AP file photo: Oakland A’s pitcher and team representative in the wind up Sean Doolittle said the team needs to move forward after a camera was discovered while disabled players were working out without their knowledge and the coach responsible was suspended two weeks
On the MLB podcast with Tony Renteria, the Oakland A’s strength and conditioning coach Mike Henriques credibility is going to follow him around after being suspended for two weeks for secretly filming A’s players who were and are on the DL. Henriques filmed the players while working out and the camera was discovered by a unnamed A’s player. Henriques all he had to do is ask the players if he could film their rehab and the privacy issue would have not have been called into question. Also it should be noted that the A’s higher ups might have been privy to the secret camera normally an act of invasion of privacy on the players would result in the release of the employee in question.
Either way A’s team representative Sean Doolittle said that the matter is resolved when asked if the players think Henriques should have been dismissed “Whether or not players are in agreement with it I won’t speculate how many are or aren’t. One thing everybody’s in agreement with is we’re going to move forward from this and work together as a group on repairing some of that trust that was damaged” said Doolittle.
Oakland- The A’s beat the Baltimore Orioles again behind the strong performance of the veteran lefty Ross Detwiler. The final score was 1-0. Detwiler, traded to Oakland by Cleveland, was recalled from Nashville to start for the Green and Gold, Detwiler was 4-0 in Nashville and with his performance Wednesday probably will make another start shortly. Detwiler pitched eight scoreless innings and allowed just six hits and did not walk a batter. He just mesmerized the Oriole hitters. A’s manager Bob Melvin said Detwiler “mixed it up really good. He kept the ball down in the zone, and it was way more than we expected.” Melvin also said that Detwiler’s performance was phenomenal
The A’s and veteran lefty Ross Detwiler dodged a bullet in the first inning. He gave up two singles and threw two wild pitches, but the Orioles failed to score. With Jones at second, O’s shortstop J.J.Hardy singled just over Danny Valencia’s head in right field. Jones was waiting to tag up as he thought the ball might be caught. When it wasn’t, Jones took off and tried to score. The home plate umpire ruled him safe but the A’s ask for a review. The call was overturned, and Jones was ruled out. Jones never got his front leg down, and A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell tagged him on his back foot for the out.
The A’s scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the third. Doubles by Marcus Semien and Yonder Alonso produced the only run the A’s would need to win their third straight one-run game.
Game Notes. The A’s now have a three-game winning streak and are in fourth place in the AL West. With the loss, the Orioles are now in second-place in the AL East, a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays.
The A’s and O’s conclude the four-game series Thursday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. Game time will be at 12:35 pm. Andrew Triggs will pitch for Oakland, and the A’s will face the Oriole ace, Chris Tillman.
Time of game was two hours and twenty-four minutes and 13,481 happy fans watched the A’s win.
AP photo: The Oakland A’s Zach Neal deals to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum to improve his record to 2-1
OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s behind a strong performance by Zach Neal beat the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night in Oakland. Neal, making his second start for the A’s, was terrific. He pitched five and 1/3rd innings allowing just two hits and one run. The A’s bullpen did a super job, too. Liam Hendriks retired all five hitters he faced, and John Axford kept the O’s scoreless in the eighth as he faced four hitters. Axford walked one and struck out two. Ryan Madson closed out the game in the ninth. The Orioles got the leadoff hitter on base via a single but Madson got the next hitter to hit into a double play. Madson walked Manny Machado but was able to strike out Chris Davis looking to end the game
The A’s scored twice in the bottom of the third to take a 2-0 lead. Miley gave up singles to Marcus Semien and Jake Smolinski. Danny Valencia doubled down the right field line to drive in Semien.Khris Davis hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Smolinski with the A’s second run of the inning.
The Orioles got on the board in the top of the fourth when their star center fielder, Adam Jones, sent a Zach Neal pitch into the bleachers to lead off the inning. For Jones, it was his twenty-second homer of the year. It was also the Birds’ first hit of the game as Neal had retired the first nine hitters he faced.
