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File Photo: Houston Astros right fielder Josh Reddick (22) jersey has a patch honoring Houston Strong in the second inning during an MLB game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Minute Maid Park, Saturday, September 2, 2017. Houston Astros defeated New York Mets 12-8.(Photo by Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The A’s are off on Thursday as they are still trying to figure out why they lost eight of the last nine games. The A’s salvaged a win against the LA Angels Wednesday but now have to face the Houston Astros for a four-game series starting Friday night at the Coliseum.

The A’s are in the midst of rebuilding the team for the future. They have jettisoned veteran players such as Stephen Vogt, Adam Rosales, Rajai Davis, Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, John Axford, and Sonny Gray. Gray’s trade was a mystery as the team had control for two more years, but they received three prospects from the Yankees. Two of the prospects are pitchers, but two of the three players are currently on the DL. The A’s young position players have performed well and appear to be in the mix for next year. Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Chad Pinder, Boog Powell, Ryon Healy, and Bruce Maxwell will be the building blocks for the revival of the A’s. They need to improve the pitching, both in the starting rotation and the bullpen.

The A’s are looking at the model that the Houston Astros used to build their team from a team that lost over 100 games in three straight seasons to a team with the best record in the American League. The Astros started the rebuild with second baseman Jose Altuve. Altuve is leading the AL in hitting, and the Astros have teamed him with the terrific shortstop Carlos Correa. Correa was injured but is now off the DL.

George Springer is an All-Star and left field is held down by our old friend Josh Reddick. Reddick is having a great year in Houston and is hitting over. 300. There are no easy out in the Houston lineup. Jake MArisnick and Cameron Maybin are sharing the duties in center field. Marwin Gonzalez has given the ‘s fits over the years. Yuri Guriel is at first base, Brian McCann handles the catching, and the veteran Carlos Beltran is the DH.

The Astros pitching rotation has struggled at times, but the Astros made a trade late in August to bring in Justin Verlander. Verlander beat the Seattle Mariners in his first start as an Astro but will not pitch this weekend. The Astros’ starters will be Collin McHugh Friday night, Charlie Morton (11-6) and Brad Peacock (10-2) will pitch on Saturday. Peacock is winless in his last five starts and will be heading to the bullpen to make room for Verlander in the rotation. Dallas Keuchel (12-3), the former Cy Young award winner will go on Sunday.

The A’s Jharel Cotton pitches Friday night. Cotton is 7-10 but has pitched better in his two or three outings. Daniel Mengden(0-1) will make his first start since June 3rd. Mengden went on the DL and has been at Nashville since coming off the injury list. Daniel Gossett(3-8) will pitch the second game of the double header. Gossett had a tough outing in Seattle last week. He went just 3/23rds innings and gave up three runs and seven hits. Gossett has not completed four innings in his last five starts. Kendall Graveman (4-4) faces the Astros on Sunday. Graveman did not have a  good outing last Monday against the Angels. He gave up five runs in five innings of work. The A’s rallied to get him off the hook.

The Astros lead the Cleveland Indians by 2 1/2 games for the best record in the AL. The team with the best record has home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Indians are red hot right now. They have won fourteen games in a row and want to head into the playoffs as the team that no one wants to face. The Astros want the road to the World Series to go through Houston. They want to sweep the A’s this weekend. Bob Melvin and Company will give the Astros everything they can handle. The A’s may be down, but there is no quit in this team. Just ask Mike Scioscia and the Angels.

Oakland Athletics’ Matt Chapman, right, is tossed from the game by home plate umpire Mike Everitt after Chapman argued with Los Angeles Angels catcher Juan Graterol during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–It started with Oakland A’s third baseman Matt Chapman standing in at the plate on Wednesday afternoon when Los Angeles Angels catcher Juan Graterol got into a firey exchange with Chapman. Graterol jumped up out of his crotch and started jawing at Chapman over Chapman looking back and telling Chapman to stop stealing signs. Then A’s manager Bob Melvin came running out of the dugout wondering what was happening? Melvin is talking to Everitt and he goes back to the dugout and they thought it was settled.

Graterol was still chirping at Chapman and Chapman gave it back to him and that’s when Everitt tossed him. Chapman wasn’t raising his voice he was getting heated and he didn’t say any bad words but he got tossed for not letting it go and that is what happened on Wednesday. When A’s centerfielder Mark Canha was at the plate Graterol was accusing Canha of stealing signs. So when Chapman came to the plate he has something to say about Graterol’s treatment of Canha.

