Tag: Bob Melvin

Report: The battlin’ A’s may be back – Butler and Valencia “scuffle”in clubhouse

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butler  valencia

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Multiple reports have the A’s Danny Valencia and Billy Butler involved in a clubhouse scuffle on Friday night in Chicago. The reported altercation resulted in possible injuries to Butler that kept him out of the games with the White Sox over the weekend.

The first report of the altercation came from the San Francisco Chronicle. Jane Lee of MLB.com reported she had received confirmation of the confrontation between the two players.

A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters on Saturday that Butler would be unavailable to play due to nausea and vomiting not related to the flu. Butler would normally been in the lineup at DH both Saturday and Sunday as the White Sox started left-handed pitchers.

Valencia started the game on Saturday night versus the White Sox and kicked off a mini-rally by hitting his 15th home run of season to lead off the ninth inning. He did not play on Sunday.

The Chronicle did ask Valencia about the incident on Sunday and he responded, “No comment. What happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.”

USA Today is reporting that the incident started when Butler told a shoe representative that Valencia was not wearing the cleats that he claim to be wearing.

Butler and Valencia were teammates in Kansas City in 2014 and then were reunited last season in Oakland.

Valencia has been with six different teams in his seven years in the major leagues. The rumors that have followed him have been that he is not a good teammate or that he is difficult to get along with in the clubhouse.

Eric Hosmer of the Royals would appear to disagree with that assessment:

Coco Crisp of the A’s seems to be in agreement with Hosmer:

Hosmer is a former teammate of Butler and Crisp is a current teammate and neither had any comment about the Designated Hitter.

There will certainly be more to this story and we will bring it to you as it breaks. It will be interesting to see who is in the lineup tonight for the Athletics. Cleveland is planning on starting the right-handed Carlos Carrasco so Butler would not be the starting DH.

Oakland A’s Saturday game wrap: Sale too much for A’s hitters, Sox win 6-2

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Abreu

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Chris Sale was the first pitcher to win 14 games in the major leagues. It took him six games and 49 days to book his 15th win of the season. Win number 15 came on Saturday night in Chicago against the Oakland Athletics by the score of 6-2.

Sale pitched eight innings of scoreless baseball and gave way to his bullpen to close out the game in the top of ninth inning. The A’s seized on the opportunity to face someone else other than Sale and had the tying run on deck when Chad Pinder flied out to deep center field just three feet from the fence with two men on base for the final out of the game.

The Oakland loss ties the series at one game apiece with the rubber game of the match to be played on Sunday afternoon.

On the Bump

Left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale (15-6) was the story of the night for the White Sox. The 6-foot-6 Sale came out and took control of the game from the beginning. He gave up no runs on just three hits. Sale faced 29 hitters and walked three while striking out eight. Sale wanted the win so badly he threw 120 pitches (74 strikes) in pursuit of the victory.

Nate Jones came on in the top of the ninth inning to close the game out for Sale and proved to be no mystery for A’s hitters. Jones gave up two runs (earned) on three hits and managed to get only one out. He was responsible two runners on base when he left the game.

Closer David Robertson had to enter the game for Chicago. He managed to get Yonder Alonso to strike out and Chad Pinder to fly out to deep center field for the final out of the game. Robertson picked up his 31st save of the season.

LHP Ross Detwiler started for the A’s and had one of those games that a pitcher would like to have erased from his memory. Detwiler (1-2) gave up six runs (earned) on 10 hits in just 4.0 innings of work. He walked one, struck out two and issued one home run. Detwiler threw 81 pitches (55 strikes) in four innings of work. He faced 23 batters. Bottom line, it just was not Detwiler’s night.

The A’s bullpen did all they could do to keep their team in the game. Daniel Coulombe, Chris Smith and John Axford combined to hold the White Sox scoreless over the 4.0 innings. In fact, the A’s relievers did not allow a baserunner in final four innings.

In the Batter’s Box

Every White Sox hitter except DH Justin Morneau had a hit in the game off Detwiler.

Jose Abreu led the way for Chicago going 2-for-3 on the night driving in two runs and scoring two runs. One of his hits was his 15th home run of the season and the other was his 28th double of the year. Abreu now has 66 RBI for the season.

Melky Cabrera went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Sox Saturday night. Cabrera also drove in two runs and scored a run. Cabrera hit his 29th double and recorded his 56th RBI in the game.

Danny Valencia had a 2-for-4 night for the A’s. Valencia started the Oakland mini-rally in the top of the ninth inning by hitting his 15th home run of the season into the seats in right center field.

Chad Pinder made his major league debut on Saturday night in Chicago. Pinder who was called up from Triple-A Nashville when Tyler Ladendorf went on the DL will play second base against left-handed starting pitchers. Pinder went 0-for-4 for the night but made the game interesting when he hit a David Robertson cut fastball that was up in the zone to deep center field with two runners on in the top of the ninth inning. Unfortunately, the ball was about three feet short of going over the wall and White Sox CF Adam Eaton was fast enough to haul it in for the final out of the game.

You’ve got to be kidding me

In the top of the ninth inning with one out and Ryon Healy on at first, Stephen Vogt hit a ground ball on the right side of the infield that was fielded by second baseman Carlos Sanchez. Sanchez tossed the ball to shortstop Tim Anderson. Anderson stepped on second base forcing out Healy and threw to first but Vogt was called safe.

A’s manager Bob Melvin challenged the call at second base. The video replay made it very clear that Anderson did not come within a foot of touching the bag. The call was overturned and Healy was called safe.

