Tag: Baseball

Preview of the A’s and White Sox series in Chicago

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s have a day off on Thursday before they begin a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field starting on Friday.

The A’s are enjoying an entire week in the Windy City as the schedule makers gave them three days with the Cubs, one day off, and three with the White Sox. The A’s finish the eight-game road trip with two against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The A’s need to continue playing well. They trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 1/2 game in the race for the second Wild Card. The A’s swept the White Sox when they met in July at the Oakland Coliseum. They would like to continue their success against the Sox. They need to take two from the Giants as the A’s meet the AL West-leading Houston Astros for four. They then play the AL East-leading New York Yankees for three, and wrap up the homestand with two more against the Giants. The Astros have dominated the A’s this season. They improved their starting rotation at the deadline with the additions of Zach Greinke and Aaron Sanchez. Joe Biagini joined the Astros bullpen.

The A’s will send Mike Fiers to the hill Friday afternoon against the White Sox. Fiers is 10-3 and has an ERA of 3.46. He has been pitching well since early May. He faced the Sox on July 12th and did not allow a run in 7 2/3 innings of work. He will be opposed by former Athletic, Ross Detwiler. Detwiler was a member of the A’s in 2016. Detwiler is 1-2 for the year and has an ERA of 5.72. In his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies, Detwiler went 5 2/3 innings and allowed just two runs.

On Saturday, Tanner Roark will be making his second start as an Athletic, and his first start ever against the White Sox. Roark is 7-7 for the year and has an ERA of 4.14. Roark won his first start as an A last Sunday when he went five innings and allowed just one hit, and as a result, received credit for the win.

Meanwhile, the White Sox will have Reynaldo Lopez handling the pitching chores. Lopez is 6-9 with an ERA of 5.41. Lopez has been pitching well since the All-Star break. In his last five starts, his ERA is a respectable 2.56.

On Sunday, Chris Bassitt will go for Oakland, and he will be opposed by the White Sox’ best pitcher, Lucas Giolito. Bassitt is 7-5 and pitched well Monday against the Chicago Cubs. Bassitt went six innings and allowed two runs. He did not figure in the decision. Giolito is 12-5 for the season. His ERA is 3.44. He beat the Detroit Tigers last Monday as he went six innings and allowed three runs.

The White Sox are 51-62 for the year and are currently in third place in the AL Central. The team is managed by Rick Renteria. Renteria is in his third season with the Sox. He and Frank Chance are the only two managers in history to have managed both the Cubs and the White Sox.

Chicago’s key players to keep an eye on are first baseman Jose Abreu, shortstop Tim Anderson, left fielder Eloy Jimenez, and catcher Wellington Castillo. Abreau and Jimenez are the main power guys. Tim Anderson has 12 homers this season, and he can also do damage. Other players to watch are outfielders Leury Garcia, Ryan Cordell, Adam Engel, and the veteran John Jay.

The A’s have won seven of the last 10 games. They need Matt Chapman to break out of his slump. They still have a lot of power in the lineup. Matt Olson is second on the club with 22 home runs. Marcus Semien has 19. The A’s will have Khris Davis back at DH for the series with the Sox. Davis has 17, but his production has declined since he suffered a hip injury in Pittsburgh. Mark Canha has picked up the slack as he has hit 17 so far this year.

The A’s have 10 players on the roster with 10 or more homers. The A’s have to continue winning. It would be nice if they could take four out of five from the Sox and the Giants. They have to contend with the Astros, which is no easy task. The Astros have an outstanding starting rotation. They have a virtual All-Star team on the field. They are loaded with stars such as Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Yule Guriel, Michael Brantley, George Springer, and Josh Reddick.

The A’s then have a day off to catch their breath and then go up against the mighty Yankees. The A’s will have to be at their best just to keep up with the Rays. A’s manager Bob Melvin will have his team ready. This is the time of the year that the fans will be seeing great baseball.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Farm club hitters busting at the seams for A’s; Davis walks A’s to a victory; plus more

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sfgate.com photo: Oakland Athletics’ Marcus Semien, right, is congratulated by third base coach Matt Williams (4) after hitting a home run off Texas Rangers pitcher Pedro Payano in the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Oakland.

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Taking a look at the A’s triple-A affiliate farm club, the Las Vegas Aviators, they’re a team coming along with 11 home runs in a 20-11 win over El Paso last Friday night.

#2 Amongst some of the Aviators prospects are catcher Sean Murphy who hit three home runs, Jorge Mateo, Dustin Fowler, and Mark Payton with two home runs each.

#3 The Oakland A’s got a walk-off walk when Khris Davis walked with the bags loaded on Sunday. Davis’ home run totals have been down. How much confidence does this give him after forcing a run in on a walk for the game-winner on Sunday?

