Giants keep yucking it up on road trip as they lose to Mets 5-3

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By Jeremy Harness

The San Francisco Giants appear to be running out of gas at the wrong time. They were swept this past weekend in Cincinnati, and things are not looking very good against a team that they are clearly better than in the New York Mets. They committed a couple of costly errors and gave up more than their fair share of home runs in a 5-3 loss at Citi Field Wednesday night.

The Giants have dropped two of the first three of this four-game series to the Mets.

Starter Casey Kelly surrendered a pair of solo homers while closer Hunter Strickland gave up one of his own, and as a result, the Giants have slid all the way to 9 ½ games back of the National League West lead, as they now sport a 62-66 record.

The Mets got two of those longballs in the first inning to shoot out to a 3-0 lead, and the Giants could not recover from that.

Kelly gave up four runs–two of those earned because of the two errors the Giants made during the course of the game–on seven hits over six innings. He struck out four hitters while not walking anyone, but the two homers proved to be his undoing.

Meanwhile, Noah Syndergaard was solid over six innings, as he gave up a pair of runs on five hits, striking out six while walking only one. In the process, he ran his season record to 9-3.

Austin Slater and Joe Panik each had a pair of hits for the Giants apiece, with Slater hitting a solo homer in the seventh to narrow the Mets’ lead to only a run.

Things seem to be getting worse for the Giants off the field as well. Catcher Buster Posey, who went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and now has a batting average of .284, is reportedly heading toward having hip surgery that would put an end to his season.

The Giants and Mets wrap up their four-game series Thursday at 10:10 am PDT.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: A’s win homestand, start seven-game road trip Thursday

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie said the 12 games from August 10th to 22nd were the most important games of the season. In Charlie’s opinion, how did the A’s do in those games?

#2 What does the schedule look like for the next two weeks for the A’s?

#3 The 2019 season schedule was released today. Any thoughts on next year’s schedule?

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Don’t mess with Texas: Rangers halt A’s potential sweep with 4-2 win

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By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s were going for a sweep of the three-game series with the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon. But, Rangers’ starter Mike Minor had other thoughts as he shot down the potent A’s offense with just one hit in six innings of work.

The Rangers, who had been shutout in the previous two games, gave Minor support as they scored four runs off A’s starter Edwin Jackson. Jackson had pitched very well before his outing on Wednesday but did not have it. In his 4 1/3 innings of work, he threw 80 pitches, and two of those pitches were sent into the stands by Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Gallo.

The A’s were hoping to eventually get back in the ballgame. The Rangers’ bullpen gave up two runs, giving the A’s a chance to tie it in the ninth, but Nick Martini struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Rangers’ left fielder Shin-Soo Choo ended 18 innings of Texas futility when he hit the first pitch of the game into the left field bleachers. The Rangers failed to score in the first two games of the series. The Rangers led 1-0 after one inning of play.

The Rangers plated another run in the top of the third. Jackson walked the first two hitters he faced. With one out, Rangers’ right fielder Nomar Mazara flew out to center. Ramon Laureano slipped as he caught the ball and that allowed Choo to tag up and advance to third. Adrian Beltre singled to give the Rangers a 2-0 advantage in the middle of the third.

Gallo took Jackson deep to start the fourth inning. The big left-handed slugger blasted his 33rd homer of the year to increase the lead to 3-0. A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano helped out his pitcher with a leaping catch against the wall with a man on first. Choo almost had his second homer of the day, but Laureano’s catch kept at least one more run off the board.

Minor had the A’s mesmerized for the first four innings of the contest. He has allowed one hit and walked one batter so far, and both were erased on double plays. He has faced just 12 hitters in  four innings of work.

It was obvious to most of the fans in the park that Jackson was not as sharp as he could be. The Rangers were able to solve his slants as they put another run on the board in the top of the fifth. Shortstop Elvis Andrus led off with a single. Jackson struck out Mazara on a wild pitch. Andrus went to second on the play. Adrian Beltre, who has a spot reserved for him in Cooperstown after his playing days are over, singled to center to drive in Andrus with the Rangers’ fourth run.

A’s manager Bob Melvin had seen enough, and he brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch. Jacksons’ pitched 4 1/3 innings and he allowed seven hits and four runs. He also was tagged for two solo home runs. The A’s failed to score in the bottom of the inning and now trailed the Rangers 4-0.

