Tag: Baltimore Orioles

Giants’ offense shows potential, Yaz and McCray lead Giants to 10-0 win in Baltimore; Zaidi’s job could be on the rocks

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San Francisco Giants Grant McCray scores on a Donavon Walton RBI single in the top of the fourth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Tue Sep 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Baltimore, Maryland

San Francisco Giants 10 (73-78)

Baltimore Orioles 0 (84-67)

Win: Blake Snell (4-3)

Loss: Albert Suarez (8-6)

Time: 2:49

Attendance: 23,967

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants’ offense came to life and showed what they were capable of Tuesday night and executed in big RBI situations, as they clobbered one of the best teams in Baseball in the Baltimore Orioles 10-0 on a misty night at Camden Yards.

With the Giants in chaos and just mere days away from elimination, they embarked on their final road trip of the season to play three teams most likely going to the playoffs. With the way they have been playing as of late, it is a road trip that could be a brutal one, especially with leaks and stories coming out about the fate of President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi.

On Sunday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported that the Giants’ ownership had been frustrated with Zaidi, who despite his contract running through next season—a contradiction to Bob Melvin’s introductory press conference when they said Zaidi was signed through 2026—could be out of a job at year’s end.

According to Baggarly, ownership was frustrated with the pace of the negotiations with Matt Chapman, and part owner Buster Posey had to intervene to get the deal done. Baggarly reported that Zaidi was not too keen on Chapman getting a no-trade clause, and that Posey is the one who had to get the no-trade clause.

However, a joint article published today by Susan Slusser and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle painted a different picture. According to Slusser and Shea, while Posey was involved in the negotiations, they went at a more brisk pace than originally reported by Baggarly. Slusser and Shea also reported that Zaidi has been dealing with a recent health issue that required him to be hospitalized.

Another interesting part of Slusser and Shea’s story was that they reached out to Chapman’s agent, the notorious Scott Boras, whom Baggarly did not reach out to, and who expressed his frustration at that fact.

Slusser and Shea acknowledged that Zaidi’s fate is up in the air, and that his job is not entirely safe despite being signed through next year.

Whatever we want to make of it, these two stories, especially with the fact that there are significant contradictions between the two of them, point to a front office in chaos, especially after four scouts were let go by the organization. It sounds like anything could happen, and this will likely hang over the team over the final two weeks of the season.

Interestingly, the Giants began their final road trip in Baltimore as the outskirts of a powerful east coast storm brushed against the city. The last time the Giants were in the Beltway, they were up against the clock as they looked to get out of Washington D.C. before Tropical Storm Debby hit.

The Giants beat the Washington Nationals in a wild ten-inning thriller on Aug. 8 that featured two rain delays and the ejection of Bob Melvin in the top of the first inning. The home plate umpire in that game who gave Melvin the boot was Stu Scheurwater, who would stick Tuesday night’s game as well.

The Giants would once again play spoiler against the Orioles, who are closing in on their second-straight trip to the playoffs, as they came into Tuesday night in possession of the first wild card spot in the American League, and six and a half games up on a playoff spot.

However, Baltimore also came in three games back of the New York Yankees in the American League East. Though considering that winning the AL East would earn the Orioles that dreaded week off, the Giants would be doing the Orioles a major favor by beating them.

Anyway, the Giants would be up against their old friend, Albert Suarez. Suarez pitched for the Giants in 2016 and 2017, going 3-8 with a 4.51 ERA over 40 games in 12 starts.

However, Suarez has since been on a long journey in his fight to get back to the big leagues. After pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, in 2018, Suarez went to Japan to pitch for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2019 to 2021.

Suarez won a ring in Tokyo in 2021, and then he went to the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. Suarez pitched for Samsung in 2022 and 2023.

Suarez returned to the United States and signed a minor league deal with the Orioles on Sept. 15, 2023. Suarez did not make the big club out of Spring Training this year and was assigned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.

However, Suarez was called up by the Orioles and made his long-awaited return to the big leagues on April 17. Suarez made the start that afternoon for the Orioles at Camden Yards against the Minnesota Twins, and gave up just three hits over five and two thirds shutout innings in a 4-2 Orioles’ win.

