Tag: Atlanta Braves

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s open 2 game series in Atlanta tonight; NBA Finals game 3 sets up in Boston; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvin (19) gets the start against the Atlanta Braves Kyle Wright at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tue Jun 7, 2022 to open up a two game series (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 The Oakland A’s have an off day on Monday. They are on their way to face the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves for two games starting Tuesday night in Atlanta. The A’s hope to get back on the winning track against the Braves.

#2 The Oakland Coliseum has been a house of horrors for them this season. They are 7-23 at home. They were 1-9 on the homestand ending on Sunday. They lost their last six games, three to the Houston Astros and three to the Boston Red Sox. 

#3 Turning to the NBA Finals the Golden State Warriors who were down 0-1 to the visiting Boston Celtics were able to climb back into the series and even it up. It was a close first half 52-50 but the Warriors in the second half held the Celtics to just 14 points in the third quarter that made a huge difference in the win.

#4 The Boston Celtics during games 1 and 2 wanted to show unity by tee shirts supporting the release WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner who is being held in a Russian prison on drug charges when they accused Griner for having hashish oil in her suitcase at the Moscow Airport.

#5 There is no doubt and you saw him on the last homestand in Oakland that Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez who no doubt is like a reincarnated Willie McCovey type hitter who just got a six year extension worth $115 million on Monday. That’s $26 million a year and the largest contract for a DH. Alvarez is hitting .295, 51 hits, 16 home runs, and 34 RBIs.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for Oakland A’s beisbol on flagship station Le Grande 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Preview two-game series: Oakland A’s vs. Atlanta Braves at Truist Stadium opens up road trip

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Atlanta Braves Darby Swanson (7) congratulates former Oakland Athletic Matt Olson (right) after hitting a three run home run off Colorado Rockies starter pitcher Ryan Feltner in the top second inning at Coors Field in Denver on Sun Jun 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s have an off day on Monday. They are on their way to face the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves for two games starting Tuesday night in Atlanta. The A’s hope to get back on the winning track against the Braves.

The Oakland Coliseum has been a house of horrors for them this season. They are 7-23 at home. They were 1-9 on the homestand ending on Sunday. They lost their last six games, three to the Houston Astros and three to the Boston Red Sox. The A’s have a respectable 13-13 record on the road.

The Braves are currently in second place in the National League East Division. Their record is 28-27. Fans will remember last year’s Braves team had a slow start but made the playoffs and then got hot to win all the marbles.

Their best player, Freddie Freeman, could not get the contract he wanted and left the team as a free agent to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves traded with the A’s to acquire Slugger Matt Olson to fill the void left by Freeman’s decision to play for his hometown Dodgers. Olson is hitting .255 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.

The Braves have a deep starting rotation. Max Fried is probably their ace. The big left from LA is 5-2 with an ERA of 2.74. The veteran hurler, Charlie Morton, is back after being sidelined with a leg injury suffered in the playoffs. Morton won a World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017, is 4-3, and owns an ERA of 5.63.

Ian Anderson, Kyle Wright, and Spencer Strider make up the rest of the rotation. There are some familiar names in the Braves bullpen. Former San Francisco Giant, Lefty Will Smith, will see action in the series against Oakland.

Collin McHugh faced the A’s many times when he was on the Astros’ staff. Former A’s starter and reliever Jesse Chavez is now with Atlanta. Veteran reliever Darren O’Day has a new home in the Atlanta pen.

The Braves have two other lefty relievers, Dylan Lee and A.J.Minter. Their closer is Kenley Jansen. Jansen was a mainstay in the bullpen with the Los Angeles Dodgers for many years. Jansen signed with the Braves as a free agent. Jansen, owner of 364 career saves, is 3-0 and has recorded 14 saves as a Brave.

The pitching matchup for Tuesday night’s game will see the A’s sending lefty Cole Irvin to the hill. Irvin has been pitching well for Oakland. His record is 2-2, and his ERA is 2.96. His record does not reflect how well Irvin has pitched.

He needs to get more run support from his teammates, and the bullpen has to do a better job to get a win for Irvin. The Braves will counter with Kyle Wright. Wright is 5-3 and has a very respectable ERA of 2.41.

