Category: Oakland Athletics

Rangers Eovaldi 12 K’s A’s for career high in 4-0 shutout

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Texas Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi pitches against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning at Oakland Coliseum on Thu May 11, 2023 (AP News photo)  

Texas (23-14). 000 012 100. – 4. 7. 0

Oakland (8-31). 000 000 000 – 0. 3 0

Time: 2:16

Attendance: 2,949

Thursday, May 11, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–After snapping their season high two game winning last Sunday, your Oakland Athletics lost four straight games and came home today with a record of 8-30, .211, in hot pursuit of the 1899 Cleveland Spiders’ 20-134 (.130), the worst record in major league history.

Sarcasm aside, the major news about the A’s concerns their wheeling and dealing on the Las Vegas real estate market. Speaking of Vegas, Oakland added a couple of Aviators to their roster today. One of them was Luis Medina, who had pitched one big league game before he took the mound as the Athletics’ s starter this evening, That was on April 25, when he gave up eights hit and five runs in a 5-3 loss to the Angels. (The other Vegas call up was fellow right handed starter Zach Neal).

Thursday night, Medina began brilliantly and faded into mediocrity after four innings of work. The first hit he allowed was a triple to Nathaniel Lowe with two out in the top of the fourth. It would have been a single had it not been for JJ Bleday’s ill advised attempt at a diving watch.

That play resulted in an earned, but undeserved, run. When he left after the sixth inning, the youngster had been charged with three runs, all earned, on five hits. He didn’t walk anybody but threw two wild pitches. He had three strike outs to his credit, and 50 of his 87 pitches were counted as strikes. He brought his ERA down to 8.18. He also took the loss in the Athletics’ 4-0 defeat by the Rangers

The Rangers’ starter was more experienced than Medina. Evan Eovaldi is a 33 year old veteran now in his 13th season of MLB ball. His best season came in 2021, when he was named to the AL all star team as a Red Sox and fiinished fourth in the voting for the Cy Young award. He brought a career record of 71-70, 4.13 and a season’s mark of 4-2, 3.22 in his duffle bag with him to the decaying monument to seasons past on the banks of the River Nimitz.

Eovaldi was in fine form tonight. He came as close as you can to throwing a complete game , 8-2/3 innings.

The rookie and the veteran put kept each other’s team off board until the top of the fifth when, with Josh Jung on first with a lead off single and one down, Medina unleashed a wild pitch to Jonah Heim, allowing Jung to reach second. Medina almost dodged the Rangers’ bullet by striking out Ezequiel Durán, but Leody Tavares smacked a clean single to center to put the possee from the Lone Star State in the saddle, 1-0.

Medina weakened considerably after that. Marcus Semien led off the sixth with a resounding home run, his seventh, to left. It came off a 2-2 four seamer and travelled 403 feet before landing beond the left center field fence.

Fellow ex-Athletic Robby Grossman followed with double to right and moved on to third on Nathaniel Lowe’s fly to the foot of the warning track in right field. He came hone onb a wild pitch to Adolis Garcia. Two outs later the A’s came to bat in the bottom of the sixth trailing 3-0.

It was 4-0 when they came up in the bottom of the seventh. Sam Long had relieved Medina and surrendered a lead off double Jonah Heim, who eventually scored from third on third on a failed 3-6-1 double play attempt on Josh Smith’s grounder to Noda. Long stayed in the game through the eighth, yielding to Austin Pruitt at the start of the ninth. He held Texas to an infield single.

Oakland kept fighting until the end. With two out in the bottom of the ninth Esteury Ruiz deposited a double in the left field corner, and Noda walked. That brought Will Smith in from the bullpen to strike out Rooker and earn earn his seventh save of the season.

The series continues tomorrow, Friday, at 6:40. The Rangers’ Martín Pérez (4-1, 3.86) will go against Oakand’s Ken Waldichuk (1-2, 7.25)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s hope to end four game skid against Rangers at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Kyle Muller delivers against the New York Yankees in the bottom of the first inning at Yankee Stadium on Wed May 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 New York Yankees (21-17) rookie Anthony Volpe slugged his first MLB grand slam home run at Yankee Stadium off the Oakland A’s (8-30) to help in an 11-3 laugher on Wednesday afternoon. The win gives the Yankees a three game sweep over the A’s.