What happened next? Brett Eibner hit a line drive single to right that allowed Healy to score and moved Vogt up to second. Replay has changed the game.

Up Next

The plan was for Jesse Hahn to come off the disabled list and make the start versus the White Sox on Sunday. Those plans went on hold when Hahn did not feel right after throwing in the bullpen on Saturday. Hahn had felt good after pitching in Nashville on Tuesday but that was not the case on Saturday.

With Hahn on still on the DL, RHP Zach Neal – who had actually returned to the bullpen – will make another start for Oakland. Neal started last Sunday against the Mariners in Oakland. He worked 5.1 innings giving up five runs on eight hits. Neal has a record of 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA. He has a 7.98 ERA as starter and a 3.15 ERA as a reliever.

The White Sox will send LHP Jose Quintana to the hill on Sunday. Quintana in 9-9 on the year with a 2.85 ERA. This will be his third try at picking up win number 10.

Photo: Chicago Tribune

Seattle beats the A’s 8-4 to win the weekend series 2-1

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neal

Photo by Associated Press Oakland A’s pitcher Zach Neal deals to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of Sunday’s game at the Oakland Coliseum

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND–The Oakland Athletics lost on Sunday to the Seattle Mariners by the score of 8-4. The loss also meant that the A’s lost the series to M’s 2-1. After the success the Athletics had versus the Orioles earlier in the week, losing the weekend series has to be a major disappointment especially as they have to head out on a six-game road trip.

The story of the game was really about starting pitching. The Mariners started left-hander Wade LeBlanc who they acquired from Toronto for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He had made six starts coming into today’s game and had a record of 1-0.

LeBlanc worked six innings giving up 3 runs (all earned) on five hits. He struck out seven A’s batters and walked just one. LeBlanc pitched well enough to get his team to into the seventh inning where the bullpen could take over and put the game away. LeBlanc did get the win and is now 2-0.

Zach Neal – who has moved from reliever to starter – made his second start of August on Sunday. Neal struggled as he had to deal with baserunners in every inning. His pitches were elevated and flat which hurt him against the Mariners strong hitters.

Neal gave up five runs (all earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work. He threw 74 pitches (45 strikes). Neal worked hard but was never able to take command of the game on the mound. He was hung with the loss and is now 2-2 for the year.

Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager was an A’s killer on Sunday as he hit two doubles, drove in four runs and scored a run in his five trips to the plate.

For the Athletics, it was all about the long ball. Khris Davis hit his 30th home run of the season – a two-run shot. Ryon Healy hit his fifth round-tripper since being called up from Triple-A, and Brett Eibner hit his second home run in A’s uniform on Sunday.

Seattle scored eight runs off 12 hits and left seven runners on base. The A’s scored four runs on nine hits and left six men on base.

Seattle is now 62-54 on the season. Oakland is 52-66 for the year.

A Game of Challenges

One the more unusual challenges to an umpiring call was made in the top of fourth inning. Everyone in the Oakland Coliseum – including the Athletics – thought inning was over when they completed a six – four – three double play. Players had left the field. The in-between innings music and videos were playing.

Slowly players, fans, reporters and others began to notice that the umpires had the headsets on to the video replay center. Seattle manager Scott Servais had challenged the double play call saying A’s second baseman Tyler Ladendorf had not touched the base with his foot before throwing to first. Prior to video replay, this was known as the “in the neighborhood play”. If the shortstop or second baseman’s foot was “the neighborhood” or near the base, the defense got the call. With video replay, “in the neighborhood” is a thing of the past. The game was delayed three minutes and 50 seconds for the replay decision to be made.

Video replay overturned the out at second. The A’s had to retake the field as the top of the fourth inning would continue. With Dae-Ho Lee at second base, shortstop Shawn O’Malley came to the plate with two out for the Mariners. O’Malley hit the first pitch from Neal up the middle into center field driving home Lee for fourth run of the game.

As you might expect, the partisan A’s crowd let the umpires at the Coliseum and the video replay officials back East know what they thought of their decision to overturn the call at second when the runner came home to score.

The Athletics also made a successful challenge of their own in the game. In the top of the third inning, Robinson Cano was on first for Seattle with one out. Nelson Cruz hit a ground ball on the left side of the infield that was fielded by Oakland third baseman Ryon Healy. Healy threw the ball to Tyler Ladendorf who stepped on second base but then dropped the ball as he began transfer the ball from his glove to his throwing hand. Second base umpire Marty Foster called the runner safe.

Oakland manager Bob Melvin challenged the call saying Ladendorf had possession of the ball when he touched the bag therefore the runner should be out. It took the MLB Video Replay Center one minute and 21 seconds to agree with Melvin and overturn Foster’s call.

On the Bump

Zach Neal is now 1-2 as a starting pitcher for Oakland this season. He has a 7.28 ERA in those three starts.

Neal’s nightmare with Adam Lind is finally over. Coming into the game on Sunday, Lind had faced Neal twice and had hit two home runs off the right-hander. Lind came to the plate in the second inning of the game on Sunday and hit a 1-2 pitch from Neal into the second deck down the right field line. At that point Lind was 3-for-3 versus Neal with all three hits being home runs. Neal finally induced Lind to fly out to the left fielder in the top of the third inning. Nightmare over.

Daniel Coulombe worked 2.2 innings of relief for Oakland. He gave up three runs (all earned) on four hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Chris Smith worked the ninth inning for the A’s. He gave up no runs or hits while striking out one and walking one.

The Mariners used three relief pitchers – Storen, Caminero and Vincent. Combined they gave up one run on four hits in three innings of work. They struck out two hitters and walked none.