Wednesday’s game will feature a battle between two lefty hurlers. Lefty Ian Anderson will go for Oakland, and Jared Koenig will be making his Major League debut. Koenig was recalled from the A’s Triple-A farm team in Las Vegas. Koenig was 4-2 with a 2.21 ERA as a member of the Las Vegas Aviators.

Irvin and Koenig will have to deal with a very good Atlanta offense. As mentioned earlier, Matt Olson is just one of the players on this Atlanta team that can do a lot of damage. The Braves feature Ozzie Albies at second base, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and Austin Riley at third base. Albies and Swanson each homered six times this season.

Albies has knocked in 24 and Swanson, 26. The big bat in the infield lineup is Riley. Riley has homered 14 times and driven in 31. The outfielders are Adam Duvall, Michael Harris in center, and Ronald Aciuna, Jr in rightfield.

Duvall is off to a slow start. The big slugger is hitting .199 with three dingers and 18 ribbies. Harris has not played much and hasn’t much to show for the season. Ronald Acuna, Jr. is returning from a right ACL tear. Acuna hit 41 homers in 2019.

He had 24 when he was injured on July 11th last year. His batting average is .313, with three home runs and ten RBIs. Acuna is a super talent, and the A’s cannot take him lightly.

When the A’s finish the series with Atlanta, they are off to Cleveland to meet the Guardians for four games starting Thursday night.

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Dodgers Freeman HR no poetic justice against old team Braves; After 12 seasons Arrieta retiring; plus much more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, center, gets congratulated by Mookie Betts, left, and Edwin Rios after they scored on a double by Trea Turner in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Mon Apr 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

On Headlines with Jessica:

#1 Former Atlanta Brave Freddie Freeman didn’t waste anytime taking his former teammates deep. Freeman now with the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a first inning second pitch was a line drive that went straight over the left centerfield Dodger Stadium fence. The Dodgers wound up winning Monday night’s thriller 7-4. Freeman said this was not poetic justice or anything like that but he was happy reuniting with his former teammates.

#2 Former pitcher Jake Arrieta who spent his best years of his 12 year career with the Chicago Cubs has announced his retirement. Arrieta started his career with the Baltimore Orioles from 2010-13 and then went to the Cubs where he won 68 games between 2014-2019 before signing on with the Philadelphia Phillies for three years. Arrieta said “it’s time to step away from the game.”

#3 The Los Angeles Angels will miss his bat in the line up but are relieved that outfielder Mike Trout had a negative test on his MRI after Trout was hit on his left hand by a pitch Sunday. Angels trainer Mike Frostad said Trout’s return is based on his pain tolerance.

#4 The Astros Jose Altuve in the same game on Monday night against the Angels experience hamstring issues in the eighth inning after running after hitting a single. Altuve while sitting on the ground was frustrated by the injury but said after the game he was feeling better. Manager Dusty Baker said the team is waiting for answers and Altuve will be seeing a doctor.

#5 The state of Florida has removed mask mandates under cutting federal mandates. The Florida mandate removal might be a big mistake as in Philadelphia they are going back to mask mandates after having a huge Covid outbreak as the Oakland A’s who played a three game series in Philadelphia earlier this month had seven players out with Covid protocols on Monday night’s home opener in Oakland.

Join Jessica will be back with more headlines on Wed May 4th at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: The Tale of the Fire Sale–Chapman looks very close to leaving for Philadelphia or New York

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s Matt Chapman (26) will not be forearm bashing anymore with former teammate Matt Olson (right) seen here Mar 5, 2021 against the Los Angeles Angels in spring training at Hohokam Park in Mesa. Olson now with the Atlanta Braves and Chapman on the trade block (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary:

#1 Amaury, it comes as no surprise that once the lockout was lifted the Oakland A’s would have an early season fire sale and pitcher Chris Bassitt who left for the New York Mets was one of the first followed by A’s first baseman Matt Olson.

#2 And while it’s no surprise of their departure it’s still hard to grasp for anyone who follows the A’s that it’s a hard pill to swallow to have to say good bye to Bassitt, Olson and soon to be Matt Chapman.

