Tag: Cleveland Guardians

Oakland Athletics’ Esteury Ruiz steals second base as Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario catches the throw during the fourth at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Wed Jun 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor slugged his first big league hit and then later scored an eighth inning run to put the Guardians on top 7-6 on an Oakland A’s throwing error.

#2 After winning seven straight games, the A’s have lost seven in a row, including the last four games, by a single run.

#3 Unfortunately for Oakland, the pen couldn’t keep the Guardians off the board. The Guardians’ big first baseman, Josh Naylor, blasted his ninth home run of the year to make it a one-run game, 6-5 in favor of the A’s after seven.

#4 The Guardians led 7-6 after eight. The Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase squirmed out of a jam in the ninth to earn his 22nd save of the year. With Tony Kemp at first and no out, Clase received a gift from the home plate umpire.

#5 The A’s finish the three-game series with Cleveland on Thursday. It will be a battle between two lefties. JP Sears (1-4 ERA 4.24) will go for Oakland, and Logan Allen (3-2 ERA 3.95) for Cleveland will oppose him. The game will start at 10:10 am.

Oakland Athletics’ Ryan Noda watches his three-run home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the third inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Wed Jun 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg.

The Oakland A’s (19-57) lost another one-run game to the Cleveland Guardians (35-38) Wednesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The final score was 7-6. After winning seven straight games, the A’s have lost seven in a row, including the last four games, by a single run.

The A’s gave starter Paul Blackburn a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. Cleveland scored three in their half of the inning. Cleveland tied the game in the fifth. The As’ went ahead 6-4 in the top of the seventh. The A’s needed the bullpen to stop the Cleveland offense in the seventh and eighth to secure the win.

Unfortunately for Oakland, the pen couldn’t keep the Guardians off the board. The Guardians’ big first baseman, Josh Naylor, blasted his ninth home run of the year to make it a one-run game, 6-5 in favor of the A’s after seven.

Naylor also drove in his 55th RBI with the homer. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay summoned Austin Pruitt from the bullpen to pitch the eighth. The Guardians found a way to put two more runs on the board. The rally began when Myles Straw singled with one out.

When he singled, Bo Naylor, Josh’s younger brother, recorded his first Major League hit, sending Straw to second. It was Bo Naylor’s first hit in Major League baseball. Pruitt now had to face the Guardians’ left-fielder Steven Kwan, the young man from Fremont doubled to drive in Straw with the Guardians’ sixth run of the night.

Ramon Laureano’s throw to second base went awry, and Naylor was able to score on the errant throw. The Guardians led 7-6 after eight. The Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase squirmed out of a jam in the ninth to earn his 22nd save of the year. With Tony Kemp at first and no out, Clase received a gift from the home plate umpire.

Aledmys Diaz was called out on strikes when charged with a time clock violation. Diaz stepped out of the batter’s box and nodded to the umpire for time. When Diaz stepped back into the box, the umpire called the violation, and Diaz was out.

Confusion reigned as Diaz and Kotsay argued for clarification. It was to no avail. Esteury Ruiz singled, sending Kemp to third. Ruiz stole second. It was Ruiz’s second steal of the game and 38th of the year. Clase struck out Ryan Noda for the second out and retired Seth Brown on a fly ball to center.

The A’s scored four in the third. Kemp and Tyler Wade singled to get the rally going for Oakland. Ruiz singled to drive in Kemp with the A’s first run Ryan Noda followed with his ninth big fly of the season to make it 4-0.

The Guardians scored three times in their half of the third. Catcher Bo Naylor walked to start the rally. Singles by Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario, Jose Ramirez, and Josh Naylor produced three runs. Cleveland sent eight men to the plate in the inning.

In the fifth, Jose Ramirez tripled to right field, leading off the inning. Josh Naylor’s infield single drove in Ramirez with Cleveland’s fourth run. The score remained tied until the top of the seventh. The A’s scored twice to take a 6-4 lead.

With one out, Tony Kemp singled. Aledmys Diaz, pinch-hitting for Tyler Wade, singled, sending Kemp to third. Terry Francona brought in setup reliever Trevor Stefan to pitch. Esteury Ruiz singled driving in Kemp. It was Ruiz’s second RBI of the game.

Stefan retired Ryan Noda for the second out. Seth Brown broke an 0-for-14 slump with a single to drive in Ruiz with the A’s sixth run. As mentioned above, Cleveland scored in the bottom of the seventh when Josh Naylor Homered. Cleveland added two more in the eighth to win 7-6.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are 19-57. Cleveland improved to 35-38. The line score for Oakland was six runs, nine hits, and two errors. The line for Cleveland was seven runs, 13 hits, and no errors.
The Winning pitcher was Elijah Morgan. Austin Pruitt took the loss.

