A’s win a thriller 10-8 as they rally from a four-run deficit in the eighth to beat the KC Royals

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- It was Jewish Heritage night at the Coliseum Tuesday night, and the A’s needed a little mazel (luck) as the rallied in the bottom of the eighth to win a thriller 10-8 over the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals scored three runs in the first inning off A’s starter Chris Smith. Smith settled down and kept the Royals off the board, and he left the game with one out in the sixth. The A’s scored one in the first, two in the second, and one in the third to take a 4-3 lead. The A’s bullpen did their job and kept the Royals scoreless until the fateful eighth inning and what an inning it was. The Royals scored five runs off A’s off Santiago Casilla and Blake Treinen and took a comfortable 8-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth. The A’s stormed back sending ten men to the plate, and they plated six runs on six hits off Royals’ relievers Joakim Soria and Mike Minor. Treinen pitched the ninth, and he was able to secure the win for Oakland.

The Royals jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, A’s starter Chris Smith walked Whit Merrifield to start the game. Merrifield then stole second. Smith nailed Lorenzo Cain with a pitch to men on at first and second with no out. Eric Hosmer doubled to right driving in both runners. Melky Cabrera followed with a single and Hosmer was able to make it home safely. Smith retired Moustakas on a fly to deep right field and then got a strike-them-out and throw -them-out double play to end the inning. The A’s Matt Joyce put the A’s on the board in the bottom of the first. He blasted his seventeenth homer of the year. It was the fourth time this season that Joyce led off a game with a home run. The A’s trail 3-1 after one.

The A’s cut the deficit to just one when Matt Olson led off the second inning with a solo homer. It was Olson’s eighth of the year. The A’s took the lead in the bottom of the third. With one out Jed Lowrie singled. Khris Davis followed with a blast over the left-center field wall for his thirty-third round tripper of the year. The A’s lead 4-3 after three innings of play.

There was no more scoring until the top of the eighth. A’s pitchers had retired thirteen in a row until Santiago Casilla was called in to do the pitching. He walked Alex Gordon and then Royals’ catcher Drew Butera sent a Casilla pitch down the left field line for his third home run of the year. Casilla retired Whit Merrifield but gave up a single to Lorenzo Cain. Bob Melvin rushed out and removed Casilla. Blake Treinen was brought in to pitch to Hosmer. Hosmer went yard with his 20th of the year and the Royals now own a 7-4 lead. Melky Cabrera grounded out, but Mike Moustakas followed with his 35th to make it 8-4. The Royals, in the inning, scored five runs on four hits, three of which were home runs. The lead didn’t last long as the A’s sent ten men to the plate and scored six runs on six hits, one walk, and a wild pitch. Jed Lowrie started the rally with a double. Khris Davis, Ryan Healy, and Matt Olson all singled to cut the deficit to two. Healy and Olson advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. The Royals issued an intentional walk to Rajai Davis to load the bases and set up a possible double play. Royals’ manager Ned Yost brought in lefty Mike Minor to pitch to left-handed hitter Matt Joyce. The strategy backfired as Joyce doubled to left field and cleared the bases, Marcus Semien followed with a single to drive in Joyce to put the A’s ahead 10-8. Blake Treinen gave up an infield single to Alcides Escobar to start the ninth but he retired the next three hitters to preserve the win for the A’s.

Game Notes- The two teams had ten hits and produced eleven runs in the eighth inning which took forty-four minutes to play. The Royals hit three homers in the inning while the A’s had two doubles and four singles.

The line score for Oakland was ten runs, fourteen hits, and no errors. The Royals line was eight runs, eight hits, and no errors.

The rubber game of the series will be Wednesday game will be played at 12:35 pm at the Coliseum. Paul Blackburn will pitch for the A’s and left Danny Duffey will go for Kansas City.

Time of game was three hours and sixteen minutes and 13,675 fans went home very happy as they saw a very entertaining ball game.

