Category: Uncategorized

A’s pound on Orioles pitching for second straight day

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Khris Davis homered twice, while Chad Pinder, Jurickson Profar, and Matt Chapman each added a round-tripper for Oakland, as the Athletics pounded Baltimore pitching for the second straight day, winning 10-3.

Khris Davis drove in four runs with his 17th multi-home run game since 2016, and Chapman added three RBIs. The win moved Oakland back to .500 (8-8).

Frankie Montas (2-1) gave up a pair of home runs in the fifth inning to Trey Mancini and Rio Ruiz, but hurled five scoreless inning to get the win. The A’s bullpen contingent of J.B. Wendelken, Ryan Buchter and Yusmeiro Petit held the Orioles scoreless over the last three innings.

Dan Strally (0-1) took the loss, lasting 3 1/3 innings while giving up five earned runs.

For the second consecutive day, Baltimore held struggling slugger Chris Davis out of the lineup. Chris Davis was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday, pushing his streak of plate appearances without a hit to 57, tying the MLB record set by Cleveland’s Tony Bernazard in 1984.

Khris Davis’s seven home runs is tied for the MLB lead with Cody Bellinger and Jay Bruce.

The Athletics and Orioles complete their series on Thursday with an 8:35 a.m. PDT start.

Red Sox snap their four-game losing skid with 6-3 win over the A’s

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @RedSox

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Boston Red Sox snapped two streaks as they beat the Oakland A’s 6-3 in game three of the four-game series. Previously, the Red Sox lost four in a row and had not scored a run in 22 straight innings.

A’s starter Marco Estrada went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs, one of which was unearned, and two hits before exiting the game. A’s starters went six innings in the first six games of the homestand, and that streak was also snapped at the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday.

Both bullpens came through as neither team could do anything until the fateful ninth inning. The Red Sox scored three times after two were out in the ninth to earn their second win of the year.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning. Singles by Kendrys Morales and Jurickson Profar put men on at first and second with no out. Eovaldi walked Marcus Semien to load the bases. Eovaldi struck out Ramon Laureano for the first out. Nick Hundley singled off the glove of Rafael Devers to drive in the A’s first run. It was Hundley’s first RBI of the year. Eovaldi retired Robbie Grossman and Matt Chapman to end the inning. The A’s lead 1-0.

The A’s increased the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Marcus Semien walked to lead off the inning. Ramon Laureano, who is having quite a series against Boston, sent Eovaldi’s 83 MPH curveball over the 400-foot marker in center field for his second home run of the year and his second in the series with the Red Sox.

Boston’s Blake Swihart snapped Boston’s 22 innings of scoreless ball against the A’s when he homered over the wall just to the left of the 388-foot marker in right-center field. The Red Sox trail 3-1 midway through the fifth.

The Red Sox plated two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Mookie Betts worked Marco Estrada for a leadoff walk. Estrada struck out Andrew Benintendi for the first out of the inning. The next hitter, Rafael Devers, hit a ground ball to second baseman Jurickson Profar who airmailed the ball over Marcus Semien’s head into left field. Betts went to third on the play. Estrade then walked J.D. Martinez to load the bases. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Estrada and brought in lefty Ryan Buchter to face the left-handed hitter Mitch Moreland. Moreland, who loves to hit against the A’s in Oakland, doubled down the right field line to drive in two, Melvin changed pitchers again and his reliever, J.B. Wendelken, retired the last two hitters to end the inning. The score is 3-3 in the middle of the sixth.

The Red Sox dodged a bullet in the bottom of the eighth. With two out, Marcus Semien singled. With Laureano at-bat, Semien stole second and advanced to third when Blake Swihart’s throw to second went into center field. Laureano hit a ball that Sox shortstop Brock Holt, going to his right, fielded the ball and threw to first. Laureano was ruled safe, but the call was overturned after a 50-second review. The score was still 3-3 after eight.

The Sox scored three runs on four hits. Eduardo Nunez led off the frame with a single. Nunez was caught stealing and A’s reliever Fernando Rodney struck out Brock Holt for the second out. Blake Swihart kept the inning going with a single. Jackie Bradley, Jr. followed with a single sending Swihart to second. Rodney uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners to third and second. The AL MVP Mookie Betts worked the count to 3-2. Melvin had Rodney pitch to Betts. Mookie hit a ground ball that hit third base and bounded away from Matt Chapman. Swihart and Bradley scored, Andrew Benintendi followed with a triple to drive in Betts, and the Red Sox had their first lead of the series 6-3.

