Category: Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton throws against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

By Matthew Harrington

James Paxton fired seven innings of two-hit baseball and Nelson Cruz hit his 300^th career homerun as part of a five RBI game to hand the Seattle Mariners a 7-2 lead over the Oakland A’s “First time that ever happened to me,” Cruz said. “So that definitely was special. “That’s special,” Cruz told the Seattle Times. “I’ve come a long way. Not only what I did in baseball in the minors but from where I come from in the Dominican. Never in my dreams did I think about hitting 300 homers in the big leagues.”

Paxton (7-3) outdueled Sean Manaea (7-5) who hurled seven innings of three run ball, striking out three while surrendering eight hits. Marcus Semien knocked in both Oakland runs. A’s manager Bob Melvin said Manaea effort’s was there but for one double play ball that was miscued extended the inning, “I’ll tell you what, he gave us seven innings when it didn’t look like he might give us four, and he really should have given up one run,” Melvin told the SF Chronicle.

The Mariners singled Manaea to defeat, using back-to-back-to-back singles to give Cruz his first RBI on a run-scoring basehit in the bottom of the first. Though Semien would knock in a pair in the top half of the third inning, a trio of singles would give Cruz another RBI with one out. The next batter, Mitch Haniger would single to load the bases. Kyle Seager’s sacrifice fly would give the M’s a 3-2 edge.

The A’s wouldn’t manage another hit for the rest of the game, struggle to solve Paxton and a trio of relievers. Cruz would take Liam Hendriks deep for three runs in the top of a rocky eighth inning that also saw Seager hit another sacrifice fly for the 7-2 decision.

The A’s will call on Chris Smith to make the Saturday start in place of the injured Jharel Cotton. This would be the 36 year old’s first career star. He is opposed by Andrew Moore, a rookie righty for Seattle.

Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis is greeted at the plate during a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Seattle- The Oakland A’s won their third straight game as they downed the Seattle Mariner 7-4 Thursday night. Rookie Paul Blackburn, making his second start of the season, pitched deep into the game to win his first game as a member of the A’s. Blackburn went seven and two-thirds innings and allowed eight hits and just one run. A’s manager Bob Melvin had to be thrilled with Blackburn’s performance. The A’s also welcomed back Marcus Semien from the 60-day DL. Semien last played on April 14th and was out of action due to a broken bone in his wrist. To make room for Semien, the A’s placed Jharel Cotton on the 10-day DL.

The A’s got off to a good start in the first inning as they scored three times off Mariners starter Sam Gaviglio. With two men on, Yonder Alonso doubled to right to drive in Joyce with the A’s first run. Marcus Semien advanced to third on the play. Jed Lowrie, who is having a terrific season so far this year, stroked his 27th double of the year to deep right field to drive in two more runs.

The A’s scored four more in the top of the fifth. Khris “Krush” Davis, with two men aboard, unloaded his 24th homer of the year to make it 6-0. A’s catcher, Bruce Maxwell hit a solo homer to up the lead to 7-0, and that sent Gaviglio to the showers. The Mariners got a run on the board in their half of the fifth when Max Haniger hit his seventh of the year with no one on to cut the lead to 7-1.

The A’s were done scoring for the night, but Seattle rallied in the bottom of the ninth when their first baseman, former Athletic Danny Valencia and the man the A’s traded to Seattle for Blackburn, hit a three-run homer off lefty Daniel Coulombe. Melvin brought in his closer, Santiago Casilla, to finish the game and Casilla retired the last two Mariners to secure the win for Oakland.

Game Notes- The A’s Announced that Chris Smith will pitch in Cotton’s spot in the rotation. They also announced that Andrew Triggs has been placed on the 60-day DL as he struggles to recover from hip issues.

Game two of the four-game series will feature a battle between two left-handed pitchers. Sean Manaea (7-4, 3.75 ERA) will go for Oakland and he will be opposed by James Paxton ( 6-3, 3,27 ERA) The game will be played at Safeco Field in Seattle and game time will be at 7:05 pm.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray throws to the Chicago White Sox during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

On A’s podcast with Jerry:

The A’s got two victories in a row on Tuesday with a walk off homer from Franklin Baretto and on Wednesday the A’s got some timely hitting for a 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. The offense gave starter Sonny Gray some support and Gray pitched  very well on Wednesday. On Thursday the A’s opened up a three game series with Seattle the A’s wasted no time getting on the scoreboard scoring three times in the first to take a 3-0 lead on the Mariners.