#2 Jerry, the A’s absolutely got bombarded by the Yankees in the bottom of the fifth for seven runs as A’s starter Kyle Muller got lit up for six runs, five hits over four innings for his third regular season loss.

#3 Muller also gave up four runs in the bottom of the first inning and the Yankees show signs of rocking the A’s pitching early.

#4 This was the Yankees first three game win streak of 2023 and the A’s extended their losing streak to four games. The Yankees had struggled and the A’s continue to struggle.

#5 The A’s open a four game series at the Oakland Coliseum hosting the Texas Rangers, the Rangers will start right hander Nathan Eovaldi (4-2 ERA 3.22) and the A’s have not determined a starter for Thursday night.

Join Jerry for the A’s podcast Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Yanks sweeps A’s in laugher 11-3; Volpe rips first career grand slam for NY

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New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe runs home after hitting a grand slam in the fifth inning against Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium in New York on Wed May 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—The Oakland Athletics (8-30) fell 11-3 at Yankee Stadium in a Wednesday matinee as the New York Yankees (21-17) completed their first sweep of the season.

A’s left-hander Kyle Mueller got off to a rough start in the first inning, with Gleyber Torres hitting a sacrifice fly allowing Aaron Judge to score. Then Harrison Bader hit a home run and Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu scored, bringing the Yankees up 4-0. The ball passed the video board and A’s right fielder JJ Bleday tried to make a leaping catch, while a fan in the front row appeared to try to reach and make the catch. After review, the homer stood.

“There wasn’t interference in terms of the play with our defender but it did look as if the glove reached over the wall but really hard to tell,” said Oakland manager Mark Kotsay. “So, I understand why the call stood.”

In the second, Carlos Perez hit a home run to left field and Jace Peterson hit a homer to right field, cutting the Yankees’ lead to 4-2.

But the Yankees had an explosive fifth. Rizzo singled on a line drive and Judge scored. LeMahieu hit a homer and Rizzo scored. Then star rookie Anthony Volpe hit his first career grand slam, allowing Torres, Kyle Higashioka and Oswaldo Cabrera to score, and putting the Yankees up 11-2.

In the seventh, Bleday hit a home run on a line drive to right field, but the A’s failed to make any runs after that.

Muller allowed six runs and five hits in four innings pitched.

“When you give up four runs in the first it’s kind of easy to relax because it can’t get much worse, you know what I mean, so you just take a deep breath, get back to just focusing on the execution,” said Mueller. “And I thought it was pretty good from there on out.”

The A’s lost 7-2 on Monday night and 10-5 on Tuesday night, and finished 2-4 on their six-game road trip.

The A’s return to Oakland Coliseum to host the Texas Rangers Nathan Eovaldi (4-2 ERA 4.22) the A’s have not announced a starter pitcher on Thursday, with first pitch at 6:40 p.m. PT.

Yanks Diaz puts on the Babe Ruth act clouts 3 homers defeating A’s 10-5 at Yankee Stadium

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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge bats during the third inning against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York. Judge reached first base on a fielding error by Jace Peterson, and Jose Trevino scored. (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—Rookie Jordan Diaz hit three homers at Yankee Stadium, but the Oakland Athletics still lost 10-5 on Tuesday night to the New York Yankees who welcomed their Captain Aaron Judge back off the injured list.

Diaz, a 22-year-old second baseman from Colombia, hit a solo shot in the fourth inning. He then had a leadoff drive in the seventh, as well as a two-run homer in the eighth.

“That was a pretty special night for Jordan, coming into Yankee Stadium,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “Pretty sure it’s his first time here, to have the game he had tonight says something about the young man. He’s got a special tool and he can hit and he showed it tonight.”

In the second inning, Jace Peterson singled on a fly ball to right field and allowed JJ Bleday to score, putting the A’s up 1-0.

Judge, who had two RBI in his return from a strained right hip injury, reached on a fielder’s choice in the third and allowed Jose Trevino to score and tie the game. Anthony Rizzo singled on a line drive to right field and Aaron Hicks scored. Gleyber Torres singled to center field and Judge scored.

Harrison Bader singled on a line drive to center field and Rizzo scored, then Jake Bauers hit a sacrifice fly and Bader scored, boosting the Yankees to a 5-1 lead.

In the fifth, Torres hit a homer and Rizzo scored, expanding New York’s lead to 7-2. After Diaz’s second homer, Bauers hit a home run in the seventh and Bader scored, making it 9-3.