Game Notes: Neither pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi nor Marco Estrada, figured in the decision. Eovaldi, who struggled a bit with his control, went five innings and allowed three runs and four hits. Eovaldi hit A’s third baseman Matt Chapman with a pitch in the first inning. The 90 MPH fastball hit Chapman on his left wrist. Chapman shook it off and stayed in the game.

Ramon Laureano hit his second home run of the year with a man aboard in the fourth to give Oakland a 3-0 lead. Boston’s bullpen held the A’s scoreless the rest of the way. Matt Barnes received credit for the win, and the A’s Fernando Rodney took the loss. Ryan Braiser picked up his first save.

The Red Sox line score was six runs, nine hits, and one error. Blake Swihart was the hitting star for Boston with a home run and two singles. The A’s line was three runs, five hits, and one error. Ramon Laureano hit a two-run dinger in the fourth.

The A’s are now 5-4 for the year, and Boston improved to 2-5.

Time of game was three hours and 21 minutes. The attendance was 14,207.

Up Next: Game four will be played Thursday afternoon at the Coliseum. It will be a battle between two left-handed pitchers as Brett Anderson (1-0) will go for Oakland and Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1) will pitch for Boston.

Bellinger hits grand slam in Dodgers’ 6-5 win over Giants

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: brobible.com

By Jeremy Kahn

With a chance to possibly tie up the game, Pablo Sandoval ended the game with one swing of the bat.

Cody Bellinger hit a towering grand slam in the bottom of the third inning, as the Los Angeles Dodgers hung on to defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 at Dodger Stadium.

Madison Bumgarner committed a throwing error on a Russell Martin come backer that Brandon Belt was unable to dig out.

Bumgarner then walked Hyun-Jin Ryu on four pitches, and then Enrique Hernandez singled in Martin and then Bumgarner regrouped to get Justin Turner and Corey Seager; however, Bumgarner then gave up a single to A.J. Pollock and then Bellinger launched a Bumgarner offering over the center-field wall to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead.

Ryu was cruising along until he gave up a single to Gerardo Parra in the top of the sixth inning and then Bumgarner hit his first home run of the season, a two-run blast into the left field bleachers.

Despite allowing the home run to Bumgarner, Ryu went seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits, not allowing a walk and striking out five, as he won for the second time in as many starts on the season.

It was the 18th career home run for Bumgarner, tying him for 20th place all-time for home runs by a pitcher.

Those five runs allowed by Bumgarner were unearned, as he went six innings, allowing five hits, walking two and striking out four; however, he saw his record fall to 0-2 on the season.

Turner gave the Dodgers what proved to be the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh, as he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Martin, who doubled to lead off the inning and went to third on a throwing error by Steven Duggar on a pinch-hit single by Alex Verdugo.

Things began to get interesting in the top of the ninth inning, as Evan Longoria doubled to lead off the inning against Yimi Garcia, then Buster Posey walked and that would be the end of the night for Garcia, as closer Kenley Jansen came on to face Brandon Crawford, who reached on a throwing error by Jansen that loaded the bases with nobody out.

Jansen then walked Yangervis Solarte to narrow the Dodgers lead down to 6-3, and then after Joe Panik struck out for the first out of the inning, Parra hit a two-run single to cut the lead down to 6-5 and put the tying run on third base.

Unfortunately, Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the game and even up the three-game series.

NOTES: Kevin Pillar was acquired by the Giants from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Alen Hanson, Derek Law and Juan De Paula.

Pillar, 30, spent the first seven seasons with the Blue Jays. This season, Pillar is 1-for-16 in his first five games this season.

To make room for Pillar on the roster, the Giants designated outfielder Michael Reed for assignment.

Pillar, who grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of West Hills in the San Fernando Valley struck out in the top of the eighth inning.

UP NEXT: Derek Holland makes his second start of the season on Wednesday night, as he takes the ball against Ross Stripling, who is also making his second start of the season.

A’s shut out the Red Sox again

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s were led by Mike Fiers’ six scoreless innings, limiting the Red Sox to five hits. Fiers earned his second win of the season. The As’s bullpen shut out the Sox the rest of the win and the A’s won by a score of 1-0. Sox ace, Chris Sale, who was roughed up by the Seattle Mariners in his first start last week, made just one mistake. He gave up a solo home run to Matt Chapman, and that was the run the A’s needed to shut down the potent Red Sox offense for the second night in a row. The last time the A’s shutout the Red Sox in back-to-back games was on August 30th and 31st in 1996.