Stanton hits his 44th home run of the season in loss; Giants down Fish 9-4

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Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 in Miami. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)

By Jeremy Kahn

Although this may not be the same San Francisco Giants team that won three World Series in a seven-year period, it is always special to see Madison Bumgarner pitch; however, it is also special to watch the Miami Marlins these days.

The special player that Marlins fans love to watch is Giancarlo Stanton and he put on a show in the bottom of the third inning.

Stanton launched a Bumgarner pitch deep over the left-center field wall for his 44th home run to tie up the game at two

, but in the end, the Giants would go on to defeat the Marlins 9-4 at Marlins Park.

It was the 11th home run in the last 12 games for Stanton, and 23rd home run in his last 35 games. During that same period, only Sammy Sosa in (25)1998 and Barry Bonds (24) have more, this according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Also, it was the sixth consecutive game that Stanton hit a home run, just two away from the record of eight that was set by Dale Long in 1956, current Marlins manager Don Mattingly in 1987 and Ken Griffey, Jr., in 1993.

Denard Span picked up three hits on the evening for the Giants, including driving in two runs on the night. Hunter Pence also drove in two, while Ryder Jones hit a home run and Bumgarner helped out his own cause with a run batted in.

Bumgarner went six innings, allowing four runs, as he won for the third time since returning from the disabled list.

A.J. Ellis also hit a home run for the Marlins, who led the game 4-3 entering the top of the seventh inning.

The seventh inning did not begin well for the Marlins, as Junichi Tazawa gave up four single to start the inning and the Giants scored three times to take a 6-4 lead and spoil the night for former Oakland A’s pitcher Dan Straily.

Pence drove in a run with a double, while Carlos Moncrief drove in a run with a single and Stanton committed a throwing error on a Span single.

NOTES: Matt Cain will close out the series and the road trip for the Giants on Wednesday afternoon, while Jose Urena will pitch for the Marlins, as he looks for his 11th win of the season.

Joe Panik sat out his second consecutive game after getting hit in the head on Sunday against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

Johnny Cueto, who is out with blisters, threw 25 pitches in the bullpen prior to the game, while Miguel Gomez, on the disabled list with a knee injury will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday. Brandon Belt, out since August 5 with a concussion will be re-evaluated by doctors on Wednesday.

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News, and Commentary: Stanton could go on waivers any day; Harper’s injury not as bad as first thought

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Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton looks on as he hits a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 in Miami. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)

On Amaury’s Podcast for today:

1 Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins was almost traded four different times before the trade deadline but now with waivers this month. The Marlins are looking for a taker for Stanton and it could be a deal that could happen soon.

2 The Washington Nationals Bryce Harper’s injury was found not to be as bad as first thought. Harper hyperextended his leg although his absence will impact the team they have enough to make it to post season with Dusty Baker at the helm

3 The Colorado Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis is relieved to be back on the mound for the Rocks after a bout with testicular cancer which doctors say is under control

4 The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees dogfight for first place in the AL East could turn out to be interesting in the stretch run. The Sox have a 4.5 game lead over the Yanks

5 The Houston Astros have struggled but still hold a good lead in the AL West over second place Los Angeles by 11.5 games. In spite of some of the players questioning why management didn’t trade for pitching during the July trade deadline the Astros should waltz to the finish line to clinch the division

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio talent for the A’s, the Spanish TV talent for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Red-hot Stanton homers again in Marlins’ 8-3 rout of the Giants

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Miami Marlins’ Ichiro Suzuki, left, and right fielder Giancarlo Stanton celebrate after a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, in Miami. The Marlins won 8-3. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

By Morris Phillips

Five home runs in five games. 22 home runs in 34 games. Giancarlo Stanton’s power display was in full bloom Monday, and the Giants–in desperate need of what the Marlins’ slugger provides–had a discerning eye on all the action.

Surely, the San Francisco contingent came away impressed. And humbled.

“This is the beauty of this game, these great hitters or power hitters getting on these rolls,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said prior to the Marlins 9-3 romp. “Unfortunately, he’s on the other team.”

For now. Could Stanton fill a huge void in the Giants’ lineup in 2018, and be that guy Bochy feels the Giants need to take the pressure of a lineup that ranks last in Major League Baseball in home runs?