#4 Josh Phegley. the A’s catcher, is out with a thumb contusion and catcher Todd Hundley was released by the club, Beau Taylor is up with the club plus the A’s have Sean Murphy and in Las Vegas swinging a hot bat.

#5 The A’s host the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The Brewers will go on Tuesday with Adrian Houser (4-4, 4.19 ERA), and the A’s will start Chris Bassitt (7-5, 4.09 ERA).

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Yaz goes 4-5 with two doubles; Bum gets win in narrow 7-6 final; plus more

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sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner pitches to the San Diego Padres in the first innings in Petco Park on Sunday

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 You just never know whose going to contribute to the San Francisco Giants winning causes Mike Yastrzemski went 4-5 with two singles and two doubles in the Giants 7-6 win.

#2 Morris talks about the rookie Yastrzemski whose having a great year for San Francisco .275, 33 runs, 31 RBIs, 9 home runs.

#3 Giants starter Madison Bumgarner had everything working for him except for giving up a three run home run in the bottom of the third inning to Hunter Renfroe that put the San Diego Padres on top 4-2.

#4 Bumgarner pitched seven innings, four hits, striking out six and walking two batters.

#5 The Giants have the day off on Monday and open up a three game series on Tuesday in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank starting for the Giants Tyler Beede (4-5 ERA 4.85) for the Phillies Drew Smyly (1-5 7.69)

Morris does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: Piscotty working on a come back rehabbing in Vegas; Canha filling just fine in right field; plus more

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mercurynews.com file photo: Stephen Piscotty #25 is helped off the field by by manager Bob Melvin #6 and Matt Chapman #26 of the Oakland Athletics after he injured his right leg as he avoids the tag by Luis Rengifo #4 of the Los Angeles Angels sliding into second base in the sixth inning of the game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 29, 2019

On the A’s podcast with Joey:

#1 A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty who has been out for a month due to a sprained knee who injured himself on June 29th in Anaheim is not too sure when he’ll be back but has been rehabbing.

#2 Piscotty will be joining the Las Vegas Aviators the A’s Triple A affiliate for rehab the Aviators will be using Piscotty as a designated hitter in his first game back and as an outfielder in his second game back.

#3 The A’s Mark Canha has started in right field in 18 of his last 20 games during Piscotty’s absence Canha has hit 18-68 for average .265 and on base percentage of .375.

#4 The A’s opened up Mount Davis for fireworks night on Saturday night sections 335-355 are obstructed views of the outfield but the tickets for those locations are half off.

#5 Starting pitchers for Sunday’s game at the Coliseum for the Texas Rangers Pedro Payano (1-0 ERA 1.50) for the A’s Mike Fiers (9-3 ERA 3.57).

Joey Friedman does the A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsrasdioservice.com

Tatis, Jr., goes yard in Padres win

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photo from sfgate: San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. gestures after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Saturday, July 27, 2019, in San Diego

By Jeremy Kahn

If the San Francisco Giants want their streak of series wins to continue, they will have to do it in the series finale.

Wil Myers drove a double into the left-field corner to break up a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning that scored Hunter Renfroe, helping the San Diego Padres to a 5-1 victory over the Giants at Petco Park.

The win by the Padres stopped an eight-game losing streak at home, and it was just the fifth loss in the last 23 games for the Giants.

Cal Quantrill went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on just three hits, walking four and striking out four to pick up the win for the Padres and put a stop to a six-game losing streak against the Giants.

It was a tough loss for Shawn Anderson, as the right-hander went five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out seven.

Fernando Tatis Jr., made matters worse for Anderson in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he hit a two-run home run that was just out of the reach of Kevin Pillar in center field.

It was a huge night for Tatis, Jr., as he went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in, with one of those three hits being his 17th home run of the season.

The Giants’ only run of the game came in the top of the sixth inning, as Pablo Sandoval singled to left-center field scoring Mike Yastrzemski from second base.

Greg Garcia put the finishing touches on the scoring, as he hit a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the sixth inning that scored Myers and Luis Urias.

NOTES: Minor League pitcher Logan Webb was reinstated after serving an 80-game suspension, Webb was serving the suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. To make room for Webb on the 40-man roster, Ty Blach was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner looks for his first win on the road since May 18 when he takes the mound in the series finale on Sunday afternoon for the Giants. Since that win in Arizona, Bumgarner 0-2 with a 4.79 earned run average in four road starts.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders’ Gruden expects Carr to lead team in offense; Jimmy G has a brand new knee, looking good in drills; plus more

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Photo credit: @NBCSRaiders

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 What are the expectations of Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden for quarterback Derek Carr and will Carr get the protection he needs?

#2 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo says that it was a tough process to rehab from the ACL injury he had last season, but says he ready and he’s agile and mobile.

#3 You can’t win them all. The SF Giants took on the NL Central first place Chicago Cubs and lost two out of three. The Cubs are one of baseball’s toughest clubs in the majors.

