Tag: A’s

By Morris Phillips

In what amounts to half a season, the A’s have gone from having baseball’s best record to the team with the worst.

The A’s struggles continued on Sunday in a 7-3 loss to the White Sox, Oakland’s 11^th loss in their last 12 games.  Already occupying the cellar in the AL West, the A’s fell behind the National League’s Brewers and now hold the worst record in the majors at 13-26.

As recently as August 15, 122 games into the 2014 season the A’s held the best record in baseball despite having just a slim, one-game lead on the eventual AL West champion Angels.  Oakland won just 15 of its final 40 regular-season games last season, just enough to qualify as the fifth-seed in the AL playoffs.  They then lost the one-game AL Wild Card playoff to the Royals in Kansas City.

And this season, with all the shocking changes and personnel departures, the A’s can’t seem to win a close game, or compete during the daytime.  And did we mention the defensive shortcomings?  For manager Bob Melvin, after the A’s committed four more errors to fall to 1-12 in day games, it feels like a nightmare, one which, of course, feels all too real.

“Guys are thinking about it out there,” Melvin said of Oakland’s big-league leading 42 errors.  “They don’t want to make an error and they end up doing it.  We’re not playing clean games at this point.  They’re ugly games and it affects how you play them.”

The A’s got another early jolt of offense—Saturday from Billy Butler with a two-run homer and Sunday from Max Muncy with his first major league home run—only to squander the lead soon after.  After Muncy’s shot, the A’s lead 2-1 in the fourth only to see the White Sox tally four times in the top of the fifth to lead 5-2.  As usual, an error figured prominently in the opponent’s rally.

Marcus Semien’s boot of Adam Eaton’s ground ball to open the fifth put the pressure on Scott Kazmir, who was laboring at that point, well off his usually stellar game.  Kazmir didn’t fare well, allowing four hits and a walk in the inning before he was lifted with all four runs in, two baserunners on and only one out.

Semien would go on to commit a second error in the eighth, an errant throw to first.  The rookie shortstop has 13 errors already.  Stephen Vogt and Kazmir also committed errors earlier in the game.

The White Sox swept a series in Oakland for the first time since 1998.  They’ve won six straight and are at .500 first the first time in 2015.  The A’s lost their fourth straight and find themselves 12 ½ games behind first place Houston, where they visit for three games starting on Tuesday.

The A’s promoted Craig Gentry to replace injured Ike Davis, who has a hamstring issue that severely hampered his ability to run the bases.  Muncy and Mark Canha figure to split the playing time created by Davis’ injury at first base.

Seemingly the most important guy in the A’s universe, Sean Doolittle made a second, rehab appearance at Single A Stockton and did not pitch well.  But more importantly, he felt healthy and the A’s will likely promote the 2014 All-Star once he shows he can pitch on back-to-back days.

Once Doolittle returns, the rest of the A’s bullpen should fall back into some pattern or regularity.  On Sunday, replacement closer Tyler Clippard got game action in the ninth inning—his first appearance since Wednesday—only to allow a two-run homer to Avasail Garcia.

Giving the proceedings an air of what could have been, Jeff Samardzija pitched into the eighth inning to pick up the win.   Afterwards, he seemed genuinely concerned for his former teammates in recounting how competitive the team was during his stint in Oakland that lasted just 16 starts.

The A’s turn to Drew Pomeranz on Tuesday to stop the losing streak.  But Pomeranz has never beaten the Astros in four starts and one relief appearance.  The Astros have Roberto Hernandez slated as their starter.

By Morris Phillips

Thirteen strikeouts, 12 baserunners stranded, a five-run deficit, four damaging errors, and one depressing injury added up to a very sobering night at the ballpark for the Oakland A’s.

In a 7-2 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field, the A’s looked like a team pressing with a bunch of statistical numbers to back the claim.

Of their four errors, three came on errant throws, ten of their 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position came up empty and then there were the 13 strikeouts.  Six walks were issued by Seattle pitching, but that just illustrated how much difficulty the Oakland hitters had in simply putting the ball in play.