Judge hit a sacrifice fly and allowed Anthony Volpe to score in the eighth, bringing the Yankees to 10-5 over the A’s.

A’s right-hander Drew Rucinski in his third start of the season allowed seven runs and six hits in five innings.

“It’s baseball, just got to keep grinding, you know,” said Rucinski, adding that pitching a “minimum five innings is always the goal, it would be nice to get six”.

Kotsay said Oakland’s at-bat’s were “great” and they had 10 hits, the same number as the Yankees.

“We actually out-homered them tonight with Jordan’s three,” Kotsay said. “Yeah we’re on the losing end of it, so again it really comes down to the three bases and the extra outs, in this game we ended up on the wrong end of it.”

The A’s are 2-3 in their six-game road trip. The three-game series at Yankee Stadium wraps up on Wednesday. First pitch is at 9:35 a.m. PT. The A’s will start Kyle Muller (1-2 ERA 6.62) and for the Yankees Jhony Brito (2-3 ERA 6.08).

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Athletics shift to Tropicana

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The Oakland A’s plan to build their new park at the Tropicana hotel location in Las Vegas as announced on Tue May 9, 2023 (photo from KSNV TV)

Athletics shift to Tropicana

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Oakland Athletics have shifted their Las Vegas stadium plans and have entered into an agreement with Bally’s Corp. to build a $1.5 billion, 35,000-seat ballpark where the Tropicana now sits. The news broke on Tuesday March 9. The Tropicana site was one of many that the Athletics executives have been scouting for years.

This location for the $1.5 billion stadium is on a portion of the Tropicana hotel site of 34 acres. near the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, as reported by various media outlets, including Howart Stutz of The Nevada Independent, as well as Sports Illustrated and FOX 5 San Diego.

The plan, as it stands now, is to demolish the Tropicana in order to build the 35,000 seat stadium. This move is expected to reduce the funding for the project from the $500 million before, to $395 million for the project today. The proposed stadium with a retractable roof will take up nine acres of the 34 total for that lot of land.

This was a drastic shift from the previous 49 acres of land, where they were planning to build the new stadium at Dean Martin Drive. This shift is mainly because it reduces the amount of money needed by some $100 million-plus/ The two things Las Vegas has in abundance are, land and Casino money, which still is expected to replace or alleviate the use public money for this whole operation. And that’s the way the ball is bouncing.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for all the play by play of Oakland A’s baseball on the A’s Spanish radio Network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Yanks do all the damage in middle innings bury A’s 7-2

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By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—Even with star Aaron Judge on the injured list, the struggling New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Monday night in game one of the series at Yankee Stadium.

A’s starting pitcher JP Sears allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. A’s manager Mark Kotsay acknowledged that Sears’ slider became less effective as the game went on and that “tonight was for growth”.

“He’s a student of the game,” Kotsay said of Sears.

“I’m sure he’s down tonight based on the performance but overall through five innings, he gave us a chance to win a game and offensively we didn’t help him either. We had some good opportunities to capitalize… and we didn’t come through.”

Sears said he “felt good” and has been feeling as such for the last four starts.

‘They’re all great hitters over there, obviously,” he said of the Yankees.

Oswaldo Cabrera hit a homer on a fly ball to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning and Harrison Bader scored, putting the Yankees up 2-0.

In the sixth, Tony Kemp hit a soft ground ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo and allowed Brent Rooker to score and cut New York’s lead to 2-1. Then Jace Peterson walked and Jesus Aguilar scored, tying the game.

But Gleyber Torres hit a home run to left field, then DJ LeMahieu homered on a fly ball to left center field and Rizzo scored, boosting the Yankees up 5-2. In the seventh, Aaron Hicks homered to right field and Jose Trevino scored to make it 7-2.

A’s outfielder Ramón Laureano is in concussion protocol and will remain day-to-day, Kotsay said.

Oakland (8-28) is 2-2 in their current six-game road trip. The series continues on Tuesday with A’s right-handed pitcher Drew Rucinski facing Yankees right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt at 4:05 p.m. PT.

The Yankees (19-17) are set on Tuesday to activate Judge who has been on the injured list with a strained right hip, so it won’t be getting any easier for the A’s.

