they are not ignoring the fans. The A’s business model has to change. They cannot continue to develop talent and then trade them for prospects. The fans have to know that the A’s want to win championships. The club did it in the 70s and the 80s, but it’s been 27 years since the A’s have made it to the World Series. Oakland deserves a stadium and a winner.

Cleveland Indians fans celebrate a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Cleveland. The Indians set the American League record with 21 consecutive wins. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Boston-The Cleveland Indians, led by Manager Terry Francona, broke the A’s record of twenty consecutive wins on Wednesday in Cleveland. The A’s set the record in 2002 with twenty wins in a row. Many People thought the record would stand longer than fifteen years, but the Indians did as they won their twenty-first of the year beating the Detroit Tigers 5-3.

Players, managers, coaches, and fans know that records are meant to be broken. The A’s sent their congratulations to Francona and the Indians. Francona was the A’s bench coach in 2003 and left the A’s to take the Red Sox job in2004. Everyone knows what he did in Boston. He took the 2004 team to the World Series crown and ended an 86-year drought. Francona won it again in 2011 and last year, almost did it again as his Indians lost to the Cubs in extra innings.

All anyone can say is way to go Indians and here’s hoping the team breaks the twenty-six game Major League record set by the New York Giants in 1916.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Blake Treinen, right, celebrates with catcher Bruce Maxwell after the A’s defeatedthe Boston Red Sox 7-3 in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Boston- The A’s evened the series with the Red Sox as they ambushed Red Sox starter, Doug Fister in the very first inning on their way to a 7-3 victory. Fister, in his last three outings, had given up one or two runs in the first inning. In those games, he was able to right the ship and pick up the win. That did not happen Wednesday night in Beantown. It was a tough loss for the Muddy River boys as their hated rivals, the New York Yankees, beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 and picked up a game in the race for the AL East crown.

The A’s scored four times in the first inning. Jed Lowrie drove in a run with his second triple of the series. Lowrie was the Sox’ shortstop when he broke into the lineup in 2008 and was with Boston for five seasons. His triple drove in Marcus Semien with the first run of the game and Jed scored when Khris Davis singled to center. A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, who is wowing everyone with his fielding and bat, hit his eighteenth dinger of the year to up the score to 4-0. Boston scored a run in the bottom of the first to make it 4-1.

The A’s plated two more in the third inning. Jed Lowrie doubled to drive in MAtt Joyce with the A’s fifth run. Lowrie scored on a fielder’s choice.  The Sox scored a run in their half of the third, but the A’s still led by four. 6-2 after three innings of play.

The Red Sox’ Jackie Bradley, Jr hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. The A’s got the run back in the sixth. There was no more scoring, and the A’s bullpen did their job as they limited Boston to just three hits and no runs the rest of the way. The A’s win 7-3.

Game Notes- The A’s Jharel Cotton, who received support from the offense, won his eighth of the year and is now 8-10. He went five innings and allowed six hits and three runs. Bradley tagged him for a solo home run and giving up home runs has been the bane for Cotton this year. A’s manager Bob Melvin used five relievers to finish the game.

With the loss and the Yankee win, Boston’s lead over New York shrunk to just three games with seventeen left to play. Dustin Pedroia and Bradley, Jr. were the hitting starts for Boston. Pedroia had three hits, and Bradley smoked his sixteenth big fly of the year.

Game three of the series will be played Thursday at 10:30 am. Daniel Gossett will be making his first start ever against Boston and will be opposed by lefty Drew Pomeranz who is a former Athletic and would love nothing more than beating his old team.

Oakland Athletics players celebrate their victory over the Houston Astros in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O

1) What happened with the A’s over the weekend – why were they able to dominate the Astros

2) Cleveland’s 2-0 shutout over the Detroit Tigers ties them with the 2002 Oakland A’s for 20 straight wins in a season Tuesday night

3) How important is this 9 game road trip?

4) The 2018 schedule was released today- how does it look for the fans ?

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

Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts, right, is congratulated by Hanley Ramirez after his two run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park in Boston, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Boston- The Boston Red Sox pounded the A’s Tuesday night as Mookie Betts hit two homers and a triple that drove in six runs and the Red Sox won 11-1. The A’s Sean Manaea, who is left-handed, did not have a happy experience in Fenway Park this evening. Fenway has been a graveyard for lefties over the years, and Manaea became another victim.

The A’s, on the strength of a Jed Lowrie double, plated the first run of the game in the first inning. The lead didn’t last long as the Bosox tallied five times in the bottom of the second. The big blow was a triple off the bat of Mookie Betts. Betts homered in the fourth with a man aboard and the Sox extended the lead to 7-1. Manaea’s night was over. He went just 3 and 2/3rds innings, and he gave up eleven hits and seven runs.

The Sox scored two in the fifth and two in the sixth. Mookie Betts hit his second homer of the night with a man aboard off Raul Alcantara to make it an 11-1 game. There was no more scoring after the sixth inning.

Game Notes. Eduardo Rodriguez evened his record at 5-5 and is now 2-0 versus the A’s in his career. He went six innings and gave up just one run and one hit. Manaea absorbed the loss, and his record is now even at 10-10.

The hitting stars for Boston were Dustin Pedroia, Chris Young, Xander Bogaerts, and Mookie Betts. Betts became the first Red Sox player to have two consecutive 20-20 seasons. The only other Red Sox player to have two 20-20 season was Jackie Jensen who did it in 1954 and 1959.

The line score for the A’s was one run, three hits, and two more errors. The Red Sox line was eleven runs on sixteen hits and no errors. With the win, the Red Sox, coupled with the Yankees’ loss to Tampa Bay, increased their lead in the Eastern Division to four games.

Just a historical note: The Cleveland Indians tied the A’s record of twenty consecutive wins Tuesday night to tie the American League record. The Major League record is held by the New York Giants. They won twenty-six in a row way back when.

Game two of the series will be Wednesday night in Boston. Jharel Cotton will go for Oakland, and the Sox will counter with lefty Drew Pomeranz. Game time is at 4:10 pm.