In the Batter’s Box

Marcus Semien who went 1-for-5 on Sunday (double) is batting.300 (15-for-50) for the month of August.

Khris Davis hit a home run in every game of the weekend series with Seattle. 17 of his 30 home runs have been hit in the Oakland Coliseum.

Danny Valencia had a 2-for-4 day at the plate and scored a run.

Norichika Aoki had a 3-for-5 day for Seattle and has now hit safely in 19 of his 20 games with an at bat against the Oakland A’s.

Seattle shortstop Shawn O’Malley went 2-for-5 at the plate including a double, a rbi and a run scored.

Defense

A’s third baseman Ryon Healy made nice diving catch in the top of first inning. With infield in a shift to the right side of the infield for left-handed hitter Kyle Seager, Healy was alone on the left side. Seager hit a flare to left field. Healy turned and ran into left field following the ball over his shoulder while fighting the sun. He stretched out and made a diving catch for the first out of the inning.

Not to be outdone, Khris Davis had a defensive gem of his own in the top of the second inning. Leonys Martin hit a fly ball into shallow left center field making Davis dive, stretch and slide in order to make the catch.

The Athletics did not commit an error in the game.

Doolittle to Rehab in Music City

Sean Doolittle – who has been on the disabled list with a strained left shoulder – is headed to Nashville for a rehab pitching assignment. The plan is to have Doolittle pitch on Wednesday and then again on Saturday. If everything goes as planned, Doolittle would rejoin the big club in Oakland for the Cleveland series that begins on Monday, August 22.

Jesse Hahn Update

Right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn has been on the disabled list since August 5 due to a right shoulder strain. Hahn threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Saturday and if everything is deemed positive medically, he could be headed off to a minor league rehab pitching assignment. If things go well, the plan is for Hahn to start the final game of the road trip in Chicago next Sunday against the White Sox.

Up Next

The A’s left for Texas after the game where they will begin a six-game seven-day road trip on Monday night. Unlike the last several series, the Athletics know their pitching rotation for the Texas games, and there will be no call ups of starting pitchers from Triple-A Nashville. The probable pitching match ups are:

Mon. 8/15 @ Texas LHP Ross Detwiler (1-0, 2.13) vs. LHP Martin Perez (7-8, 4.22) 5:05 PM

Tue. 8/16 @ Texas RHP Andrew Triggs (0-1, 5.50) vs. RHP Lucas Harrell (1-0, 5.74) 5:05 PM

Wed 8/17 @ Texas LHP Sean Manaea (4-7, 4.57) vs. RHP Yu Darvish (3-3, 2.77) 5:05 PM

Seattle moves on to Anaheim where they will start a four-game series with the Angels on Monday night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cubs beat the A’s 3-1 to sweep the series

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

MLB: Chicago Cubs at Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND–The Chicago Cubs made it a three-game sweep over Oakland as they beat the Athletics 3-1 on Sunday. The Cubs supported the outstanding pitching of Kyle Hendricks with some timely hitting and the 104 mph pitches of Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning to nail down the win for Chicago.

The Cubs have now won seven consecutive games and 10 of their last 11 contests. Chicago is a season-high 28 games over .500 with a record of 69-41 which is best in the majors. This was their 10th series sweep of the season.

The A’s have now lost three in a row and eight of their last nine games. Oakland is now 15 games under .500 with a record of 48-63. This was the ninth time the A’s were swept this season.

On the Bump

Kyle Hendricks (11-7) has quietly been one of the most solid pitchers for the Cubs this season. He did not overpower hitters as his fastball topped out at 89 mph on a consistent basis. It was the sinking action of his fastball that caused Oakland hitters to groundout and the change up that kept the hitters off balance that Hendricks used to defeat the A’s.

Hendricks worked 7.1 innings giving up just one run (earned) on three hits. He struck out four batters and walked none. Hendricks entire outing was about control.

Pedro Strop worked 0.2 innings of relief for Hendricks.

Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth inning thrilling the crowd with pitches that hit 104 mph on the radar gun. Chapman did give up a single to the A’s Stephen Vogt, so he is human.

“He pitched great. A couple of swings ended up being two runs for them. Pitching deep into the game for us again. Getting the swings and misses. Using all three pitches. It’s a pretty good line up that other than two pitches he did a great job against,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin evaluating the pitching performance of Sean Manaea on Sunday.

Manaea (3-7) worked 6.0 innings giving up two runs (both earned) on six hits. He struck out four and walked two batters. Both runs came via the home run. Kris Bryant hit his 27th home run of the season off Manaea to lead off the top of the sixth inning and Jorge Soler hit his seventh homer of the year to lead off the seventh inning.

The A’s used five relief pitchers in the game. Reliever Liam Hendriks came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the eight and worked out of that jam without allowing a run. Manager Bob Melvin praised Hendriks for his effort after the game.

Chris Smith who was just added to the A’s roster closed out the game for Oakland working a scoreless top of the ninth inning.

In the Batter’s Box

Marcus Semien was the bright spot for the A’s at the plate against the Cubs. Semien went 2-for-3 on the day. That included him crushing his 23rd home run of the season into the left center field seats which accounted for the only A’s run of the day.

Stephen Vogt and Max Muncy were the only other A’s to pick up hits in the game.

The A’s left three men on base.

Kris Bryant went 2-for-3, scored a run, hit a home run and walked twice in the game. The home run was his 27th of the year which is a new career-high.

Jorge Soler enjoyed being the Designated Hitter as he went 2-for-4. He hit his seventh home run of the season off Manaea.