Sale, as Fiers, went six innings he allowed one run and three hits. Sale did not display his blazing fastball. He kept the hitters off-balance with a variety of speeds that ranged from 75 to 92 MPH. Sale, known as a strikeout artist, managed to strike out only one A’s hitter.

The A’s third baseman, with one out, hit his third home run of the year. With the count 3-2, Chapman sent Sale’s 88 MPH fastball over the wall in left field to give Oakland an early 1-0 lead after one inning of action.

That was the whole ballgame. The Sox had chances, but failed to get the clutch hit that would have tied the game. They had a threat going in the fourth when they were able to have men on at first and third with two out. Fiers retired Brock Holt on a ground ball to first baseman Kendrys Morales to end the inning. In the sixth, Boston managed to get a man as far as third, but Fiers again rose to the occasion as he struck out Xander Bogaerts for the third out. In the top of the ninth, with closer Blake Treinen on the hill, Xander Bogaerts lined a shot to right center. The ball hit the 388-foot marker and remained in play. Had the ball been a couple of inches to the left, it would have been a home run. The ball stayed in play. Ramon Laureano, who made two tremendous defensive plays Monday night, performed his magic as he played the ball off the wall and threw a strike that nailed Bogaerts at third for the second out of the inning. Mitch Moreland walked. Treinen regrouped and struck out Brock Holt to record the save.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 5-3 for 2019. Mike Fiers, who had six innings of work, was the sixth game in a row that an A’s starter has gone at least six innings. Mike Fiers is now 2-1, and Chris Sale is 0-2. Treinen recorded his third save. Chapman’s homer was his third of the year. The Red Sox are 1-5.

Up Next: The teams play game three of the four-game series Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum. Game time will be at 7:05 pm. Marco Estrada (0-1) will go for Oakland, and Nathan Eovaldi (0-0) will pitch for Boston.

Paddack, Machado lead the Padres to 3-1 win over the Giants

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @sportingnewsca

By Jeremy Kahn

Even though he did not get the win in his major league debut, this will be a game that Chris Paddack will never forget.

Paddack retired the first 10 batters he faced, and struck out seven in five innings of work, as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 3-1 to win the opening series of the season three games to one.

Not all things went well for Paddack, as he blew a chance to get his first major league run batted in, when Giants right fielder Gerardo Parra threw Paddack out at first base to end the bottom of the second inning.

Manny Machado, who signed a lucrative contract with the Padres after finishing the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles drove in the eventual game-winning run with a ground out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Giants got to Paddack in the top of the fifth inning, as Brandon Crawford singled and then Pablo Sandoval doubled him Crawford for what was the Giants only run of the afternoon.

Unfortunately, that lead would last until the bottom of the inning, as Franchy Cordero waked as a pinch hitter for Paddack, when to second on a Sandoval throwing error and then scored the tying on a Eric Hosmer single.

The Padres took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Nick Vincent walked Hosmer to load the bases; however, Machado beat the throw on a ground ball from Joe Panik that allowed Hunter Renfroe to score from third base.

Austin Hedges drove in the final run of the game, as he singled in the bottom of the eighth inning.

San Diego native Vincent, who grew up in Ramona, allowed one run on three hits in 1.1 innings in relief of Giants starter Jeff Samardzija.

It was a tough no-decision for Samardzija, who went five innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits, walking four and striking out two.

Adam Warren pitched two strong innings to notch his first win as a member of the Padres.

NOTES: Evan Longoria sat out the finale after fouling a pitch off his calf in his second at-bat on Saturday night.

UP NEXT: Drew Pomeranz will make his Giants debut on Monday night, as the Giants open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Rockets knock Kings out of playoffs with 119-108 win

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Photo credit: @TSN_Sports

By Jeremy Harness

The Sacramento Kings saw their slim playoff hopes officially dashed on Saturday, as they were downed by the Houston Rockets, 119-108, inside of Houston’s Toyota Center.

The team has been feisty all season and held on to their postseason chances as long as they could, even on Saturday. Sacramento entered the fourth quarter with the lead, but they were outscored 28-15 in the final stanza as their fate was sealed.

The Rockets, meanwhile, are still fighting for one of the top spots in the Western Conference postseason picture to get home-court advantage for at least the first round. Houston is currently in the third spot with a 49-28 mark, three games behind Golden State and Denver, who are tied for the top spot in the West.

James Harden recorded a triple-double in spearheading the win, scoring 50 points while making 13 of his 31 shots in the process, to go along with 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Clint Capela put up 24 points while going 10-of-13 from the field and also pulled down 15 rebounds, while Chris Paul had 22 points and five assists.