Gray gave up two home runs one them to Sox rookie Matt Davidson who was designated hitter Wednesday and was hitting .250 and he hit his 18th home run of the year. The Sox have pop in the middle of their line up with Jose Abreau, Melky Cabrera, Todd Fraiser, Fraiser doesn’t hit for average but he did hit for a homer as the Sox wound up falling short by three runs losing 7-4.

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

 

 

Oakland Athletics’ Yonder Alonso, left, is high-fived by teammates after scoring on a double from Bruce Maxwell during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND– Cuba is only 90 miles away from Florida, but it might as well be 9,000 miles away. Two totally different cultures, two totally different systems of government. For Cubans since the early 1960’s coming to the United States was the dream of a people looking for freedom, the freedom they are still denied in the largest island in the Caribbean. In Cuba the 1950’s American model cars are an attraction to tourist, not because the Cubans collect those cars, but because they had to keep those cars and fix them so they can survive. Such has been life for over half century in a country with a state-run economy, with no freedom and total centralized government control.Opposition in Cuba is simply not allowed by the government. It is as simple as that. I have friends that have visited Cuba recently and they tell me they have never seen any demonstrations in the street.

For those born here in the US, who take freedom for granted a trip to Cuba as a tourist might be nice, but I do not see anybody moving from this country to live in Cuba.

Yonder Alonso was 10 years old when his parents brought him and his sister Yainee to live in Miami. Alonso’s father was once a player in Cuba for the Havana Industriales, and later a coach, when an arm injury ended his career.

Yonder Alonso came to the Oakland Athletics in 2016, he began his career in Cincinnati in 2010-2011, then San Diego 2012-2015

This 2017 Spring Training I sat with Yonder Alonso in Mesa, Arizona, and talked with him about baseball and his second year he was about to begin with the Oakland Athletics. He told me he was working on a “new hitting approach”. Well, that new approach obviously has helped him to his best season to date in his eight years in the major leagues.

He found his power stroke and is on a pace to hit close to 40 homers and drive 90 or more runs. He told me in Spring Training how much he likes the role of teaching to the young A’s players, although he noted “tambien tenemos otros veteranos aqui como Matt Joyce y Jed Lowrie” -trans: “we also have other veterans here, like Matt Joyce and Jed Lowrie”. One of Yonder Alonso’s first public appearance as an Athletic, was during the 2016 A’s Fanfest, held at the Oakland Coliseum. He sat with me signing autographs for A’s fans at The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame table/exhibit.

Alonso is unassuming, quiet but a hard worker, and in many ways one of the veteran leaders inside a club house with young aspiring and talented rookies like Franklin Barreto (21), Matt Chapman (24), Matt Olson and others. They listen to Alonso when he talks baseball with them.

Yonder Alonso, born in La Habana, Cuba in 1987, took a trip to his homeland this past winter. He is as connected to baseball as any player today. Not only his father was a player in Cuba, but his brother-in-law is Orioles star third baseman Manny Machado, who in 2014 married Yonder’s sister Yainee. They are good friends, often seen at music concerts.

Next week Yonder will be one of the happiest baseball players in the world, he doesn’t have to hit a homerun, because this will be one of his lifelong dreams. Playing at the All Star Game in Miami, where he has lived since he was a small children, with his family and his Cuban roots.

Felicidades Yonder!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the TV Spanish talent for the Angels, the radio Spanish talent for the A’s and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Oakland Athletics’ Rajai Davis, right, steals second base as Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson waits for the throw from home plate during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The Oakland A’s ended their six-game homestand with a win over the visiting Chicago White Sox by a score of 7-4. Sonny Gray, who pitched very well against Atlanta last week but lost the game, was very sharp Wednesday afternoon. Gray allowed the Sox just two hits and no runs in the first four innings of the game. He faltered a bit in the fifth when walked Todd Frazier to start the fifth.

Sox rookie Matt Davidson took Sonny deep, and the Sox were on the board with their first two runs of the game. Sonny settled down and pitched a scoreless sixth inning but his pitch count neared 100, and he was done for the day. Liam Hendriks pitched a solid seventh as he struck out the side and Ryan Madson retired the Chisox 1-2-3 in the eighth. Sean Doolittle was called upon to close out the game in the ninth. He struck out Melky Cabrera for out number one. Jose Abreu singled. Doolittle struck out Avasail Garcia for the second out. He had two strikes on Todd Frazier, but Frazier won the battle as he hit his 15th of the year to keep Chicago’s hopes alive. Doolittle reached back and struck out Matt Davidson to end the game and preserve the win for Oakland.

The A’s tallied the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. Matt Joyce, playing right field, led off with a double to heft-center.  Jed Lowrie beat out the hit as he singled to left. Joyce advanced to third base on the play. Khris Davis grounded into a 4-3 double play that allowed Joyce to score. Yonder Alonso struck out to end the inning.