Suarez has gone on to have quite the return to the major leagues, as he came into Tuesday night 8-5 with a 3.39 ERA. It seemed that he would have a favorable matchup Tuesday night against a struggling Giants’ offense.

However, as Mike Yastrzemski stepped up to lead off the game, it was clear that Tuesday night would not go as expected. Yastrzemski was returning to where it all started for him in 2019. Just six days after Yastrzemski made his major league debut on May 25, 2019, Yastrzemski started his breakout series at Camden Yards against the organization that traded him that spring.

In the opener of that series on May 31, 2019, Yastrzemski hit second and tripled in the first inning, and he led off the second with a home run. Yastrzemski went 4-for-11 in that series, which spring boarded him to his breakout 2019 Season, and well, the rest was history.

Yastrzemski led off the game Tuesday night, and on the second pitch, he hit an absolute bomb to the back of the ballpark in right field, and out onto Eutaw Street. It was Yastrzemski’s 16th home run of the year.

After Brett Wisely knocked in Patrick Bailey with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-0 in the top of the second, Yastrzemski golfed out a low changeup and lined a base-hit to right, which scored Grant McCray to make it 3-0. Yastrzemski’s future with the Giants was bleak at the start of the season, but with another solid season, he will most likely be back and in the mix next season.

On the pitching side, Blake Snell took the ball and was once again incredible. Snell gave up just one hit and two walks, and struck out 12 over six shutout innings. Just think of what the Giants can get if they are able to extend him and give him normal springs.

Another man who would have a big night was Grant McCray. After a big two games in San Diego against the Padres on Sept. 6 and 7, McCray went 2-for-26 in his next seven games. He was looking to reverse his first big league slump, and he did so in a big way tonight.

McCray went 2-for-3 tonight with a pair of walks, and a pair of stolen bags. He singled, stole second and scored on a base-hit by Donovan Walton in the top of the fourth. He also singled, stole second and scored as part of a six-run top of the ninth for the Giants.

The fact that the Giants manufactured nine runs and went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position against a strong Orioles’ team tonight made this season all the more frustrating and disappointing. They showed that they had it in them to have a consistent strong offense and make a run at the playoffs.

This was the kind of baseball the Giants played when they won 10 of 12 at the end of May, and when they got hot again at the end of June and the beginning of July. If only they could have stuck by this kind of baseball throughout the season, I can’t help but think that things would be quite different right now.

With a healthy Jung-hoo Lee returning next season, a decent young core in place, and Bryce Eldridge possibly coming up next season, all this team needs is some off-season additions and a different philosophy, and next season could be something special.

Blake Snell got the win, and Albert Suarez took the loss after giving up four runs and just three and a third innings. The Giants improve to 73-78, which means they will not lose 90 games.

Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 4.74 ERA) will make the start against the Birds Wednesday night. He will be opposed by Dean Kremer (7-9, 4.10 ERA). First pitch will once again be at 6:35 p.m. in Baltimore, and 3:35 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

Matt Chapman made the trip to Baltimore with the Giants, but he had to leave for Arizona to tend to his wife, who is about to go into labor for the birth of their child. The Chapmans were hoping it could have happened next week when the Giants are in Arizona, but nature had its own plans.

Casey Schmitt is on his way to Baltimore, but he has yet to be added to the roster.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s Miller going to All Star Game; Oakland opens 3 game series in Boston Tuesday

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller whose been lights out all season in relief has been selected by the American League to represent the A’s at the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington Texas (image from the Oakland A’s)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Oakland A’s reliever Mason Miller has done it all season shutting the door on opposing teams and tossing flame thrower pitches over 100 MPH. He leads all rookie pitchers with saves in MLB with 14, he has 66 strikeouts in 37.2 innings and manager Mark Kotsay says he’ll represent the A’s well at the All Star Game in Arlington.

#2 Tough way to finish the three game series for the A’s on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. The A’s facing the O’s with the series tied 1-1 just couldn’t get enough run production in a 6-3 three run loss Sunday.

#3 The Orioles after getting embarrassed on Saturday in a 19-8 loss to the A’s turned it around on Sunday and opened up the contest with four runs to establish the lead early in the contest.