Anthony Rizzo had a 1-for-4 day that included an rbi. He has now reached base safely in 14 consecutive starts.

The Cubs left eight men on base and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Defense

Yonder Alonso executed the rare unassisted double play in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, the Cubs Ben Zobrist hit a low line drive down the first base line that Alonso snagged with his glove hand. He then stepped on the first base bag to double up the runner – Anthony Rizzo – to end the inning and the Cubs scoring threat.

A rare call by first base umpire Paul Emmel preserved a good defensive play by the A’s. In the top the fourth inning, Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras struck out but the pitch was in the dirt so the batter was able to run to first. Catcher Stephen Vogt fielded the ball and made the throw to first. Contreras ran out of the runners lane to distract Yonder Alonso who was waiting to catch the ball. Alonso dropped the ball but Emmel called Contreras out for leaving the lane and interfering with the play. It is a call that should be made more often.

Notes

Sonny Gray has been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season. Gray was lifted from the game on Saturday when he strained his right forearm in the fifth inning. Gray was on the DL from May 21 to June 4 with a strained right trapezius.

Right-hand pitcher Chris Smith has been promoted from Triple-A Nashville to take Gray’s spot on the roster. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Smith, catcher Josh Phegley has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

This is the 25th time the A’s have placed a player on the DL this season. That ties a club all-time record.

Up Next

The Athletics will stay in Oakland for a four-game series with the Eastern Division leading Baltimore Orioles:

Mon 8/8 RHP Kendall Graveman (7-7,4.46) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (3-8,4.08) 7:05 PM

Tue 8/9 RHP RHP Zach Neal (1-1,5.25) vs. LHP Wade Miley (0-1,7.20) 7:05 PM

Wed 8/10 TBA (probably a call up from Nashville) vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo (4-3,5.47) 7:05

Thu 8/11 TBA (possibly another Nashville call up) vs. RHP Chris Tillman (14-4,3.50) 7:05

The Cubs have the day off on Monday and start a two-game series with the Angles in Chicago on Tuesday.

Blue Jays beat the A’s 5-3 in a strange game

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics
Marcus Semien hits his 20th home run of the season. Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics lost the final game of the three-game series to the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Sunday afternoon, but the A’s still won the series two games to one.

The Sunday game had “weird” painted all over it right from the beginning. Rich Hill started the game for Oakland and the speculation was that it would be his final start as an Athletic because of his trade value. Hill threw five pitches and called the trainer to the mound. A piece of skin came off where he had a blister that caused him to miss a start, and that was it for Hill. His day was over.

The A’s would use seven pitchers in the game but the real surprise was the appearance of starting pitcher Sean Manaea in the second inning of the game. The rookie left-hander was scheduled to start the game on Tuesday versus the Astros. After it was determined that reliever Andrew Triggs could not continue after being hit in the calf with a batted ball, manager Bob Melvin called on Manaea.

Melvin talked about how tough it was to ask Manaea to respond so quickly. “It’s tough to ask the kid to do something like that too. We were going to limit his pitches but we just didn’t have enough bullpen wise to get through the game if we didn’t use him. He responded really well. I’m sure he didn’t come to the ballpark thinking I might pitch today.”

Manaea worked five innings giving up two runs (both earned) on three hits. He struck out four Blue Jay hitters. Manaea did give up a two-run home run to Troy Tulowitzki in the top of the fourth inning. Tulowitzki hit his 16th home run of the season over the center field wall. Manaea did not figure in on the decision in Sunday’s game.

The Tulowitzki home run gave Toronto a 3-0 lead. The Jays scored a run in the that wild and confusing top of the first inning.

The A’s were having to battle the strong pitching of J.A. Happ who entered the game with a 12-3 record. Happ held the A’s hitless through the first three innings.

The A’s broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning when they sent nine men to the plate and scored three runs on four hits to tie the game at 3-3. Marcus Semien started the scoring for the A’s by hitting his 20th home run of the year.

The game remained tied until the top of the ninth when the Blue Jays put runners on base by virtue of back-to-back base hits. With two outs, former Athletic Josh Donaldson stepped in and hit a double to left field that drove in two runs giving Toronto a 5-3 lead. The A’s were unable to respond in the bottom of the ninth and the final score was Toronto 5 Oakland 3.

On the bump

Rich Hill showed reporters his finger and the skin that had come off that finger. It does not look like an injury that is going to heal quickly. Bob Melvin was clear in postgame press conference that Hill was not a candidate to start on Tuesday against Houston.

Andrew Triggs who was hit by a ball on his left calf has a serious contusion. Melvin said they will evaluate Triggs situation again on Monday.

Marc Rzepczynski worked 0.2 of an inning and struck out two batters. Liam Hendricks pitched 1.1 innings and walked one hitter while giving up no runs in relief.

John Axford (3-3) took the loss going 0.2 innings giving up two runs (earned) on three hits. He walked two and struck out one.

Patrick Schuster worked 0.1 inning to close out the game.

Happ worked 5.2 innings giving up 3 runs (all earned) on five hits for Toronto. He struck out five and walked one. Happ did not figure in on the decision.

Jason Grilli (3-1) was credited with the win. Grilli worked 1.0 inning giving up no runs and no hits in his time on the mound.

The save went to Roberto Osuna. It is his 19th save of the season.

In the batter’s box

Marcus Semien went 1-for-4 with a run scored, a home run and a RBI. He now has 20 home runs and 48 RBI both of which are career highs.