The answer is sure, but it’s unlikely.

Stanton’s mega deal signed last season will pay him $325 million over 13 seasons, and not expire until 2028. With the new Derek Jeter-led ownership group taking over the Marlins, any serious bidders that are willing and financially able to assume such a deal will have their inquiries taken very seriously.

The Giants have the wherewithal, and the Marlins’ new ownership are likely to consider the benefits of a clean slate financially. So let the negotiations commence, right?

Not so fast. Stanton has a no-trade clause in his deal, and he went to high school in Southern California. If the Giants want Stanton, then the Dodgers will want him as well.

Oh well.

But the Stanton storyline is intriguing.

On Monday, the Giants were stuck with unenviable task of following three ballgames in 24 hours–including a three-hour rain delay–with another game the next night after a lenghty flight.

With rookie Ty Blach on the mound, the red-hot Joe Panik not in the lineup and at second base due to concussion symptoms–along with the looming presence of Stanton in the opposing dugout–the Giants had a heap of adversity.

That adversity surfaced in the first inning.

Dee Gordon led off with a single, and Stanton followed with a two-run shot, setting a new Marlins’ record for home runs in a single season with 43.

The Giants responded with Denard Span’s two-run double, and a RBI knock from Hunter Pence in the third.

But the Giants’ 3-2 lead was short lived. The Marlins responded with a tying run in the third, two more in the fourth, one in the fifth, and after Blach was mercifully dismissed after six innings, the Marlins capped their night with two runs off Kyle Crick in the seventh.

 

 

 

 

 

Royals take down A’s 6-2 behind Cam Gallagher’s Grand Slam

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Kansas City Royals’ Cam Gallagher (36) is congratulated by Melky Cabrera, left, after hitting a grand slam off Oakland Athletics’ Jharel Cotton in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot

by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Kansas City Royals, who are in a nine-team race for the Wild Card slots in the American League. The Royals defeated the A’s Monday 6-2 behind an outstanding performance by pitcher Jake Kunis. Jumis went six innings and allowed just four hits and two runs to win his fifth game of the year. A’s starter Jharel Cotton did well for five innings, but he ran into trouble in the sixth and gave up four runs with the key hit being a grand slam off the bat of Royals’ catcher Cam Gallagher

The Royals tallied a run in the top of the first. Royals’ second baseman, Whit Merrifield, led off with a single to center field. Merrifield stole second and went to third on a ground out and scored on a single by Eric Hosmer. Cotton got out of the inning when he Melky Cabrera hit into a 5-4-3 double play. The A’s tied the game in their half of the inning. With one out, Marcus Semien just missed hitting a home run. The ball bounced off the top of the fence near the Rickey Henderson Field sign in left-center. Semien motored into third with a triple and scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Royals regained the lead in the second. With no out, singles by Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon put men on at first and third. Cotton, with a 3-2 count on catcher Cam Gallagher, uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Escobar to cross the plate with the Royals second run.

The Royals put four runs on the board in the sixth. The Royals loaded the bases on a walk to Melky Cabrera and singles to Moustakas and Escobar. Cam Gallagher, who had just one hit in eight trips to the plate this season, again worked the count to 3-2. This time, however, he did not walk, Hh took Cotton’s pitch and sent it over the fence in left field for his first homer in the big leagues. Not only was it his first dinger, but it was also a grand slam. He will be telling his grandkids about this moment in the future. The A’s scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Rookie center fielder, Boog Powell, singled. Matt Joyce also singled to put men on at first and third with no out. Junis retired Marcus Semien for the first out. Junis then hit Ryon Healy with a pitch to load the bases and then hit Khris Davis with a pitch that forced in the A’s second run. After six innings of play, the Royals are ahead 6-2.

There was no more scoring in the game. The Royals bullpen held the A’s justb to one hit in the last three innings of the game. The A’s bullpen also did the job as they allowed the Royals just two hits and kept them off the board the last three innings, too.