#4 The Orioles Heston Kjerstad set the tone in the top of the first inning with a three run home run off A’s starting pitcher Mitch Spence. The A’s ended up making three errors in the game for the loss.

#5 The A’s will try to see if they can pick up a series win as they open up a three game series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. The A’s will be sending out Joey Estes (3-3, ERA 4.39) against the Red Sox starter RHP Brayan Bello (8-5, ERA 5.19)

Join Barbara Mason for the A’s podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2024: The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part VII) -Jim Palmer Loves the Coliseum

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Baltimore Orioles broadcaster and former pitching great Jim Palmer who was at the Oakland Coliseum over last weekend with the Orioles (Fox TV photo)

2024: The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part VII) –

Jim Palmer Loves the Coliseum

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND–The Baltimore Orioles visited the Oakland A’s for the last time in their history. One of the great pitchers, the one and only Jim Palmer, was there as a commentator for Orioles television. Jim Palmer won three Cy Young Awards (1973-1975-1976) as the best pitcher in the American League.

Palmer ended his career with a record of 268-152, an ERA of 2.86, and 2,212 strikeouts. In his 19 seasons with the Orioles, he pitched 3,948 innings and never gave up a Grand Slam. Plus, he also won 4 Gold Gloves Awards.

Now, that is a career. Because the Orioles are an Eastern Division team, they only make one trip to Oakland. They won two of the three games against the A’s and remained in first place over the second-place New York Yankees in what promises to be like two horses going down the stretch until the last day of the season, while Alex’s Cora’s the Red Sox are lingering in third place and looking to join the party.

I always speak with Jim Palmer, but because this was the last trip, he always remembers that the O’s were my childhood team, mainly when they used to hold Spring Training in Miami. As a teenager, I worked for them as a bat boy and sometimes ball boy during those Spring Training games in the old Miami Stadium, which used to be the home of the Miami Marlins of the old Florida State League, many years before the current Miami Marlins were born in the National League.

As an Orioles fan, I have followed his career since the 1960’s. They were the first major league team I saw in the US, and it was like my first love with baseball, I could never forget. During this visit to Oakland, he told me he would not attend the official induction ceremony on Sunday, July 21, in Cooperstown because he has a significant personal affair to attend.

This year’s inductees, Adrian Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton, received enough votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America to enter the most famous Hall of Fame in sports. For the record, Jim Palmer was inducted into Cooperstown in 1990.

When I asked Palmer what his magic was in not allowing one Grand Slam in over 3,000 innings he pitched, he quickly responded, ‘I walk the guy.” At 78 years old, Jim Palmer is as sharp as ever. As far as coming for the last time to Oakland, “I love the Coliseum,” he said, referring to Oakland as a pitcher’s park with all the foul territory, where a pitcher gets more outs, something the A’s pitcher Dave Stewart told me years ago.

No pitcher in baseball won more games during the 1970s decade than the right-hander born in New York. Although it was not in Oakland, he pitched a no-hitter against the Athletics on August 13, 1969, at the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Palmer was a spokesman and was shown in television commercials for Jockey brand men’s brief. I told him he probably had more fans of the opposite gender because of those television commercials, and he smiled. But in fact, the commercials did make him more famous than he was in the baseball world.

The same effect happened to another Hall of Fame member, Joe DiMaggio, known as “The Yankee Clipper,” but later generations knew about him as a “Mister Coffee” coffeemaker on television. In a time where a starter that goes six innings and allows few runs, is called a “quality” start, nobody seems able to go the distance, and 20 game winners are like the Dodo bird (no pun intended) an extinct species.

Note: The 1971 Orioles are the last team and only second club in history(1920 Chicago White Sox) to have four 20-game winners in a season the 1920 White Sox were Red Faber, Lefty Williams, Eddie Cicotte, and Dickie Kerr. The 1971 Orioles were Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson in 1971. The only one alive today is Jim Palmer.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Lose 6-3 To The Baltimore Orioles To End Series; A’s Mason Miller selected for All Star Game

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller was selected as the lone representative for the A’s at the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington (Athletics Nation file photo)

Sunday, July 7th, 2024

By Troy Ewers

Oakland, CA – In the Oakland Coliseum, it’s the final game of this series between the Oakland A’s and the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles fell to the A’s, 19-8 in the second game of the series. Baltimore has won seven of their last 10 games after dropping their previous five, the team’s longest since May 13-18 2022 (6 games). On the other hand, the A’s have won four of the last five games, but are 8-18 (.308) over the last 26 games… are 17-40 (.298) dating back to May 5, which is the lowest winning percentage in the majors. 