A’s starter Paul Blackburn went five innings and allowed nine hits and four runs. He struck out seven and walked one. Cleveland’s starter, rookie Gavin Williams went five and 2/3rds innings. He allowed four hits and four runs. Williams struck out four and walked three.

The A’s Esteury Ruiz had three hits, all singles, drove in two and stole two bases. Tony Kemp also had three hits. The hitting stars for Cleveland were Hosh Naylor and Jose Ramirez. Naylor had three singles and a home run. Ramirez had two singles and a triple.

The A’s finish the three-game series with Cleveland on Thursday. It will be a battle between two lefties. JP Sears will go for Oakland, and Logan Allen will oppose him. The game will start at 10:10 am.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Luis Medina walks to the dugout after a groundout by Cleveland Guardians’ Will Brennan during the sixth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Tue Jun 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (19-56) lost for the sixth straight game Tuesday night. The A’s lost 3-2 in ten innings. While the pitching has improved in the last two weeks, the A’s could not snap the five-game losing streak. They needed a key hit in the tenth, but they could not get the one they needed. The Cleveland Guardians(34-38) rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the seventh to tie the game. Cleveland scored in the tenth to end it. The game summary follows below.

The A’s scored the first run of the game in the top of the third. Singles by Tony Kemp and Esteury Ruiz put men on at first and third with one out. A’s first baseman Ryan Noda’s ground out drove in Kemp with the run.

The A’s went ahead 2-0 in the seventh. Tony Kemp slugged his second home run of the year into the seats in right field. Cleveland tied the game in their half of the inning. Center fielder Myles Straw started the Guardians’ rally with a double.

With one out, A’s manager replaced Luis Medina with lefty Sam Moll. Moll retired Steven Kwan for the second out. Sam Moll gave up a single to Amed Rosario. Straw scored to make it 2-1. Jose Ramirez was the next hitter. Ramirez, a switch hitter and very dangerous in the clutch hit a line drive that got by a diving Seth Brown in left field. The ball rolled to the wall. Rosario scored on the play to tie the game.

Neither team scored in the eighth or the ninth. In the tenth, with Shea Langeliers as the ghost runner, Guardians’ reliever Enyel De Los Santos shut down the A’s offense. The Guardians scored in the tenth. Jose Ramirez was the ghost runner. The A’s issued a free pass to Josh Naylor.

Tyler Freeman laid down a sacrifice bunt. The A’s tried to nail Ramirez at third. The throw did not get there in time. The Guardians had the bases loaded with no out. All Cleveland needed was a sacrifice fly to win the game. The next hitter, Andres Gimenez, settled the affair with a single to right field to win the game for Cleveland. The A’s lost 3-2.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 19-56. The guardians improved to 34-38.

The line score for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors.

Cleveland’s line was three runs, ten hits, and one error.

The A’s Ken Waldichuk started the game. He was the opener and went one and 2/3rd innings. Luis Medina replaced him, and he pitched 4.1 innings. He gave up four hits and one run. Sam Moll replaced Medina and allowed two hits and one run. 

The Guardians’ starter Aaron Civale gave his team a quality start. He went six and 2/3rd innings of work. Civale allowed five hits and two runs. 

Tony Kemp had a single and a home run to extend his hitting streak to five games. Esteury Ruiz singled in the third and has now hit in six straight games.

The hitting star for Cleveland was Amed Rosario. Rosario had two singles and a double.

Game two of the three-game series will be played Wednesday night. The A’s will send Paul Blackburn to the hill. Blackburn is 0-0, with a 3.48 ERA. The Guardians’ starter will be Gavin Williams. Williams will be making his Major League debut. A 4:10pm PT first pitch at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg on Fri Apr 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 The A’s pitching staff has the fourth-highest ERA in Major League baseball. They have thrown six wild pitches, which is the second-worst. The A’s pitching struggled in the three game series with the Cleveland Guardians.

#2 The A’s defense has committed one or more errors in the first six games. It is the longest season-opening streak by an A’s team in the last 47 years.

#3 The Oakland A’s have won two and lost four in the first six games of the season. Oakland played a competitive and entertaining three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. 

#4 The A’s defense has committed one or more errors is the shift change rule impact the A’s defense going into this season.

