Tag: Baseball

Oakland A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) forces out Texas Rangers baserunner Jonathan Ornelas (right) in the top of the third inning for a double play at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Sep 26, 2024 (photo by Mauricio Segura Golden Bay Times)

Texas(75-84). 000 002 000. 2. 5. 1

Athletics (70-90). 002 010 00x. 3. 9 0

Time: 2:29

Attendance: 46,889

Thu Sep 26, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–A Day Which Will Live in Infamy

This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.” ― T.S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men”

Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

— Dylan Thomas, “Do not go gentle into that good night”

Nothing in life became him like the leaving it. —William Shakeskpeare, Macbeth

Pick your choice of which quotation best describes the Athletics’ long farewell to Oakland and the Coliseum that the people who took them away from us put on Thursday afternoon. From Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart throwing in tandem the ceremonial first pitches and Barry Zito singing the national anthem to the last out of the 3-2 A’s win their last ever on their home field.

The “LET’S GO OAKLAND” chants yielded to “SELL THE TEAM” in the top of the fifth, showing that even new habits die hard. Meanwhile, an interesting ball game was taking place. In a battle of rookie righties, the A’s sent JT Ginn, who was 0-1, 4.40 between his August 20 call up from Las Vegas and 12:37 Thursday afternoon He earned the win, going 5-1/3 innings and allowing both of the Rangers’ runs, which were earned.

They came in the sixth inning on a walk to Josh Smith, a single to left by Wyatt Langford, a single to right by Adolis García that scored Smith, and Nathaniel Lowe’s force out of García that first base umpire Jordan Baker had called an inning ending double play.

That ruling was appealed but quite rightly confirmed, allowing Langford to score. In all, Ginn lasted 5-1/3 innings and allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four Rangers. He threw 68 pitches, 43 of which counted as strikes, even his record to 1-1, and reduced his ERA to 4.24.

TJ McFarland, Tyler Ferguson, Michel Otáñez, and Mason Miller, who earned his 28th save, held the visitors hitless and scoreless the rest of the way. Miller, who got four outs, had his ninth inning interrupted by a streaker whose ejection was greeted with spontaneous calls to sell the team, accompanied by scoreboard exhortations of “Let’s Go Oakland,” on the scoreboard and loud speakers. A few stink bombs also found their way onto the outfield after that.

For their part, the Rangers gave the nod to Kumar Rocker, their third overall pick in the 2022 draft and one time first round unsigned choice of the Mets and (I believe) the first major league of Indian descent . The Rangers didn’t give him much support, offensive or defensively.

The A’s scored off him in the third on Jacob Wilson weak ground ball single to third, Brent Rooker’s single to center, and Shea Langlier’s sacrifice fly to left. They picked up their third and final run in the fifth when Wilson led off with a single to left and advanced to second when Langford mishandled the ball, allowing JJ Bleday to drive him in with a two out single to center.

So Rocker’s numbers don’t reflect the quality of his outing Texas, but here they are: Three runs, all earned, on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings. He faced 21 Athletics and struck out a pair of them without walking any. 50 of his 73 offerings went into the book as strikes. The loss left him at 0-2, 3..8. Jack Leiter kept the game a tight one, allowing only two hits and three walks in the remaining 3-1/3 innings.

I usually end my dispatches by listing the next home game’s probable pitchers. There’ll be no more of that for the Coliseum,

RIP.

Oakland A’s baserunner Brent Rooker (25) slides into second base ahead of the throw for a double as Texas Rangers shortstop Jonathan Omelas (21) waits for the throw in the bottom of the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Sep 25, 2024 (photo by Mauricio Segura Sports Radio Service)

Texas (75-83). 302 000 000. 5. 8. 1

Athletics (68-90). 010 000 000. 1. 9 0

Time: 2:49

Attendance: 35,270

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Oakland, CA

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The second day of the three day funereal—whoops!, I mean the final homestand—of the late Oakland Athletics ended with the deceased—I mean, departing—squad falling to the Texas Rangers, 5-1. in spite of having outhit their opponents, 9-8 on Wednesday night.

Neither team offered much in the way of starting pitchers. The Athletics gave the nod to Brady Bosso, a 26 year old rookie southpaw who has bounced up and down earlier this season between double A Midland, Triple A Las Vegas, and the team that will be moving to Sin City.

The rookie began the day with an attractive 1-0, 2.33 big league record, but Basso’s appeal slipped profoundly after what amounted to a cameo, three inning appearance. He was tagged with five runs, all earned, six hits, and the loss.

Two of the hits against him were home runs and accounted for four runs, Wyatt Langford’s two run blast to left in the first and Adolis García’s shot, also to left, in the third. He threw 54 pitches, only 28 of which counted as strikes, to 16 batters, and fell to 1-1, 4.03.

Cody Bradford, the Rangers’ starter, reached the major leagues on May 16 of last year and went 4-3, 5.30 for the World Series champion Rangers. He has done much better this year and managed to bring a 6-3, 3.59 record for a Texas team that was eliminated from playoff contention before the A’s.

I wouldn’t say he turned in a better performance than Bosso, just one that wasn’t as bad. He faced 21 batters over 3-2/3 frames while allowing six hits, three walks, and one, earned, run. He didn’t pitch enough innings to earn the win, which went to Matt Festa, the first of three Rangers relievers.