On the mound for both teams, Mitch Spence (5-4, 4.15) for the A’s and Grayson Rodriguez (10-3, 3.45) for the Orioles. 

Sunday the MLB will announce the rest of the American League and National League All-Star teams at 5:30pm EST. The A’s have announced that pitcher Mason Miller will be their representative at the All Star Game in Arlington. Miller has had an amazing season saving games the leading rookie with 14. Miller also has 66 strikeouts in 37.2 innings.

Two Orioles are already named starters, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. First time the O’s have multiple starters in the Midsummer Classic since Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz in 2014. The A’s couldn’t get some of those 19 runs they scored on Saturday and lost by three runs to the Orioles at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday 6-3. Losing two out of three in the series.

Game started with an immediate bomb being dropped on the A’s. With two outs Anthony Santander hit a solo home run off Spence, 1-0 Baltimore. Right after two straight singles, Heston Kjerstad hits a three run homer and the Orioles take 4-0 lead in the first inning. 

In the third inning, an inning where Santander got on base after Brett Harris lost the ball in the sun, Kjerstad got his second hit and brought Santander home with an RBI triple, because both JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler lost the ball in the sun, 5-0 Orioles. 

A’s show signs of life in the sixth inning with 2 big runs. Tyler Soderstrom hits a double that scored Bleday to make it 5-1, but Shea Langeliers follows up Soderstrom with a sac fly to left that scored Brent Rooker, 5-2 Orioles as we headed into the seventh inning. 

In the seventh, Oakland kept fighting for their life as Bleday hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Butler, 5-3 Orioles still up, but the A’s showed they’re not out. 

The gap being closed to a 2 run game showed life for Oakland, but at the top of the ninth Gunnar Henderson hit a single that scored Jorge Mateo, who pinch ran for Ryan Mountcastle, 6-3 Orioles.

The A’s came into the bottom of the ninth down three runs and one final chance to get the W. Despite one single, the Orioles shut down the A’s and won the game 6-3. 

Grayson Rdriguez gets the win, Mitch Spence gets the loss, and Craig Kimbrel gets the save. 

Both teams have a day off on Monday, but the A’s next series will be Tuesday, July 9th in Boston against the Red Sox with Joey Estes (3-3, 4.39) and Bryan Bello (8-5, 5.19) on the mound for the first game.

Oakland A’s podcast with Titus Wilkinson: All Runs scored by A’s were at the assist of home runs Saturday

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Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (center) is congratulated by teammates Miguel Andujar (22) and Daz Cameron (right) in the top of the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jul 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Titus:

#1 Titus, Saturday the Oakland A’s got a lot of runs particularly in the second inning when they scored seven runs against one of the best teams in the Majors the Baltimore Orioles.

#2 All 19 of the A’s runs were scored by the home run which when you think of it was an tremendous effort by the long ball.

#3 Brent Rooker and Max Schuemann both hit three run homers, the A’s had five home runs total in the 19-8 landslide. The A’s had been struggling for some run production in previous games and this might be a start of their ability to get around the ball.

#4 The A’s previous to this series with the Orioles shut out the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday and Thursday by identical scores 5-0. Do you believe that this was some carry over from that series to this series against the Orioles a close 3-2 loss on Friday to the 19-8 laugher on Saturday?

#5 The A’s give it a go and try and win game three of the series at the Coliseum against the Orioles. The Orioles after that loss Saturday might be out for revenge after getting beat in that landslide.

