Category: Oakland Athletics

A Look inside the Baltimore Orioles: O’s Sweep A’s With Dominating 12-1 Victory

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg, left, throws to first base after forcing out Oakland Athletics’ Zack Gelof (20) at second on a double play hit into by Athletics’ Jonah Bride during the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Aug 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sunday, August 20th 2023

By Troy Ewers

Oakland, CA – At Rickey Henderson Field, it’s the final game of the series between the Oakland A’s and the Baltimore Orioles. If the A’s lose, they will officially be out of playoff contention. The Orioles on the other have the second best record in the MLB behind Atlanta.

On the hill for Oakland is JP Sears and for Baltimore is Kyle Brandish and this game started off with a bang for Baltimore. Ramon Urias grounded into a fielder’s choice which scored the leadoff man Adley Rutschman who got on base with a single. 1-0 Orioles.

When Brandish got on the mound against the A’s, he had one goal, sit them down, and sit them down fast. Brandish struck out the side in the first inning and then in the second and third inning he retired the side with ease, 1-2-3. On the other side of the coin, Baltimore’s bats were  in go mode.

Jorge Mateo hit an inside the park home run, making it 2-0 in the second inning. In the third inning the momentum didn’t end when Ryan Mountcastle and Gunnar Henderson got back to back hits to start the rally and then they scored when Austin Hays hit a single, but he was thrown out trying to take second, but the damage was done, 4-0 Baltimore.

The fourth inning was no different for the O’s where a leadoff double by Jordan Westburg got the spark going, then after two ground outs and a Rutschman walk, Mountcastle hit a two out, three run home run and the game was blown wide open 7-0 Baltimore.

Rookie Gunnar Henderson hit a triple to follow up the homer, but it looked like a home run that would’ve been his 21st of the season, but after umpire review the ball hit the fence and resulted in a triple. Bradish finally got a hit knocked off of him when Zack Gelof got a one out single, but Seth Brown struck out and Brent Rooker grounded out, so Gelof’s hit didn’t turn into anything.

The A’s took Sears out and put Zach Neal on the mound in the fifth inning and he was able to retire the Orioles side for the first time all game.

The Orioles offense slowed down once Neal got in the game and in the sixth inning A’s first baseman Seth Brown got all three outs. Brown caught a line drive and tagged Ryan McKenna out at first for the double play, then grabbed a grounder from Rutschman to end the inning.

Henderson broke the two inning run drought with a loud dinger of a home run and there was no review with this one, it went 396 feet to deep right field, 8-0 Orioles. The insurance runs didn’t stop for Baltimore after Westburg singled to right and scored Ramon Urias, 9-0 Orioles.

In the seventh inning the O’s changed pitchers from Bradish to Nick Vespi and it didn’t start out well for him after Brent Rooker hit his 20th homer of the season to lead off the inning for Oakland and give the A’s their first run of the game. 9-1.

Jorge Mateo led off the eighth inning with a double and then was brought home by a Rutschman double, 10-1 Baltimore. Gunnar Henderson hit his second double and third hit of the game, but this one counted for an RBI as he scored Rutschman making the game a runaway 11-1 and then Henderson got across home plate when Urias hit a two out single. 12-1.

To close out the game Baltimore brings in former Oakland A’s pitcher Shintaro Fujinami. Even though Fujinami let a leadoff single get past him, a double play followed, and then struck Brent Rooker out looking.

The game ends with Baltimore winning decisively 12-1 with 17 hits and they recorded their eighth sweep of the season and they continue their streak of not being swept. Kyle Bradish walks away with the win (8-6) and JP Sears walks away with the loss (2-10).

The O’s go home with a day off then the following day it’s a series against Toronto. The current record for the Orioles is 77-47 and they maintain their position as the second best record in baseball.

The A’s host the Kansas City Royals at the Oakland Coliseum. The Royals have not decided on a starter yet and the A’s will be going with Paul Blackburn (3-3 ERA 4.09) for a 6:40pm PT first pitch.