The A’s, after being dazzled by Minor for six innings, finally put a run on the board. Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister brought in former Giant Cory Gearrin to face the A’s in the seventh. Gearrin retired the first two hitters he faced. Matt Chapman reached on a walk. A’s DH Khris Davis was hit in the back by a Gearrin pitch to put two men on. Stephen Piscotty followed with a double to drive in Chapman with the A’s first run. It was the A’s second hit of the day. With the left-handed hitter Matt Olson at the plate, Banister brought in lefty Alex Claudio to pitch. Claudio did the job as he was able to strike out Olson for the third out and the A’s left two men stranded. The Rangers are in control 4-1 after seven.

The A’s crept a little closer in the bottom of the eighth. Chad Pinder led off the frame with a single. He went to second a scored on double to right by Jed Lowrie, who was pinch-hitting for Jonathan Lucroy. Rangers’ reliever Chris Martin retired Semien and Loreano to end the threat. The Rangers led 4-2 after eight.

The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth without the benefit of a hit. Rangers’ closer Jose Leclerc walked the first hitter Matt Chapman to start the inning. Chapman went to third on a wild pitch. LeClerc then struck out Khris Davis and got Piscotty to fly out to right. He walked Matt Olson and hit Chad Pinder with a pitch to load the bases. The game was on the line as Martini came to the plate. Martini had the chance to tie the game with a hit, but LeClerc had enough gas in his tank as he was able to strike out Martini for the final out to preserve the 4-2 win for the Rangers.

Game Notes: A’s Edwin Jackson tied a season-low with just 4 1/3 innings of work and matched a season-high in hits allowed with seven. His record is now 4-3.

Stephen Piscotty tied a career-high with his 35th double.

Despite the loss, the A’s still have the best record in baseball since June 16th (42-15). They have not lost a series to an AL West opponent since June 12th to June 14th at Houston. They finished the homestand with a 6-3 record.

The Rangers’ Mike Minor improved to 10-6, and it was his third quality start in his last four games.

The A’s line score was two runs, four hits, and no errors.

The Rangers’ line was four runs, nine hits, and no errors.

The A’s drop to 76-51.

Time of game was three hours and three minutes and 13,139 people stopped by to watch the A’s lose the finale of the three-game series.

Up Next: The A’s head to Minneapolis to take on the Twins for a three-game series starting Thursday at 5:10 pm PDT.

The A’s will send Trevor Cahill (5-2, 3.12 ERA) to the hill and Kohl Stewart (0-1, 7.71 ERA) will go for the Twins.

Is the A’s magical season just a fluke?

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — To a non-A’s fan, the A’s magical season may be just a fluke. To a A’s fan, this season may be the real deal. But, before all of us jump to conclusions about whether or not the A’s are going to win it all, let me remind that history may repeat itself. Just take a look at the 2012 and 2014 seasons in that order.

In case you need a refresher, the 2012 A’s won the AL West by one game, but then lost to the Detroit Tigers in five games in the ALDS. That was six years ago, but the A’s had an over .500 season but were unable to get past the Tigers. Moreover, the 2014 A’s merely clinched the AL Wild Card berth on the final day of the season and faced the Kansas City Royals in the AL Wild Card Game, only to lose to the Royals in one of the most disappointing ways possible–a walk-off for a 9-8 win in the 12th inning. The Royals got their first playoff win in 29 years, but were ultimately ousted by the Giants in seven games in the 2014 World Series. That was depressing news for the A’s fans, but it was an even year for the Giants, so y’all should give credit to your cross-town rivals.

Anyways, it almost seems surreal that the 2018 A’s displayed character, grit and relentless all of a sudden. Of course, the naysayers were proved wrong, and the Oakland-based reporters and fans are confident in this team…but are they accurate?

Let’s take a look at five reasons why the A’s aren’t all that, shall we?

1. It comes down to money
The A’s ownership has constantly demonstrated that money is a priority as opposed to the Green and Gold fanbase. Since the Moneyball days, the A’s ownership has always took the bargain-basement approach to every aspect of the game.

This is obviously not good for the fans nor the team, as the A’s continue to be known as a small-market team even though they’re one of the hottest teams in baseball and DH Khris Davis is having himself a season. Davis’ current stats are .311/.373/.786 over 103 at-bats with 32 hits, 4 doubles, 15 home runs, 35 RBI, 10 walks, and 23 strikeouts. And, despite being the other KD in the Bay Area, no one is talking about Davis.

A’s manager Bob Melvin recently told the local media, “I’ve been hearing some talk on some of the national broadcasts on MVPs. His name’s not even brought up. I mean, how could you not?”