Danny Valencia had a 2-for-4 day that included scoring a run. Valencia is now hitting .307 in the 56 games since he came off the disabled list May 6th. There have to be some contending teams that want his bat in their lineup and are willing to part with prospects to get it.

Jed Lowrie went 2-for-4 on Sunday. Lowrie is 6-for-16 (.375) in his four starts as the leadoff batter this season.

Yonder Alonso came into the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and went 1-for-2 hitting a double that was good for two RBI.

Josh Donaldson has reached base safely in 22 straight games and is hitting .388 over that period. He went 2-for-5 on Sunday.

Russell Martin went 2-for-3 on Sunday and scored a run. He is hitting .324 over the last 10 games.

Edwin Encarnacion had a 1-for-4 day but is .394 over his last 20 games.

Notes:

The Athletics were involved in a minor transaction on Sunday as they acquired left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations. Detwiler was pitching for Triple-A Columbus and will be assigned to Triple-A Nashville for the A’s. He will not be on the 40-man roster.

This move was made to shore up the pitching staff in Nashville which has seen so many changes as pitchers have been promoted to Oakland and others have been designated for assignment.

Toronto first baseman Justin Smoak signed a two-year contract extension worth $8.25 million on Saturday. The contract includes an option year that would pay Smoak $6 million if exercised.

“We love Toronto, me and my family, and we wanted to stay here as long as we can,” Smoak said. “So we just wanted to get something done.”

Smoak is currently a role player for the Blue Jays. His signing is seen as protection at first base in case free agent Edwin Encarnacion signs elsewhere.

Up next

Three-game series in Oakland with Houston:

Mon – RHP Kendall Graveman (5-6,4.37) vs. RHP Mike Fiers (6-3,4.35) 7:05 PM

Tue – To be announced vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-9,4.90) 7:05 PM

Wed – RHP Daniel Mengden (1-4,5.54) vs. RHP Doug Fister (9-6,3.64) 12:35 PM

Toronto heads to Phoenix for two games with the Diamondbacks

Pirates beat the A’s 6-3 to sweep the series

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Oakland Athletics
Photo Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND–The Pittsburgh Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday with a 6-3 victory. The A’s finished their five-game homestand with a record of 1-4. Their record at home dropped to 17-26 for the year.

The A’s took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning of the game. Daniel Mengden was pitching well and it appeared that A’s might be on their way to breaking the losing streak. The Pirates came back and tied the game in the top of the fifth inning.

The Athletics scored a run and regained the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning raising the hopes of the fans that a win was coming on Sunday. The Pirates brought eight men to the plate in the sixth inning and scored two more runs to go back in front of the A’s 4-3.

The Pirates tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning when David Freese hit a two-run home run over the right field wall to make the final score 6-3 in favor of Pittsburgh.

Francisco Liriano (5-8) was the winning pitcher. The loss was charged to Daniel Mengden (1-4). Mark Melancon picked up his 24th save of the season.

In the Batter’s Box

Coco Crisp went 2-for-5 for A’s with a RBI. The two hits extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Both of his hits were singles. Crisp’s average is now .247.

Khris Davis had a good afternoon working as the Designated Hitter. Davis went 2-for-4 including a double and a run scored. Davis now has 11 doubles for the year.

Billy Butler got the start at first base today and had some success at the plate. Butler hit a double that was good for a RBI in second inning. In that same inning, Butler scored a run for the A’s.

The A’s scored three runs on 10 hits. They left seven men on base and were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The A’s had four extra base hits – all doubles.

DH Gregory Polanco was the man at the plate for the Pirates on Sunday. Polanco went 2-for-4 with two RBI. He leads the Pirates with 47 RBI.

David Freese who came into the game a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and remained in the game hit his eighth home run of the year in the eighth inning. It was a two-run shot into the right field stands.

Adam Frazier had a 2-for-4 game that featured a double and a triple. Frazier had two RBI and scored a run for the Bucs.

The Pirates scored six runs on 11 hits. They left nine men on base and were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

 

On the Bump

Daniel Mengden – one of the A’s rookie young guns – started the game on Sunday looking for his second victory of the season. Things started off well for the man with the classic mustache. He did give up a hit in each of the first three innings but he also struck out three batters while allowing no runs. The A’s staked Mengden to a two-run lead and it looked like Oakland might be on their way to breaking their three-game losing streak.

Things fell apart for Mengden in the fifth inning as he gave up two runs on two hits. The Pirates were aided by a walk, a hit batsman and fielder’s choice that turned into a run.

Things continued to go downhill for Mengden in the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh scored two more runs on just two hits including a RBI triple by Adam Frazier. Mengden also issued two more walks in the inning and did not finish the frame. Marc Rzepczynski and Liam Hendriks came in to close out the inning.

Mengden worked 5.1 innings giving up four runs (all earned) on seven hits. He struck out five batters and walked four. Mengden threw 99 pitches (65 strikes).

As if things are not going bad enough for the A’s, relief pitcher Fernando Rodriguez took the mound in the top of the eighth inning and had to exit the game after facing one batter. Manager Bob Melvin said it appears to be a shoulder strain. Rodriguez will have a MRI done on the shoulder. Melvin indicated that a trip to the disabled list is a possibility.

Francisco Liriano had one of his better outings of his recent starts. Liriano sat the side down in order in the first inning before giving up two runs on three hits in the second inning. He then settled down and had another one, two, three-inning in the third. After giving up a run on three hits in the fifth, Liriano’s day was over for the Pirates.

Liriano gave up three runs (all earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings on the mound. He struck out two and walked one batter. Liriano threw a total of 88 pitches (53 strikes).