Titus Wilkinson is podcast contributor at http://www.sporrtsradioservice.com

A’s can’t stop Orioles in 3-2 loss; Baltimore’s Saurez was dealing keeps Oakland off balance

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Baltimore Orioles Albert Saurez was dealing against the Oakland A’s here he pitches in the bottom of the sixth at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jul 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

Baltimore (56-32). 120 000 000. 3 8. 1

Athletics (33-55). 100 000 100. 2. 5. 3

Time: 2:28

Attendance: 9,654

Friday, July 5, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Fresh from having shot down the fallen Angels in three straight ambushes, the ambulent Athletics took aim at the high flying Orioles at 6:40 this warm Friday evening. The birds were an AL East leading 55-32 when Hogan Harris (1-2, 3.18 at the time) threw his first pitch for the 33-54 A’s. The game ended at 9:08 with Baltimore holding on for a squeaker of a 3-2 win and Harris’ record fallen to 1-3, 3.22

Hidden behind Harris’s lackluster 1-2 won record at game time were a decent ERA of 3.18 and three no decisions that came about because the bullpen had blown the save. His appearances with the A’s this year have alternated with a couple of stints with AAA Las Vegas, with whom he went 1-2, 7.67.

This time, after a couple of rocky innings, Harris settled down and did an adequate job of holding the O’s to three runs, two of them earned, over five frames. He gave up five hits and three walks while striking out four. 60 of his 103 pitches went into the books as strikes.

Starting with the left hander Harris, the Athletics used five pitchers, alternating left, right, left down to the bitter end. Tyler Ferguson relieved Harris to open the visitors’ sixth and managed to keep the Orioles off the board. TJ McFarland did the same job more crisply in the seventh.

The only baserunner he allowed came on an error by Zack Gelof. Austin Adams set the guests from Charm City down in order in the eighth. Scott Alexander survived a bases loaded situation in the ninth, riding The Curse of the Leadoff Double to keep the A’s alive only to see them succumb as Craig Kimbrel earned his 22nd save of the year.

The thumbnail biography of Baltimore’s starting pitcher, Albert Suárez , in the team’s media guide should have been printed by Rand McNally. The 34 year old righty has pitched professionally in Princeton, NJ; Wappinger Falls, NY; Port Charlotte, FL; Bowling Green, OH; Charlotte, NC; Montgomery, AL; Little Rock, AK; Sacramento, San Francisco, and San José, CA; Reno, NV; Tokyo; and Daegu, South Korea.

The media guide gives us his lifetime ERA through 2023 in the US minor leagues (3.65), the Japanese major leagues (3.00); the Korea Baseball Association (3.04), and MLB (4.51). It should have told us his GPS. He was 4-2, 2.43 for the Orioles when he toed the rubber in the bottom of the first this evening.

Suárez turned in a fine performance tonight. breezing through six innings while 86 pitches, 63 for strikes, and permitting two runs, both earned, to cross the plate. They came on four hits, two of them home runs, and but one walk. He notched a half a dozen Ks and improved his basic stats to 5-2, 2.48. He was followed on the mound for Baltimore by Jacob Webb, Yannier Canpo, and Kimbrel.

The victorious Orioles feather their nest in the first two innings; after that they were scoreless. They went ahead with an unearned run in the first when Gunnar Henderson, who had led off with a single, moved on to second when Adley Rutschmann grounded out to third, stole third, and kept on running after Shea Langliers’ throw sailed into left field. They picked up another two runs on back to back doubles by Jordan Westburg and Austin Hays, a throwing error by Harris, and four walks. All those walks made both runs earned.

The green and gold on the board with Miguel Andújar’s 408 foot solo home run off an 84 mph cutter from Suárea and another solo shot, this one by Langliers, in the seventh that had Baltimore’s Colton Cowser leaping over the center field fence in a vain attempt to bring it down

The series will continue with two afternoon games this weekend. Both are scheduled to start at 1:07. Saturday’s probable starters are Luis Medina (1-3 , 4.80) for the Athletics and Cade Povich (1-2, 4.05) for the Orioles. For Sunday, they’ll be Mitch Spence (5-4, 4.15) and Baltimore’s Grayson Rodríguez (10-5, 3.45).