Not coincidentally, the A’s have dropped four straight, seen a once promising road trip grow dark, and they’ve fallen into the cellar in the AL West.  They lead the majors in errors with 32, and no baseball statistic is more closely aligned to losing than committing errors.

“It’s the consistency of it,” manager Bob Melvin said.  “We play a really good game when we’ll make some great plays and then we’ll play another game where we make four errors and you’re not going to win any game making four errors.”

The underlying subtext to Oakland’s poor play is the manner in which the club is run where talented players are given an opportunity but often limited by a short leash if they falter.  While the philosophy has undeniably produced success, in times when the club is struggling as whole, individual players who don’t have a foothold in the big leagues often end up pressing, desperate not to be moved or demoted by GM Billy Beane.

Saturday—with the backdrop of the trade for Edward Mujica to boost a struggling A’s bullpen—it seemed if 25 guys were fighting to avoid a demotion to AAA as opposed to fighting to win a ballgame.

In addition, starting pitcher Jarrod Parker–whose impending promotion was thought to give the current group of starters extra motivation to get it done now or be replaced by Parker—was lost indefinitely when he suffered a broken bone in his surgically repaired elbow during a rehab start in Nashville.

Also, former starter A.J. Griffin is having issues as well.  Griffin couldn’t finish three innings of a simulated game when shoulder soreness cropped up.  He will be re-evaluated after a couple of days of inactivity, but it would appear he also won’t be a boost for the Oakland rotation in the near future.

Saturday, the A’s fell behind in the first inning when starter Jesse Hahn created a situation by allowing a wild pitch and a pair of hits, plating the first Mariners’ run.  But then Marcus Semien booted an inning-ending ground ball, recovered, but then threw wildly to the plate in an attempt to cut down Nelson Cruz.  That allowed both remaining baserunners to advance, and earned Semien the unwanted two errors on the same play.

The Mariners added a run in the second, two more in the fifth and one in the sixth and Hahn’s evening was done.  The right hander acquired by trade from San Diego allowed eight hits and three walks, and contributed to his misfortune with a throwing error of his own.  The A’s have dropped all but one of the six games Hahn has started this season.

On Sunday, the A’s attempt to avoid the sweep by having some success against Felix Hernandez, who is 5-0 despite the Mariners being four games under .500 at 13-17.  Hernandez will be opposed by Oakland’s Jesse Chavez.

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The A’s got a charge out of their starting battery to defeat the Rangers 7-1 in Texas on Sunday. Sonny Gray pitched 6.2 shutout innings and catcher Stephen Vogt provided the punch at the plate to lead Oakland to victory.

The win gave the A’s the series win 2 games to one. Oakland is now 11-15 on the season and the Rangers drop to 8-16.

On the Bump

Sonny Gray had to give it his all as the starter on Sunday. Gray worked 6.2 scoreless innings but they were not easy innings. Gray struck out 10, but he walked seven batters. He threw 119 pitches (69 strikes) giving up just two hits. That is the most pitches Gray has thrown in a game this season.

Gray had good control of his fastball and his slider in the game. His slider to left-handed hitters was particularly effective.

Dan Otero – who was pitching for the fifth consecutive day – relieved Gray. Otero faced just one hitter inducing him to fly out.

Chad Smith – just called up from Triple-A Nashville – pitched a scoreless eighth inning but struggled in the ninth. Smith loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth. R.J. Alvarez was brought in to close out the game.

Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo (2-4) was tagged with the loss. He gave up four runs (three earned) in his 6.2-innings of work.

In the Batter’s Box

Stephen Vogt led the offense for the Athletics on Sunday. He went two for three. Both of his hits were home runs which brings his total to six round trippers for the year. Yogt scored two runs, had four RBI and walked twice.

Josh Reddick continued his hot streak. He hit his fourth home run of the season – a two-run shot in the ninth. Reddick went two for four with two runs scored and two RBI.

