Tag: Baseball

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

There was good news and bad news in the loss the A’s suffered Wednesday night at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

The good news was that A’s starter Kendall Graveman went six innings, threw 112 pitches, struck out seven and allowed just three earned runs on six hits. The bad news was that it wasn’t good enough to get his first win of the year. Graveman took the loss and is now 0-5, but his ERA improved to 8.89.

Doug Fister made his first start since April 9 and didn’t make it out of the fifth inning. The A’s had chances to score early in the game but couldn’t get a needed hit to put runs on the board. Fister threw 105 pitches in 4 2/3 inning of work and left the game trailing 2-1.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the top of the third. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien singled with one out. Fister retired the hot-hitting Jed Lowrie, but could not get by A’s DH Khris Davis. Khrush sent a Fister pitch over the fence in right center field to give the A’s the lead. Texas scored a run in the bottom of the fourth. Joey Gallo started the rally with a single to right. Ranger first baseman Ronald Guzman singled to send Gallo to third. Catcher Juan Centeno hit a ground ball to Jed Lowrie, who got the force out at second, but Centeno beat the relay to first. The A’s challenged the call, but the call was upheld and the run was scored. The A’s lead 2-1 after four.

In the bottom of the fifth, Graveman retired the first two hitters he faced. Jurickson Profar doubled and scored on a single by Nomar Mazara, who went to second on the throw home. Graveman walked Joey Gallo to put men on at first and second. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, playing third base in place of the injured Andre Beltre, singled to drive in Mazara to put the Rangers ahead 3-2.

The Rangers added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. The big hit was a triple by Guzman to drive in the Rangers’ fourth run.

The A’s could do nothing in the ninth, and their four-game winning streak was over.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s record is now 13-12. The Rangers improve to 9-17

The line score for Oakland was two runs, four hits, and two errors. Texas improves to 9-17. Their line was four runs, eight hits, and one error.

Khris Davis’ home run was the seventh of the season and the 19th in 44 games against Texas.

Reliever Ryan Buchter left the game in the seventh inning after facing one hitter. Buchter complained about shoulder stiffness.

Up Next: The A’s are off Thursday, and they head to Houston to face the World Champion Houston Astros for a three-game series. Friday night’s game will be a battle of two excellent pitchers. The A’s Sean Manaea will be making his first start since he threw a no-hitter last Saturday night against Boston. Manaea is 3-2 and has an ERA of just 1.23. The A’s will face Houston’s Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel is a former Cy Young award winner and is 1-3 for the year, but he has a respectable ERA of 3.10. Game time will be at 5:05 pm PT.

Photo credit: @athletics_fanly

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was an old-fashioned pitching duel for the first five innings of the Tuesday night game between the Oakland A’s and the Texas Rangers. Andrew Triggs, who did not have a good outing last week against the White Sox last week, was on the top of his game as he and the Rangers’ Cole Hamels each shut down their opponents’ offense for the first five innings.

Things changed in the sixth. Hamels retired the first two hitters he faced. Mark Canha, who has played well since his recall from Nashville, hit a flyball to deep right field. Rangers’ right fielder, Nomar Mazara, appeared to have made the catch but his wrist hit the wall, and the ball dropped out of his glove, and the A’s had the lead 1-0. For Canha, it was his third big fly of the season. The Rangers tied the game in their half of the sixth. Delino DeShields reached safely when he laid down a rarely seen push bunt. The ball was placed between first baseman Matt Olson and Triggs. Olson fielded the bunt but no one covered first, and DeShields was safe. Triggs nailed Shin-Soo Choo with a pitch to put men on at first and second with no out. With Mazara at-bat, Triggs and A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy got mixed up on what pitch was coming, and the ball got past Lucroy to advance the runners. Lucroy was charged with a passed ball. Triggs walked Mazara to load the bases. Rangers’ veteran third baseman hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in DeShields with the tying run.