#3 Olson led in many categories for the A’s at different times with on base percentage .371, 101 runs, 153 hits, 35 doubles, RBIs, home runs and walks with 88, 74 base hits, and four stolen bases.

#4 The in picking for players from the Atlanta Braves in the Olson deal two right handed pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes, catcher Shea Langeliers and outfielder Cristian Pache. Langeliers could be the key player in the deal a number one draft choice for the Braves. A’s team vice president Billy Beane might have some of that Money Ball magic going again and have himself a core of players in the works.

#5 Amaury talk about Matt Chapman being on the trade block bubble he’s the All Star third baseman the guy that A’s fans sought in their pack of baseball cards he’s very close to being no more and the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies are shopping Chapman hard core he might get a crazy Bryce Harper type contract.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzaelz at the mic for Oakland A’s Spanish radio beisbol all season long on flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Olson the latest to leave A’s in early season fire sale; Oakland picks up four players from Braves

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former A’s slugger Matt Olson is seen here getting into the swing of things against catcher Tom Murphy (left) and the Seattle Mariners on Sep 21, 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum. Olson was dealt to the Atlanta Braves on Mon Mar 14, 2022 in five player deal (AP photo file)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–Some are calling it an early fire sale the Oakland A’s might call it a rebuild to going young and getting some value for their former veteran players such as former A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt who left Oakland for the New York Mets.

Household names are sliding off the A’s roster and the latest pitcher Matt Olson is going back to his native hometown Atlanta. The former first baseman is going to the Braves in exchange for two right handed pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes, catcher Shea Langeliers and outfielder Cristian Pache.

As the A’s get four players for Olson, Olson was selected to the American All Star team in 2021 and hit .271, 39 home runs, 111 RBIs, in 156 games. Olson offensively was part of the heart and soul of the A’s line up during his days under former A’s manager Bob Melvin.

Olson led with on base percentage .371, 101 runs, 153 hits, 35 doubles, RBIs, home runs and walks with 88, 74 base hits, and four stolen bases. While it might not make sense to the average A’s fan that players like Bassitt and Olson have gone to greener pastures of money the A’s have been here time and time again.

This is a rebuild on the part of A’s team vice president and minority owner Billy Beane. He’s back to Money Ball again building from scratch to see if he can get enough veteran and young talent to see if an unpredicted A’s team can break the glass ceiling again and surprise critics and oddsmakers by making the post season. Noted that post season will take awhile but Beane based on his past experience could have one of those unknowns in the works again.

With Cusick, Estes, Langeliers (a number draft choice for the Braves) and Pache you could be assured that Beane has done his scouting report homework and is either counting or assured that this foursome will somehow develop into what his fire sale players were in the past.

It won’t happen over night it took time for Olson, Bassitt, Marcus Seimen, and the soon to be delivered Matt Chapman were on rebuild status but in a season or two maybe the third season you might see one of the foursome of Cusick, Estes, Langeliers, or Pache make some headway.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: From Defecting his Country to World Series MVP

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Atlanta Braves Jorge Soler holds the 2021 World Series MVP Award in the Braves defeat of the Houston Astros on Tue Nov 3, 2021 at Truist Park in Cobb County GA (photo by the New York Times)

From Defecting his Country to World Series MVP

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Although there are no diplomatic relations between the US and communist Cuba, that has not stopped dozens of Cuban baseball players escaping the island for years now. They have traveled via small homemade rafts in the middle of the night (very dangerous journey) or when their national team plays in a foreign country. They ask for political exile. Later, these players find their dreams, to play in the major leagues.

Jorge Soler of the Atlanta Braves in one of those Cuban players. He just won unanimously the Most Valuable Player of the 2021 World Series. Their first World Series championship since 1995. After leaving Cuba, under awful circumstances, Soler was signed by the Chicago Cubs to a 9-year $30 million contract.

In 2016 was traded to Kansas City for reliever Wade Davis, two years later he fractured a toe in his right foot and missed the rest of the season. With the Kansas City Royals. Jorge Soler established their new season home run record. In 2019 Soler’s 48 home runs, broke the previously home run record for the Royals, held by Mike Mustakas of 38 home runs in 2017.