The A’s plated two more runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, Jed Lowrie singled. Pelfrey retired Khris Davis on a fly to right. He then walked Yonder Alonso to put men on at first and second with two out. A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell doubled to left-center. Lowrie scored from second, and Alonso made it home all the way from first. Pelfrey struck out Franklin Barreto to end the inning.

The A’s scored three more runs on three hits in the fourth. Center fielder, Jaycob Brugman broke a 0-for-13 slump when he hit a big fly that landed over the 400-foot mark in center field for his second homer of the year.  Chisox managervRick Renteria had seen enough, and he removed Pelfrey from the game. The first hitter to face the new pitcher, Gregory Infante, was Rajai Davis. Davis singled to continue the rally. Davis then lit up the crowd as he stole second and third Matt Joyce walked to put runners on first and third with one out. Joyce running on a 2-2 pitch stole second. Jed Lowrie singled to drive in Davis and Joyce. It was Lowrie’s third hit of the game. Khris Davis hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. The A’s lead 6-0 after four complete.

The White Sox put two runs on the board in the top of the fifth. Sonny Gray, cruising along as e allowed no runs and two hits in the first four innings of the game, had a little hiccup in the fifth. He walked Sox’ third baseman, Todd Frazier, to start the frame. Rookie Matt Davidson hammered his eighteenth dinger of the year that went way over the wall in center field. Sonny brushed it off, and he was ablet to retire the next three hitters to end the inning.

The A’s didn’t score in the bottom of the sixth, but Rajai Davis electrified the crowd with two more stolen bases. With two out, Davis singled to right. For the second time in the game, he stole second and third. The last time he had four steals in a game was July 28th, 2013 against the Houston Astros.

The A’s scored another run in the eighth. Bruce Maxwell walked and advanced to third on a Brugman single. Maxwell scored on a wild pitch to give the A’s the lead 7-2. Sean Doolittle is in to pitch the ninth. The White Sox rallied to score two runs. With one out, Jose Abreu singled. Doolittle struck out Avasail Garcia for the second out, but Todd Frazier rocked him for a home run to deep left field to make it a 7-4 game. Doolittle struck out Matt Davidson looking to end the game.

Game notes- The A’s had their running game going Wednesday afternoon. In addition to Rajai Davis’ four steals, Franklin Barreto and Matt Joyce each had one for a total of six swipes in the game. The A’s offense was also solid. Jed Lowrie led the A’s attack with three hits and two RBIs. Rajai Davis contributed two hits and four steals. Jaycob Brugman also had two hits, one of which was his second homer of the season.  Catcher Bruce Maxwell had a RBI double in the third inning, and he said that it was great that he had to “deliver for the team.” He also said that he “felt more locked in.”

Sonny Gray evened his record at 4-4 while the Sox’ starter Mike Pelfrey dropped to 3-7. Pelfrey struggled right from the start as he went just 3 and third innings and allowed five hits and four runs. In his three-plus innings of work, Pelfrey threw an astounding ninety-nine pitches.  After the game, Sonny said that “it was nice to have a six-run lead early in the game.  After he had given up the two runs in the fifth, Gray remarked that he was “able to shut it down and hand it over to the guys in the bullpen.”The A’s used four pitchers and Chisox manager Rick Renteria got a lot of exercise as he used five pitchers in the loss to the A’s.

Josh Phegley was not on the roster as the A’s granted him time off for paternity leave. His spot on the roster was taken by Ryan Lavarnway. Ryon Healy missed his third consecutive game due to back spasms. Healy should be ready for the Seattle series. Shortstop Marcus Semien is on track to come off the DL and will join the A’s in Seattle.

The A’s are on their way to the Emerald City of Seattle in the Great Northwest for a four-game series starting Thursday night. Bob Melvin has selected rookie Pul Blackburn to pitch the opener. Seattle’s talented lefty, James Paxton will go for the Mariners. Jharel Cotton will pitch for Oakland on Friday, and the Mariners are sending Andrew Moore to the hill. Moore is 1-1 with an ERA of 3.00. Cotton is 5-8, and his ERA is 5.17.

Time of game Wednesday was three hours and twenty-four minutes. There were 13,813 people in the stands to watch the A’s prevail.