#4 The A’s are a wild card team, but for them to play catch up to the Houston Astros is a reach. The A’s lost two out of three to the Astros, including an 11-1 laugher to open the series on Thursday.

#5 Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Andre Iguodala’s move to the Memphis Grizzlies was like a punch in the gut and Iguodala’s absence will no doubt impact the Warriors as he was considered one of the best presences on the club.

Tony Renteria does the Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Despite loss to Astros, A’s had competitive road trip

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Photo credit: @sbgglobal

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 The Oakland A’s dropped their second game of the three-game series 4-2 to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field in a Wednesday matinee.

#2 The A’s went 3-4 on the road trip, splitting a four game series with the Twins and losing two out of three with the Astros. The record reflects how competitive the A’s are.

#3 The Astros’ Justin Verlander improved his record to 13-4 and pitched six innings, two hits, two walks, and 11 strikeouts.

#4 The Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt went six innings with five hits and four runs. Although he got the loss, Bassitt had a decent outing.

#5 The A’s host the Texas Rangers starting Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The Rangers will start Ariel Jurado (5-6, 4.92 ERA), and for the A’s, Brett Anderson (9-5, 3.82 ERA).

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

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Pacquiao can still win at 40; Wizards trying to sign Beal; plus more Wiz

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Photo credit: @MPac_Foundation

On Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 Manny Pacquiao thrilled them again last Saturday night. Pacquiao won and is now with a record of 62-7-2 and 39 KOs. It was a 12-rounder won by the 40-year-old Pacquiao.

#2 The Washington Wizards have offered guard Bradley Beal a three-year deal worth $111 million. Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said he wanted to sign Beal at the first opportunity he got.

#3 Detroit Tigers outfielder Nick Castellanos says that Comerica Park in Detroit is a joke. Castellanos says that one day his hair will turn gray, it’s something you can’t control how. Castellanos said he hit a homer to center right for some 372 feet.

#4 Is Derek Carr quarterback for the Oakland Raiders playing for his job? Or is he playing for someone else? The Raiders will be looking for a quarterback that can not only get them wins, but enough of them to get to postseason?

#5 Here’s the San Francisco Giants, who were living in last place most all season, but are now just 2 1/2 games out of first place for the National League Wild Card.

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Astros get 3 homers off A’s Homer Bailey in 11-1 laugher

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Before the start of Monday night’s beheading at Minute Maid Field in Houston, the A’s had won eight of 10 games and were one of the hottest teams in the show. They had a little going for them before this current series in Houston.

#2 About Monday’s 11-1 loss to the Houston Astros, the A’s starter Homer Bailey was serving up the homer to the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, Yuli Gurriel, and JD Diaz

#3 The Astros got the bulk of their runs four in the second and seven in the third inning. That’s all they needed for the 11-1 win.

#4 The Astros’ Gerritt Cole pitched for seven innings, two hits, one run earned, and 11 strikeouts. Cole had command over a tough A’s lineup.

#5 The A’s have now lost two straight games and play game two of the series in Houston on Tuesday night. For the A’s, Mike Fiers (9-3, 3.64 ERA), and for the Astros, Wade Miley (8-4, 3.25 ERA).

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Cubs’ Garcia and Schwarber start game with 2 big flies; Twins get rare triple play against Angels; plus more

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Photo credit: @robelgarcia16

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

#1 The Chicago Cubs got a splash hit and a home run at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Monday night. Robel Garcia hit a tremendous drive into McCovey Cove and Kyle Schwarber hit his 22nd home run of the season.

#2 The Minnesota Twins got a 5-4-3 triple play in the first inning on Monday night when the Los Angeles Angels’ Edwin Encarnacion hit a grounder to Twins third baseman Luis Arraez, who tagged third and relayed the throw to second with the Twins’ Jonathan Schoop covering and Schoop threw to first baseman Miguel Sano for the triple play.

#3 The Houston Astros pitcher Gerritt Cole is the second fastest pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in baseball history and he did it against the Oakland A’s in a 11-1 rout. For the A’s, it was their second straight loss, and for Cole, he was in total command and showed why he reached 200 strikeouts so quickly.

#4 As the trade deadline gets closer, the San Francisco Giants; key pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith are up for grabs. There also has been talk that Giants manager Bruce Bochy has talked with team president Farhan Zaidi about possibly keeping Bumgarner and Smith. It’s possible the Giants might not move them the later it gets.

#5 Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow says with the roster, the Astros have they could win the whole thing. Luhnow said that with the four starters they have, they can win on good pitching and get deep into the postseason.

Amaury Pi-González is a pioneer in establishing Spanish baseball radio play-by-play in the Bay Area that dates back to 1970s. The Spanish broadcast for 72 games are heard on KIQI 1010AM/990AM with studios in San Francisco, serving also the Sacramento/Stockton market and does That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com