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s getting the pitching hoping it overlaps against Baltimore tonight

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Oakland A’s starter JP Sears delivers to the Los Angeles Angels line up in the top of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Jul 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Oakland A’s are getting great pitching out of their starter at least during the Los Angeles Angels series getting back to back shut outs by the same score of 5-0 to sweep the Angels at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 A’s starter JP Sears pitched five innings allowing 2 hits and striking out six batters after his departure the A’s used four relievers to combine for the four hit shutout.

#3 On offense the A’s Miguel Andujar and Brent Rooker hit back to back RBI singles, also Tyler Soderstrom hit a sacrifice fly to add another run. The A’s were able to put together three runs in the bottom of the third inning and they all stood up in the 5-0 win.

#4 After scoring five or more runs in seven straight games the Angels have cooled off in getting swept by the A’s. They couldn’t figure out A’s starter Joey Estes on Wednesday night and Sears and four different pitchers on Thursday afternoon.

#5 The Baltimore Orioles who are a tough customer come calling Friday night to open a three game series against the A’s at the Coliseum. Starting pitcher for the O’s RHP Albert Saurez (2-4, ERA 2.43) LHP Hogan Harris (1-2, ERA 3.18). The A’s are going to have their hands full as the Orioles are first in the AL East winning six of their last ten games and lead two games over the New York Yankees.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Oakland A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s sweep Angels and win three-straight for first time in two months; Sears and Oakland blank LA 5-0

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Oakland A’s catcher Kyle McCann (left) throws to first base to put out the Los Angeles Angels Kevin Pillar in the top of the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Jul 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Oakland, California

Los Angeles Angels 0 (36-50)

Oakland Athletics 5 (33-56)

Win: JP Sears (5-7)

Loss: Roansy Contreras (1-1)

Time: 2:38

Attendance: 11,956

By Stephen Ruderman

OAKLAND–The A’s have finally won three in a row for the first time in two months, as JP Sears pitched five shutout innings, and the A’s completed their sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 5-0 win.

Coming into Thursday, the A’s had not won three in a row since they won six-straight at the beginning of May. Today, on this warm and beautiful Fourth of July at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s had a chance at their first three-game winning streak in two months.

The left-handed finesser JP Sears made the start for Oakland. Sears got off to a decent start in April and May, but he struggled through a brutal June, 0-3 with an ERA of 7.94. Thursday, he was going against the fourth-place Angels in his first start of a new month, which gave him a chance to reset.

Sears started off the afternoon with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning, and Angels’ starter Roansy Contreras pitched a scoreless bottom of the first. Contreras did get some help from Angels’ center-fielder Kevin Pillar, who leapt over the fence in right-center field to take away a home run from JJ Bleday for the first out. Both pitchers then threw 1-2-3 innings in the second.

Sears had retired the first six men he faced, but he ran into trouble in the top of the third. Zach Neto singled to right to start the inning, and Jo Adell walked with one out. Neto advanced to third base when Nolan Schanuel lined out to right for the second out, and Kevin Pillar was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That brought up Taylor Ward, who flew out to center to end the inning.

Brett Harris walked to lead off the bottom of the third for Oakland. Bleday walked with one out, and that brought up Miguel Andujar, who flared a single to left to knock in Harris and get the A’s on the board. Angels’ left-fielder Taylor Ward overran the ball, and that allowed the back runners to reach second and third.

Brent Rooker grounded a base-hit to left field to score Bleday and make it 2-0, and Tyler Soderstrom made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Sears had himself a 3-0 lead going to the fourth, where he pitched a scoreless inning. Hunter Strickland, who came in to finish the bottom of the third for the Angels, also pitched a scoreless inning. Sears pitched another scoreless inning in the top of the fifth, as did Hans Course in the bottom of the fifth.

Sears would be done after five shutout innings. He gave up just two hits and a walk, while striking out six. However, his pitch count of 95 got to him

Osvaldo Bido ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the sixth after hitting Miguel Sano with one out, and walking Willie Calhoun with two away. However, Sears got Neto to pop up to first-baseball Tyler Soderstrom, who ran along the line to make a nice sliding catch in foul territory to end the inning.

Zack Gelof drew a walk off left-hander Matt Moore to start the bottom of the sixth. Gelof then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Lawrence Butler walked, but Brett Harris flew out to shallow center, and Gelof was unable to score.

