Tag: Chicago White Sox

White Sox win first game of four-game set with A’s 5-2

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Former Oakland A’s and now Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendricks gets into the double fist pump mode after closing the door on his former team on Mon Aug 16, 2021 in Chicago (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s met the Chicago White Sox for the first time this season Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field on the Southside of Chicago. The teams entered the game with identical records of 68-50. The A’s sent Frankie Montas to the hill Monday night.

Montas had pitched well in his last several starts. The White Sox countered with the veteran lefty, Dallas Keuchel. Montas had to be on the top of his game as the White Sox lineup is loaded with tough outs. Two outstanding Chicago players returned to action after missing most of the season with injuries. Eloy Jiminez was back in the lineup, hitting behind last year’s MVP Jose Abreu. Luis Robert returned to his spot in center field after being on the 60-day IL.

The A’s knew they had to put runs on the board to beat Keuchel. Oakland put two on the board in the top of the second. Matt Chapman, with one out, blasted his 18th home run of the year. The home run was Chappie’s fourth blast in the last three games. Keuchel then hit Josh Harrison with a pitch.

He walked Stephen Piscotty and Vimael Machin to load the bases. Mark Canha singled to drive in Harrison with the A’s second run. Keuchel settled down and retired the next two A’s hitters to end the threat. The A’s didn’t know it at the time that they were done for the night.

Chicago added single runs in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Montas left the game after the fifth inning, trailing 3-2. Frankie gave up three runs and allowed eight hits, all singles. He threw 99 pitches in his five innings of work. The White Sox added another run in the bottom of the eighth. Luis Robert led off the frame with his third home run of the year. 

The White Sox bullpen held the A’s offense at bay after Keuchel left after five innings of work. The A’s only hit after the fourth inning came in the eight when Jed Lowrie doubled. Former A’s closer Liam Hendriks struck out the side in the ninth to record his 27th save of the year. Chicago wins 5-2.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the A’s record stands at 68-51. The A’s trail the Houston Astros by two and 1/2 games in the race for first place in the AL West. The A’s drop 1/2 game behind the Boston Red Sox to be the number one Wild Card. The New Yankees downed the LA Angels to move with one and 1/2 games behind the second AL Wild card.

The line for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and one error. The A’s had two extra-base hits. Matt Chapman’s homer and Jed Lowrie’s double.

The line for the White Sox was five runs, ten hits, and no error. Luis Robert paced the Sox’ attack with three hits, two singles, and a home run. Chisox manager Tony LaRussa played small ball in the bottom of the sixth. Robert led off the inning with a single.

Robert then stole second. He was called out on the throw from Yan Gomes to Machin. The Sox won the challenge, and Robert was credited with a stolen base. Robert went to third on Brian Goodwin’s ground out. Sox catcher Zeby Zavala, who had two singles earlier in the game, laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to drive in Robert with Chicago’s fourth run of the night.

Chris Bassitt will pitch for the A’s Tuesday night. Bassitt is 12-3, and his ERA is 3.06. Chicago will counter with Reynaldo Lopez. Lopez is 1-0, and his era is 1.35

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Field of Dreams Yankees vs. White Sox Thursday

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Actor Ray Liotta (right) played Chicago White Sox Shoeless Joe Jackson in the movie Field of Dreams the real Shoeless Joe Jackson (left) in Cleveland uniform (circa 1915) just before he joined the White Sox (photo from Zimbio)

Field of Dreams Game Yankees vs. White Sox on Thursday

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

One of the most iconic baseball movies ever, “Field of Dreams” in 1989, a sports fantasy drama, will take place in real life, this Thursday August 12, an American League, Major League game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, the two protagonists on the film in Dyersville, Iowa.

But this time it will not be a fantasy, but a reality. Two great franchises, contending this 2021 season will play the game on a temporary field adjacent to the original corn field where the movie was shot. A stadium with capacity for 8,000 people was build just for this game.

Members of the “Field of Dreams” cast will also be on hand, including leading man Kevin Costner. The movie was based on a true story about Shoeless Joe Jackson who played from 1908 to 1920, mostly in left field with the Chicago White Sox.

Although not in the movie, Shoeless Joe ended with a .356 lifetime batting average and literally showed Babe Ruth how to hit. He would be a Hall of Famer but is not, because of the 1919 Black Sox betting scandal. Betting is the “mortal sin” for a baseball player (Pete Rose) that has not changed for more than a century.