#5 Shintaro Fujinami the Oakland A’s left hander (0-1, ERA 30.86) will get the call to pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays right hander Jeffrey Springs (1-0 ERA 0.00) first pitch at Tropicana Field 1:10 pm PDT.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Ryan Noda (49) gets a warm welcome in the A’s dugout after hitting his first home run of the season against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Apr 5, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Cleveland Guardians pitcher Hunter Gaddis pitched six innings without giving up a run to the Oakland A’s surrendering only one hit and four strike outs leaving with the Guardians in front 2-0 at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 The A’s line up one through nine just struggled all game long to spray the ball outside of a Ryan Noda home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cleveland pitching for the most part had them off balance.

#3 It was a tough go for A’s starter Kyle Muller in the sixth who got charged with two runs when reliever Domingo Acevedo came in and gave up a two run single for Cleveland’s first two runs of the game.

#4 The A’s in the bottom of the eighth down 4-1 had two runners on and the tying run at the plate Jesus Aguilar took Guardians pitcher Jim Herrin deep to left field at the 362 mark to tie the game 4-4.

#5 Jerry tough top of the tenth inning for the A’s as the Guardians Steven Kwan singled to score Myles Straw and Will Brennan grounded to short allowing Andres Gimenez to score to put the Guardians in front by two runs 6-4 for the win.

Join Jerry for the A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Athletics second baseman Tony Kemp, left, and center fielder Esteury Ruiz dive unsuccessfully for an RBI double by Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez during the top of the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Tue, April 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

Cleveland. 000 210 000 – 3 8 0

Oakland. 002 001 001 – 4 6 1

Time: 2:41

Attendance: 3,407

Tue, April 4, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Monday night’s game was marred by the strong winds that whipped around the Coliseum during most of the contest. Those winds, as unwelcome as those over the late Candlestick Park and Cleveland Municipal Stadium, not only not only played havoc with the balls’ trajectory, but the chill factor they caused made gripping bats and balls painful and difficult.

Tonight, the winds were milder. And the results were more satisfying for the East Bay Faithful as the outhit home team pulled off a walk off 4-3 triumph over their guests from the middle west.

Cleveland’s see-saw extra innings victory over Oakland yesterday was exciting and, to A’s fans, disappointing. That disappointment wasn’t caused by the mere fact of the home team coming out on the short end of the stick, which was, in any case, an almost foregone conclusion.

The game was disappointing because it was sloppily played. Although only two errors showed up in the official records, there were plays that deserved that description that were charitably given other names. There were base running mistakes.

And one batter, Seth Brown, had a third strike called on him because of a time clock violation. I have no problem with the shorter, crisper games that the TCV rule achieves; I question where MLB is cutting the temporal fat. Does it make sense to fundamentally alter the relationship between pitching and hitting–arts of timing, both of them–to allow for two minutes of television advertisements at every half inning break and the singing of “God Bless America” along with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”? (To their credit, they don’t do that at every Coliseum game).

Southpaw JP Sears, Oakland’s starting pitcher was making his first appearance of the ’23 season. He came to the team from the Yankees last August 1 in the same deal that brought Ken Waldichuk, last night’s unfortunate starter, to the Athletics and sent Frankie Montás and Lou Trivino to the Bronx.

He had gone 3-0, 2.05 for the pinstriped Bombers and was 3-3, 4.69 with the green and gold for overall rookie year numbers of 6-3, 3.36. He has a good fast ball, change up, and slider, although their velocity isn’t particularly outstanding. They have plenty of zip to them, and he mixes them well.

Shane Bieber, his opposite number for the Guardians, already had one game under his belt this year. He started their season opener in Seattle, throwing six scoreless frame in a contest that the Ohians eventually lost, 3-0. Bieber has a distinguished resumé, having won the Cy Young award in the covid shrunken 2020 season. He toed the rubber with a lifetime record of 54-26, 3.15 and was 0–1,3.45 against the A’s in two starts.

Oakland drew first blood. Ryan Noda drew a lead off, full count walk and raced to third on a sinbgle to short center by Carlos Pérez. Esteuriy Ruíz followed with a double to left that drove in Noda with the game’s first run and enabled Pérez to motor to third. He scored on a sac fly (pretty much of a line drive) ro left by JacePeterson.

But the Athletics couldn’t hold that two run lead. Oscar González sent a fly ball that thudded against the centerfield fence for a one out triple in the Guardian fourth. An out later, Gabriel Arías drove an 81 mph sweeper into. deep center flied – 423 feet deep – to knot the score at 2-2.