With that said, it’s likely going to be difficult for Melvin to put together a playoff team in spite of massive budget restrictions. Sure, the current A’s roster is incredible, but how much longer are the regulars going to stay in Oakland?

2. The 2012 A’s caught some breaks
Remember when the Texas Rangers were in first place with a 35-26 record on June 10, 2012, while the A’s were in last place at the opposite inverse with a 26-35 record?

Also, Josh Hamilton dropped the ball in center field during Game 162.

The possible factor of outside help was able to weave its way into the A’s then-success, but it’s something that may not have a significant influence in 2018. Yeah, the Mariners were surging in May and June, but now, they can’t seem to find their groove right now. Additionally, the Astros can’t seem to catch a break on injuries. So it’s unclear how everything will work out, but in the meantime, it’s quite interesting to follow.

3. The 2012 A’s had more swag
Okay, I admit I use the word “swag” more often that not, but the 2012 A’s had more swag in its lineup.

Obviously, this group of veteran spark plugs may not be great anymore, but man, they had Brandon Inge, Coco Crisp, Grant Balfour and Jonny Gomes. And, of course, they did the Bernie Lean.

Right now, Matt Chapman’s defense, Khris Davis’ bat and Blake Treinen’s sinker are notable mentions, but the entire team isn’t always in sync–and therefore, they don’t regularly take the field with large peps in their steps.

4. The 2012 season had a lot of flaws
Of course, there were many things in the right direction in the 2012 season, but at the same time, there were plenty of things that worsened the overall quality of the teams that year. Bartolo Colon was suspended on August 22. Brandon McCarthy got hit in the skull by a line drive on September 5. Moreover, the A’s lost six out of eight games in the second half of September.

The 2018 season has pretty much been the same, just a different year. Four A’s pitchers are currently out of order due to Tommy John surgeries. And, at some point, Matt Chapman injured his thumb while Khris Davis suffered a groin injury.

As of now, the A’s are over .500, but they’re sort of going back and forth with the injury-plagued Astros for first place in the AL West.

5. The 2011 season didn’t show a lot of promise
The 2011 season, especially the final weeks, didn’t show a lot of promise. A’s manager Bob Melvin just arrived in Oakland that mid-season, but his new team also parted ways with several players after their 77-84 finish in the Winter Meetings.

The 2017 A’s obviously didn’t receive a new manager, but they did undergo quite a few changes during the season, yet wrapped up the second half of the season just one game below .500.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “History repeats itself.” And, that could happen, so don’t be surprised if the A’s magical season turns out to be a fluke. There’s always next year.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Machado–if he stays–will get a big fat contract with Dodgers; Ravens Smith to be suspended four games for domestic abuse; Nats start the fire sale deals–Murphy and Adams: plus more

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On the Headline Sports with London:

#1 Will the Los Angeles Dodgers re-sign Manny Machado? Would it have an impact on the club and will other players start to ask for more dough if Machado ends up being the highest-priced player on the club?

#2 The Baltimore Ravens’ top cornerback Jimmy Smith has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s domestic abuse policy for making “threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors” according to a league statement towards his girlfriend. Marlon Humphrey, a 2017 first round draft pick, will start at corner with 10-year veteran Brandon Carr.

#3 The Washington Nationals, who moved into the .500 position 63-63 by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in a laugher on Tuesday night 10-4, after the club dealt Daniel Murphy to the Chicago Cubs and Matt Adams was traded St Louis Cardinals.

#4 It’s quite the way that Indianapolis Colts’ play-by-play announcer Bob Lamey wanted to go out, but he was in the studio with an black employee at WTRH radio in Indianapolis–the flagship station of the Colts–and had used the N-word (not on the air). Lamey is a legend in the annals of Colts broadcasting calling games since 1984. The employee was talking with Lamey when Lamey used the word when he was retelling a story the employee was offended and later reported it to human resources Lamey retired last Sunday after team members spoke with him about using the word.

#5 The Oakland A’s continue to tear it up and this homestand is no different. They rolled over the first-place Houston Astros, taking two out of three, then they took the first two games of the three-game series against the Texas Rangers. With the win Tuesday night, the A’s moved into first place for the first time this season by a 1/2 game.

London Marq does the Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Wondo watch in full effect; plus SJSU football updates

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On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. Chris Wondolowski scored goal No. 141 in the Quakes’ 1-1 draw with Toronto FC on Saturday night at Avaya Stadium. The Wondo watch is in full effect.