Marcus Semien was two for five with a run scored while Brett Lawrie went two for four at the plate. Billy Burns and Eric Sogard also added one hit each.

The A’s scored their seven runs on 10 hits. Oakland left eight men on base and were two for seven with runners in scoring position.

Texas hitters struck out 13 times and left 14 men on base. The Rangers were one for 13 with runners in scoring position.

In the Field

The A’s defense was better in Texas,but they could not get out of the Lone Star state without committing a miscue. Sam Fuld dropped a fly ball in left field in the bottom of the sixth inning. Fortunately, the error did not cost the A’s a run.

The A’s did not turn a double play in the contest.

Up Next

The A’s left Texas and headed to Minnesota where they will play a four-game series with the Twins.

The A’s will send RHP Jesse Hahn (1-1, 2.86 ERA) to the hill to face the Twins’ RHP Phil Hughes (0-4, 4.55 ERA). Game time is 5:10 PDT.

By Morris Phillips

Unlike Saturday’s effort, the A’s were present and accounted for on Sunday, battling the Astros with an early lead, rallying to tie when they fell behind, and then taking the lead in the middle innings, leaving them needing only a couple key outs in the ninth to close to the deal.

Along the way, the passion was evident from the players, manager Bob Melvin–who was tossed by home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott–as well as the fans, who found little to boo–as they did Saturday–and a whole lot to cheer.

But in the end, the result—a fourth consecutive loss, 7-6, when Houston’s Evan Gattis delivered a game-winning, two run single in the ninth—was the same.

Could this be the enduring story of the 2015 A’s: possessing the will, but not the means to win?

After all the upheaval in the off-season, and now the mounting toll on the injury front, it sure looks like it.  A much calmer, but tight-lipped Melvin spoke after the game, and he seemed to be saying as much.

“We did a lot of good things right today,” Melvin said.  “We’re doing just enough to lose games right now depending on which facet of the game.  Again, we had another error that cost us.  We had some big hits today.  We had some good plays, we had some good bullpen contributions today.  We were just literally one pitch away today.”

“We’re just a little short.  It’s been that way for a bit here now.”

The A’s struck early, pushing across a pair of runs in the second off Astros’ starter Asher Wojciehowski.  But the good feeling didn’t last: Wolcott’s interpretations of some pitches were head scratchers, and A’s starter Drew Pomeranz saw things go south once he was hit by a batted ball on his hip.

Accordingly, the A’s lead evaporated in the third and fourth innings, and Melvin was tossed, having had enough of Wolcott’s missed calls.

“Some other guys were saying something, I think on both sides, but maybe (Wolcott) thought I was a little more demonstrative than anybody else.  He’s thrown me out before for that,” Melvin said, referencing a previous Wolcott ejection last season.

For a while after the ejection, demonstrative was good.  Melvin’s good old-fashioned show seemed to fire up his team.  The A’s rallied right back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, 5-5.  Then in the seventh, Marcus Semien came up with a big hit, and the A’s had the lead again.

But in the ninth, the A’s depleted bullpen—minus injured closer Sean Doolittle—and leaky defense gave it all away.

Adding frustration to the loss was Gattis’ awkward, tomahawk swing on Tyler Clippard’s 1-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth that produced the game-winning runs.  Clippard’s pitch was well above the strike zone and should have garnered a game-ending swing and miss, or a pop-up, but Gattis went with it, and sent it deep to center field.  Gattis’ swing probably fooled centerfielder Sam Fuld, who initially broke in, only to see the ball one hop the wall behind him.

“Most of us are taught not to hit those pitches, but it’s a weakness of mine,” Gattis said.

The Astros earned the three-game sweep on Sunday, and lead the AL West with an 11-7 record, four games better than the A’s.  So things aren’t dire for Oakland—it is still April–but the numbers are hard to swallow.

The A’s still haven’t won a day game this season (0-8).  They also haven’t won a game decided by two runs or less, and in the same vein, the bullpen leads the major leagues with six losses already.