Oakland Athletics’ Franklin Barreto has his face covered in shaving cream after hitting a solo walk-off home run to win the game 7-6 during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, July 4, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The Oakland A’s and Chicago White Sox played a very thrilling seesaw battle on the fourth of July at the Oakland Coliseum. Although fireworks are slated later in the evening, both teams provided the 16,314 fans with plenty of thrills during the game. Neither side would give an inch as both teams clawed back from deficits. Each team had leads, and each team came back to take the lead. The A’s took the lead  6-5 in the bottom of the fifth, and the bullpen held the Sox scoreless until the top of the ninth. The White Sox, with two out in the final frame, found a way to tie the game. The A’s were determined not to lose, and they didn’t as their prize rookie, Franklin Barreto, hit a long, high fly ball to left that just made it over the outstretched glove hand of Melky Cabrera to land over the wall with the game-winning hit.

The White Sox put two runs on the board in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Sox centerfielder Adam Engel singled to center. The next hitter, Melky Cabrera, took Gossett deep for his tenth homer of the year to give the Sox the lead. The Lead didn’t last long as the A’s tied the game in the bottom of the third. With one out, Sox starter “Big Game” James Shields walked Rajai Davis. The next hitter, Matt Joyce, hit his eleventh round tripper of the season over the center-field wall to bring Davis home just ahead of him.

The A’ plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Yonder Alonso led off the inning with a blast to right that kept on carrying and landed just over the wall near the right field BBQ Terrace. For Alonso, it was his eighteenth big fly of the year and his first since Jube 15th when he hit one against the Yankees. The A’s fourth run of the game after Shields walked Jaycob Brugman with two out. Rookie shortstop, Franklin Barreto, who had been struggling with the bat, hit a ball to deep right-center-field that hit at the base of the wall. Brugman scored, and Barreto ended up on third with a triple. Raji Davis flew out to center to end the inning. The A’s in the lead 4-2.

The White Sox retook the lead in the top of the fifth. Sox catcher Omar Narvaez led off with a single. Adam Engel touched Gossett for another single to put me on at first and second with no out. Gossett retired Melky Cabrera on a fielder’s choice. The next hitter, big Jose Abreu, Lined his 15th homer of the season down the left field line. The ball cleared the wall, this time near the left field BBQ Terrace, for what we call the “Earl Weaver special’: a three-run homer. The Chisox now own the advantage 5-4 in the middle of the fifth. The A’s fought back in their half on the inning once more. Shields retired the first two hitters he faced to record two quick outs. Khris Davis reached on an infield hit, and he scored ahead of Yonder Alonso’s second homer of the game. 6-5 in favor of Oakland heading into the sixth.

The A’s relievers held the White Sox scoreless until the ninth. With the A’s closer Santiago Casilla in the game, the White Sox staged a rally to tie the game. With one out, Casilla gave up a seeing-eye single to Tim Anderson, Kevan Smith singled to put men on at first and third. Casilla now had to face his former teammate Melky Cabrera. Casilla and Cabrera were teammates on the 2012 San Francisco Giant club. Casilla had two strikes on Cabrera but Melky won the battle as he singled to drive in Anderson. Casilla retired Jose Abreu to end the inning. The A’s won the game in the bottom of the ninth. With one out and a 3-2 count on him, young Franklin Barreto, who tripled earlier, hit his second Major League home run off Chisox reliever Tommy Kahnle, to win the game in a walk off. The A’s snapped a six-game losing streak with a final score of 7-6.

Game notes- The A’s also snapped their eight-game home losing streak. It matched the longest A’s home losing streak in the last 35 years. Yonder Alonso had his third multi-homer game this season.

The line score for the game was seven runs, eight hits, and no errors for Oakland. Santiago Casilla was the winning pitcher. The White Sox scored six runs n thirteen hits, and they did not commit an error, either. Tommy Kahnle took the loss for Chicago. The A’s are 4-1 against the Chisox this season. The rubber match of the three-game series will be played Wednesday afternoon at the Coliseum. Game time will be at 12:35 pm.

Sonny Gray will pitch for Oakland, and Mike Pelfrey will toil for Chicago.

Time of game was three hours and nine minutes. 16,314 fans watched an exciting game end in a walk-off.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Jharel Cotton works against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Charlie O

OAKLAND–On the today’s podcast with Charlie O, the A’s started off well in their ball game Monday against the Chicago White Sox one of the things that was a positive was that A’s pitcher Jharel Cotton pitched in that game and the A’s have been really concerned about him. Cotton had developed a blister on his pitching hand on his thumb. For a pitcher when you start developing a blister that becomes of a grave concern it didn’t seem to bother him he pitcher pretty well. You can tell he’s been laid off for a little bit because his accuracy was not as good as it might have been.

Manager Bob Melvin said on Saturday that the offense just didn’t have anything. The things with the A’s their just not putting up runs although they looked much better on Tuesday coming from behind on the Sox with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a one a run lead at the Coliseum. When the A’s are scoring they seemed to be scoring late in games and their not putting up number of runs to be competitive.