The A’s regained the lead in the top of the seventh. Lucroy doubled to start the inning but was thrown out at third. Marcus Semien followed with a double and that hit ended Hamels’ night. Matt Bush walked Matt Joyce who was pinch-hitting for Chad Pinder. The next hitter, Jed Lowrie doubled to drive in Semien with the A’s second run. With Khris Davis hitting, Rangers’ catcher Robinson Chirinos saw Joyce a little too far off third base and nailed him with a throw to Beltre for the second out of the frame. Davis then grounded out to end the threat.

The A’s scored another run in the eightth when Matt Olson doubled to drive in Matt Chapman from first base. The Rangers got a run back in the bottom of the eighth. Blake Treinen relieved Ryan Dull with one out. Rangers’ DH Shin-Soo Choo lined a shot of Treinen’s leg for a single. Treinen had to leave the game, and there was no word on the extent of the injury. Bob Melvin brought in Lou Trivino to pitch. Trivino struck out Mazara for the second out, but Adrian Beltre singled to deep right-center field to drive in Shoo. Beltre pulled up limping as he injured a hamstring and had to leave the game.

The A’s called on the veteran Santiago Casilla to close out the game. Casilla retired the side to preserve the win for Oakland. The A’s win 3-2.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s improve to 13-11, and the Rangers fall to 8-17. Andrew Triggs improved to 2-0, and his ERA lowered to 4.70. Cole Hamels took the loss for Texas and is now 1-4 with an ERA of 4.41. Casilla picked his first save of the season.

Up Next: Game 3 of the three-game series will feature Kendall Graveman (0-4, 10.07 ERA) will be looking for his first win, and he will be opposed by the tall righty Doug Fister who will be making his first start since April 9th. Fister is 1-2 with an 3.59 ERA. Game time will be at 5:05 pm PT.

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s defeated the Texas Rangers 9-4 to start the nine-game road trip on a high note. A’s pitcher Trevor Cahill made his second start of the year, going five innings and allowing seven hits and three runs. He was opposed by lefty Matt Moore, the former San Francisco Giant, in his first year as a Ranger. Moore also went five innings and allowed three runs.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the top of the third. Marcus Semien singled to start the inning. Moore walked Stephen Piscotty to put men on at first and second with no out. Moore retired Jed Lowrie for the first out. Designated hitter Khris Davis doubled down the left field line to drive in Semien and Piscotty with the first two runs of the night.

The Rangers cut the deficit to one in their half of the third. With men on at second and third, Cahill uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Isiah Kiner-Falefa to score. The A’s got the run back in the fourth. Mark Canha doubled and scored on Chad Pinder’s single to center. The lead didn’t last long as the Rangers tied the game when Cahill made a mistake to Rangers’ catcher Robinson Chirinos. Chirinos, hitting a buck 53, hung a curveball and with Jurickson Profar on base, tied the game.

There was no more scoring until the ninth inning.

Marcus Semien, on the first pitch from Kevin Jepsen, homered to give the A’s the lead 4-3. The A’s scored five more times to make it 9-3. A’s manager Bob Melvin let Ryan Buchter start the ninth. Buchter retired the first hitter and then was replaced by Chris Hatcher.

The Rangers were able to score a run, but Hatcher was able to retire Profar and Chirinos to end the game.

Game Notes: The A’s line score was nine runs on 14 hits and one error.

The Rangers line was four runs, seven hits and no errors.

Ryan Buchter received credit for the A’s win. Jepsen took the loss for the Rangers.

Semien, Canha, Davis, Matt Chapman, Jake Smolinski, and Jonathan Lucroy all drove in runs for Oakland. For Smolinski, it was his first RBI since late in the 2016 season. Jed Lowrie continued his hot hitting as he had two more hits.

The A’s have won seven of the last eight games played and are now 12-11 for the year. The Rangers drop to 8-16.

Sad News: The A’s announced that former owner Ken Hofmann passed away at age 95. Hofmann purchased the team along with Steve Schott, in late 1995 and sold the team in 2005. The A’s went to the playoffs three times during his tenure.

Up Next: Game two of the series will be played Tuesday night in Texas. Game time will be at 5:05 pm PT. Andrew Triggs will pitch for Oakland. The Rangers’ ace, Cole Hamels, will be on the hill for Texas.