And just before Gattis’ hit gave the Astros’ the lead, third baseman Brett Lawrie committed the A’s major-league leading, 20^th error when he not-so-smartly attempted to throw out the lead runner at second base on a chopper that robbed his throw of any momentum as he had to rush towards home plate to field.

Bad decisions, poor execution and another loss.  How about a day to regroup, Bob Melvin?

“There some other teams I think have had three days off already,” Melvin said.  “We need a day off.”

The A’s next take the field at the Coliseum on Tuesday when the Angels visit and Jered Weaver gets the ball for Anaheim at 7:05pm.

By Morris Phillips

The A’s aren’t a bad team.  But they were one on Saturday.

First off, Kendall Graveman struggled again, his shortcomings contributing to an 8-0 deficit in the seventh inning, prompting questions about his role going forward in the starting rotation.  Throw in poor defense, quiet bats, bad news on the health front and mix in a little bit of booing from the fans at the Coliseum, and a not so pretty picture emerges.

The A’s sit in the middle of a muddled AL West race at 8-11, three games back of the Astros.  But after losing to Houston for the second straight day, 9-3, the A’s have lost four of five and don’t seem particularly close to developing a winning identity.

“We’re not playing very well here in the last five games or so,” manager Bob Melvin said.  “At this point, we’re not doing anything to terribly right.”

Make no mistake, the visiting Astros have made a sizeable contribution to what ails the Athletics.  Winners of six of seven, Houston is the AL’s early surprise club, sporting a winning record thus far against each of their four division rivals.  The Astros have seen a serious uptick in their starting pitching just as the A’s have seen theirs take a step back.

Familiar face Scott Feldman pitched into the seventh inning, allowing five hits and three runs while the Astros hitters handled the rest.   Jose Altuve and George Springer homered, the highlights of the Astros 11-hit attack that knocked Graveman out of the game in the fifth.

As for Graveman, he needs to turn it around in short order after another subpar start.  The signs of improvement in the rookie’s deliveries were missing almost immediately.  Former Athletic Jed Lowrie doubled home a run in the first, and Altuve followed one inning later with a three-run jack that put Houston up 4-0.  Seemingly everyone with a uniform and a pulse noticed right away that Graveman was struggling to hit his spots.

“He’s a command guy that usually isn’t in the middle of the plate,” Melvin said.  “He’s usually on the corners with subtle movement and having a tough time finding that in the fashion that we saw in spring training.”

Graveman’s ERA sits at 8.27 after four starts, following an eye-opening spring that saw him sport an ERA of 0.36.  Melvin declined to speculate on the rookie’s spot in the rotation but the A’s have options with Jesse Hahn ready to resume his spot after a blister issue and Jesse Chavez capable to start as well.

The A’s failed to push anything across in the first six innings, one day after they went a full nine innings scoreless before a burst of offense in the tenth and eleventh.  The day started with the news that Ben Zobrist will miss a much as a month to recover from knee surgery.  Max Muncy was recalled from AAA Nashville and made his big league debut at third base, while Marcus Semien assumed Zobrist’s third spot in the batting order.  But Muncy looked nervous, and Semien went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts if anyone was doubting the A’s would miss their veteran jack of all trades.

In the seventh, things got dicey defensively as well.  Normally sure-handed Josh Reddick went casual and a catchable fly ball off the bat of Luis Valbuena glanced off his glove for a two-base error.  Two batters later, left fielder Cody Ross aggressively called off Semien on a fly ball between the two but failed to make the catch.  That gaffe loaded the bases for the Astros and they then pushed across two more runs to make 8-0.  A’s fans, having exceeded their daily limit for patience, responded with a round of boos.

Oakland has committed a major-league worst 19 errors after Ross and Reddick’s contributions on Saturday.

The A’s did push across three runs in the bottom of the seventh–highlighted by Muncy’s aggressive slide into second base that prevented the Astros from turning a double play—but did little else.

On Sunday, Oakland will look to avoid a sweep with Drew Pomeranz pitted against the Astros’ Asher Wojciehowski.