2. Aside from Wondo, what were some other takeaways from the Quakes vs. Toronto FC match?

3. Why did head coach Mikael Stahre wait until the 89th minute to allow Dominic Oduro to make his Quakes debut?

4. The Quakes have two more games in their current homestand. What do they need to do in order to defeat or at least settle for a draw with the Vancouver WhiteCaps and Dallas FC?

5. San Jose State football is just around the corner. Was the Spartans’ second and final scrimmage of this year’s Fall Camp better than expected?

6. Joe from Akron, Ohio asked, “Do the Spartans look better than last year?”

Catch Ana on the San Jose sports podcast each week at SportsRadioService.com!

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Posey to have hip surgery; McCutchen waived by club–could end up with playoff team

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On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko:

San Francisco catcher Buster Posey has called it a season he will have hip surgery. The Giants decided after they fell eight games back it was time to get Posey’s hip taken care of.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he wants Posey ready for next season. Posey hit .286 for this season, five home runs and 40 RBIs.

The Giants’ Andrew McCutchen was placed on waivers Tuesday night.The Giants could deal McCutchen, who is .257 and a free agent at the end of season. Teams named that could use McCutchen include Oakland, St. Louis, and New York Yankees, who are all playoff teams.

The Giants face the Mets again for game three of the series after the 6-3 loss on Tuesday night. The Giants will start Casey Kelly (0-1, 1.69 ERA) and Noah Synergaard (8-3, 3.40 ERA).

Marko Ukalovic does the Giants podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Baseball…A Hispanic World!

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The last national census was taken in 2010 and the next one is scheduled for 2020. As of July 1, 2016, the HIspanic population in the United States was 57.5 million. This is the largest ethnic or racial majority in the country with around 18 percent. In the Bay Area in 2010, over 1.6 million Hispanic resided in nine counties for 23.5%, which is over six million people. Today’s estimates are between 1.8 and 2 million Hispanics who have made the Bay Area their home.

Baseball is no different. According to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 27.4 percent of all players in the Major Leagues were Hispanic as of 2016.

On Sunday, September 9, the Oakland Athletics will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Day. During this season at the Club Level entrance at the Oakland Coliseum, there is big mural from the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame–a non-profit organization founded in San Francisco in 1998–dedicated to the research, history and recognition of all Hispanic players. On that mural, fans can enjoy flags of Latin American countries and some of the history of the contributions made to baseball by Latinos. On that day, the A’s will be giving a Sugar Skull Bobblehead to the first 35,000 fans.

Currently, the A’s have one position player and three pitchers of Hispanic descent. The brilliant rookie outfielder Ramón Laureano, who is 23 years old, was born in the Dominican Republic, relievers Yusmeiro Petit from Venezuela, and Jeurys Familia and Fernando Rodney from the D.R. plus Emilio Pagán, who is of Puerto Rico descent, and Lou Trivino, who is of Ecuadorian descent. Santiago Casilla was also with the A’s this season from the D.R. and young infielder Franklin Barreto, who was born in Venezuela, future A’s second baseman.

The Latino presence is palpable with upbeat salsa music playing before a game in the clubhouse. The Texas Rangers, who played a three-game series in Oakland, had a regular starting lineup featuring Ronald Guzmán, Rougned Odor, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltré, Nomar Mazara, Carlo Tocci, Robinson Chirinos and in some cases, the ageless 45 year-old Bartolo Colón or the 22-year-old rookie Ariel Jurado from Panamá.

Some of the biggest Hispanic stars in the game are J.D Martínez, José Altuve, Manny Machado, Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez, Carlos Correa and more.

The World Baseball Classic showcases to the world the great passion for this game from their biggest protagonists: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba and México. Baseball is played more and more around the world. Latinos have some of the greatest history to go along from Cuban-born pitcher Adolfo Luqye, who in 1923 with the Cincinnati Reds finished with a 27-3 record and 1.93 ERA, pitching 322 innings to the great “Cometa de Carolina” with Roberto Clemente.

The influx of Hispanic players will continue to increase in years to come.

Listen to the A’s in Spanish on KIQI 1010 AM/990 AM, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton and The Valley. Also, on the SAP on your television as NBC Sports California.

49ers’ running backs in pain even before third preseason game against Colts

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By Jeremy Harness

The 49ers will head to Indianapolis to face the Colts in their third preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday afternoon. When they get there, the 49ers will be without yet another running back.