The movie is from the 1982 novel by Canadian author WP Kinsella. The game was postponed from its planned 2020 debut by the pandemic and it will mark the first MLB game in the State of Iowa. Fox will broadcast the game at 5PM Iowa Central time and the first pitch around 6:15 PM Central time.

Joe Buck and John Smoltz will call the game and Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will serve as reporters. Uniforms for Yankees and White Sox of that era were made for the game, as they will be re-created by those used by such stars of the past such as Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte.

Thursday it will not be Universal Studios who will be in charge of the production, but Major League Baseball, Commissioner Robert Manfred, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, FOX Sports and the city of Dyersville, Iowa. Major League Baseball hit a home run with this production and I would say it is “must watch television” for the baseball fan.

After almost two years of games with no fans because of the pandemic and all kinds of challenges and changes to the game of baseball on the field, this idea is one of the best things that the game can do to raise interest and even curiosity with the average baseball fan.

 Film: One of the best lines from “Field of Dreams” 1989. Actor Ray Liotta playing Shoeless Joe Jackson, line:  “Ty Cobb wanted to play. But none of us could stand the sunnabitch when we were alive –So we told him to Stick It!!”.

And probably the easiest to remember, when Costner was walking alone inside the corn fields around his ranch, a voice that whispered; “If you build it, he will come” Dyersville, Iowa, population 4,130.  Des Moines, biggest city in Iowa is 190 miles away (2 hours 53 minutes by car) Forecast for the game: Sunny 88F clear skies. Attention Iowa:  Play Ball! 

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play voice on the Oakland A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Sox sign Grandal four years $73 M; Betts is close to being a Dodger; plus more

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photo from latimes.com: The Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts is on the bargaining table to be dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Amaury how important is Yasmani Grandal’s role at catcher going to be for the Chicago White Sox he’s on a four year $73 million contract with the Sox.

#2 How serious is are the Dodgers in acquiring the Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts and talk about how he would impact the team.

#3 The Seattle Mariners signed Marco Gonzalez, Gonzalez will be under contract with the Mariners for under $1 million for 2020-2024 but his contract is reportedly worth $30-45 million for four years.

#4 You had a chance to sit with Frankie Montas pitcher of the Oakland A’s during Fan Fest how far has Montas put his PED suspension in the review mirror.

#5 Former San Francisco Giant Gerardo Parra is a new Giant but this time in Tokyo Parra said he’s excited about playing in Japan

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Businesses taking interest in Jack London Square future home of the A’s

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nytimes.com file photo: Oakland A’s team president David Kaval lounges in the upper deck at the Oakland Coliseum during the 2019 season. Jack London Square will start building new restaurants and businesses drawn to the idea of the A’s breaking ground at the site.

On That’s Amaury pod for today:

#1 Amaury businesses are taking an interest to start construction at Jack London Square restaurants, hotels, condos could this be a move in anticipation of an Oakland A’s ball park?

#2 A’s president David Kaval has worked hard this off season to make sure some of these proposals stick he had to sweat through the City of Oakland law suit that was dropped that would have blocked the A’s from purchasing the Coliseum property.

#3 How big is public transportation for this project to get done. Do you agree that some sort of transit must be in place to get people from 12th Street Broadway BART in downtown Oakland to the ball park?

#4 In other baseball news how surprising is it that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar who was the Willie McCovey Award recipient from last season is still not signed?

#5 The Chicago White Sox are doing some shopping take a look at some of the free agents that their studying, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, Yasiel Puig, and Nicholas Castellanos.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish radio play by play announcer and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s closing in on Astros in 4-game series; Giants still in the hunt for a wild card spot; plus more

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photo from chron.com: Oakland Athletics’ Robbie Grossman watches his RBI single against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel:

1 Swingin’ A’s take first three games out of four with Houston, ½ game out of second in the AL Wild Card

2 Giants feasting on D-Backs’ pitching, still in NL Wild Card hunt

3 Christian Yelich, Aristides Aquino continue slugging ways

4 Yankees skipper makes case for mercy rule in MLB

5 Bill Walton calls White Sox-Angels game

Daniel Dullum does the MLB podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Giants to hoist Clark’s retired #22; Raiders’ Brown agrees to wearing new helmet; plus more

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photo from sfgate.com: Former San Francisco Giants player Will Clark gestures to fans during a ceremony honoring the 1989 World Series team prior to a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in San Francisco.

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 From that 1989 San Francisco Giants reunion on Sunday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco, former Giants first baseman Will Clark’s number 22 is being retired, Clark hit .303, 2,176 hits, 284 home runs, with 1,205 RBIs in his MLB career.

