Category: Oakland Athletics

A’s On Wrong Side in Extra Innings for First Time in 2014

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By Matthew Harrington

For the first time in 2014, the Oakland Athletics ended up on the wrong side of an extra innings affair. The A’s suffered a walk-off loss 5-4 against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium Wednesday night in their fourth game requiring more than nine innings this season. Despite a 4-1 lead on a three-run home run from right fielder Brandon Moss and a two earned run performance over six-plus innings from starter Tommy Milone, the A’s bullpen failed to hang on to the lead. The Angels comeback, capped by Chris Iannetta’s game-winning blast off Drew Pomeranz in the bottom of the 12th inning, rallied the Halos (7-8)to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Athletics.

Oakland (10-5) appeared to have the game wrapped up after taking a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning on Moss’ second long ball of the season. The left-hander’s no-doubter to right  off Angels starter Tyler Skaggs plated Alberto Callaspo and Derek Norris with two outs in the inning. For Moss, who hit out of the eighth spot against the lefty Skaggs instead of his usual spot in the heart of the order, the dinger marked RBI’s number 13, 14 and 15 of the season, tops on the Athletics and the best mark in the American League. Moss matches fellow AL-er Chris Colabello of the Twins for third place in the major leagues.

Earlier in the top of the fourth inning, Callaspo doubled home Josh Donaldson for a one-out, game-tying double. Callaspo finished the night 1-for-4 after entering play flirting with a .400 batting average, good for the second best mark in the American League behind Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez.

In the previous half inning, the Angels opened the scoring after Erick Aybar lead off the inning with a single to center then scored on Mike Trout’s double with one out.

Milone opened the seventh inning by hitting Iannetta with a pitch that bounced in the dirt before skimming the LA backstop’s toe. After A’s manager Bob Melvin challenged the play, replay evidence proved inconclusive with crew chief Chris Segal rewarding Iannetta first base. The next batter, Collin Cowgill, singled on the first delivery from Millone, prompting Melvin to lift the left-hander in favor of reliever Dan Otero. Milone finished the night with only one strikeout and two free passes in six-plus innings of work.

Otero coaxed Aybar to ground into a fielder’s choice with second baseman Eric Sogard electing to force Cowgill out at second. J.B. Shuck reached base on an error by Callaspo, making just his second career appearance at first base, allowing Iannetta to cross the plate for a 4-2 A’s lead. Otero downed Trout on a full-count swing-and-miss but Albert Pujols wrapped a single up the middle to cut the A’s advantage to one run at 4-3 after Aybar came around to score. Pujols’ base knock was the only Angels base hit in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position Wednesday evening.

After the A’s went down in order in the top half of the eighth, Otero, Fernando Abad and Ryan Cook combined to pitch a scoreless bottom half. Angels reliever Fernando Salas pitched his first of two scoreless innings to keep the home team down by one entering the ninth.

Luke Gregerson, Melvin’s top candidate in the closer-by-committee approach adopted by the A’s amidst deposed closer Jim Johnson’s struggles, entered the ninth seeking his third save in four opportunities. Instead, the righty blew his second save of the season, allowing back-to-back singles to Trout and Pujols. Gregerson then yielded a run-scoring force out on a failed game-ending double play chance after Howie Kendrick beat out Eric Sogard’s pivot to first to knot the game at four runs apiece.

Angels relief arms Michael Kohn and Yoslan Herrera held Oakland scoreless in an inning each to set up Joe Smith as the winning pitcher in the 12th. Smith (1-0, 5.14 Era) struck out Gentry to open the inning, then plunked shortstop Jed Lowrie with a wild pitch to put the go-ahead run on first. Donaldson, the hero in Tuesday night’s 11 inning A’s win, advanced Lowrie into scoring position but clean-up hitter Yoenis Cespedes struck out to end the inning and the scoring threat. The left fielder went 0-for-6 on the night to join Nick Punto and Sogard as the only members of the A’s starting line-up to be held hitless.

With the A’s bullpen pitching 7 1/3 innings in Tuesday’s barn burner, Melvin used Gregerson to pitch the tenth as well before handing the ball over to lefty Drew Pomeranz in the 11th. Pomeranz (1-1, 2.16 ERA), a starter-turned-reliever, pitched 2 and 2/3 innings Tuesday night before taking the hill in Wednesday’s game. Pomeranz allowed a Pujols single in an otherwise uneventful 11th inning then stayed in the game looking to hold the Halos off the board in the 12th.