Game Notes- The A’s are now fifteen games under the .500 mark with a record of 52-67. The Royals, with the win, are just one-half game behind the Los Angeles Angels for the second Wild Card spot. The Royals are now 60-58 for the season.

The A’s and Royals go at it again Tuesday night at the Coliseum. The A’s will send Chris Smith (0-2, ERA 5.29) to the hill and Kansas City will counter with former Athletic, Jason Hammel. Hammel’s record is 5-9, and his ERA is 4.68. Time of game will be at 7:05 pm.

Time of game was two hours and forty minutes and the second smallest crowd of 9848 were in attendance.

San Francisco Giants Podcast with Morris Phillips: He’s the man Joe Panik played all 20 innings on Sunday during double dip

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San Francisco Giants’ Hunter Pence (8) hits a ground-run double to score Pablo Sandoval and Kelby Tomlinson during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

On the Giants Podcast with Morris:

1 Joe Panik is a real go getter playing 20 innings during Sunday’s doubleheader and made the best of it

2 Panik made ten trips to the plate and reached base seven times during the two game split which had San Francisco took the front game 4-2 and ended up dropping the second game 6-2

3 Giants starter Chris Stratton in his third start for the Cubs pitched 6 2/3 innings all scoreless in the first game of the double dip

4 In the series the Nats lost their key player Bryce Harper after he hyper extended his leg running to first base slipping on a wet bag

5 The Giants are starting a three game road trip in Florida tonight for San Francisco Ty Blach (8-7) goes against Miami’s Adam Conley (4-5)

Morris has the San Francisco Giants podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Kendrick ends it with a walk-off grand slam Nats win night cap to split doubleheader 6-2

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Washington Nationals’ Howie Kendrick throws off his batting helmet as he celebrates his walkoff grand slam in the 11th inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Washington. The Nationals won 6-2 in 11 innings. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

By Jeremy Kahn

In a 24-hour period, the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals played three games and the last one ended on a walk-off grand slam.

Howie Kendrick hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning, helping the Nationals to a thrilling 6-2 victory over the Giants at Nationals Park.

Kendrick’s walk-off grand slam came against Albert Suarez came after Daniel Murphy led off the inning with a single, went to third on a Ryan Zimmerman bloop and then Suarez intentionally walked Anthony Rendon. Following the Rendon intentional walk, Kendrick ended the game and the series with his first career grand slam.

Murphy and Zimmerman each hit solo home runs off of Giants starter Matt Moore.

Despite the no-decision, it was a much-improved outing for Moore, as he pitched seven innings and struck out nine.

Max Scherzer struck out 10 in seven innings, as he gave up two runs and five hits, including a home run.

After the Nationals took the lead on a Murphy home run in the bottom of the third inning, Hunter Pence tied up the game in the top of the fourth inning with a single that scored Denard Span; however, on the play, Michael Taylor threw out Joe Panik at the plate.

Zimmerman gave the Nationals lead for the second time, as he hit a solo home run off of Moore in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Pablo Sandoval tied up the game with a home run off the upper deck façade in right field in the top of the seventh inning.

NOTES: Ty Blach opens up a three-game series against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on Monday night, as he looks for his ninth win of the season.

Panik felt slight-headed after the game, as he took a shot to the head from Matt Wieters when he was thrown out in the top of the fourth inning, and is ruled out for Monday’s opener against the Marlins, according to Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

Simple Matt-matics: A’s find Graveman, home runs add up to a nice win over the Orioles

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Oakland Athletics’ Matt Joyce, right, celebrates with Boog Powell (3) after hitting a two run home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–Home runs are up throughout Major League baseball, and the A’s are doing their part in the parade around the bases.

No more so than Sunday when the A’s got a home run from everyone named Matt on their current roster–Chapman, Joyce and Olson–while Kendall Graveman showed he’s healthy by frustrating a potent Orioles offense for seven innings to earn the win.