O’s 5 run tenth inning come back defeats A’s 7-2 at Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former Oakland A’s pitcher now Baltimore Orioles reliever Shintaro Fujinami delivers against his former teammates in the bottom of the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 19, 2023 (AP News photo)

Baltimore (76-47). 002 000 000 5 – 7-9-0

Oakland (34-89) 010 001 000 0- 2-6-1 (10 innings)

Time: 2:47

Attendance: 18,213

Saturday, August 19, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The team with the best won and lost record Baltimore Orioles (76-47) in the American League took 10 innings to crush the team with the worst won and lost record in the majors the Oakland A’s (34-89) 7-2 Saturday night at the Oakland Coliseum .

The game began as a pitchers’ duel between two southpaws. Cole Irvin 1-3. 4.92 at game time), the Athletics team leader in wins, starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts last year, and Oakland rookie Ken Waldichuk (2-7, 6.07 at game time), who has had an up and down season, often within the same game, this year were the antagonists.

Waldichuk had trouble with his control in the three innings, issuing a base on balls in each of them and unleashing a wild pitch in the second. On the other hand, he didn’t give up a hit over that stretch. At the end of his 5-2/3 inning shift, the Athletics’ starter had yielded two runs, both earned and both coming on home runs, on four hits, three walks, and two wild pitches.

He threw 81 pitches, 50 of them considered strikes. He wasn’t involved in the decision and went home with a record of 2-7, 5.91

Cole pitched well in his no decision. He allowed one run earned, on four hits, including a homer, and a walk He struck out three and hit two Oakland batters. He pitch count was 77, 54 going down as strikes. He preserve his 1-3 win-lost record and reduced his ERA to 4.06.

Aledmys Díaz put the A’s up 1-0 in the early going, sending a leadoff home run over the left center field State Farm advertisement in the bottom of the second. The blast travelled 400 feet, with an exit velocity of 102.6mph and came off a 91.4mph four seamer. It was the third rounder tripper and 18th RBI for the A’s left fielder this year.

Austin Hays broke Waldichuk’s 13 batter hitless streak in the top of the fourth with a one out home run to left, and James McCann followed that one out later with a dinger to left center. Before you knew it, the A’s down 2-0, Hays’ blast carried 356 feet and was his 12th of the season; McCann’s measured 403 feet and was his fourth.

Lucas Ercceg relieved Waldichuk with a runner on first and two outs in the top of the sixth and fanned James McCann to end the inning and held Baltimore at bay in the seventh . Kirby Snead replaced him for the eighth and preserved the tie.

The Orioles removed Cole at the start of the home half of the sixth but continued using ex Athletics aginst their erstwhile teammates. This time it was Shintaro Foujinami, who promptly surrender the lead on Aledmys’s second home run of the night, a 360 foot line drive over the left field fence. Vennnier Cano replaced Fujinami for the Oakland seventh,

Zack Gelof led off the Athletics’s eighth with a single to center. After Carlos Pérez sacrificed him to second, Cionel Pérez relieved Cano. Pérez kept the A’s off the board with an intentional walk and two strikeouts.

Hays greeted Trevor May, who was given the task of taking the A’s into the bottom of the ninth frame, with a single to shallow left center. Cedric Mullens lashed a sharp liner to left that Ruíz captured for the first out. Hays advanced to second on pinch hitter Ryan O’Hearn’s slow bouncer to shortstop Nick Allen, who made a spiffy play to nab him at first, and Adam Frazier, also pinch hitting, popped out to Allen in foul territory.

Félix Bautista was called on to keep the game alive in the home ninth. Another sixth frame pinch hitter, Seth Brown, went down swinging. Seth Langelieres lifted a high fly to the warning track in right center, just in front of the 362 foot marker that Mulllens hauled down for the second out, and Alllen grounded out to short to send us into extra innings.

Adrián Martínez faced Jorge Mateo with Frazier the zombie runner on second to open the overtime. He let Frazier take third on a wild pitch to Mateo, who then walked. Frazier scored on Ryan Mountcastle’s’s single to center through a drawn in infield while Mateo advanced to third.