The Orioles threatened in the top of the sixth. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop led off with a double. Neal retired the next hitter, but that was the last hitter he would face. A’s manager Bob Melvin took him out of the game and brought Liam Hendriks to pitch. Hendriks did his job as he retired the next two Oriole batters to end the inning. Neal was outstanding as he went five and 1/3rd innings and allowed one run and just two hits. The A’s bullpen will have to shut down the hard-hitting Orioles the rest of the way to secure the win for Neal. A’s win 2-1
Game notes- The A’s won their second straight one-run game over the Orioles. The Orioles have hit 170 home runs so far this year to lead the AL in that department. Zach Neal, as mentioned above, was superb. He had to be as his opponent Wade Miley also pitched well. Miley went six innings plus and allowed six hits and two runs and took the loss. He is now 7-10 for the year with Seattle and Baltimore.
After the game, Zach Neal said this about being a starter “I was going to go until they took it away from me.” He said he “threw his sinker down in the zone and was able to spot his fastball.” Bob Melvin commented in a very short and succinct manner” boy; that was impressive.” Melvin also remarked that Liam Hendriks had been pressed into a different role due to his improved performance.”
Game three of the four-game series will be played Wednesday night at the Oakland Coliseum at 7:05 pm. Lefty Ross Detwiler will pitch for Oakland. The A’s obtained the veteran from Cleveland and Detwiler will be making his first start as an Oakland Athletic. Yovani Gallardo will pitch for Baltimore.
AP photo: Oakland A’s pitcher Sonny Gray throws against the Chicago Cubs last Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum in the first inning
On the Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O the A’s have the largest amount of players serving on the disabled list than in any other time in their Oakland history. The list is growing by the day which has got to be a nightmare for the entire management situation. The big and latest injury is to starter Sonny Gray, Gray went out last Saturday in the fifth inning pitching against the Cubs Gray suffered stiffness in his right forearm.
Gray had an MRI on Monday the medical staff said no surgery is going to be needed but Gray has a muscle strain and inflammation in that right forearm and he’s got fluid in that right forearm. The doctors were not that much more definitive than that. They didn’t say when he was going to be able to come back. The A’s have to be concerned because he’s had problems on that right side in general.
AP photo: Oakland A’s pitcher Kendall Graveman delivers in his first inning of work against the Baltimore Orioles at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night
OAKLAND–The A’s Kendall Graveman pitched a very strong game again as the A’s beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The Orioles led the AL East by just one game before the start of play Monday night. The race in the East became tighter as the Toronto Blue Jays won and moved into a virtual tie for first place with the Orioles. Graveman went seven full innings and allowed just one run and six hits. Ryan Dull pitched the eighth and gave up a solo homer to Manny Machado, and Ryan Madson retired the Birds to save the win for Graveman. After the game, A’s manager Bob Melvin said that Graveman had the Birds hitting the ball into the ground as his slider and cutter were very effective. The scoring summary follows below.
The Orioles scored the first run of the game in the top of the third. Graveman had retired seven in a row until J.J.Hardy singled with one out. Adam Jones and Hyun-Soon Kim singled to load the bases. The Orioles’ Machado hit a long foul down the first base line that A’s first baseman Yonder Alonso caught. Hardy tagged up and scored on the play. Jones and Kim moved up a base on the play. Graveman then retired Chris Davis to end the inning. The A’s tied the score in their half of the fourth when Stephen Vogt led off the inning with his ninth homer of the season. Vogt hit the ball about ten rows deep into the bleachers in right field. Khris Davis doubled but Gausman retired the next three A’s hitters to end the threat. The score is tied at one after four complete.
The A’s took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Stephen Vogt walked to lead off the frame. Gausman retired the next two A’s hitters. Yonder Alonso singled to put men on at first and second with two out. Designated hitter Billy Butler singled to drive in Vogt with the second run of the game to give Oakland a 2-1 lead after six innings of play.
The A’s scored another run in the bottom of the seventh. Ryon Healy received a walk from the new Oriole pitcher, Logan Ondrusek, to get the rally going. Healy advanced to second on a ground out and then scored on a Stephen Vogt single. The A’s now lead 3-1.