Pomeranz started the 12th on strong footing, inducing a David Freese ground out and a Raul Ibanez pop out to retire the first two men to the plate on only eight pitches in the inning. Iannetta ended Pomeranz’s run on the first pitch he saw, rocketing a 91 mph fastball at the belt to center field just right of the 396-foot marker. Center fielder Craig Gentry leapt at the wall to try to pull the game-winning shot back in from the brink, but the ball grazed off the glove’s tip and into the grass at the base of the rock pile in beyond the fence.

For the Angels, Wednesday’s win helped to skew the numbers in their favor at their home turf. In the last 22 meetings at Angel Stadium, the A’s have been victorious a lop-sided 15 times. Oakland wrapped up a nine-game road trip, going 7-2 after sweeping Minnesota and taking two-of-three from Seattle and Los Angeles.

Oakland gets an off-day Thursday to travel home before opening a weekend series at the O.Co Coliseum against the Houston Astros who, after a hot start, once again find themselves in the American League’s basement in the standings. They’ll counter A’s Ace Sonny Gray with Zach Cosart in Friday’s series-opener.

Donaldson’s Double In 11th Lift’s A’s Over Angels 10-9

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ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 15: Josh Donaldson hits an RBI double in the 11th inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 15, 2014 in Anaheim, California. All uniformed team members are wearing jersey number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Athletics defeated the Angels in eleven innings. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 15: Josh Donaldson hits an RBI double in the 11th inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 15, 2014 in Anaheim, California. All uniformed team members are wearing jersey number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Athletics defeated the Angels in eleven innings. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

By Kahlil Najar

Anaheim – The Oakland Athletics (10-4) defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (6-8), 10-9 Tuesday night in extra innings on a game winning double by Josh Donaldson in the top of the 11th.

A’s starting pitcher Dan Straily struggled as he gave up seven hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings and was only able to strike out one. A collective of five other A’s pitchers came in to seal the win with the winning pitcher being the recently relieved closer Jim Johnson (2-2). Johnson threw for two innings and only surrendered one hit.

“Jim Johnson was terrific,” said Oakland manager Bob Melvin. “That was huge. I didn’t have Gregerson or Abad tonight, so it was his game. He knew it, and that was impressive.”

Donaldson echoed his coaches sentiments on Johnson. “It’s so early… so quick to jump to any conclusions about a guy. He didn’t save 100 games the past two years for no reason. The guy’s good.”

The Angels took the first lead of the game when Mike Trout drove home Kole Calhoun on a double to left field. Then two batters later, Howie Kendrick smacked a single to center and drove in Trout to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.

The A’s took the lead from the Angels in the third when Eric Sogard got his first hit of the game and drove in Josh Reddick who had walked to start off the inning. Jaso followed with a ground out to first but was able to score Gentry from third and Jed Lowrie got his second double of the year and drove in Sogard to make it a 3-2 Oakland lead.

In the fourth the Angels put up a four spot on a double from Chris Iannetta and homer to Kole Calhoun and gave the Angels the lead again 6-3.

The A’s the scored six unanswered runs with clutch hitting again from Sogard, Brandon Moss, Alberto Callaspo and Derek Norris to make it a 9-6 lead going into the bottom of the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth, Howie Kendrick was walked by Ryan Cook and then Dan Otero gave up back to back singles with the scoring hit going to David Freese and made it a 9-7 Oakland lead.

After a scoreless top of the ninth for the A’s, Sean Doolittle was up to face Calhoun. On a full count, Calhoun took Doolittle’s fastball to left field and landed himself at second and brought up Mike Trout who represented the tying run. Then on the fourth pitch of his at bat, Trout took the ball deep and out to left center field and tied the game at nine a piece.

“I threw a thigh-high fastball in the middle — that’s never good,” said Doolittle, “There’s nothing to say. I messed that up.”

After a scoreless tenth, Lowrie came up for the A’s in the 11th and hit a line drive single to left field and brougt up the streaking Donladson.  On the very first pitch, Donaldson smacked his fourth double fo the year to left field and scored Lowrie from first and gave the A’s a 10-9 lead.  Jim Johnson grabbed three ground outs and sealed the victory for the A’s.