It was all downhill for Oakland after that. A hit batter. Jordan Westburg’s sac fly to the center field warning track. A fielder’s choice cum throwing error by Allen, a stolen base, and a single, and the Athletics’ comeback had been transformed into a 7-2 Orioles lead.

Jacob Webb, closing for Baltimore in the tenth, hit Ruiz with a pitch and walked Gelof, which, combined with the inning opening placement of Lngeliers at second, loaded the bases for the A’s with no outs. Webb recovered by fanning pinch hitting Tony Kemp, Butler, and Aledmys Díaz.

The win went to Bautista, now 8-2, 1.54; the loss, to Martínez, who fell to 0-1, 5.

Kansas City has been falling behind (or is it ahead?) in the race for the bottom, so we’ll just run a quick check on how the 2023 A’s stack up with the all-time cellar dwellers, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, and their modern era companions in futility, the 1962 New York Mets.

The Spiders finished 1899 at 20-134, .130, 84 games behind the National League pennant winning Brooklyn Superbas. August 19th saw them split a twin bill with the Pirates at Pittsburgh. Cleveland’s win in the night cap brought its record up to 18-90, .167.

The Mets limped to a 40-120, 2.50 finish in ’62. They were at home at the Polo Grounds when they fell to the Cardinals, 10-5 on August 19. 30-92, also .250.

Tonight’s loss to the Os left the A’s 34-89,.238

The three game series will concludes Sunday, at 1:07. Right hander Kyle Bradish (7-6, 3.18) will pitch for the Birds. Southpaw JP Sears (2-9,4.27) will be the host team’s starter.

A’s have a rough night on the mound as they fall to the Orioles 9-4

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo courtesy of Oakland A’s.

By Titus Wilkinson

OAKLAND- The A’s hosted Baltimore on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum and had a rough outing on the mound as they lost to the Orioles by a final of 9-4.

Getting the start for the A’s was left-hander Francisco Pérez while for Baltimore Kyle Gibson got the nod.

Pérez had quite the rough first inning as after a Gunnar Henderson single Anthony Santander singled to third base. The ball though deflected off of Pérez and Jordan Diaz made a throwing error allowing everyone to be safe. Continuing the momentum Ryan Mountcastle singled bringing home a run and then Cedric Mullins doubled knocking in two runs making it 3-0. Mercifully for Pérez, the inning was ended by Austin Hays grounding out.

The A’s did have a response in the bottom of the first as Brent Rooker singled and then Seth Brown doubled cutting Baltimore’s lead down to two.

In the second inning, Oakland made a pitching change bringing in Luis Medina who at first was cruising getting two quick outs. Adley Rutschman though broke up the streak as he singled which was followed up by a wild pitch from Medina bringing Rutschman up to third. On a 2-1 pitch Henderson crushed one to right field extending their lead to 5-1. The ball exited the field at 111.4 mph and went 438 ft.

Once again the A’s had a response in the bottom of the inning as this time Tyler Soderstrom singled. After that, Tony Kemp got a double cutting the lead back to 5-2.

The third would go by with no hits but in the fourth, the bats reawoken as Austin Hays doubled for the Orioles. After that play the A’s made their second error of the game helping Adam Frazier reach and get Hays to third. Jordan Westburg then got Hays home on a sac fly to right field. The scoring in the fourth did not end though as Henderson once again came up with a big hit with a single and brought the score up to 7-2.

The A’s went to their bullpen in the fifth this time calling on Kyle Muller to help limit the damage. He would give up a lead-off single but then got the next two out though Ryan O’Hearn was able to steal second. Frazier with a double got O’Hearn home and brought up Westburg who wasted no time singling and getting the Orioles lead up to 9-2.

With the game so far gone Oakland did not give up as Rooker doubled in the bottom of the fifth knocking home a run. That RBI ended up being Rooker’s 50th of the season. Seth Brown singled as well getting Rooker home and making the score 9-4.

After the fifth that ended up being all the scoring, either team could muster up as Baltimore brought in Yennier Cano to close out the game. The A’s ended up going down in order thus closing the game out at a 9-4 final.

The win on the night went to pitcher Gibson who now improves his record to 12-7. He would finish the game with an okay stat line of four earned runs, nine hits, and six Ks. While Francisco Pérez took the loss bringing his record to 0-1.