#2 The Oakland Raiders’ Antonio Brown said he will wear the NFL issued helmet losing the grievance wanted to continue wearing the old helmet that he wore when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The NFL is insisting that all players wear the newly designed helmet that help prevent concussions. Brown said that if he is required to wear the new issued helmet he was going to retire. Brown has had limited play with his frostbite feet holding him back.

#3 Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said that the Raiders wide receiving depth is as good as it’s ever been with Hunter Renfrow, Tyrell Williams, JJ Nelson, and Antonio Brown. Raider quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman in preseason are impressed with the receiving core.

#4 The Oakland A’s keep on rolling. They are now 1.5 back of first place for the American League wild card. On Sunday, the A’s kept up their winning ways with a 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt started the game and went seven innings, four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.

#5 While the San Francisco Giants might be out a whopping 19.5 games in the NL West race, their wild card chance improved a whole lot on Sunday with their comeback win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park with a 9-6 win. The Giants are now 3.5 games back and had the day off on Monday night.

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Davis looks to return to lineup after sitting on Sunday; Sweet revenge in shutout for Bassitt and Golito

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Photo credit: @sfchronicle

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Oakland A’s Khris Davis has hit only one homer in his last 18 games and has OPS of .801 in the last ten games. Davis is hitting .281, but was benched on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.

#2 A’s manager Bob Melvin had Nick Martini at designated hitter for Davis. Martini struck out four times, but it gave Davis some time to think on the bench. Davis is expected to be back in the lineup against the Giants on Tuesday night.

#3 How much sweet revenge was it for A’s pitchers Chris Bassitt and Lucas Golito, who combined in a shutout over the Sox? Both Bassitt and Golito formerly pitched for the Sox.

#4 Stephen Piscotty has had his share of injuries. He’s close to returning back after suffering the flu. What will it mean to have his bat back in the lineup?

#5 The A’s open up a series with the Giants tonight at Oracle Park with the A’s starting Brett Anderson (10-7) and the Giants starting their ace Madison Bumgarner (7-7).

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

MLB The Show podcast with Matt Harrington: Reds Aquino and Astros Alvarez belt 3 HRs; Mets hot win their eighth straight game; plus more

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photo from nytimes.com: The Cincinnati Reds Aristides Aquino gets the warm welcome at the plate after belting one of his three home runs at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati in the Reds 21 run win over the visiting Chicago Cubs

On the MLB The Show podcast with Matt:

#1 The Cincinnati Reds Aristides Aquino connected for three home runs all in the first four innings of Saturday’s game in the Reds 10-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Reds hit a total of six homers in the game.

#2 The New York Mets continued their winning ways with their eighth straight win and for the second night in a row a come back win over the Washington Nationals 4-3. The Mets have won 15 out of their last 16 wins.

#3 Is the three game homer going to be the norm the Houston Astros as Yordan Alvarez accomplished the feat in a 21 run win over their hosts the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Saturday in a 23-2 win. The Orioles who are going the other way have had their share of frustrations including this week when Chris Davis and manager Brandon Hyde who got into a out of control argument in the Orioles dugout during a game.

#4 In the game on Saturday night Astros Carlos Correa hit the longest home run ever hit at Camden Yards which landed in the back of the center left bleachers. The Astros were just teeing off.

#5 Speaking of comebacks the Chicago White Sox just got by the Oakland A’s on Saturday night. The Sox with a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth all they needed to do was put the A’s away but not so easy the A’s scored twice falling just a run short to tie it up and lost to the Sox 3-2.

Matt does the MLB podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s come up short on the South Side on Saturday night, lose to the Sox 3-2

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

CHW1
Graphic/Photo: @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics (66-51) lost to the Chicago White Sox (52-63) 3-2 on Saturday in Game two of their three-game series. The A’s were held scoreless until the top of the ninth inning when they scored to two runs on an unusual play.

With two out and Alex Colome on the mound for the Sox, Marcus Semien hit a single to left-center field. Chad Pinder then doubled to left field and Semien moved to third base. Matt Chapman hit a hot drive down the third baseline that Ryan Goins could not handle and it traveled into left field. Semien and Pinder were able to score easily while Chapman stopped at second base on what would be scored as a two-base error.

With the score 3-2 and the tying at second base, Khris Davis was the next batter for Oakland. Colome was able to strike Davis out to end the game and earn the win for the White Sox.