The A’s go for the sweep on Wednesday when they send Tommy Milone to the mound against Tyler Skaggs.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: African American player numbers at it’s lowest 7% on 67th anniversay of Jackie Robinson

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

#42 Honored today at all MLB parks on it’s 67th anniversary

ANAHEIM–All Major League teams today will honor Jackie Robinson’s legacy as the first African-American player in Major League Baseball, by wearing Robinson’s number 42.

Sixty-seven years after Jackie Robinson played on April 15, 1947 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn. Brooklyn Dodgers played the Boston Braves.

Jackie Robinson batted second in the lineup, played first base, and got a hit in three at bats. The attendance at Ebbets Field, 26,623, Dodgers won the game 5-3.

Here below the lineup for the Dodgers on that historic day:

Eddie Stanky 2B

Jackie Robinson 1B

Pete Reiser CF

Dixie Walker RF

Gene Hermansky LF

Bruce Edwards C

Spider Jorgensen 3B

Pee Wee Reese SS

Joe Hatten P

Starting today’s action in Major League Baseball among the 30 teams, there are a total of 67 African-American players, 7.8% of all players, with a high of 18.7% in 1981, according to the Society for Baseball Research(SABR).

Three teams today do not have an African-American player on their roster, Arizona Diamondbacks, St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. The 7.8% percent today is the lowest since 1958.

Major League Baseball is trying to revitalize the game among young African-Americans across the country. With six urban academies, there are 220,000 kids playing in reviving Baseball in Inner cities programs.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Vice President of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Angels and A’s get set for rival series; 49ers need some serious damage control

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

ANAHEIM–The Los Angeles Angels are in the middle of a six game home stand and are opening up a series Monday night with the Oakland A’s. The Angels just completed a series with the New York Mets. It’s been a little bit cold at Anaheim Stadium but they expect temperatures to get up in the mid 80s for the series.

The Angels just hit five home runs on Sunday against New York and the Angels blasted former A’s and Angels pitcher and now Mets starter Bartolo Colon who won 18 games last year for the A’s and was their All-Star pitcher. Colon got lit up for 11 hits, nine runs all earned, and walked a couple of batters in five innings of work.

The Angels went yard with three consecutive home runs in the first inning off Colon, hit by L.A.’s Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Raul Ibanez. It was the first time the Angels hit three straight homers since 2009. So the A’s and Angels get together and their rivals and it’s a big contrast between these two teams.

The Oakland A’s never had a big payroll and they have to face teams with big payrolls in the Western Division. The Angels have one of the largest payrolls in baseball and they haven’t won anything in a awhile. The A’s have a big contest in Anaheim and it all depends on the pitching and we know the A’s have good young pitching so this series could be one of the best yet this month.

49ers Aldon Smith update: I’m sure Dr.Harry Edwards who specializes in those social programs for the football teams like the 49ers and works in psychology might be one for this situation with Aldon Smith and what he did was very stupid.

You have to be intoxicated to make a bomb threat at the Los Angeles Airport and that is what Aldon Smith is accused of saying. After 911 and even before that the last thing you want to do is scream is “bomb.” This act is beyond stupidity of an imbecile, the 49ers have a lot of problems with players with off field conduct issues, Chris Culliver (hit and run and brass knuckles), Colin Kaepernick (suspicious conduct), and now Smith and the bomb threat.

Kaepernick was not indicted but this is not good publicity for the 49ers or the NFL and the team just paid over a $1 billion for the new stadium that opens this August. This is not good for the club and I don’t know what their going to do with all these off field problems and this is not just one player it multiple players. It’s a big problem especially in a sport that you don’t play everyday but the news keeps going about them everyday.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish TV voice for Angels baseball and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk radio

A’s rolling after another strong start from Scott Kazmir

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By Morris Phillips

Thought the A’s were off to a merely respectable start of the season after a tough weather week at the Coliseum? Well, after a near perfect, second week—all on the road–the A’s are boasting the American League’s best record following Sunday’s 3-0 shutout win at Seattle’s Safeco Field.

Scott Kazmir was flawless for six innings before being struck with tightness in his triceps, discomfort he also experienced once during spring training. A cautious Bob Melvin then removed his starter, who allowed just two hits and struck out nine.