During the NLDS on October 12 Soler tested positive for covid a few hours before the Braves played the decisive Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He had to leave the stadium and remain away from the team for at least 10 days, also missing the first 4 games of the NLCS against the LA Dodgers. He returned last Thursday for the World Series and the rest (like they say) it is history.

The slugging outfielder has come full circle with a great performance in the 2021 World Series, especially the 3 run home run in the third inning of the six game, a line-shot over 440 feet, that left Minute Maid Park, “A la calle” into the street. The Braves won 7-0 against the Houston Astros and that home run was crucial to open the scoring as the Astros were under pressure against great pitching for 6 innings from their star left-hander Max Fried.

World Series MVP Jorge Soler from Pinar del Río, Cuba (province famous for producing the best cigars in the world) hit, .300 with 6 hits, 4 home runs, 6 runs batted-in, 4 runs scored and 3 walks.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s on flagship station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s World Series News and Commentary podcast: Miracle Astros come back and keep coming back

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Houston Astro Jose Altuve gets congratulations after scoring on a single in the top of the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game 5 of the 2021 World Series at Truist Field in Cobb County (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaruy’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, it really says a lot about the Houston Astros that they could come back after the Atlanta Braves hit a grand slam in the first inning and the score twice in the second and third innings and three times in the top of the fifth in game four.

#2 How remarkable is it for the Astros who were down 3-1 have now cut the lead to just one game for the Braves at 3-2. The series goes back to Houston for games six and possibly game seven.

#3 If the Astros can pull it off at Minute Maid Field tonight and force a game 7 what will they say about about manager Dusty Baker whose been a bit of a strategist in this World Series?

#4 It looks like last game 5 will be one that will be for the ages if the Astros come back and win games six and seven it will be game 5 that will long be talked about by both sides the Braves and Astros.

#5 Amaury talk about the pitching match ups for tonight’s game in Houston. The Braves have announced that Max Fried will go in game six and the Astros will start Luis Garcia for tonight.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez has called past World Series on Spanish national radio and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

World Series podcast with Michael Duca: Astros get key hitting in 2nd inning and from Altuve to tie series

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker oversees the Astros tying up the series in game 2 at Minute Maid Field against the Atlanta Braves on Wed Oct 27, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the World Series podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael with the Houston Astros winning it they proved they won’t go quietly in the night tying up the series against the Atlanta Braves 1-1.

#2 Astros got a four run second inning off Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried. Fried just struggled to keep runners off base with pitching five innings, seven hits and six runs.

#3 The Astros Jose Altuve kept things alive with a run scored in first and a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Altuve has been clutch in the post season and in game 2 was no exception.

#4 Astros starter Jose Urquidy pitched five innings, gave up six hits and two runs and had all his pitches working for him to keep a challenging Braves line up off balance on Wednesday night.

#5 Game three moves to Atlanta the Astros will start Luis Garcia and for the Braves Ian Anderson will oppose Garcia a 5:09 pm first pitch in Cobb County how do you see this series moving back to Atlanta?

Michael Duca does MLB commentary throughout the post season for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: World Series in Atlanta is better than All Star Game

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

MLB 2021 World Series logo (sportslogos.net image)

World Series in Atlanta is better than All Star Game

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaurty Pi-González

The Atlanta Braves eliminated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth game of the NLCS and they are now in the World Series for the first time since 1999. We remember what happened last summer when Major League Baseball relocated the 2021 All Star Game from Truist Park in Atlanta, because of a new voting law in the State of Georgia.

Now the Braves will have a chance to play in two (maybe three) games of the 2021 World Series that begins next Tuesday at Minute Maid Park in Houston, the home of the American League Champions, who took care of the Boston Red Sox. Because the Astros ended with the better record as they won the AL West, they will have the home-field advantage and host games 1 and 2, and possibly (if necessary) games 6 and 7 also at Houston. While the Braves are scheduled to play games 3 and 4 and 5 (if necessary) in Atlanta.