Focus on the A’s

  • Tanner Roark was tagged with the loss in his second start for the A’s. His record drops to 7-8 for the season. Roark worked 6.2 innings giving up three runs (two earned) off six hits. He walked none and struck out seven batters. Roark is 1-1 with the A’s with a 2.41 ERA in two starts.
  • The A’s are 4-1 versus the White Sox this season. Oakland has outscored Chicago 30-8.
  • The A’s have loved playing American League Central teams this season. They are 16-5 versus AL Central teams this year.
  • Mark Canha has hit safely in each of his last 11 games versus the White Sox.
  • Matt Chapman is batting .400 (10-for-25) against the Sox this season.
  • Stephen Piscotty has gone 8-for-25 (.320) with two homers and five RBI over seven games since coming off the injured list on August 3rd.

Checking in on the Sox

  • The White Sox ended a four-game losing streak with their win over the A’s on Saturday.
  • This was the Sox first victory over the Athletics in more than a year.
  • Game-winning pitcher Reynaldo Lopez earned wins in consecutive starts for the first time since September 2018. He is now 7-9 for the season.
  • Tim Anderson extended his hitting streak to nine games.
  • Leury Garcia has reached base safely in a career-high 20 games.
  • Eloy Jimenez hit his 19th home run of the season off Roark in the fifth inning. It was a 410-foot blast right-center field.

Up Next

The A’s and White Sox will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Oakland will send RHP Chris Bassitt (7-5, 3.80 ERA) to the mound. He earned a no-decision in his last start against the Cubs when worked six innings giving up two runs (both earned) off eight hits. Bassitt will face Lucas Giolito (12-5, 3.44 ERA). Giolito was a winner in his last start versus the Tigers when he pitched six innings giving up three runs (two earned) off eight hits. He walked two and struck out eight batters.

First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 am PDT.

Fiers Dominates White Sox, A’s Keep Pace in Wild Card Chase with 7-0 Win

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @MLBNetwork

By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland A’s hit a pair of solo homeruns in the first two innings to stake starter Mike Fiers to a 2-0 lead, and it’d be all he needed in a stellar seven-inning performance allowing no runs to the Chicago White Sox. Of course, the A’s would add in another five runs in the top of the eighth to turn the close contest in to a rout in a 7-0 A’s win in the South Side.

Fiers twirled a gem, punching out eight Pale Hosers, while scattering just three hits and walking none to give Oakland a tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild card spot with Tampa yet to play in San Diego Friday night. Matt Chapman and Stephen Piscotty hit solo shots in the first and second innings off former Athletic Ross Detwiler. Chad Pinder had the big blow in a five-run eighth inning, hitting a two-run homer, while Dustin Garneau knocked in a pair as well.

After Marcus Semien grounded out to open the game, Matt Chapman fell in an early 0-2 against Detwiler. He took a ball then sent an 84-mph changeup on a line over the wall in left for his 25th homer of the season. Piscotty would open the next inning working Detwiler to a 2-0 account before missing on another changeup. He took Detwiler to centerfield on the 4th pitch of the at bat, a sinker belt high for a 2-0 lead.

While Fiers (11-3, 3.30 ERA) was near unhittable, Detwiler did settle in. He exited the game with an out in the fifth having given up only four hits and the two runs, but control was an issue. The lefty (1-3, 5.35 ERA) struck out four, but also walked a quartet. Jose Ruis pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, including stopping a pair of inherited runners from scoring to keep the game in reach.

The game was handed over to Jace Fry in the eighth inning, who struggled for the jump. He worked a full count on Mark Canha, but lost him on ball four, then surrendered Chad Pinder’s 11th homer of the year on a 3-1 count for a 4-0 A’s lead. He then walked Khris Davis and gave up a single to Jurickson Profar before being replaced by former San Francisco Giant Josh Osich without recording an out.

Jurickson Profar gave Osich a rude welcome, sending a line drive past Leury Garcia at second on the first pitch to knock in Khris Davis for a 5-0 A’s lead and a double. Dustin Garneau would also jump on the first pitch, hitting a double to left that would score Piscotty and Profar for a 7-0 lead. He bounced back to strike out Marcus Semien and coax groundouts from Matt Chapman and Matt Olson, respectively.

With the lead in hand, manager Bob Melvin tabbed trade acquisition Jake Diekman with the bottom of the eighth inning. He struck out Matt Skole and Ryan Cordell on four pitches each then forced a ground out from Garcia in his frame. Joakim Soria nailed down the win in the ninth, allowing a single to James McCann but being otherwise flawless.

The A’s and White Sox meet again on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. PT.