As the A’s oldest starter in a rotation that’s been lights out thus far, Kazmir showed his veteran wizardry while he was around on Sunday, baffling the Mariners with breaking balls—often outside the zone—as his out pitch. The 30-year old Kazmir started 15 of the 20 hitters he faced with a strike, and threw just 21 balls in the outing. But when he needed an out, the Mariners often chased his breaking pitches outside the zone with no success.

“He was making guys chase his slider and throwing the heater at 95,” Seattle’s Robinson Cano said of Kazmir.

Unfortunately, Kazmir didn’t last long enough to pick up a win as Chris Young matched him in his first Major League start in more than a year by shutting down the A’s for six innings on four hits. Amazingly, Young was released in spring training by Washington and signed by Seattle just a week before the start of the regular season, and now he’s thrown eight scoreless innings as a Mariner.

“I think he is close,” Mariners’ manager Lloyd McClendon said of Young. “I saw his breaking ball coming today. When that pitch comes for him, he’s going to be pretty tough.”

Still good major league hitters can’t tip their batting helmets all day, and Yoenis Cespedes was the first to break up the order of things in the eighth when he launched Charlie Furbush’s elevated offering into the left field seats to give the A’s a 2-0 lead.

Josh Donaldson connected in the ninth on an opposite field shot to provide insurance for the A’s. For Cespedes it was his second homer of the season, Donaldson, his third.

The A’s bullpen did the rest with Fernando Abad, Dan Otero, Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle combining on three innings of one-hit relief. In a bullpen in flux with the demotion of closer Jim Johnson, the A’s haven’t missed a beat with all four relievers that saw action on Sunday sporting ERA’s under 1.50.

The A’s completed their first week of the season on the road with a 5-1 record, sweeping the Twins and winning two of three in Seattle. Only King Felix’s strong outing on Friday kept Oakland from a perfect start to the road trip that continues Monday night in Anaheim.

The A’s will hand the ball to Jesse Chavez at Angels Stadium with the Oakland rotation looking to post a 12th quality start in 13 outings thus far. The Angels turn to 26-year old Hector Santiago making his 30th career major league start after dropping his first two decisions—both to Seattle—in 2014.

A’s grab first place in the AL West behind Sonny Gray’s gem

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By Morris Phillips

You have to be in it to win it, and so far in 2014, the starting rotation is keeping the A’s in it.

Even without the sidelined duo of Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin, the A’s starters haven’t missed a beat, ranking first in quality starts in the major leagues, with only Tommy Milone once allowing more than three runs in a start.

Sonny Gray had quality written all over his performance Saturday, allowing five hits and a run over seven innings in the A’s 3-1 win over the Mariners that allowed Oakland to switch places with Seattle atop the AL West.

Make no mistake, in the numbers-dominated universe of major league baseball, quality is quality. Even without Parker or Griffin or the departed Brett Anderson and Bartolo Colon for that matter, the A’s haven’t missed a beat. When compared to the club’s above average bullpen, average defense, and always dangerous, quick strike offense–through 11 games–the Oakland starters clearly stand out. Hardly the manner in which the club projected coming into the season, the Athletics have pitched in every ballgame, winning 7 of 11, and dropping the other four by two runs or fewer.

Gray’s third start went much like his first two: what little he allowed, he gave up in the first three frames, and was lights out after that. The first-round selection from Vanderbilt struck out nine, walked two and lowered his ERA to 0.95. Gray allowed a run in the first, showed the heat after that, striking out Robinson Cano and Dustin Ackley with gas in the fourth, and mixing in off-speed stuff towards the end. If anyone was negatively impacted by the Billy Beane’s off-season moves that allowed Colon and Anderson to move on, it wasn’t Gray. Thus far, he looks like an ace with the variety and consistency to match either of the departed veterans.

Gray got all the support he needed early as well: Josh Donaldson deposited Erasmo Ramirez’ mistake fastball deep into the left field bleachers at Safeco Park with Coco Crisp aboard in the first inning. Brandon Moss added what could be termed insurance in the third, singling in Crisp before getting thrown out trying to stretch his fortune into a double.

Manager Bob Melvin figured to be creative with his bullpen given Jim Johnson’s demotion and he was, tabbing Sean Doolittle for four outs, and Luke Gregerson for the last two outs and the save. Gregerson allowed a couple of singles, but then struck out Michael Saunders and got John Buck to ground out to end it.