In the Field

The A’s did not commit an error in the game on Sunday. That extends the A’s errorless streak to nine games.

Coco Crisp had a busy day in center field as he recorded four put outs.

Tyler Ladendorf made a very nice play on ground ball off the bat of Adam Frazier in the eighth inning. Ladendorf had to slide to his right on the outfield grass to field the ball and threw the ball from a seated position to throw Frazier out at first.

Game Notes

The A’s have placed catcher Josh Phegley on the 15-day disabled list for a strained right knee. Oakland now has nine players on the disabled list. The team has used the DL 18 times this season … Catcher Matt McBride has been called up from Triple-A Nashville to take Phegley’s place on the roster. This is McBride’s third call-up to Oakland this season. He has appeared in eight games for the big club and is batting .222.

The A’s challenged a call at first in the top of the fourth inning. Starling Marte hit a ground ball on the right side of the infield that was fielded by A’s first baseman Billy Butler. Butler underhanded the ball to pitcher Daniel Mengden covering the bag. First base umpire Gerry Davis called Marte safe. The fan who had six beers and had only one eye opened sitting in the upper deck jumped out of his seat in disbelief. It took the replay officials in New York only 54-seconds to overturn the Davis call and declare Marte out.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was ejected from the game in bottom of the sixth inning of the game by home plate umpire Sam Holbrook. It appeared the ejection was for arguing ball and strike calls.

Up Next

The A’s will close out the unofficial first-half of the season with a seven-game road trip. They will travel tonight to Minneapolis where they will play three games with the Twins. Oakland then travels to Houston where they will open a four-game series on Thursday with the Astros before heading home for the All-Star Break.

The probables for the series with the Twins are:

Mon 7/4 RHP Kendall Graveman (3-6, 4.84) vs. RHP Ricky Nolasco (3-6, 5.31) 11:10 PDT

Tue 7/5 LHP Sean Manaea (3-4, 5.40) vs. LHP Tommy Milone (0-2, 6.23) 5:10 PDT

Wed 7/6 RHP Sonny Gray (3-7, 5.42) vs. RHP Ervin Santana (2-7, 4.50) 10:10 PDT

The A’s rally, then hold on to beat the Angels

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by Jerry Feitelberg

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The A’s beat the Angels Wednesday night by a score of 8-7. The game had a lot of intrigues. First of all, Barry Zito started for Oakland in what was probably the final game of his career. Barry played seven seasons for the A’s and seven seasons for the San Francisco Giants. He won the Cy Young award in 2002 and won two championship rings with the Giants in 2010 and 2012. He was the epitome of a professional. Barry had a rough year in 2010 and was not included on the World Series roster that year. He never complained. Two years later, he came through big time for the Giants and helped them to their second title.Barry did not pitch in 2014 but in 2015 he attempted to join the A’s. The A’s rotation was set, and that meant that Barry would have to go to Nashville. Barry performed well, but he slowed down late in the season and thought his career was over. However, due to injuries to the A’s starters, he was called up to the Majors and started last Saturday against his old teammate and Friend Tim Hudson. Barry left after two innings of work. Again, he thought his pitching days were over but Bob Melvin informed him that he would be starting Wednesday against the Angels. Sonny Gray was supposed to start, but Gray’s season ended with an injury. Zito pitched well. He went four innings and allowed two runs and just four hits. He threw 76 pitches. He probably could have pitched another inning, but the A’s felt that he would not be effective as his arm strength had diminished since coming back from the injury.

The Angels entered the game just one-half game ahead of the Houston Astros in the race for the second Wild Card spot. If the Angels are to make the playoffs, they cannot afford to lose any games. Lots of pressure on them. They had won seven straight before Wednesday’s game, and the A’s were looking to upset the applecart. Garrett Richards was on the hill for the Angels, and the scoring follows below.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Centerfielder Mike Trout, last year’s Most Valuable Player in the American League, hit a solo home run to center. It was Trout’s forty-first dinger of the season.

In the top of the fourth the A’s scored three unearned runs to take a 3-1 lead. With one out, Josh Reddick singled. Danny Valencia reached on an error by Johnny Giavotelal. Stephen Vogt walked to load the bases. Brett Lawrie hit a grounder to third and Angels’ third baseman, David Freese, threw a strike to the catcher to get a force out on Reddick. Had the error not been made the Angels would have been out of the inning. However, Eric Sogard now had the opportunity to do damage. He came through with a line shot down the right field line that cleared the bases. A’s in the lead.

The Angels made it a 3-2 game in their half of the fourth. David Freese led off with a solo homer to left center. The Angels scored three times in the sixth. Catcher Carlos Perez reached on a single but was able to make it to third when Same Fuld misplayed the ball. Johnny Giavotella atoned for his error by hitting a home run.  Erick Aybar followed with a single and scored on a double by Kole Calhoun. Angels lead 5-3 after six.

The A’s scored four times in the seventh. Sogard reached on an error. Coco Crisp, pinch-hitting for Jake Smolinski, singled. Billy Butler, pinched hit for Sam Fuld, drew a walk to load the bases. The Angels brought in pitcher Trevor Gott to face Mark Canha. Canha responded with a bloop single to center to drive in Sogard. Josh Reddick walked to force in the second run of the inning With the bases still loaded; Vogt singled to drive in two more runs and the A’s now lead 7-5.