Max Schuemann then laid down a safety squeeze, and Harris scored to make it 4-0. Schuemann was originally called safe by First Base Umpire Andy Fletcher, as Angels’ first-baseman Nolan Schanuel came in and left the bag uncovered, and second-baseman Brandon Drury had to take the throw at first. The call ended up getting overturned.

Austin Adams pitched a scoreless top of the seventh for the A’s, as did Jose Marte for the Angels in the bottom of the inning. Lucas Erceg pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the eighth, and Lawrence Butler homered out to left-center in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-0.

Tyler Ferguson took the ball in the top of the ninth for Oakland, and he closed this one out with a 1-2-3 inning.

JP Sears gets his first win since May 25, and Roansy Contreras takes the loss. The A’s have indeed won three in a row for the first time since the beginning of May, as they improve to 33-56.

Friday night, the A’s will welcome in a much more formidable foe to the Coliseum in the Baltimore Orioles to start a three game series. Left-hander Hogan Harris (1-2, 3.18 ERA) will take the ball for Oakland, and he will be opposed by the journeyman, Albert Suarez (4-2, 2.43 ERA), who has had himself quite a bounce back season pitching in the major leagues for the first time since 2017.

First pitch at the Coliseum will be at 6:40 p.m.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Orioles Masters of the Draft visit Oakland. Drafted better than Anybody–

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Baltimore Orioles Ryan Hearn (left) and Anthony Santander (right) flex muscles after Hearns solo home run in the top of the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Wed Jul 3, 2024. The first place Orioles open a three game series against the Oakland A’s on Fri Jul 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

Orioles Masters of the Draft visit Oakland. Drafted better than Anybody–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–Before this 2024 season started, the Baltimore Orioles were among the few considered favorites to win the World Series. As they open the season this week at Oakland, they are in first place in the powerful American League West. After losing over 100 games in 2018-2019-2021, they have the strength to be an elite team in recent years, especially this 2024 season. How have they done it?

Some of the best players in baseball who are now playing for the powerhouse Orioles were drafted by this organization, and those years of 100-plus games in the lost column are just a thing of the past. Unlike their biggest rivals, the New York Yankees, the Orioles are not known for signing players to multi-year contracts for hundreds of millions of dollars. Today, the Baltimore Orioles are indeed the masters of the Draft.

These stars were all drafted and are playing for the Orioles, as well as their names and years.

(SS) Gunnar Henderson    2019 (2024 All-Star-starting lineup)

(1B)  Ryan Mountcastle    2015

(3B)  Jordan Westburg     2020

(C)    Adley Rutschman     2019 (2024 All Star-starting lineup)

(OF)  Colton Cowser,       2021

(OF)  Austin Hayes          2016

(OF)  Heston Kjerstad     2020

(OF)  Cedric Mullins        2015

(OF)  Anthony Santander 2017

(P)    Lee Keegan Aikin    2016

(P) Grayson Rodríguez  2018

The A’s open a three-game weekend series against the Orioles this Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum. After Sunday’s game, they go on the road again and will return to Oakland after the All-Star Game recess on July 19 to play the LA Angels again.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s back home to open series with Pirates tonight at Coliseum

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Baltimore Orioles runner Cedric Mullins (right) slides in ahead of the throw as the Oakland A’s Darell Hernaiz (left) waits for the ball in the bottom of the second inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sun Apr 28, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, the A’s rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 at Camden Yards after being down 6-5.

#2 The first place Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel had a blown save the second one in the series where the A’s came back from behind late in the game to win it. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde came out with the trainer during the pitching change to check on Kimbrel.

#3 Hyde said the Orioles had been playing good baseball but the O’s just had a couple unfortunate endings in the series.

#4 The A’s came away with their third road series win for the season an improvement over last season at this pace. The A’s Seth Brown hit a home run and Brent Rooker hit a two RBI single and the A’s scored their most runs out of the ten games on the road trip.

#5 The A’s return back to the Oakland Coliseum Monday night to host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night at 6:40pm PDT starting pitchers for the Pirates LHP Bailey Falter (2-1 ERA 3.33) for the A’s Joe Boyle (1-4 ERA 7.06).

Join Barbara for the A’s podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com