The Kings had a couple of guys get a double-double in the loss. Marvin Bagley III had 20 points and 12 rebounds – seven of those coming on the offensive end – while making 10 of his 20 field-goal attempts. Meanwhile, De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points and handed out 10 assists, while making four of his seven 3-point attempts.

Bogdan Bogdanovic just missed a triple-double while coming off the bench, leading the Kings with 24 points while pulling down nine rebounds with eight assists.

The Kings next play the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Giants finally get in the win column with a 3-2 victory over the Padres

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Well, it took three games, but the San Francisco Giants got into the win column with the help of great pitching from their starter and bullpen.

Dereck Rodriguez went five innings plus, giving up two runs and five hits, as the Giants defeated the San Diego Padres 3-2 at Petco Park.

Rodriguez got into a jam in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he gave up a leadoff double to Manuel Margot and a single to Ian Kinsler that ended Rodriguez’s evening on the bump.

Travis Bergen came onto replace Rodriguez, but was treated rather rudely, as he gave up a two-run double to Eric Hosmer that cut the Giants lead down to 3-2.

Reyes Moronta then replaced Bergen, and responded by striking out the side, including Manny Machado, Will Myers and Hunter Renfroe to end the threat.

In two innings of work, Moronta struck out five in his season debut for the Giants and also gave up just one hit, before turning the ball over to Tony Watson, who gave up two hits in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Will Smith came on in the bottom of the ninth inning, striking out two to pickup his first save of the young season.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning, as Yangervis Solarte doubled in Steven Duggar, who singled off of rookie Nick Margevicius, who was making his major league debut for the Padres.

Joe Panik drove in the final two runs of the game, as he singled off of Robert Stock, who replaced Margevicius that scored Evan Longoria, who singled to score Solarte; however, Buster Posey was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch the Giants lead.

It was an impressive debut for Margevicius, who went five innings, allowing one run on five hits, while walking no one and striking out five.

NOTES: With the victory, the Giants avoided their first 0-3 start since the 2012 season, when they won their second World Series in three seasons under manager Bruce Bochy.

The Padres were going for their first 3-0 start since the 1984 season, when they went on to their first World Series appearance and ironically, the backup on that team was none than Bochy.

Another ironic twist to those two seasons is the fact that the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series behind World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval, and in 1984, the Padres were defeated in five games to the Tigers.

Longoria left the game with a calf injury, and is day-to-day and Duggar was hit by a pitch in the first inning off the nose; however, he stayed in the game.

UP NEXT: Jeff Samardzija will make his season debut on Sunday afternoon, while the Padres will send Chris Paddock to the mound, as the right-hander will make his major league debut.

Another loss drops Giants to 0-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

If it was not for an Evan Longoria home run in the top of the ninth inning, the San Francisco Giants would have turned something that never was accomplished in the 137-year history of the team.

Longoria’s home run in the top of the ninth inning stopped the chance of the San Diego Padres of shutting out the Giants in the first two games of a season

The Padres jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Giants in the bottom of the second inning, as Manuel Margot doubled in Eric Hosmer and Fernando Tatis, Jr., and the Padres defeated the Giants 4-1 at Petco Park, in a game that ended with some controversy.

Following the Longoria home run off of reliever Phil Maton, Padres manager Andy Green turned the game over to his closer Tyler Yates; however, the Giants were not phased the closer.

After Brandon Crawford grounded out for the first out of the inning, the Giants began to flex their muscles against Yates, as Joe Panik singled to center, then Stephen Duggar walked and then Eric Kratz was hit by a Yates pitch and then the controversy began.

Gerardo Parra struck out looking on what looked like a pitch out of the strike zone, much to the dismay of Parra and Brandon Belt struck out looking on a high pitch that home plate umpire Lance Barksdale called strike three to end the game that upset Belt.

As Barksdale left the field, he felt the barrage from Belt, Parra and even Bruce Bochy, but to no avail and the Giants dropped their second game in as many days to open the season.

Ian Kinsler stretched the Padres lead up to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit his first home run of the season and also first as a member of the Padres, when his 354 foot blast landed in the left field seats against Giants starter Derek Holland, who was making his season debut.

The Padres got their final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Franmil Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to score Thursday’s hero Will Myers from third base.

Myers doubled to right field off of Trevor Gott, but Kinsler was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning that denied Myers another run batted in against the Giants in the first two games of the season.

Newly signed Manny Machado then singled to left field, but Myers was held at third base and then Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to lengthen the lead.