Festa, like the other two members of the Texas bullpen who worked Wednesday night, kept the A’s off the board. Festa did it for 2-1/3 innings. He gave up two hits and struck out an equal number of batters and improved his record to 6-1, 5.56). Andrew Chafin surrendered a hit and notched a K over 1-1/3 innings, and José Leclerc pitched the final 1-2/3 frames without allowing a baserunner.

.A trio of Athletic relief pitchers shut the Rangers out on a total of two hits in the six remaining innings.. The hits came off Joe Boyle, who pitched the fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes. Hogan Harris (two innings) and Grant Holman (one) disposed of the last ten Rangers to come to the plate.

Oakland’s sole run came with two down in the second inning, when Texas right fielder Adolis Garcia misjudged Daz Cameron’s fly by coming in on it while the ball sailed over his head for a triple and Darell Hernáiz singled him home.

The game was punctuated by repeated and voluminous chants of “SELL THE TEAM” and occasional weaker rendition of “Let’s Go, Oakland.”

Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker had two hit days. Rooker’s were an infield single and a bloop double. Marcus Semien led off the game with his 1,500th career hit.

Thursday, afternoon’s 12:37pm PT game probably will be the last major league baseball game played in the Coliseum or in Oakland. The probable pitchers will be the Athletics’ JT Ginn (0-1 4.40) and the Rangers’ Kumar Rocker (0-1, 2.57). The game has been sold out.

Oakland A’s Shea Langeliers (23) scores a run on Zack Gelof’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning as Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim stands by (right). (AP News photo)

Texas (74-83). 100 011 010. 4. 10. 1

Athletics (68-89). 201 001 001. 5. 6. 1

Time: 2:34

Attendance: 30,402

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Oakland, CA

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–When the second place Athletics defeated the third place Texas Rangers 5-4 in a mock battle between two of the American League West’s also rans in the antepenultimate major league game at the still beautiful Oakland Coliseum this chilly fall Tuesday evening, the outcome of the contest was not at first major concern of the more than 30,000 fans in attendance.

Except maybe for the occasional Ranger rooter or Bochy booster. For the rest, it was a chance to say goodbye to a place that had been a part of our collective experience for 56 years.

The game itself , although close, was for most of its durationon the lackluster side, as befitted its strategic importance. The loudest noise came in the top of the eighth, just before Jonah Heims tied the game at four with his 13th homer of the year, when the crowd exhorted the Fisher King to “‘SELL THE TEAM!”

That chant was matched in the top of the ninth when, with Mason Miller on the mound, the Rangers threatened to break a 4-4 tie. Pure baseball, briefly, had returned to East Oakland. Minutes after Geloff crossed the plate, It continued until Jacob Wilson’s game winning single in the bottom of the ninth. “SELL THE TEAM” resounded once more in the cold Coliseum air.

The nominal home team sent a rookie to the mound, Mitch Spence, making his 23rd big league start and carrying the baggage of an 8-9, 4.30 record with him. He lived up to his mediocre numbers, lasting only 4-2/3 innings and giving up three runs, all earned, on seven hits including a fourth inning solo home run to Nathabniel Lowe, two walks, and two hit batters.

It took Spence 92 pitches to face 16 Rangers in his brief tenure on the mound. The youngster escaped with a no decision that raised his ERA to 4.35. TJ McFarland took over to close down the top of the fifth after Texas had scored their third tally.

The A’s also used the arms Grant Holman (three up, three down, with a strike out in the sixth); TP Jeguson (the same as Holman, but with one more K); Scott Alexander (who surrendered the tying homer to Heilms); and Mason Miller, who earned his second win against two defeats in spite of allowing a couple of hits to go with his two strike outs).

Spence’s opposite number was 12 year big league veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who had gone 5-0 in last year’s post season and was 11–8,3.96 on taking the mound tonight. He performed adequately over his seven innings of work.

One of the four runs he allowed was unearned, He struck out a quarter of the 28 Athletics batters he faced while walking three. He gave up four hits. Of his 90 deliveries, 31 were balls. David Robertson allowed a walk in his eighth inning relief appearance, and Josh Sborz took the loss.

It came quickly. Zack Gelof led off against him in the bottom of the ninth with a single to left. He took off for second while Seth Brown was going down swinging, and Heim’s throw had him beat. But the A’s second baseman’s head first slide evaded the tag, and Gelof was in with a stolen base.

A single to center by this year’s first draft choice, Jacob Wilson, sealed the deal. Wilson also made a heads up play in the top of the fifth, throwing Marcus Semien out at third when the ex-Athletic made the basic mistake of trying to. advance from second on a ball hit in front of him with no one on base behind him.

Lawrence Butler went one for two with a double, a pair of walks, and another pair of pilfered bases, giving him 18 for the year without having been thrown out, the most in either league.

Tyler Soderstrom went two for four and slammed a double 110 mph in first and then a less powerfully hit one that bounced over the right field fence in the sixth. (He got picked off at second).

A large and ambivalent crowd is expected for Wednesday’s, 6:40pm PT encounter at the Coliseum. Southpaws Brady Baso (1-0, 2.33 for the A’s) and Cody Bradford (6-3, 3.59 for the Rangers) will duke it out on the hill.