Jerry does the A’s podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea throws to the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The A’s, behind a terrific outing by starter Sean Manaea, snapped an eight-game losing streak as they defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 Wednesday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. Manaea went six plus innings and allowed no runs and just four hits. His record for the season is 10-9. The Angels’ starter Tyler Skaggs also went six innings, but he gave up five hits and three runs. Skaggs’ record is now 1-5

The A’s Khris Davis put one on the board when he led off the fourth inning with a solo home run that cleared the scoreboard in right field. For Davis, it was his 39th homer of the year, and he is now leading the American League in that department.

Oakland scored two more runs in the fifth. Only one was unearned. With one out, Marcus Semien doubled. Chad Pinder followed with a single to drive in Semien with the A’s second run. They scored the third run when Khris Davis hit a very high fly ball to left. Angels’ left fielder, Justin Upton, lost the ball in the sun. He did get a glove on the ball but couldn’t put it away. Pinder scored all the way from first, and Davis landed on second. Upton was charged with an error. Tha A’s lead 5-0 after five.

The Angels plated a run in the eighth. The big blow was Kole Calhoun’s triple into the corner in right field. Andrelton Simmons scored on the play.  The A’s bullpen did not allow another run as the A’s snapped the eight-game losing streak. Chris Hatcher earned his first American League save.

Game Notes- With the loss and the win by the Minnesota Twins over the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, the Angels fall a half-game back of the Twins in the race for the second Wild Card in the AL. The Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Tamp Bay Rays all have a chance, and each game is so critical for these teams. The Angels really wanted to sweep but to the A’s and Bob Melvin deserve credit as they team refused to quit, and even though they lost two very close games to the Angels, they came to play on Wednesday.

A very strange event occurred in the fourth inning, A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was about to hit when he and Angels’ catcher Juan Graterol got into a bit of a heated exchange. Graterol jumped up from his crouch and confronted Chapman. Home plate Umpire Mike Everitt tried to intercede, and A’s manager Bob Melvin raced out of the dugout to quiet things down. Melvin appeared to have the situation in hand and headed back to the dugout. Chapman must have said something to Everitt as Everitt turned to Chapman and gave him the boot. Renato Nunez replaced Chapman in the lineup.

The Angels’ Mike Scioscia used just three pitchers in the game while the A’s used four. It was quite a contrast from the last two games when both teams used twenty on Monday and fifteen Tuesday.

The A’s are off Thursday and resume play Friday night against the Houston Astros. They will play single games on Friday and Sunday, and there will be an old-fashioned single admission doubleheader on Saturday. The A’s Jharel Cotton, with a record of 7-10, will pitch for the Green and Gold. Collin McHugh (2-2) will handle the pitching chores for the Astros.

Time of game was three hours and ten minutes and 10,544 faithful A’s fans were on hand to see the Green and Gold defeat the Angels 3-1.

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A’s continued to battle tooth and nail. The game was a thriller as both teams refused to quit as each team rallied to take the lead. The contest was very similar to the Monday marathon which the Angels won. The Angels won again on Tuesday night by a score of 8-7. The Angels used eight pitchers, and Oakland sent seven to the hill. The A’s lost their eighth straight game. With the win, the Angels took over the second spot in the Wild Card Race and now lead the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles by just 1/2 game.

The A’s starter Kendall Graveman lasted just five innings. Graveman gave up five runs and threw over 100 pitches and did not get a decision. The Angels’ Garrett Richards, making his first start since April 5th, threw just 53 pitches before leaving in the fourth. Richards missed most of the 2016 season with an arm injury and he was on the DL for most of the 2017 season.

The Angels put a crooked number on the board in the top of the third. The Angels scored three runs on just two hits. A’s starter Kendall Graveman could not find the strike zone as he issued three walks and uncorked a wild pitch. He walked C.j.Cron to start the inning. Martin Maldonado singled to put men on at first and third with no out. Brandon Phillips singled to drive in Cron with the Angels’ first run. Maldonado went to third on the play and Phillips went to second on the throw.  Mike Trout walked to load the bases. Graveman issued a walk to Justin Upton to force in a run. Albert Pujols hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in the Angels third run. Right fielder Kole Calhoun hit a scorcher that A’s first baseman Matt Olson fielded cleanly and Olson’s throw home nailed Mike Trout who was running on contact. The Angels lead 3-0 in the middle of the third.