The A’s will play the second of this three-game home series against Baltimore Saturday night at 6:07 p.m.

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum: Nevada Schools over Stadiums initiative could be last line of defense to save A’s in Oakland

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

A benefit gathering to stop the use of Nevada public funds to build a Las Vegas A’s new stadium at the Tropicana and to get a referendum on the Nevada ballot to stop use of public funds for the ballpark. Members from Schools over Stadiums, the Oakland 68s, also former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (in purple dress), and the Nevada State Education Association president Dawn Ectheverry to Quan’s right . (photo from @jeanquan)

On the A’s podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel the Nevada Schools over Stadiums group who are ran by the Nevada State Education Association. The NSEA held a fund raising benefit for Schools over Stadiums which included the Oakland 68s a Oakland A’s fan group who are pushing the green Sell shirts and for A’s owner John Fisher to sell the A’s to someone that will keep them in Oakland. The benefit included former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and NSEA president Dawn Etcheverry. The benefit was on Thu Aug 17 in Oakland.

#2 Quan said that she is confident that the referendum will have enough signatures to make it on the ballot for spring and the former mayor said that it has a good chance of winning.

#3 Etcheverry said some districts in Nevada are starting the school year with 40% or more in teacher vacancies. Nevada has the highest teacher vacancies in the nation and are number 49 in education.

#4 Former San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly said that despite state increases Nevada teachers remain amongst the lowest in the US with the largest class sizes.

#5 Schools over Stadiums are asking the public’s in help to fund the campaign to fight the Nevada State legislature who are planning to give the A’s $380 million in public funds for the Tropicana ballpark.

#6 The teachers from the NSEA, Mayor Quan, and the Oakland 68s will be at the Oakland Coliseum for the next reverse boycott this Sat Aug 19 vs. the Baltimore Orioles and they will be seeking the A’s fans support for the ballot initiative to stop the use of public funding for the Vegas ballpark over education.

Join Daniel Daniel Fridays for the Oakland A’s podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s best way to beat O’s is score early and often

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Baltimore Orioles’ Adley Rutschman follows through on an RBI single against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore Sun Jul 30, 2023. Rutschman has been the key in the O’s line up as the Orioles face the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Aug 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The A’s (34-87) will be starting Luis Medina to open the three game series against the Baltimore Orioles (74-47). Medina allowed 52 runs in 83 innings.

#2 Medina’s opponents have an .245 average, with a 11.5 walk average, Medina comes into the game with a 4.50 ERA. Can he get through the Orioles line up at least twice on Friday night.

#3 The A’s as a line up are struggling which they all have all season, they are the worst hitting team in the Majors with a .241, 19 home runs, they have 152 total bases. The A’s have got home run help from Shea Langeliers and Seth Brown combining 22 long balls.

#4 Jeremiah, talk about the job that Adley Rutschman. The Orioles have said he’s been the straw that’s been stirring the drink in Baltimore hitting .267, with 119 hits, 16 home runs and 58 RBIs he could give A’s pitching fits this weekend.

#5 The Orioles starter Kyle Gibson could have control on the A’s line up the A’s have been averaging 3.60 runs per game. Gibson has had command on opposing line ups going deep into a game and being able to hand the ball over the relievers to mop up.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson does the A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s preview: A’s open three game series against mighty Orioles at Coliseum Friday

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Oakland Athletics’ Tyler Soderstrom (37) is congratulated by teammate Lawrence Butler (22) after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Wed Aug 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s had an off day on Thursday as they return to the Oakland Coliseum to start a six-game homestand. The A’s did not fare well as they were swept by the Washington Nationals and lost two out of three to the St. Louis Cardinals on the six-game road trip.

The A’s did salvage a win as they played one of their best games of the season. A’s starter Paul Blackburn gave the A’s seven innings of outstanding pitching. Reliever Austin Pruitt held the Cardinal scoreless in the last two innings of the game.