For the youthful A’s the home runs–they rank sixth in the AL, and 12th amongst all 30 clubs with 163 homers–represent a starting point for the team’s resurgence. The home runs also represent progress in a facet of the game that hasn’t been a strength in recent seasons. The 2017 A’s seem assured of surpassing the 169 home runs hit last year, the most the team has hit in any of the last four seasons. They also have an opportunity to surpass the 2013 A’s, who hit 186 bombs led by Brandon Moss (30), Yoenis Cespedes (26), and Josh Donaldson (24).

Of course, home runs aren’t everything. The A’s are a last place club in large part due to their team batting average (.240, tied for last in the AL), paucity of hits (950, 14th in the AL), and awful defense (MLB-worst 96 errors). But the home runs–the majority of which have been hit by the team’s young core led by Khris Davis–suggest a path to overall team improvement in 2018 and beyond.

Baltimore’s dominant closer Zach Britton wouldn’t disagree after Olson turned on his fastball inside and deposited it beyond the right field wall. It marked the first time Britton had allowed a home run to a left-handed hitter in more than four seasons. Britton’s look of disbelief said it all, as did Olson’s look of “I belong” circling the bases.

“I don’t even know what to say about the home run off Britton,” manager Bob Melvin said. “For a lefty to do that?”

“They’ve been throwing me inside a decent amount, especially the lefties, so I took a pitch and sat on an inside pitch and I got it,” Olson said.

Matt Chapman belonged too.

Chapman provided the go-ahead three-run homer in the fourth, the capper in a five-run rally that put the A’s up 5-2, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

When the A’s added another run in the fifth, O’s starter Jeremy Hellickson was finished, having thrown a season-low 65 pitches. Hellickson wasn’t awful, but five hits, two walks and Chapman’s home run were too much on Sunday.

“Just one of those days,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “We knew Graveman — once he got his feet on the ground — he’s solid. Both pitchers were using the benefit of a couple inches off the plate. There were a lot of strikes called today that weren’t strikes, but both pitchers benefited from it.”

 

Giants take the front game of double dip; Stratton sets a career-high K’s 10 hitters in 4-2 win

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Chris Stratton delivers during the second inning of the first baseball game of a split doubleheader against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass

By Jeremy Kahn

After seeing their top player, Bryce Harper fall to the ground in the first inning of their win on Saturday night, the Washington Nationals could not solve the San Francisco Giants starter.

Chris Stratton struck out a career-high 10 batters in 6.2 innings of work, as the Giants evened up the three-game series with a 4-2 victory over the Nationals in Game One of a day-night doubleheader at Nationals Park.

A sigh of relief was felt throughout the Beltway, as it was discovered that Harper, who tripped over first base in the first inning of Saturday night’s win suffered a bone bruise after a MRI revealed no ligament or tendon damage. Harper, who won the 2015 National League Most Valuable Player was placed on the 10-day disabled list.

Joe Panik went three-for-four for the Giants, while Gorkys Hernandez added a RBI single and Kelby Tomlinson hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning, as the Giants jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the leaders in the National League Eastern Division.

The Nationals finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Anthony Rendon hit a two-run home run off of Hunter Strickland, who drew boos from the Nationals crowd.

This was the first appearance by Strickland in Washington since he hit Harper that caused a bench-clearing brawl back on May 29 at AT&T Park.

Sam Dyson came on in the bottom of the ninth inning to notch his ninth save in 14 chances this season.

NOTES: Matt Moore will take the ball in the nightcap of the doubleheader, while the Nationals will send Max Scherzer to the mound.

Orlando Calixte was added to the Giants roster as their 26th player, as he was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.

MLB Podcast with Daniel Dullum: Harper now listed as indefinitely out; A’s taking a survey on how you like the new ball park to be

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Neil Walker gets his first hit as a Brewer against the Cincinnati Reds in Milwaukee. 
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
On the MLB Podcast with Daniel:

1 Bryce Harper injured in Nationals’ win over Giants

2 A’s launch ballpark survey and Oakland Ballpark website

3 Milwaukee swings deal with Mets for 2B Neil Walker

4 Rangers hand Houston its fifth straight loss

5 Jay Bruce making an immediate impact with Indians after deal with Mets

Daniel does the MLB Podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

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