In the bottom of the fourth, Oakland put a run on the board. The human doubles machine, Jed Lowrie, led off the inning with his 42nd double of the season. He went to third on a Khris Davis single and scored when Chad Pinder doubled. Davis stopped at third. Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia did not hesitate and removed his starter. He brought in Blake Wood to pitch and Wood struck out Bruce Maxwell and Matt Chapman to end the threat.

The Angels tacked on another run in the top of the fifth. Brandon Phillips led off with a single. Phillips was out at second when Mike Trout hit into a fielder’s choice. Trout promptly stole second. Justin Upton followed with a single. Trout, attempting to score from second, was thrown out at home on a very close play. Upton went to second on the throw home. Graveman had two strikes on Pujols but could not retire him. With the count 3-2, Pujols singled o drive in Upton. The A’s, with two out in the bottom of the fifth, exploded for four runs to take the lead 5-4. Matt Joyce started the fireworks with a solo homer. Jed Lowrie singled, and he scored when Khris Davis hit his 38th of the year. The crowd was still cheering when Matt Olson followed with his 15th long ball. Olson now has fifteen in his first 53 games. Only Mark McGwire had 18 in his first 53 games as an Athletic.

The Angels regained the lead in the sixth. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in lefty Sam Moll to pitch. Moll struck out Andrelton Simmons for the first out. The next batter, Luis Valbuena, walked. That was it for Moll. Melvin brought in righty Liam Hendriks to pitch to C.J.Cron. The strategy did not work as Cron went yard and put the Angels ahead 6-5. The A’s came right back and tied the game. Angels’ reliever, Troy Scribner, walked Matt Chapman and Boog Powell to put men on at first and second with no out. Marcus Semien doubled to drive in Chapman. Powell was held up at third by Steve Scarsone. Matt Joyce struck out. Jed Lowrie walked to load the bases. Davis struck out, and Matt Olson ground out to end the inning.

With two out in the eighth, the Angels scored the go-ahead run. Luis Valbuena started the rally with a walk. A’s pitcher could not get past C.J.Cron. Cron, who homered his last at-bat, struck again as he tripled down the right field line to drive in Kaleb Cowart who was running for Valbuena. The Angels now lead 7-6 with the A’s coming to bat. The A’s wasted no time as they scored a run to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Boog Powell led off with a double. Marcus Semien laid down a perfect bunt to send Powell to third. Matt Joyce, a former Angel, drove in Powell with a sac fly to left.  The game is tied at seven after eight.

Santiago Casilla is now pitching for Oakland in the ninth. Casilla retired the first two batters. He walked Justin Upton and had to now face Albert Pujols. Casilla won the battle but it wasn’t easy as Pujols hit a long fly to right field that was caught for the third out and the fans let out a collective sigh. The A’s fail to score in the bottom of the ninth and the game is now in overtime.

In the tenth, with two outs, Blake Treinen hit Kaleb Cowart with a pitch. C.J.Cron had his third hit of the night when he singled. Ben Revere, pinch-hitting for Martin Maldonado, singled to left. Matt Joyce made a valiant effort to catch the ball but the ball was just a smidge out of his reach and Cowart scored the Angels’ eighth run. Eduardo Paredes is in to pitch for LA.  The A’s rally fizzled in the bottom of the tenth. The A’s loaded the bases with two out, but Jed Lowrie hit a fly ball to center to end the game. The Angels win 8-7.

Game Notes- The A’s and Angels conclude the three-game series Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm. Lefty Sean Manaea with a record of 9-9 will pitch for Oakland, and the Angels will counter with lefty Tyler Scaggs. Scaggs is 1-4 for the season, but one can be sure he will be out of the game as soon as he runs into a bit of trouble. Mike Scioscia has used twenty pitchers in the last two games, and Tuesday’s game was the fourth game in a row that the Angels have played that went past the four-hour mark.

The last time the A’s lost eight in a row was from May 22nd to June 1st, 2112.

Time of game was four hours and twelve minutes and 11,110 people were on hand to see the A’s lose again.