Yankees four home runs beat A’s 7-2

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The New York Yankees were knocking on the door of the base knock all night which led to a five run win to open a three game series against the Oakland A’s at Yankee Stadium on Mon May 8, 2023 (@Yankees photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The New York Yankees won the first game of three-game series with the Oakland A’s 7-2. In the first four innings of the game, the A’s starter JP Sears allowed the Yanks just one hit. Things went south in the fifth. The Yankees’ right-fielder Oswaldo Cabrera homered with a man on board to give the Yanks a 2-0.

The A’s tied the score in the next inning. Sears gave up a solo home run to Glyber Torres and a two-run blast to D J LeMahieu. New York added two more in the seventh when Aaron Hicks hit a two-run dinger to put the game out of reach.

The Yankees put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Center fielder Harrison Bader led off the frame when he tripled into the gap in left-centerfield. Sears retired Isiah Kiner-Filefa for the first out. The next hitter, Oswaldo Cabrera, homered over the 318-foot marker in left field. New York leads 2-0 after five complete.

The A’s tied the game in the top of the sixth. Brent Rooker singled to start the rally. Yankees’ starter Nestor Cortes walked Jesus Aguilar to put men on at first and second. JJ Bleday singled to right to load the bases. The Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone brought in Ron Marinaccio to pitch.

A’s skipper Mark Kotsay sent up Tony Kemp to pinch-hit for Jordan Diaz. Kemp reached on an infield single to drive in Rooker with the A’s first run. Sheal Langeliers struck out. Kotsay sent up left-handed hitter Jace Peterson to pinch-hit for Kevin Smith. Marinaccio walked Peterson to force in the A’s second run. Nick Allen hit into a double play to end the inning. The score is tied 2-2 midway through the sixth.

The Yankees sent JP Sears to the showers in the sixth. Sears struck out Anthony Volpe for the first out. Sears served up a gopher ball to Glyber Torres. The Yanks led 3-2. The next hitter Anthony Rizzo singled. DJ LeMahieu blasted his fifth home run of the year to give the Yanks a 5-2 advantage after six innings.

The Yankees continued the homer parade in the seventh. With one out, catcher Jose Trevino singled. The next hitter, the much-maligned Aaron Hicks, who had been hearing from the boo birds after his first two at-bats in the game, homered. The booing stopped as all Hicks heard was the cheering from the crowd when he crossed the plate with the Yanks’ seventh run. The Yanks lead 7-2.

The Yankees bullpen kept the A’s scoreless after the fifth inning to secure the win. The Yankees beat the A’s 7-2 to take game one of the three-game series.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are now 8-28. The Yankees improved to 19-17.

The line score for Oakland was two runs, ten hits, and no errors. New York’s line was seven runs, nine hits, and no errors. Four of the nine Yankee hits were home runs. Sears was the losing pitcher. He is now 0-3 for 2023. Ron Marinaccio was the winning pitcher.

Sears’ line was five and 1/3rd innings pitched. He allowed five runs and six hits. Three of the hits were homers.
The A’s play game two of the series Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Drew Rucinski (0-2 ERA 7.71) will go for Oakland, and the Yankees will send Clark Schmidt (0-3 ERA 5.83) to the mound to face the A’s. The game will start at 4:05 pm.

The time of the game was 2:34. 33,011 fans were on hand to watch the Yankees beat the A’s.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Vida Blue a Special man, great Pitcher

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Cy Young and All Star pitcher Vida Blue is seen here dealing in this circa 1971 photo at the Oakland Coliseum. Vida passed away at age 73 on Sun May 7, 2023 (AP photo file)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

By Amaury Pi-González

In Spanish the word Vida means Life. And Vida Blue was that type of guy, he loved life and people, he loved life and never took himself very seriously, he knew what he did as a baseball player and that was that. He was a pitcher that won three World Series in three consecutive years, a Cy Young winner and many other awards playing for the real dynasty of the 1970s and one of the greatest dynasties of baseball, definitely “the” true dynasty for baseball in the Bay Area.” The last time I spoke with Vida at length was last year during the A’s 1972 players reunion.

Vida was a people’s person, last time we spoke in some length was in June 2022 as the A’s held their 1972 World Series reunion at the swanky and historical Claremont Hotel in Berkeley. A’s players of that year (and other years), since even Rickey Henderson made an appearance, we were on hand with their families as they mingled with A’s employees.