Cleveland untied the knot in the next frame. With the speedy Myles Straw, who had drawn a leadoff wak, on first, José Ramírez lifted a can of corn to center. Brown and Ruíz collided beneath it, and the can of corn became a Texas League double that gave Cleveland and 2-1 lead and brought Zach Jackson in to replace Sears, who had pitched better than his numbers would indicate.

Those numbers were 4-2/3 innings pitched, in which the lefty allowed three runs, all earned, on eight hits, one of them out of the park, and a walk. Sears struck out five Gardoams and threw 98 pitches, 64 for strikes.

The A’s caught up with Cleveland in an improbable way. Kemp started the sixth with a single to left and stole second, advancing to third on a one out ground out to second by Díaz. When Brown swung and missed at a two out, third strike slider that Mike Zunino couldn’t capture, Kemp scored came home on the wild pitch.

So, when Dany Jiménez strolled to the mound to face the Guardians in the top of the second, he was pitching in a game tied at two.

That mean that Trevor Stephan, entering the fray after the cozy gathering of 3,407 had finished its rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” neither starter would be involved in the decision. Bieber had gone sixth innings of three hit ball, in which he allowed as many runs, all earned, and struck out seven opposing batters. 65 of his 89 offerings were strikes, and he reduced is ERA to 2.25.

Jiménez left after a successful 1-2/3 innings to allow southpaw Sam Moll to pitch to fellow lefty Josh Naylor with two down in the top of the eighth, He got him to ground out to short. Enyel de los Santos then took over for Cleveland to face the A’s in the bottom of the frame. He got through the A’s first two batters but surrendered a ringing double to right by Brown and a free pass to Jesús Aguilar before blowing a third strike past Laureano.

And then it was Trevor May, last night’s loser, on the mound for Oakland. He retired Cleveland, allowing only a base on balls.

The Guardians called on James Karinchak ro try to force another extra innings contest. He walked Noda to start the inning but struck out Pérez and retired Ruíz on a productive ground out to second, on which Giménez made a lovely play to prevent a hit. But no one could prevent Kemp’s solid walk off single to right that brought Noda home with the winning, walk off run.

Trevor May earned the win. He’s now 2-1, 3,00. Karinchalk was charged with the loss, leaving him with a record of 0-2, 12.00.

The series will resume and end tomorrow, the fifth. Game time is scheduled for 12:37. Righty Hunter Gaddis (0-0,9.82) will pitch for the visitors. and lefty Kyle Muller (0-0,1.80) will start for the Athletics.

Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday, April 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

Cleveland. 200 302 030 2 – 12 16. 1

Oakland. 150 020 009 1 – 11 14. 1. 10 innings

Time: 3:19

Attendance: 3,035

Mon April 3, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Without the magnet of Shohei Ohtani to attrack the paying customers, your Oakland Athletics, whose roots may be in The Town, but whose branches might soon cover Las Vegas, fought the Cleveland Guardians ten innings before succumbing 12-11 on this cool, clear, and very windy Monday night in front of an intimate gathering of 3,035 at the Oakland Coliseum.

The home team chose James Kaprielian as its starting pitcher. The 29 year old right hander, who came to the A’s as part of the deal that sent Sonny Gray to the Yankees in 2017, had a roller coaster of a season last year. He went 3-0, 1,89, with an opponents’ OPS of .612, in May and June.

But, if you count–as you must–the remaining four months of the season, his record was 5-9, 4.23, allowing his opponents an OPS of .735. He had a good spring, going 2-1, 2.81.

He began. the day with a lifetime mark of (0-1, 7.70) against Cleveland. He didn’t do that well tonight he lasted five frames and allowed as many runs, all of them earnbed. He surrendered seven. hits, including a home run, and a walk. He threw 89 pitches, 61 for strikes.

The visitors from Ohio, who arrived on the banks of the Nimitz with a 3-1 record, a half game out of the lead in the nascent AL Central Division season, went with Zach Plesac, like Karpielian making his his first start the mattered in 2023. He lasted 53 pitches, in. which he retired all of three Oakland batters. In his 1+ innnings of hard labor, Plessac surrendered six runs, all earned, on five hits, one of them for the distance, and a walk.

Cleveland almost fell victim to the Curse of the Lead Off Double Steven Kwan smacked the first pitch of the game into leftt for a two bagger. Kaprielian reovered to stroike strike out Amed Rosario and Josh Bell, but sandwiched betweenm them was a walk to José Ramírez. Josh Naylor singled to center, and Andrés Giménez gave the Guardians an early 2-0 advantage.