Prior to the game, Sam Fuld was designated for assignment as the team activated Craig Gentry, the outfielder acquired from the Rangers. In a move that supports the A’s belief in pitching and defense, the A’s kept offensive passengers Daric Barton (.100) and Josh Reddick (.091) on the roster because their defense compliments the outstanding pitching. Barton came in for defense late, and Reddick cut off Logan Morrison’s drive to the wall and quickly returned the ball to the infield, preventing Kyle Seager from attempting to score from first base. Gray took it from there, striking out Ackley to end the fourth.

The A’s turn to Scott Kazmir on Sunday for the rubber match of this three-game series with treetop Chris Young pitching for the Mariners.

 

Hernandez Mows Down 11, A’s Lose 6-4

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SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 11: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Oakland Athletics reacts after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded in the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on April 11, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – APRIL 11: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Oakland Athletics reacts after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded in the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on April 11, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

 

SEATTLE – King Felix continued his dominance over the A’s and he struck out 11 A’s batters and handed the A’s the fourth loss of the season with a final score of 6-4. The A’s mounted a nice rally in the bottom of the eighth as they were able to snag four runs but came up short when Coco Crisp struck out to end the game in the top of the ninth. The loss also ended the A’s four game winning streak.

Hernandez (3-0) didn’t allow a hit until the top of the fourth when Jed Lowrie his a single into the outfield and Josh Donaldson was able to run out a grounder and landed him safe at first.

The Mariners got on the board first when Robinson Cano drove in Abraham Almonte from third when he grounded a ball to Daric Barton who hesitated and didn’t get the ball to Milone who was going to cover first in time to get Cano. In the bottom of the fourth, Seattle received two gift runs from the A’s on two errors committed by Donaldson at third and Lowrie at short.

Dustin Ackley who was on second was able to score when Mike Zunino hit a ground ball to Donaldson that he threw wide to Barton and went past first base and landed Zunino at second. On the very next pitch, Almonte hit a sharp grounder to Lowrie that ricocheted off his arm and allowed Zunino to score from second and make it a 3-0 Seattle lead.

Zunino hit a two run shot and Brad Miller got himself solo homer in the bottom of the sixth to give the Mariners a what seemed insurmountable 6-0 lead.

The A’s were able to finally score in the 8th when Fernandez hit Daric Barton to start the inning then gave up a single to Eric Sogard. After the hit batter and single the Mariners who appeared to have the game in hand, sent Fernandez to the bench to make way for the relievers to take care of the game. Unfortunately for Seattle, the A’s had just started to make this game interesting.

New Mariner reliever Lucas Luetge came in to face Sam Fuld and walked him on four straight pitches to load the bases. Sensing that this could get out of hand if something happened, the Mariners pulled Luetge and put in Danny Farquhar to face Jed Lowrie. New pitcher but same results, Lowrie was walked and brought in Barton for the A’s first score of the game. After a Donaldson strike out, Brandon Moss hit a broken bat single over the jumping Cano and scored Sogard to make it 6-2 and keep the bases loaded. Cespedes came up to the plate and hit a grounder to third that was sent to Cano for the second out but Cespedes was able to beat the throw to first and that allowed Fuld to score to make it 6-3. On the next batter, Charlie Furbush who was now in for relief for Seattle threw a wild pitch that hit the back stop and brought in Lowrie to make it 6-4. Unfortunately Callaspo, who was at bat hit a high pop to end the inning and the A’s momentum.

Tommy Milone who started his first game of the season performed excellently as he went five innings and struck out 7. What has to be a highlight for the A’s tonight is that Jim Johnson who was recently relieved of his closing duties came in for the final two innings of the game and pitched them perfect and struck out four.

Oakland and Seattle head back to SafeCo park tomorrow night when the Sonny Gray  (1-0, 0.75 ERA) takes on Erasmo Ramirez (1-1, 5.73 ERA), game time 6:10pm PST.

Michael Duca on A’s and Giants: Pablo will have to bring up numbers to get asking price; Donaldson was deliberate than thoughtless

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by Micahel Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–You have to remember everything that happens in contract negotiations is behind closed doors such is the case of Giants third baseman Pablo Sadoval. Giants general manager Brian Sabean has said he has stopped taking Sandoval’s agent Gustavo Vasquez’ call. Everything that’s said is private and the rest is public posturing on both sides.