The A’s added a run in the eighth when Marcus Semien tripled. The ball got by Trout as he lost the ball in the lights. Semien scored when Crisp’s sharp ground ball went through first baseman C.J.Cron’s leg for an error. The Angels’ Carlos Perez got the run back when he homered in the bottom of the eight. Angels trail 8-6 with one out. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Sean Doolittle to shut the Angels down. Doolittle retired the next two batters to finish the eighth.

In the ninth, the Angels had the big boys coming up to bat. Doolittle had to face Calhoun, Trout, and Pujols. Calhoun homered to make it a one-run deficit 8-7. Doolittle retired Pujols and Cron. David Freese singled to put men on at first and third with two out. Former Athletic Collin Cowgill then hit a sharp ground ball to A’s third baseman Danny Valencia. Valencia threw him out at first to end the ball game. A’s win 8-7.

Game Notes- There were some oddities in the game. The A’s scored seven unearned runs in the game. The Angels made four errors while the A’s made two. The Angels hit five home runs. Four were solo, and one was a two-run job. Each team used seven pitchers.

The A’ announced that catcher Carson Blair had successful left knee surgery and that he should be ready for spring training.. The A’s have the day off on Thursday and head to Seattle for the final three-game series of the season. The Angels are on their way to Arlington, Texas to face the Rangers and will have to sweep them if they are to win the AL West crown. Houston will either be a half-game ahead of the Angels or a half- game behind depending on the outcome of the game in Seattle.

The   pitching matchups for Friday’s game with the Mariners will be Aaron Brook (2-4) going against Hisashi Iwakuma (9-6)

Attendance at Angel Stadium was 34,033, and the Angels drew over three million people this year.

The A’s trounce the White Sox, win 17-6

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by Jerry Feitelberg

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The A’s and the White Sox squared off Tuesday night in game two of the four-game series. It was no contest as the A’s routed their former ace, Jeff Samardzija and won going away 17-6. The A’s jumped on Samardzija for five runs in the first inning. Oakland sent ten men to the plate in the inning and had six hits. Samardzija just didn’t have anything working for him as he lost his thirteenth game of the year, and his record stands at 9-13. He has pitched poorly in the second half, and his negotiating value is compromised as he will be a free agent after the season’s end. The White Sox showed a little life in the bottom of the first. Brooks allowed three singles and a walk as Chicago plated two to close the gap to 5-2.

Oakland added a run in the third. Josh Phegley walked with one out. Eric Sogard lined a ball down into the right field corner to drive in Phegley. Sogard had a triple. In the fourth, the A’s blew the game wide open. They sent fifteen men to the plate and scored ten runs. One of the key hits was a Josh Reddick two-run dinger. Samardzija was done for the night. He went three-plus innings allowing eleven hits and ten runs. The score in the middle of the fourth had Oakland in the lead 16-2.

Chicago scored a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to trail 16-5. In the sixth, former White Sox player, Marcus Semien, homered to right off Nate Jones. That ended the scoring for the A’s but the White Sox scored one more on a solo home run by Alexi Ramirez in the seventh. A’s win 17-6.

Notes- after the game Bob Melvin had this to say about Samardzija “The at-bats were great all the way around,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “That’s a pretty tough pitcher we’re facing. He’s a quality pitcher, and I know he’s having some struggles, but no one looks forward to facing him. To get him out of the game early on and to keep adding on was big for us.”
The A’s did not take batting practice before the game, and they rapped out eighteen hits. Worked wonders. They may not take batting practice ever again.
A’s pitcher Aaron Brooks won his second game of the year, and his record is now 2-3. The A’s had home runs by Josh Reddick and Marcus Semien. Melky Cabrera and Alexi Ramirez homered for Chicago.
The A’s announced that Jesse Chavez is out for the rest of the year due to a fractured rib. Right-hander Cody Martin will take his place and will start for Oakland Wednesday night. Eric Johnson will pitch for Chicago. Johnson has a record of 2-1. Chicago used seven pitchers including two position players, Leury Garcia in the eighth and Alexi Ramirez in the ninth.

Game three will be played in Chicago at 5:10 pm. PT
Time of game was 3:31 minutes and 12,446 watched their beloved Chisox get routed.

The A’s host the Tampa Bay Rays Friday Night at the O.co Coliseum

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by Jerry Feitelberg

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The Oakland A’s are enjoying an off-day Thursday but will return to action Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.The Rays come to down with a record of 59-61 and are in fourth place in the AL East.They are 8 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the division and they still have a slight chance to make the playoff.

Kevin Cash at age 37 is the youngest manager in the Major Leagues and is the youngest manager in Rays’ history. He took over from Joe Maddon who left to take over the reins for the Chicago Cubs. Cash has done a good job. Their success is due to a good starting rotation and a strong bullpen. The Rays do not have a lot of power going for them, but they stay competitive and they are just two games under the .500 mark.

The starting rotation is made up of LHP Drew Smyly and Righties Nate Karns, Chris Archer. Jake Odorizzi and Erasmo Ramirez. Archer and Ramirez have ten wins each so far. Smyly is 0-2, but he was on the DL much of the year. Smyly is slated to pitch for the Rays Friday night. The Rays have two lefties in the bullpen, Xavier Cedeno, and Jake McGee. McGee has recorded six saves so far. The right-handed pitchers in the pen are Matt Andriese, Alex Colome, Steve Geltz, Brandon Gomes and closer Brad Boxberger. Boxberger has been outstanding and has twenty-nine saves to his credit.