That voting law that Major League Baseball objected and then moved the All Star Game from Atlanta to Denver, Colorado, has not changed. That is still the law of the State of Georgia, plus the All Star Game is one game with a week of festivities, however, now Atlanta is in a much better situation, instead of one game in July, they will have 2, maybe 3 games in the World Series.

This will generate the revenue and some of the prestige and exposure that the City of Atlanta has lost after Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred ordered the game moved from Atlanta to Denver. It is easy if you ask any baseball fan, what you prefer: your city MLB team ballpark to host the All-Star Game, or to be in the World Series.

There is zero competition. It is the World Series. At the end MLB has to eat crow. The law in Georgia was not reversed and the Braves are now in the Fall Classic, which is a much prized event than the All Star Game. Atlanta, Georgia is laughing all the way to the bank.

Some sarcastic remarks made on social media posted stuff like “Mr.Manfred, would you now also move the World Series out of Atlanta for a “neutral” city, while others in Georgia made comments like “Who needs the MLB All Star Game when you get to play in the World Series?”

I have maintained for years that sports leagues should stay away from politics, but that seems to be impossible these days in our country. And it happens from leagues, fans, government and so on, everybody wants to be in this soup and not only in the US, but in some cases it has international repercussions.

Example: Last week Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter called China’s leader Xi Jinping a, “brutal dictator” on social media and spoke into the camera, about the culture genocide in Tibet. Immediately the television carrier of NBA in China banned all Boston Celtics games inside China, a market of 1.4 billion people. That would never happen here in the US, but in China the communist government controls all media and they do not allow any criticism against the communist party of their leaders. Free speech is a commodity that China does not understand.

The last time the Atlanta Braves played in the World Series was 1999 as they were swept by the New York Yankees. In 1995 the Braves won their only World Series championship since they play in Atlanta as they defeated the Cleveland Indians in six (6) games. The Houston Astros are favorites to win it and give manager Dusty Baker his first World Series title.

Dusty Baker will be the second oldest manager (72 years) to reach the Fall Classic. Only Jack McKeon was older (by days not years than Dusty), when he took the Florida Marlins to the 2003 World Series to win it in six (6) games over the New York Yankees. Last time Dusty took a team to the World Series was in 2002 when he lost in seven (7) games to the Los Angeles Angels.

I was there in Anaheim with the Giants broadcasting and I know how Dusty felt after that last seventh game. I wish Dusty a better outcome this time, he is a good manager and even a better man. Never heard a player on his teams or the opposition said anything negative about Dusty Baker. The ultimate players manager.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLBCS podcast with Michael Duca: Braves one away from fall classic; Astros on the brink take 3-2 lead game 6 goes back to Houston

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The balls were flying out of Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Wed Oct 20, 2021 in game 4 of the NLCS as the Atlanta Braves Eddie Rosario connected for one of four Braves home runs this one being hit the top of the second inning (AP News photo)

On the MLBCS podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Miguel, what has gone wrong with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1-3) they lost the first two games of this NLCS on ninth inning walks off, they nearly lost game 3 the Atlanta Braves (3-1) had a 5-2 lead but the Dodgers got a eighth inning four run rally, in game 4 not so lucky the Braves win a laugher 9-2 with game 5 in LA tonight.

#2 Did the first two loses of this series kind of take the wind out of the Dodgers sails or were they pretty mentally exhausted from the NLDS with the San Francisco Giants going the whole five games.

#3 How much has been placed on Jose Urias he came in as a reliever in game 2 pitched the eighth in relief was shelled for three hits and two earned runs and started yesterday in game 4 went five innings, gave up five runs on eight hits in his start.

#4 Turning to the Houston Astros, the Astros took a three games to two lead on the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park with a convincing 9-1 lead. This was the Red Sox best chance to take the lead in the series at home but the Astros came out hitting and now home field on Friday night at Minute Maid Field and could win it to advance to the World Series in game 6.

#5 You had many a conversation with Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker and he’s done a whale of a job managing this club to get this far know him talk about his relationships with his players and the job he’s done this season.

Join Michael Duca for the World Series podcast next Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com