The Orioles cut the deficit to one in the eighth when the Birds’ All-Star third baseman, Manny Machado sent a Ryan Dull fastball deep into the left-field bleachers for his twenty-fifth dinger of the year. The A’s closer Ryan Madson set the Orioles down to preserve the win for Oakland.
Game notes- Kendall Graveman won his eighth game of the year, and his record is now 8-7. Oakland snapped a three-game losing streak but are 2-8 in their last ten games. Stephen Vogt drove in two runs with a homer and single and was the hitting star for Oakland. Ryan Madson recorded his twenty-third save of the season.
The Orioles’ Kevin Gausman lost for the eighth time on the road this year, and he is now 3-9 for 2016. All three wins have come at Camden Yards.
Game two of the four-game series will be played Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. Zach Neal will pitch for Oakland, and lefty Wade Miley will pitch for Baltimore. Miley came to the Orioles at the trade deadline from the Seattle Mariners.
Update on Sonny Gray- Melvin said that an exam of Sonny’s forearm showed no structural damage and that surgery would not be necessary. Gray is on the 15-day DL. The A’s will use the veteran k]lefty Ross Detwiler Wednesday and Andrew Triggs will pitch on Thursday.
Time of game was two hours and twenty-nine minutes, and a sparse crowd of 10,407 watched the A’s win their forty-ninth game of the year.
AP file photo: Oakland A’s shortstop Marcus Semien hits for the fences with this home run against Cleveland at Progressive Field on July 30th
On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg the A’s who faced a very tough Chicago Cubs team over the weekend where they were swept had a number of journeymen that were in the line up. They had Khris Davis who is about a .251 hitter he flies out quite a bit but he does have some pop in his bat. There are a couple guys in the line up that A’s manager Bob Melvin should keep in there, first Marcus Semien at shortstop he’s got 23 homers this year his fielding has improved he’s hitting .236.
Semien would be a keystone for the club and the veteran backstop on the club Stephen Vogt he just brings an intangible for the club Vogt is a tough gritty player and he hitting .266. Vogt has got some pop in his bat and he’s key to the line up when things are going well.
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
By Charlie O. Mallonee
OAKLAND–The Chicago Cubs made it a three-game sweep over Oakland as they beat the Athletics 3-1 on Sunday. The Cubs supported the outstanding pitching of Kyle Hendricks with some timely hitting and the 104 mph pitches of Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning to nail down the win for Chicago.
The Cubs have now won seven consecutive games and 10 of their last 11 contests. Chicago is a season-high 28 games over .500 with a record of 69-41 which is best in the majors. This was their 10th series sweep of the season.
The A’s have now lost three in a row and eight of their last nine games. Oakland is now 15 games under .500 with a record of 48-63. This was the ninth time the A’s were swept this season.
On the Bump
Kyle Hendricks (11-7) has quietly been one of the most solid pitchers for the Cubs this season. He did not overpower hitters as his fastball topped out at 89 mph on a consistent basis. It was the sinking action of his fastball that caused Oakland hitters to groundout and the change up that kept the hitters off balance that Hendricks used to defeat the A’s.
Hendricks worked 7.1 innings giving up just one run (earned) on three hits. He struck out four batters and walked none. Hendricks entire outing was about control.
Pedro Strop worked 0.2 innings of relief for Hendricks.
Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth inning thrilling the crowd with pitches that hit 104 mph on the radar gun. Chapman did give up a single to the A’s Stephen Vogt, so he is human.
“He pitched great. A couple of swings ended up being two runs for them. Pitching deep into the game for us again. Getting the swings and misses. Using all three pitches. It’s a pretty good line up that other than two pitches he did a great job against,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin evaluating the pitching performance of Sean Manaea on Sunday.
Manaea (3-7) worked 6.0 innings giving up two runs (both earned) on six hits. He struck out four and walked two batters. Both runs came via the home run. Kris Bryant hit his 27th home run of the season off Manaea to lead off the top of the sixth inning and Jorge Soler hit his seventh homer of the year to lead off the seventh inning.