The A’s offense came through with 14 hits. Rookie second baseman Zack Gelof had four hits, two of them were doubles, and the A’s defense did not commit an error. A’s manager Mark Kotsay had to be pleased with his team’s performance on Wednesday.

The A’s will be hosting the Baltimore Orioles this weekend. The Orioles are in first place in the tough American League East Division. Their record is 74-47, and they have a two-game lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays.

The Orioles, managed by Brandon Hyde, were picked by only a few of the pundits to have the best record in the American League. Hyde, who became skipper in 2019, inherited a team managed by Buck Showalter in 2018.

The Orioles record in 2018 was 47-115. A’s manager Mark Kotsay can relate to Hyde’s position as manager in 2019. The A’s are on track to have a similar record in 2023. The Orioles continued their losing ways in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The Orioles were 54-108 in 2019, 2020 was shortened due to Covid, but they still had a losing year; in 2021, Baltimore finished with a record of 52-110. They had over 100 losses in four years, from 2018 to 2021. What changed? In 2022, the Orioles brought up catcher Adley Rutschman from the minor leagues.

Rutschman was the first player picked in the 2019 Major League draft. Rutschman was a star at Oregon State University. He was the Pac-12’s player of the year. The Orioles added other players like Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, and Anthony Santander, and their fortunes began to change. In 2022, The Orioles finished fourth in the AL East with a record of 83-79.

Rutscman is the engine that drives the Orioles. Last season, Rutschman was named the Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Player. This season, Rutschman made the AL All_Star team. He is hitting .267 with 16 homers and 58 RBIs. His OPS is .787.

The Orioles have a lot of other good players. Right fielder Anthony Santander leads the club with 21 homers and 65 RBIs. The Orioles use two players at first base that are also solid. Ryan O’Hearn is hitting. 300 with 10 Homers and 40 RBIs. Ryan Mountcastle is at .271, with 16 homers and 55 RBIs.

Rookie Gunnar Henderson, who s 22 years old, had added to the Orioles offense. Henderson plays shortstop and third base for the team. His numbers are .238, 19 home runs, and 56 runs batted in. Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins also contribute to the O’s offense.

Hays is hitting. 279 with 11 dingers and 46 knocked in. Mullins is at .254 with ten big flies and 50 RBIs. The Orioles will use Mountcastle or Santander as the DH. Just looking at the Oriole lineup shows how the players have contributed to the team’s overall success. There are no easy outs in this lineup.

The Orioles bolstered their starting rotation with the addition of Jack Flaherty. Flaherty came to the Orioles from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline. The other starters in the rotation include Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Kyle Gibson, and Grayson Rodriguez. Gibson will start against the A’s Friday night. Bradish will pitch on Sunday.

Former A’s starter, lefty Cole Irvin, will face his old mates on Saturday. Irvin would love nothing better than sending the A’s down to defeat. The Orioles’ closer is Felix Bautista. Bautista is 7-2 with 32 saves. The setup man is Yennier Cano.

Cano is 1-2 with four saves. The only negative is Cano’s five-blown saves. Other pitchers in the bullpen include former A’s reliever Shintaro Fujinami, Michael Baumann, and Jacob Webb. The lefties in the ‘pen include Nick Vespi and Ciomel Perez.

The A’s are in the same situation as the Orioles were in 2019. 2023 will be the second season the A’s will lose over 100 games. A’s manager Mark Kotsay is trying to rebuild the team. There are bright spots on the A’s roster.

Rookie second baseman Zack Gelof looks like the real deal. Esteury Ruiz, acquired from Milwaukee in the deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta, is leading the AL in steals and is second in all of baseball with 48. Ruiz is a clutch hitter, especially with men in scoring positions.

The A’s brought up Lawrence Butler to pay centerfield. Butler hit his first home run against the Cardinals Tuesday night. Let’s hope Butler can emulate Gelof’s performance. Jordan Diaz, 22 years old, found a home at third base. Diaz has played well and has some pop in his bat. Diaz and Gelof should help the A’s rebirth.

The A’s pitching staff, both starters and relievers, must improve. Paul Balckburn is a proven starter. Players like Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk, J.P.Sears, and Freddy Tarnok are learning on the job. If these four guys can improve as pitchers, the A’s, like the Orioles, can go from the outhouse to the penthouse.