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

Catch Jerry Feitelberg with complete White Sox-A’s game coverage from Tuesday’s action

 

Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon works against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The visiting Chicago White Sox downed the A’s 7-2 behind a very dominant pitching performance by lefty Carlos Rodon. Rodon who missed a lot of the season due to injury won his first game of the year and evened his record at 1-1. Rodon gave up two runs in the second inning but settled down and retired eleven ‘s hitters in a row before giving up a single to Jed Lowrie in the sixth inning. A’s starter Jharel Cotton gave up one run in the second and three in the third. Cotton missed a turn due to blister on his right thumb and pitched reasonably well but the A’s offense continued in the doldrums as the Chicago pitchers allowed them just five hits. The A’s also whiffed thirteen times.

The White Sox drew first blood in the top of the first inning. Third baseman Todd Frazier led off the frame with a double to left. Frazier advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. The A’s came back to tally two runs in the bottom of the inning. With two out, Josh Phegley doubled to left. Sox starter Carlos Rodon walked Franklin Barreto and Matt Joyce to load the bases. Adam Rosales came through in the clutch with a single to drive in Phegley and Barreto to give the A’s the lead 2-1.

The White Sox reclaimed the lead in the top of the third. With one out, Cotton walked Adam Engel. Melky Cabrera singled to send Engel to third. Cotton retired Jose Abreu for the second out but could not get past Todd Frazier. Frazier doubled to left to drive in Engel and Cabrera. Frazier advanced to third when Rosales mishandled the throw in from the outfield. Frazier scored the third run of the inning when Sox designated hitter doubled to left. The Sox lead 4-2.

The White Sox added two more in the eighth and one in the ninth give them seven runs for the game as they send the A’s down 7-2.

Game Notes- The A’s lost their sixth in a row and are now thirteen games under .500 with a record of 35-48. The White Sox another team with a losing record, improved to 37-35.

Hitting stars for the White Sox were Todd Frazier and Willy Garcia as they each had two doubles in the game.  Adam Rosales had two hits and two RBIs for the A’s

The A’s scored two runs on five hits and made two errors. The A’s have now committed 76 errors and allowed 53 unearned runs to lead the majors in those departments. The A’s have lost their last eight home games, too.

After the game, A’s manager Bob Melvin said this about Cotton’s performance:”he pitched OK. (He) gave up a couple runs in the early innings. Thought stuff was good at times and inconsistent at times. Thought he pitched better as game went along.” Melvin had a terse comment about the offense when he said this:”we didn’t swing the bats.” Melvin was impressed at the size of the crowd but said this:” we gave them nothing to root about tonight.”

The time of the game was three hours and thirty-three minutes. The Attendance was 40,019 which was the largest crowd since September 4th, 2005.

The A’s and White Sox play game two of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon at 1 pm. Daniel Gossett will pitch for Oakland and James Shields will go for the White Sox.

 

 

 

Atlanta Braves’ Kurt Suzuki, right, celebrates with Dansby Swanson (7) after hitting a home run off Oakland Athletics’ John Axford in the twelfth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 2, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The visiting Atlanta Braves beat the A’s again on Sunday to sweep the three-game series. The A’s sent left Sean Manaea to the mound and Manaea pitched well allowing just two runs. Manaea pitched into the eighth inning and allowed just six hits, two runs, walked two and struck out six. The Braves Julio Teheran kept the A’s scoreless until the seventh when they broke through to tie the game.

The Braves tallied their two runs in the second inning when former A’s catcher, Kurt Suzuki, hit a solo homer. The Braves’ second run scored on the double by Ender Inciarte drove in  Danny Santana. The A’s Khris Davis homered in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to one with his 23rd of the year. A’s shortstop Adam Rosales tied the game with a sacrifice fly to bring Franklin Barreto home.

Neither team scored in regulation, and the game went into extra innings. The Braves broke the tie in the top of the 11th inning when A’s reliever, Daniel Coulombe, gave up a double to Matt Kemp that allowed Nick Markakis to score from first. The A’s, however, tied the game again in their half of the inning. They were facing a former teammate, Jim Johnson, and thanks to a clutch single by Bruce Maxwell, evened the score.  John Axford pitched the twelfth for Oakland and Suzuki took him deep to win the game for the Braves.

The A’s have three more games on the homestand against the Chicago White Sox before heading off to Seattle on Thursday. After the four-game set with the Mariners, the A’s will have four days off before resuming play. A’s first baseman, Yonder Alonso, was named to the American League All-Star team. It will be Alonso’s first All-Star game, and the game will be played in his hometown of Miami.