The A’s used five relief pitchers in the game. Reliever Liam Hendriks came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the eight and worked out of that jam without allowing a run. Manager Bob Melvin praised Hendriks for his effort after the game.
Chris Smith who was just added to the A’s roster closed out the game for Oakland working a scoreless top of the ninth inning.
In the Batter’s Box
Marcus Semien was the bright spot for the A’s at the plate against the Cubs. Semien went 2-for-3 on the day. That included him crushing his 23rd home run of the season into the left center field seats which accounted for the only A’s run of the day.
Stephen Vogt and Max Muncy were the only other A’s to pick up hits in the game.
The A’s left three men on base.
Kris Bryant went 2-for-3, scored a run, hit a home run and walked twice in the game. The home run was his 27th of the year which is a new career-high.
Jorge Soler enjoyed being the Designated Hitter as he went 2-for-4. He hit his seventh home run of the season off Manaea.
Anthony Rizzo had a 1-for-4 day that included an rbi. He has now reached base safely in 14 consecutive starts.
The Cubs left eight men on base and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Defense
Yonder Alonso executed the rare unassisted double play in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, the Cubs Ben Zobrist hit a low line drive down the first base line that Alonso snagged with his glove hand. He then stepped on the first base bag to double up the runner – Anthony Rizzo – to end the inning and the Cubs scoring threat.
A rare call by first base umpire Paul Emmel preserved a good defensive play by the A’s. In the top the fourth inning, Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras struck out but the pitch was in the dirt so the batter was able to run to first. Catcher Stephen Vogt fielded the ball and made the throw to first. Contreras ran out of the runners lane to distract Yonder Alonso who was waiting to catch the ball. Alonso dropped the ball but Emmel called Contreras out for leaving the lane and interfering with the play. It is a call that should be made more often.
Notes
Sonny Gray has been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season. Gray was lifted from the game on Saturday when he strained his right forearm in the fifth inning. Gray was on the DL from May 21 to June 4 with a strained right trapezius.
Right-hand pitcher Chris Smith has been promoted from Triple-A Nashville to take Gray’s spot on the roster. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Smith, catcher Josh Phegley has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
This is the 25th time the A’s have placed a player on the DL this season. That ties a club all-time record.
Up Next
The Athletics will stay in Oakland for a four-game series with the Eastern Division leading Baltimore Orioles:
Mon 8/8 RHP Kendall Graveman (7-7,4.46) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (3-8,4.08) 7:05 PM
Tue 8/9 RHP RHP Zach Neal (1-1,5.25) vs. LHP Wade Miley (0-1,7.20) 7:05 PM
Wed 8/10 TBA (probably a call up from Nashville) vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo (4-3,5.47) 7:05
Thu 8/11 TBA (possibly another Nashville call up) vs. RHP Chris Tillman (14-4,3.50) 7:05
The Cubs have the day off on Monday and start a two-game series with the Angles in Chicago on Tuesday.
AP photo: New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez gets ready to hang up his hat and struggles through emotion to announce his retirement from baseball after 22 years at Sunday’s press conference before the Yankees and Cleveland at Yankee Stadium
On the MLB podcast with Daniel Dullum Alex Rodriguez called for a press conference on Sunday morning at Yankees Stadium just before their game with Cleveland to say “goodbye” to his teammates and to baseball. Friday will be A-Rod’s last game he will not finish the 2016 season with the club and will move onto the Yankees front office being an advisor to player personnel and to team general manager Hal Steinbrenner.
After suffering such a huge slump the San Francisco Giants who had lost 13 of 18 got a convincing win against a very convincing opponent the Washington Nationals with a six run victory 7-1 on Saturday. This same Nats team who picked up a triple play against the Giants last week dropped a tough one to a challenging Giant club thanks to the help of their third baseman Eduardo Nunez who had two triples and a double is showing why the Giants made a move for him in July coming from the Minnesota Twins.