The A’s got one of those runs back in their half of the first on two out wind blown Texas League double by Seth Brown that would have plated Jace Peterson if he had been running full speed on what looked like the third out. Peterson scored on an infield single by the next batter, Conner Capper.

Oakland took the lead in the next frame.Ryan Noda led off with his first major league hit, a single to right. He moved on to third on Shea Langeliers’ line drive that rollled off short stop Rosario’s glove into left for a single. Moments later, Noda scored his first MLB run.

It came on a double to left by Estiuru Ruíz. After Kemp singled to right, Jace Peterson then rolled his first hit and first round tripper. in the show. It carried 401 feet into the right center field seats and put Oakland up 6-2. It also put Pleassc in the showers. He was replaced by Xzaviion Curry.

Naylor closed the gap a bit in the top of the fourth with a first pitch homer that took an 82 mph change up 406 feet into the right field seats, halving the A’s lead to 6-3. Then they almost closed the gap entirely. Jiménez lined one down the right field line that would have been a double if it hadn’t hit first base umpire Doug Eddings.

Will Brenman’s single to left moved Jiménez to second, and both came hone on a Myles Straw two bagger to left. All of a sudden, it was 6-5, with Oakland hanging on by the skin of its teeth.

The green and gold widened their lead to 8-5 in the home fifth thanks to a bunt singleo by Capel and a 408 foot homer to left center off Curry’s 85 mph slider.

Jeurys Familia took over mound duties for Oakland to start the sixth and was greeted by Zunino with a single to left. Brennan then sent a bouncing double play ball bouncing to second. A double play ball that Kemp bobbled. It was scored as a fielder’s choice and an error and opened the door for Straw’s sacrifice bunt to the mound, putting both runners in scoring posiition.

Both score; Zunino on Kwan’s sac fly to left and Brennan on Rosario’s single to center. When Ramírez followed those disaster with a singe to center, the A’s lead stood a 8-7. None of the runs scored on Familia was earned. He gave way to Sam Moll at the start of the seventh frame, and Tim Herrin replaced Curry for Cleveland in the bottom of the inning.

He almost gave up an unearned run on a two base error by his second baseman, but Brown, the beneficiary of Giménez’s misplay, was cut down at the plate trying to score on Laureano’s single to right, Brennan to Zunino.

Then it was the turn of Domingo Acevedo to try to hold off the Guardians in the top of the eighth. Straw led off with a single to left. With Kwan at bat, he stole second. The A’s challenged the call, but it was confirmed on video review.

Kwan then singled to right, driving in Straw with the tying tally; Rosario’s sac fly put Cleveland ahead, 9-8 Ramírez tripled to right in a play that had originally been scored as a single and. a two base error; and Bell’s sac fly to left brought Ramírez home with the Guardians’ tenth run.

After James Karnachak set Oakland down in order in the bottom of the eighth, Acevedo kept Cleveland off the board in spite of having plunked Straw, who then stole second.

Emmanuel Clase walked to the mound in the bottom of the ninth, looking for his second save of the season. Kemp greeted him with a single to second but was eliminated by a pitcher’s best friend, 4-6-3. Díaz wrangled a walk, took second on defensive indifference, and then trotted home on Brown’s majestic 432 foot improbable game tying home run to center, his first round tripper and RBI of the season. The hit it off a 97 mph cutter.

Trevor May pitched the tenth with Kwan as the zombie runner and Rosario at bat. His single to left brought Kwan 90 feet closer to home. He scored on a Ramírez single to center that allowed Rosario to make it to third.

Bell grounded out to second. Naylor was granted an intentional pass; Gabriel Arías pinch ran for him. May unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Rosario to score and the other runners to advance a base each. Giménez struck out and Zounino fouled out to Langiers to end the inning.

Eli Morgan took over pitching duties for Cleveland when the A’s came up for their last chance to stay alive. The speedy Laureano was the ghost runner; he went to third on Noda’s ground out to second and scored when. Ruíz doubled to right. But Kemp flew out to left, and the A’s had lost their third straight game, a game they could have won.

Clase got the win; he’s 1-0. May took the loss; he’s 1-1. Morgan got the save.

The two teams will square off tonight at 6:40 pm, with JP Sears scheduled to toe the rubber for the Athletics and Shane Bieber on the mound for the Guardians .That Tuesday contest will be the second of a three game series before the A’s hit the road for a seven games in seven days trip that will take them to Tampa Bay and Baltimore before they return to face the Mets on the 14th without even a day’s break for travel.