Nobody knows what really is going on in the Sadoval negotiations and it’s my understanding that both sides of the conversations had agreed that opening day would be sort of the cut off. I heard Giants VP of Operations Bobby Evans talking about this on opening day on Tuesday basically saying that Sandoval has the opportunity to go out and earn himself a big deal for his performance this year.

The basis of that thought process is the Giants have had five years of Sandoval and they had two years of extraordinary Pablo and three or ordinary Pablo. Evans said if you want five more years of Pablo all we can do is look back at the last five years and say which of these guys are we signing? The great two years or the mediocre three?

It’s because you pay for those things, the Giants would like to see Pablo get through an entire season maintaining the lower weight to see him go out and perform consistantly. If he can go out and approach the game mentally and he has the self discipline to maintain that weight their not going to have a problem paying him.

A’s hitter Josh Donaldson forgot the code of ethics: How many times have I said when you hit a long foul ball which Donaldson did against the Twins and Twins pitcher Glenn Perkins you can kind of watch it but you watch while your moving down the line. You don’t stand in the batters box and admire it before you take off.

I know if you hit it that far your either are going to cadillac around the bases or you don’t have to go anywhere. Nevertheless show some kind of respect for your opponents and that’s not the kind of player that Donaldson is and it kind of surprised me with the whole bat flipping and admiring a long foul ball thing he had going on Thursday.

Then Donaldson gets badly fooled on a breaking pitch and strikes out flips his bat and you might have got away with flipping the bat, you might have got away with admiring the long foul ball but your not going to get away with both admiring the foul ball and flipping the bat.

You put two of them together and now it looks more deliberate than thoughtless, it’s a matter of respect for the game. Donaldson admired a long ball he hit but he also has to show them how big you are when you fail like when Donaldson struck out.

Michael Duca does commentary on the Giants and A’s each week for Sportstalk radio

Norris’ 11th-Inning Homer Salvages Oakland’s Afternoon As Johnson’s Woes Continue

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By Matthew Harrington

Athletics closer Jim Johnson blew his second save of the season, but a Derek Norris three-run homer in the eleventh inning salvaged a 7-4 A’s win in Minnesota Wednesday afternoon. Oakland took a 4-0 led over the Twins in the first inning from Target Field, but a home team rally capped by a two-run ninth forced extra innings for A’s for the second time this season.

Athletics starter Jesse Chavez had a second-straight solid start spoiled, picking up a no-decision after seven innings and only one run allowed. Chavez also was the victim of circumstance in the A’s previous extra-inning game, a 12-inning 3-2 walk-off over the Mariners last Thursday.

Phil Hughes failed to retire the first six batters he faced Wednesday, walking leadoff man Sam Fuld and Jed Lowrie before giving up four-straight base hits including a two-RBI single by Brandon Moss and run-producing hits by Josh Donaldson and Alberto Callaspo for a 4-0 lead with no outs. Hughes righted the ship, yielding no runs for the next four innings then four relievers combined to leave the A’s scoreless over the next five innings before Norris’ blast.

Designated hitter Jason Kubel cut the lead to three, launching a 2-0 Chavez delivery to deep right for a solo home run. It’d be the lone run the Twins produced off Chavez but second baseman Brian Dozier pulled the Twins within two on a solo blast of his own off A’s reliever Sean Doolittle to cut the lead in half.

The ninth inning continued to be a rocky ride with the two-time MLB saves leader Johnson on the mound. The leadoff hitter Kubel reached base on a single to center then ex-Athletic Kurt Suzuki drew a walk with two strikes to put runners on first and second. Johnson coaxed a bunting pop-up off the bat of Chris Hermann but Aaron Hicks took ball four with on another two-strike count to load the bases.

In a series of strange events, the Twins scored runs on the next two plays, but not without an umpire review for each. Eduardo Escobar flared a ball to left that Yoenis Cespedes scooped up and fired to third, looking for the force-out. The umpires ruled Suzuki safe at third after protest from Melvin, who then lifted his closer on the verge of blowing a second lead in three save opportunities in favor of Dan Otero.