The slumping Oakland A’s who took a five run loss 7-2 to the Chicago Cubs on Friday saw Cubs starter and former Athletic pitcher Jon Lester pitch past the A’s for the win Lester pitched seven innings giving up six hits and two runs. On Saturday the A’s didn’t fare much better after starter Jake Arrieta mowed the A’s down for three hits and the Cubs get the shutout 4-0 as the Cubs win the series.
Sonny Gray pitching against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Photo Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY
by Charlie O. Mallonee
OAKLAND–As if the Oakland Athletics did not have enough problems to deal with already, their number one pitcher – Sonny Gray – is headed back to the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season. Gray strained his right forearm in the game versus the Cubs on Saturday in Oakland.
Gray is 5-11 with a 5.74 ERA on the season. Opposing batters are hitting .286 against Gray in his 21 starts. Gray has the highest ERA in the majors and is tied for third in the American League in losses.
The A’s turn to the Nashville connection once again to fill Gray’s spot on the roster. Right-handed pitcher Chris Smith has been promoted from the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Smith, catcher Josh Phegley was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
Smith has spent the entire season at Nashville. He has a 6-8 record with a 3.93 ERA and .239 batting average against in 22 starts. Smith is 35-years old and will be returning to the majors for the first time since 2010 when he made three relief appearances for Milwaukee. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training this year and accepted an assignment to Triple-A.
OAKLAND–Jake Arrieta, right at the top of the list of major league pitching performers since the beginning of the 2015 season, is almost back to form after a more than a month without a victory, and the hapless A’s got a firsthand look on Saturday at the transformation.
Arrieta went eight innings, allowing just three hits, in the Cubs 4-0 shutout of the A’s that has the two clubs headed in opposite directions. The A’s have lost seven of eight to fall a season-worst 14 games below .500, while the Cubs have won 16 of 22 to move a season-best 27 games above .500 for second time.
The most obvious sign of Arrieta’s reemergence is the seamless combination of his slider and his sinker, which A’s manager Bob Melvin lauded after the game. Given the control of those two pitches, Arrieta has become calculating in eschewing strikeouts for easier outs after a couple of pitches.
“Not worrying about strikeouts,” Arrieta said. “Those will come in big situations. Maybe a guy on third, a guy on second base, no outs, less than two, punchouts are more important. I’m trying to get through the middle innings.”
In his month long slump—after he won 28 of his 31 decisions spanning this season and last—Arrieta struggled to get through the middle of games, going 0-3 in five starts. Now according to the pitcher, he’s almost back to form, so dominant that he can decide how he retires the hitters he faces.
For the A’s, who have dropped the first two games of this series, and are only hitting .241 as a team at home this season, Arrieta’s return to form meant a very quiet afternoon for the Oakland offense. Yonder Alonso’s two-out double in the second inning rated as the high point on Saturday, and that preceded a strikeout of Marcus Semien that ended the inning.
Only one other A’s baserunner—Semien in the fifth—even reached second base against Arrieta and Travis Wood, who pitched the ninth for the Cubs.
The A’s had hoped that a return to the Coliseum after a rough road trip would signal a return to playing competitive baseball, but the A’s have been quiet in dropping the first two games of a 10-game home stand. In addition, the A’s were blindsided by the bizarre story of staffer Mike Henriques installing a hidden camera in the team’s weight room, likely to monitor injured Athletics work out habits. Henriques was suspended on Thursday when the camera was discovered.
At least the A’s looked resplendent in their 1981 throwback uniforms, which coincided with a celebration of the division-winning club under manager Billy Martin that year. The Cubs stepped up their uniform game as well on Saturday, sporting baby blue pinstripe uniforms from the same year.
On Sunday, the A’s look to avoid the sweep with Sean Manaea on the mound in a matchup with Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks.
NOTES: A’s starter Sonny Gray departed early on Saturday after experiencing discomfort in his upper forearm. Gray lobbied to remain in the game, but Melvin pulled his pitcher just to be cautious. Gray will be re-examined on Sunday in an attempt to determine if he will be available for his next start.