The weekend series features the best team in the AL going against the worst team. The A’s would love to upset the O’s apple cart this weekend. Is it possible? Perhaps. No one knows what will happen on any given day in baseball.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Memories of Oakland (No.10 in Series) 1981 The Players strike and Billy Ball’s

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former Oakland A’s manager Billy Martin and the book Billy Ball (Focus and Getty file photo)

Memories of Oakland (No. 10 in Series)

1981 The Players strike and Billy Ball

By Amaury Pi-González

In 1981 the MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) voted unanimously to strike. The issue was free agent compensation, and it marked the first time a work stoppage since 1972 caused regular season games to be canceled. This strike lasted from June 12 to July 31, and some 50 games were missed. The season was split in half, and a considerable controversy when various teams missed out on postseason participation.

In the American League West, the Oakland A’s were the class of that division. The Kansas City Royals were a .500 team in the first half, but they went 30-23 in the second half to better the A’s by one game. This meant there were no playoffs for the Texas Rangers (57-48) or the Chicago White Sox (54-52); in the first round, the A’s swept the Royals.

My broadcast partner Julio González and yours truly indeed called the three-game series as the Athletics won the first two games at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, then two days later as the A’s beat the Royals again for the sweep. I wanted to visit the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, just a few miles from Royal’s Stadium, but I did not have the time.

I would have to put it off for a future visit to the “City of Fountains”. The radio station was KIQI La Grande 1010AM, San Francisco, which was acquired by Cuban-born René De La Rosa from Bay Area media radio and television entrepreneur James Gabbert.

During the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees swept the Oakland A’s in three games. We traveled to New York. At the old Yankee Stadium, the Yankees beat the Athletics in the first two games, then back to Oakland, where the Yankees completed the sweep.

This was also Billy Martin’s return to Yankee Stadium for the first time since the Yankees fired him in 1979. It was sort of a tense environment in New York, as it happens with all the passion for the NY Yankee fans.

I remember as the team bus with A’s media and executives parked in front of Yankee Stadium, some kids were throwing small rocks and pebbles at us as we came out of the bus and headed to the entrance of the famous park, the House that Ruth built. Welcome to New York!

The Oakland A’s outfield was one of the best in baseball, with Rickey Henderson in left, Dwayne Murphy in center, and Tony Armas in right. Rickey in the previous season (1980) stole 100 bases. Rickey was “warming up” and stole 56 during this 1981 abbreviated season in 108 regular season games.

After 25 years in the majors, Rickey played for many teams, including different stints with the A’s, and holds the major league record with 1,406 stolen bags. Dwayne Murphy was an excellent center fielder with great range, a good bat with power, and a great attitude.

When I needed an interview, Tony Armas was always available to speak in Spanish with me, a good guy with a cannon of an arm from the right field. During that shortened season Tony Armas led the league in home runs with 22 and games played with109, and the Sporting News named Armas the American League Player of the Year.

Other well-known Athletics player at the time were Mike Davis, Steve McCatty, Mike Norris, Rick Langford, Wayne Gross, and Matt Keough. But I always got a kick from Rickey, Dwayne, and Tony since they were all hanging together handling the outfield for the team.

I once asked Billy Martin why he sympathized so much with Latino ballplayers, and he told me that they play with a lot of flair and passion, and I share that with these guys. Marketing guru Andy Dolich, an award-winning executive, spearheaded the Billy Ball campaign. It even included a song Billy Ball Baseball, Dolich understood the great asset that Billy Martin was for the team. As temperamental and controversial as Billy Martin was, in my opinion, he was an excellent baseball strategist. Hear the Billy Ball song: https://www.tiktok.com/@battingstanceguy/video/7183214326118108462

At the end of this historic 1981 shortened season, the two teams that played in the World Series were the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although the A’s did not make it, I did get to send reports and interviews from Dodger Stadium, and I was lucky that after the Yankees won the first two games, I covered the last four, which took place in Los Angeles as the Dodgers won that World Series in six games.