Holland pitched four innings, allowing three runs on four hits, while walking two and struck out five.

Joey Luchessi went 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, walking two and striking out seven in his season debut.

NOTES: Prior to the game, catcher Tom Murphy was traded by the Giants to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league reliever Jesus Ozoria. In his first seasons as a professional, Ozoria is 5-5 with a 3.31 ERA, walking just 14 and striking out 73 in 20 games with 10 of them in starting roles.

Murphy played in one exhibition game with the Giants after being acquired by the organization from the Colorado Rockies on Monday. He was then designed for assignment by the team on Thursday, when the team began their season.

UP NEXT: Dereck Rodriguez will make his 2019 season debut, as he takes the mound on Saturday night, while the Padres will send Nick Margevicius, who will be making his major league debut.

A’s Pen Blows Lead, Halos Rally in Eighth to Beat Oakland 6-2

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Matthew Harrington

The strength of the 2018 Oakland A’s was a weakness Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum, with the A’s bullpen blowing a two-run lead after seven innings. Joakim Soria surrendered four runs in the eighth to pick up the loss in a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels. 

Marco Estrada pitched a gem, going six innings while scattering two hits and Khris Davis hit a two-run homer, but the rally punctuated by Andrelton Sinmons’ two-run single proved the difference. Mike Trout also doubled in two runs in the Angels’ first win of 2019.

Estrada and Halos starter Matt Harvey dueled to five scoreless innings each, but Davis tagged Harvey for a two-run jack in the sixth to give the A’s the lead. Enter the lockdown pen.

Lou Trivino picked up a hold after a clean 7th but offseason acquisition Soria entered in the eighth and found himself in hot water instantly. Former Athletic Jonathan Lucroy and Brian Goodwin singled back-to-back to open the inning, then Kole Calhoun doubled in Lucroy.

Soria  (0-2, 22.50 ERA) walked Trout to load the bases before departing the game for Ryan Buchter. Buchter walked Justin Bour to tie the game, giving way to Liam Hendriks. Hendriks coughed up Simmons’ two-run single before collecting all three outs of the inning.

Fernando Rodney but gave up three singles and got a double play in the first few batters he faced. Then Trout tagged him for a two-run double and a 6-2 Halos lead. Cody Allen finished the game off for the Halos pen after winning pitcher Hansel Robles (1-0, 0.00) and Ty Buttery pitched scoreless frames. 

Brett Anderson takes the hill for the A’s Sunday looking to pick up the second win of the season for the Green and Gold after also dropping two games in the Tokyo Dome to the Mariners earlier in the month. The Angels will send Felix Pena to the mound.

A’s win 4-2 in a rain-shortened game, sweep the Bay Bridge Series

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The A’s and Giants played the final game of Spring Training at Oracle Park Tuesday night. The weather conditions were much better than Monday night, but they deteriorated in the fifth. The rain came down in buckets in the sixth, and the umpires called the game. The A’s beat the Giants in all five games the teams played this preseason.

The teams are off on Wednesday, and the A’s have their home day opener on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels and their $430 Million Dollar Man, Mike Trout. The A’s are 0-2 in the regular season as they lost two games to the Mariners in Tokyo on March 20th and 21st. The Giants will open on the road against the San Diego Padres and their $300 Million Dollar Man, Manny Machado.

The game summary follows below.

The A’s scored two runs in the second and two runs in the fourth to send Giants’ starter Jeff Samardzija to an early exit. The A’s center fielder Mark Canha blasted Samardzija’s 89 MPH four-seam fastball into the seats to give the A’s a 4-0 lead. Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy decided he had seen enough and removed Samardzija from the game with two outs in the fourth.

The Giants put two on the board in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Connor Joe started the rally with a single. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Brian Schlitter to relieve Brooks. Schlitter walked Alen Hanson and then hit Mac Williamson with a pitch to load the bases. Melvin removed Schlitter and Jerry Blevins, who tried to get a spot in the A’s bullpen, served a single to Gerardo Parra. Two runs were scored on the play. The Giants had runners on first and third with two out. Blevins struck out Pablo Sandoval for the final out (and of the game) as the rain came down and the umpires decided that conditions were too severe to continue. The A’s won 4-2 and swept the Bay Bridge Series.

Game Notes: A’s starter Aaron Brooks, who is out of options, pitched very well for the A’s. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and one run. The A’s have to make a decision on his status Wednesday as they have to be down to 25 players by Thursday.

Up Next: The A’s meet the Angels Thursday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. Mike Fiers will pitch for the A’s. Game time will be at 1:05 pm.