Otero suffered the same fate as Johnson when guarding the one-run led. Brian Dozier lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, but Josh Reddick unleashed a laser to home plate to try to cut down Suzuki at home. After review, the call on the field was upheld, Suzuki was ruled safe and the Twins had forced a tie. Otero would walk Joe Mauer before ending the ninth with a ground out off the bat of Trevor Plouffe.

Neither team found the scoreboard in the tenth, with Glen Perkins and Otero pitching perfect innings to set up Norris’s blast. Norris, a pinch-hitter in the ninth who remained in at catcher for John Jaso, rocketed a delivery from Jared Burton (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to deep center to knock in Daric Barton and Callaspo for the decisive blow. It’s the right-handed backstop’s second dinger, both coming off right-handed pitchers. Otero (1-0, 1.69 ERA) walked a tight rope in the 12th, loading the bases on two singles and a walk before retiring Plouffe for the victory.

The A’s wrap up the series against Minnesota with another early afternoon game Thursday. Oakland’s Dan Straily and Minnesota’s Mike Pelfrey each take the hill looking for their first win of 2014.

Warriors update report: A Lacob A’s purchase could be his gift to Oakland for moving Warriors to the City

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by Ken Gimblin and David Zizmor

OAKLAND–If Joe Lacob and the Golden State Warriors were able to purchase the Oakland A’s and move them to the Howard Street Terminal at Jack London Square and build a new stadium at the Jack London Waterfront. The A’s are valued at a baseball modest price of $500 million and it would be Lacob’s tribute to the city of Oakland in saving the A’s from leaving town while he plans to take the Warriors to San Francisco.

Lacob is a work in progress on two fronts as the Warriors are in a political battle to try and defeat Proposition B the San Francisco Waterfront height requirement that limits the size of any development over 40-105 feet on the city’s Embarcadero. The voters will be asked in June if the height limit shall be enforced as the Warriors are looking to build a brand new arena at Piers 30-32 but they have been met with much opposition in the Embarcadero neighborhood. Prop B is most likely to pass if put in front of the voters in the San Francisco June election.

Meanwhile Lacob has approached A’s owner John Fisher about the sale of the A’s and Fisher has made it clear that the A’s are not for sale something that Fisher’s business parter Lew Wolff has indicated. Wolff who has stated several times that Jack London Square is a not a viable site for the A’s and he would like to move the team to downtown San Jose but with the Giants territorial rights in place the A’s are bound in Oakland and Alameda County.

The only question that has remained is how long will Fisher and Wolff hold out at the Oakland Coliseum, the management and players have complained about the sewage, water, rain drain, locker room issues at the park just for starts and the A’s want out of the Coliseum. When asked about building a new stadium at Jack London Square and the Howard Street Terminal Wolf said that Jack London Square is not a viable location for the A’s and the A’s have their hearts set on moving to San Jose.

Meanwhile San Jose Mayor Chuck Reid and the city are suing Major League Baseball for the league to clear the territorial rights of the Giants and allow the A’s to move to San Jose. That the A’s have said they want to move to San Jose and that MLB should not allow the Giants to stand in the way of the move. But none the less the document stating the Giants have territorial rights makes it clear the A’s can not move to San Jose.

This brings Fisher and Wolff right back to the drawing board and at some point will the A’s realize that running around on a hamster’s wheel or another Ground Hog Day at the Coliseum continue? Then they might realize they have to live with the Coliseum (that’s the only way they’ll be able to keep the team) or will they sell it to the highest bidder who will keep the team in Oakland and build a downtown stadium for the team.

The Warriors could be one of two major suitors to buy the A’s, the other interested parties are Dryer’s Ice Cream and Clorox. The A’s are concerned about corporate sponsorship but these suitors seem to believe if they can purchase the A’s they also can take care of corportate sponsorship in Oakland.

In the meantime for Lacob he will have to wait to see when and what Fisher and Wolff will do as they bide their time in the rickety Oakland Coliseum a place they want to vacate as soon as possible. If they continue to spin their wheels they might have to face that day when they must sell the A’s and the Warriors for one would be a fitting customer knowing all that Lacob has done in owning sports franchises.

David Zizmor covers the NBA and Ken Gimblin is covering the arena developments for the Warriors and the Sacramento Kings for http://www.sportsradioservice.com