That’s because Joe Williams, who spent his rookie season on the injured-reserve list, suffered a rib injury during Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans, and he has already been ruled out for Week 1 of the regular season.

The team is already without starter Jerick McKinnon, who suffered a calf strain during practice a week ago. However, he reportedly was doing individual conditioning work and is gearing towards returning to the lineup in time for Week 1 at Minnesota, when the 49ers face McKinnon’s former team in the Vikings.

He has already been ruled out for the rest of the preseason.

If that’s not enough, the team lost backup Matt Breida in their first preseason game, at home against the Dallas Cowboys. He has been ruled out for rest of the preseason with the separated shoulder he suffered in the second quarter against Dallas.

Just like McKinnon, however, Breida is expected to be back in the lineup when the 49ers open the regular season on Sept. 9.

If there is good news leading into Saturday’s exhibition, the team could see the first live action for cornerback Richard Sherman in a 49ers uniform. He has missed the team’s first two preseason games with a hamstring injury he suffered early on in training camp.

Meanwhile, linebacker Eli Harold can return at any point during the preseason, after he suffered a knee contusion in the preseason opener against the Cowboys. Another linebacker, Malcolm Smith, is currently nursing a hamstring injury and is looking to shake the injury bug that has seemed to have bitten him repeatedly since signing with the 49ers last offseason.

A’s shutout the Rangers again 6-0

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By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — Oakland A’s starter Brett Anderson pitched his best game of the year as he went seven innings and allowed just one hit as he won his third game of the season. The A’s DH Khris Davis tormented the Rangers’ pitching when he his 38th home run of the year and drove in three runs to pace the A’s attack. His RBI total reached to 102. It was the third season in a row that Davis has knocked in over 100 runs. It was also the first time in a while that the A’s had two starters pitch seven innings and allowed just one hit. The A’s shutout the Rangers 6-0 for their second straight shutout versus Texas.

The A’s tallied the first run of the night in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Nick Martini singled to left to get things going. He advanced to second on Matt Chapman’s groundout and scored when Jed Lowrie singled to center. The A’s lead 1-0 after one.

The A’s plated a run in the bottom of the fifth. With two out, third baseman Matt Chapman doubled. Rangers’ pitcher Ariel Jurado then walked Jed Lowrie. The next hitter, Davis, singled to center to drive in Chapman to give the A’s a 2-0 lead. For Davis, it was his 100th RBI of the year.

Oakland put two more runs on the board in the sixth. With one out, Marcus Semien doubled to left. Ramon Laureno singled to end Semien to third. Lurean then stole second. With the infield drawn in, A’s catcher Josh Phegley hit a sharp grounder to Rangers’ third baseman Jurickon Profar. Profar bobbled the ball, and his only play was to first base. Semien scored the A’s third run of the night. A’s left fielder Nick Martini then singled to drive in Laureano, and the A’s had a 4-0 lead after six.

Davis hit his 38th home run of the year with a man on to put the A’s ahead 6-0 after seven innings of play. Davis is just one home run behind Boston’s J.D.Martinez for the lead in that department. He is also second in the AL with 102 RBIs.

The A’s used Jeurys Familia in the eighth and Lou Trivino in the ninth as they kept the Rangers scoreless the last two innings of the game. The A’s won 6-0.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s are now 76-50 for the year and will remain in first place in the AL West. The A’s are a season-high 26 games over the .500 mark. They are 6-2 on the current homestand. They will go for a sweep of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

Brett Anderson went seven innings and allowed one and gave up just one walk. It was the first time in Oakland history that this has happened and it was the third time in the last four games. Before Tuesday night, Anderson had not allowed a run in two of his last three starts He is now 3-3 for the year. He has walked one batter or fewer in his last seven starts.

A’s DH Khris Davis has hit nine homers and knocked in 24 in 15 games with Texas this year. For his career, he has hit 27 dingers and batted in 62 in 52 games. Davis has 100 RBIs for the third year in a row, and it was the first time for an A’s hitter since Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada from 2001 to 2003.

The A’s line score was six runs, 12 hits, and no errors. The Rangers’ line was no runs, two hits, and one error.

Time of game was two hours and 26 minutes and 11,579 fans in attendance were delighted with the outcome.

Up Next: The A’s meet the Rangers again Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm PDT.

Edwin Jackson will pitch for Oakland, and Texas will send lefty Mike Minor to the mound in an attempt to salvage one game of the series.