Vida looked very good as he was ready to talk to anybody that approached him, he knew a lot of people and he seems always to remember when I spoke with him about people of years past, like my first partner doing A’s broadcast in the 70’s Julio González or his good friend (now retired and living in Florida) Adalberto “Ucho” López. Ucho knew Vida and all those guys including his Cuban compatriot, shortstop Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris, whom as a very young player stayed in Ucho’s house in the Bay Area, during the 1970s.

Vida’s memory was very good and clear all the time, he seemed to be happy when talking not only about his great baseball career, but the many friends he had made because of baseball throughout the years.

I will personally miss Vida. May he Rest in Peace.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead radio talent on the Oakland A’s Spanish network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland’s Relief Pitching Struggles in Loss to Kansas City 5-1

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Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (25) turns third base to score the A’s only run of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Sun May 7, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

Oakland’s Relief Pitching Struggles in Loss to Kansas City 5-1

By Barbara Mason

The Kansas City Royals (9-26) hosted the Oakland Athletics (8-27) in game three of their three game series Sunday afternoon at Kaufman Stadium in Kanas City.

The A’s took the first two games in this series and were lookin for that sweep but they just couldn’t seal the deal losing to the Royals 5-1. Mason Miller who started for the A’s finished with six innings pitched giving up five hits and two earned runs and striking out five hitters.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning where the A’s tied up the game 1-1. Salvador Perez got the Royals up on the board in the first inning with a solo home run.

Ramon Laureano hit an infield single in the fourth inning that drove Brent Rooker home for the tie. Kansas city answered in the same inning when Maikel Garcia singled Salvador Perez home to take back the lead 2-1.

The 2-1 Royals lead persisted into the eighth inning where Kansas City broke this game wide open leading 5-1. Nick Pratto doubled driving MJ Melendez and Salvador Perez home. Michael Massey sacrificed sending Pratto home for the 5-1 score which was the final and Kansas City had avoided the sweep.

The Royals had outhit the A’s in this game 9-4. Oakland’s relief pitching was the culprit in this one. Again Shintaro Fujinami had a tough game going 1.1 innings and allowing four hits and three runs. He had a rough game one going 0.1 innings with three earned runs.

The A’s will now travel to New York for the ultimate showdown, a series with the Yankees. This will be a tough series for the green and gold. It will certainly test their limits. JP Sears (0-2 ERA 5.06) will take the mound for Oakland and Nestor Cortes (3-2 ERA 4.91) will start for New York. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM.

Oakland Wins Second Straight Game Against Royals 5-4

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The Oakland A’s held off the Kansas City Royals for the second straight game at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Sat May 6, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

Oakland Wins Second Straight Game Against Royals 5-4

By Barbara Mason

After winning game one Friday night, 12-8, the Oakland A’s (8-26) took on the Kansas City Royals (8-26), the A’s came away with 17 hits in game one and were looking to continue more great offensive play. Ken Waldichuk took the mound for Oakland on Saturday night at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City in a 5-4 win. That’s two straight wins for the A’s.

Saturday game wrap up: Kansas City flipped the script and was first up on the scoreboard in the opening inning leading 1-0. Maikel Garcia doubled Vinnie Pasquantino home.

The A’s went on a three inning run scoring in the second, third and fourth innings and leading 5-1. Esteury Ruiz singled to right driving in two runs in the second inning. In the third inning J J Bleday hit a solo home run giving Oakland a 3-1 lead. The A’s were not done.

In the fourth inning they would add to their lead when Ryan Noda tripled Kevin Smith home. Noda would score when Brent Rooker doubled and Oakland had a 5-1 lead.

The Royals would add some real drama in the bottom of the fourth starting with a solo home run from Freddy Fermin. Kansas City would follow that long ball with a Bobby Witt Jr. two- run home run. The Royals had cut the A’s lead to 5-4.

This game would be a one run affair going into the bottom of the ninth. It was all on the line for Oakland with two on base and two outs. It would be pitcher Zach Jackson against Bobby Witt Jr. who had already hit a home run in this game. Jackson won the battle and the A’s had clenched the series and will be going for the sweep Sunday.

This was a great defensive effort for the A’s. They were able to hold onto a one run game for the win.

Mason Miller (0-1 ERA 3.52) will take the mound Sunday for the A’s and Ryan Yarbrough (0-4 ERA 7.40) will go for the Royals. First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 AM at Kaufman.