The catching chores are split between Curt Casali and Rene Rivera. The big star in the infield is third baseman, Evan Longoria. Longo is hitting .277 with thirteen homers and fifty-five RBIs. James Loney is at first. Loney’s average is down and he has never been a great power, hitter. Logan Forsythe handles second base and Asdrubal Cabrera is at short. Tim Beckham is the utilityman. Brandon Guyer gets most of the starts in left field. Kevin Kiermaier is the regular center fielder and right field is held down by Grady Sizemore and Daniel Nava. Former A’s catcher, John Jaso, is the designated hitter.

The A’s, fresh off a two-game sweep of the Los Angels Dodgers, are sending Chris Bassitt to the mound. Bassitt has a record of 1-4, but the A’s have failed to give him any run support. He has an ERA of 2-60 and a WHIP of 1.01. Kendall Graveman and Sonny Gray will pitch Saturday and Sunday. The A’s may not have Coco Crisp or Brett Lawrie available for the series. Both players are day-to-day. Crisp has ankle and hip soreness while Lawrie has a lat problem. Ike Davis just went on the 15-day DL. Mark Canha filled in nicely for Davis at first base and had six hits in his last two games and he should see more playing time. Billy Burns continues to play well in center for Oakland and his batting average is very close to the .300 mark and he is a definite Rookie of the Year candidate. Danny Valencia has played well at third base and Eric Sogard will fill in at second until Lawrie gets back. Jake Smolinski, recalled from Nashville Wednesday, should get some playing time in left and right field duties will be handled by Josh Reddick. Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley continue to do a great job catching. The big problem with the A’s this year has been the bullpen. The pen failed Tuesday night but the A’s rallied to win. Drew Pomeranz closed out the Wednesday game against the Dodgers. The A’s need more consistency from them. Pretty sure that Billy Beane will be working to fix this problem in the off-season.

The A’s have six weeks left in the season. They probably will not make the playoffs this year, but Bob Melvin will not let them quit. The A’s can play the spoiler role. The Rays still have a chance and they will not be quitting either. Should be a good series.

The A’s Bullpen Implodes, The Dodgers rally to beat Oakland

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s were trying to sweep the two-game series from the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday night in LA. The A’s came from behind to lead 6-3 in the top of the seventh but the bullpen imploded and the Dodgers scored 5 runs in the seventh and 2 more in the eighth and they won by a final score of 10-7. A’s manager Bob Melvin cannot be pleased with the performance of his bullpen as they just couldn’t get the job done.

Mike Bolsinger started for the Dodgers and the A’s had Jesse Chavez going for them. Each pitcher lasted just five innings and it became a bullpen game. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Howie Kendrick singled to start the frame. He advanced to second on a walk to Adrian Gonzalez. Kendrick stole third and then scored on a single by Andre Ethier.

The A’s tied the score in the top of the fourth. Brett Lawrie had the first of his four hits when he doubled to left. Lawrie went to third on an infield single by Marcus Semien. The A’s got on the board when Sam Fuld laid down a drag bunt that went for a hit.

The game didn’t stay tied for long. In the bottom of the fourth, Ethier led off with a double down the right field line. Yasiel Puig made it a 3-1 game when he drilled the first pitch he saw from Chavez over the left field wall. The A’s scored a run in the fifth. Ike Davis walked and went to second on a Josh Reddick single. It was the third hit of the night for Reddick and sixth in the series. Stephen Vogt grounded into a 4-6-3 double play but Brett Lawrie came through with his second double of the night to drive in Davis.

The A’s scored four times in the top of the seventh to take a 6-3 lead. Billy Burns walked to get the rally going. The Dodgers brought in J.P.Howell to pitch. Josh Phegley was sent up to pinch hit and he did his job hitting a single to put men on at first and second with no out. Reddick hit a grounder to Howie Kendrick at second. Kendrick bobbled the ball and all runners were safe and the bases were loaded. After Stephen Vogt struck out, Brett Lawrie singled to drive in Burns and Phegley. The A’s pulled off a double steal to put men on at second and third. With one out, they Dodgers drew the infield in so that they could get the runner at home if the ball was hit on the ground. Eric Sogard did just that but he hit it up the middle and two runs scored to give the A’s the lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Melvin brought in Fernando Rodriguez to pitch. Rodriguez walked two batters and retired two hitters but the dangerous Adrian Gonzalez was coming up next. Melvin brought in lefty Drew Pomeranz to face the left-handed hitting Gonzalez. Gonzalez hit a double to deep centerfield to drive in one run. Gonzalez is 3-for-6 lifetime against Pomeranz. Dodger catcher Yasmani Grandal hit a swinging bunt down the third baseline that refused to roll foul. Kendrick scored on the play as the Dodgers now trailed 6-5. Pinch-hitter Keke Hernandez doubled to left to drive in two. Melvin replaced Pomeranz with Dan Otero to pitch to Puig. Puig singled to drive in Hernandez with the fifth run of the inning. Puig was called safe at second as he tried to advance on the throw home but the call was overturned.

The Dodgers scored two more times in the bottom of the eighth. Howie Kendrick singled to drive in Alberto Callaspo and Jimmy Rollins. All the runs came with two out. 10-6 Dodgers.

The A’s scored a run in the ninth. Brett Lawrie had his fourth hit and fourth RBI of the night when he hit his ninth dinger of the year off Dodger closer Kenley Jansen. Final score 10-7 in favor of the Dodgers.

Game notes- The hitting stars for the A’s were Brett Lawrie and Josh Reddick. Lawrie had his first career four-hit game. He had a single, two doubles and a home run. Reddick had three hits.

The A’s return home to Oakland to face the Cleveland Indians for four games to start an eleven game homestand. Game time will be at 7:05pm Thursday night at the O.co Coliseum