Some of the interviews were with Dodger manager Tommy LaSorda, Fernando Valenzuela and with the Yankees, Lou Piniella and Aurelio Rodríguez. During the last four games (which they won) the LA Dodgers average over 50,000 in attendance for each game.

Note: Jeff Katz is the Mayor of Cooperstown and a NY author of baseball books, one of his best is “Split Season: 1981: Fernandomania, the Bronx Zoo, and the Strike that Saved Baseball.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s take on one of baseball’s best as Orioles come calling Friday night

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Oakland A’s Esteury Ruiz dives in to score past St Louis Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner to score a top of the fourth inning run at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Wed Aug 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The A’s beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0 Wednesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The A’s snapped a five-game losing streak and a nine-game road losing streak.

#2 A’s starter Paul Blackburn had a great outing going seven innings giving up six hits striking out eight batters.

#3 Jerry talk about Zack Gelof’s game four hits, a run scored, and two RBIs and great outing. Gelof has eight home runs and is seeing the ball well having a great series against the St Louis Cardinals.

#4 There’s no stopping Esteury Ruiz who has a Major League leading 48 stolen bases got another one last night in St Louis. With the young talent the A’s have they could see a huge improvement in the win column in their future.

#5 The Baltimore Orioles who are having a great season first place in AL East will come calling on Friday night. The Orioles will start Kyle Gibson (11-7 ERA 4.89) the A’s have not determined a starter as of yet. First pitch 6:40pm PT.

#6 Nevada teachers to push Schools over Stadiums measure in supporting A’s fans in reverse boycott this Sat Aug 19th at Oakland Coliseum.

Catch Jerry for the A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s beat Cardinals 8-0 to snap five game losing streak; Oakland avoids getting swept on road trip

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn pitching in the bottom of the seventh inning kept the St Louis Cardinals off balance at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Wed Aug 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a difference a day makes. The A’s beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0 Wednesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The A’s snapped a five-game losing streak and a nine-game road losing streak. The A’s offense came alive, and Oakland’s starter Paul Blackburn pitched extremely well.

Blackburn, one of the few A’s starters to go seven innings, allowed six hits in no runs, winning his third game of the year. Blackburn, an All-Star pitcher in 2022, showed the form that got him that honor.

A’s rookie shortstop, Zack Gelof, paced the offense with four hits, including two doubles. The young man from Delaware continues to impress. A’s fans can only imagine an infield consisting of Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien, Zack Gelof, and Matt Olson. The fans would be filling the Coliseum to see these guys play. 

The A’s pounced on the Cardinals’ starter Matthew Liberatore in the first inning. In Tuesday’s game, the Cardinals scored four runs in the first. The A’s turned the tables on St. Louis on Wednesday. With one out, Gelof doubled. Zack then stole third.

In his second game since coming off the IL, A’s DH Carlos Perez singled to give the A’s an earl 1-0 lead. Aledmys Diaz singled, sending Perez to third. Third baseman Jordan Diaz doubled to deep right-centerfield to drive in Perez and Aledmys Diaz. Jonah Bride walked, and Shea Langeliers followed with a single to drive in Jordan Diaz with the A’s fourth run.

The A’s added a run in the fourth, a run in the fifth, and a run in the sixth to go ahead 7-0. In the fourth, Nick Allen singled. Esteury Ruiz doubled, but Allen was thrown out at the plate trying to score. Not to worry, Zack Gelof singled to drive in Ruiz with the A’s fifth run.

Cardinal’s right fielder Jordan Walker misplayed Brent Rooker’s fly ball in the fifth. The ball bounced off Walker’s glove. Walker was charged with a three-base error. With one out, Seth Brown’s sacrifice fly brought in Rooker with Oakland’s sixth run of the night.

The A’s added another run in the sixth. Esteury Ruiz helped manufacture a run. Cardinals’ Casey Lawrence walked Ruiz. Ruiz, second in baseball in steals, did not wait long to steal the base. Gelof followed with his second double of the night to make it 7-0 A’s

Oakland added one more run in the ninth. Tyler Soderstrom entered the game as the DH, replacing Carlos Perez. Soderstrom thanked A’s manager Mark Ktsay for the honor. Soderstrom hit a monster shot that traveled 454 feet. For Soderstrom, it was his second big-league dinger. The A’s won the game 8-0.

 Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 34-87. The Cardinals are 54-67. 

The line score for Oakland was eight runs, 14 hits, and no errors. Paul Blackburn was the winning pitcher. Blackburn went seven innings allowing six hits and no runs. He struck out eight and walked one.

The line for St. Louis was no runs, nine hits, and one error. Matthew Liberatore was the losing pitcher. Liberatore’s line was four and 1/3rd innings, ten hits, and six runs, five of which were earned. 

The hitting star for Oakland was Zack Gelof. Gelof had two doubles, two singles, and two runs batted in. 

The A’s are off on Thursday. The A’s will play three games against the Baltimore Orioles starting Friday night. The O’s are first in the very powerful American League East Division. The A’s have yet to announce their starters for the Series. Kyle Gibson (11-7 ERA 4.89) will pitch on Friday for Baltimore, former A’s starter Cole Irvin will go on Saturday, and Kyle Bradish will pitch on Sunday.

Cardinals beat A’s again 6-2 to extend A’s losing streak to five games

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler celebrates as he arrives home after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the St Louis Cardinals on Tue Aug 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s continued their losing ways as they lost for the fifth consecutive game in St. Louis. The A’s gave the start to 30-year-old Spenser Watkins. Watkins was pitching for his third team this year. Watkins started the season with the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles traded him to the Houston Astron on June twenty-third. Watkins’ stay with the Astros was short. The Astros designated him for assignment on August eighth, and the ‘s signed him a few days later. Watkins was filling in for Freddy Tarnok, who went on the IL a few days ago.

Unfortunately for Watkins, the Cardinals’ first three hitters put three runs on the board before Watkins retired a single Cardinal hitter. Watkins pitched better, but the A’s offense failed to support him. The Cardinals went on to beat the A’s 6-2.

The Cardinals’ leadoff hitter Lars Nootbar doubled to get things rolling for the Cardinals. The Redbirds’ big first baseman Paul Goldschmidt doubled to drive in Nootbar with the game’s first run. Third baseman Nolan Arenado sent a Watkins’ changeup into the left-field seats to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

It was Arenado’s 25th home run of the season and the 324th of his storied career. Watkins retired the next two hitters. Rookie sensation Jordan Walker, the hero of Tuesday night’s game, blasted his 11th big fly of the 2023 campaign over the fence in right field. The Cardinals led 4-0 after one inning.

The Cardinals tacked on another run in the fourth. Watkins walked Jordan Walker leading off the inning. The Cardinals’ catcher Andrew Knizner, filling in for the injured Willson Conteras, doubled to left field. Walker scored to give St. Louis a 5-0 advantage.

The A’s plated two runs in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals’ starter Dakota Hudson had allowed the A’s just three hits in the game’s first six innings. With one out in the seventh, A’s catcher Tyler Soderstrom singled. Rookie centerfielder Lawrence Butler blasted his first Major League home run to make it a bit closer as they trailed the Cardinals 5-2 midway through the seventh. 

The Cardinals scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the eighth. Cardinal shortstop Tommy Edman homered to put the CArdinals in the driver’s seat. The A’s failed to score in the ninth. St. Louis wins 6-2.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 33-87. The Cardinals improved to 54-66.

The line score for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors. The line for St. Louis was six runs, 14 hits, and no errors.

Dakota Hudson was the winning pitcher. Spenser Watkins was the losing hurler.

The hitting stars for the Cardinals were Nolan Arenado, with a home run and three singles. Paul Goldschmidt had two doubles, and Andrew Knizner had a single and a double.

Lawrence Butler’s first Major League home run was the big hit for the A’s. 

The A’s end the six-game road trip Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis. The A’s Paul Blackburn (2-3 ERA 4.52) will be on the hill looking for his third win of the year. The Cardinals will send lefty Matthew Liberatore out to pitch. Liberatore is 2-4 and has an ERA of 5.72.

The game will start at 3:45 pm.