Tag: Houston Astros

A’s end first half with victory and series win over Astros 4-3

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Oakland A’s Stephen Vogt connects for an RBI single for the game winning run against the Houston Astros in the top of the eighth inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

With the score tied a t 3-3 in the top of the eighth at Minute Maid Field in Houston the Oakland A’s Stephen Vogt got a pitch he liked and smoked it for a tie breaking single that helped get the A’s their first series win against the Houston Astros 4-3. It would be the A’s third series win of the season.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said in the press game presser “That’s a good win right there,” Kotsay said. “Win a series against this team. Battle back from being down 3-0, shows a lot of character and a lot of fight.”

The Ramon Laureano cracked a his eighth home run of the season as the A’s well below .500 head into the All Star break 32-61. The A’s had lots to be pleased about at the close of the first half winning six of their last 11 games which is improvement considering their struggles since going 10-8 to start the season.

Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Peña both homered for the Astros but it wasn’t quite enough to keep up with the A’s. The Astros finish the first half of the season in first place in the American League West at 59-32 with the second best record in baseball behind the New York Yankees.

Still the losing the last game of the first half was a disappointment for Astros manager Dusty Baker who really wanted to end the half on a good note, “It is disappointing,” Baker said. “It seems any time we had a miscue, they took advantage of it. It was a tough one to lose. We wanted to go into the break on a positive, and now, we don’t have much choice other than to regroup and get it back together when we start against the Yankees.”

The A’s return back to the Oakland Coliseum after the All Star Break on Thu Jul 21 for a 12:37pm PDT doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: Athletics just couldn’t do anything with Astros Verlander

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Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander throws to the Oakland A’s line up in the top of the first inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Sat Jul 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason for Charlie O:

#1 Houston Astros (59-31) starter Justin Verlander threw for six innings, six hits and ten strikeouts against the Oakland A’s (31-61) it was a typical classic Verlander performance.

#2 Barbara, you’ve followed Verlander his whole career just his body of work in Detroit could get him nominated on the Hall of Fame ballot and with Houston a slam dunk.

#3 Also the Astro Martin Maldonado contributed with a second inning grand slam for a four run second inning.

#4 The Astros really came back with a vengeance after losing the opening game to the A’s on Friday night.

#5 The A’s and Astros conclude the series today at Minute Maid Field starting pitchers for the A’s To Be Announced and for the Astros Jose Ordorizzi (4-2, 3.38) an 11:10 am PDT first pitch.

Barbara Mason filled in for Charlie O for the A’s podcasts heard every other Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.

A’s Scoreless in Game Two Loss To Astros 5-0

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The Houston Astros Martin Maldonado crosses the plate after hitting a bottom of the second grand slam against the Oakland A’s at Minute Maid Field on Sat Jul 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

A’s Scoreless in Game Two Loss To Astros 5-0

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Oakland A’s (31-61) took care of the Houston Astros (59-31) in a great offensive game that featured some nice pitching from Cole Irvin and nine hits for a 5-1 win over the AL West leaders.

Game recap: Saturday afternoon in game two of this series the A’s fell behind early in the second inning. A Martin Maldonado grandslam gave the Astros a 4-0 lead. Yuli Gurriel, Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick were on base for Houston.

It was a rough inning for A’s pitcher Jared Koenig. It was that second inning that made all the difference in this game. After the second inning, Koenig really settled down but the damage had been done.

The Astros would tack on one more run in the fourth inning when Chas McCormick singled and Aledmys Diaz scored. Houston would take the 5-0 lead into the eighth inning.

Oakland pitcher Jake Koenig pitched through seven innings giving up seven hits and five runs. He had three strikeouts. The A’s did manage seven hits but were unable to put a single run on the scoreboard. The A’s struck out 16 times in this game. Oakland has had only had one walk in this series so far and 24 strikeouts.

The biggest problem for the A’s was Justin Verlander who presents problems to any team that faces him. He gave up six hits with no runs scored through six innings. He had ten strikeouts. With an ERA of 1.89 he dominates almost every time he takes the mound. Bryan Abreu was the Astro closer who successfully dismissed Oakland, the final 5-0.

Sunday afternoon the A’s will take on Houston in game three to decide the series. The Astros will send Jake Odorizzi (4-2, 3.38) to the mound and at the time of this post the A’s pitcher is still undecided. First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 AM PT.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Montas might need more rest before making another start for A’s

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Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas has been giving it his all including in this game on Thu Jun 23, 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Seattle Mariners. Montas is doubtful for the Houston Astros series starting Fri Jul 15, 2022 at Minute Maid Field (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas is still questionable for this weekend’s series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field in Houston due to his right shoulder inflammation. Montas has thrown in a 25 pitch bullpen session on Tuesday.

#2 Montas left the roation on Jul 3 after pitching just one inning at Seattle feeling the shoulder tightness so as you can see it’s been a long recovery.

#3 The A’s had Thursday off and open the three games tonight with Houston. The question is can Montas physically make the start without feeling any soreness?

#4 A’s infielder Dennis Garcia 24, made his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers in Arlington going 1-2 with a run scored, a hit, and an RBI. The A’s really need his bat to help out with some of the lack of hitting they just haven’t been getting.

#5 A’s starting pitcher for tonight’s game in Houston the A’s will start Cole Irvin (3-7, 3.32) he’ll be opposed against the Astros Jake Odorizzi (4-2, 3.38) a 5:10 pm first pitch.

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

Preview: Oakland A’s-Houston Astros open series Friday night at Minute Maid Field; Last series before All Star break

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Oakland A’s manager Mark Kotsay is hoping for a good road trip starting Fri Jul 15, 2022 at Minute Field in Houston against the Houston Astros (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s meet the Houston Astros for three games starting Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The A’s and Astros just concluded a three-game series last week in Oakland. The Astros won two out of three in that series.

The A’s are off on Thursday. The Astros play the LA Angels on Thursday before returning home to face the A’s. The A’s are off three days for the annual All-Star game.

The A’s will start the second half of the season with a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on July 21st at the Oakland Coliseum. Then it’s the Texas Rangers, who the A’s just played the last three days, will be in Oakland for three Jul 22-24, and the Astros will be on hand for three more starting Jul 25-27th to close out the homestand.

The Astros have the best record in the AL West division. They are 57-30 and lead the second-place Seattle Mariners by eleven games. The A’s are in last place with a record of 30-60. The A’s are on pace to lose 108 games. Oakland has not had a season this bad since 1979.

The Astros have gone to the World Series in 2017, 2019, and 2021. They won the World Series crown in 2017. The Astros have a talented roster and show no signs of slowing down. The Astros have a very potent offense.

There are many familiar names in their lineup. Former AL MVP Jose Altuve leads the team. Other plays that can cause damage are third baseman Alex Bregman, rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena, first baseman Yuli Guriel, and utility player Aledmys Diaz.

The Astros’ star left fielder Michael Brantley is on the 10-day-IL. Chas McCormick or Jose Siri will fill in for Brantley. Jake Meyers will be in center field. Right fielder Kyle Tucker has killed the A’s in the past. Tucker will be going to the All-Star game as a reserve outfielder.

Houston’s Yordan Alvarez was also selected as an All-Star. Alvarez will not be able to DH for Houston in the series against the A’s as he is on the 10-day IL. Alvarez is hitting .306 with 26 home runs and 60 RBIs.

The Astros have not announced their pitching selections for the three-game series. The A’s announced that lefty Cole Irvin would pitch for Oakland Friday night. Irvin is 3-7 with an ERA of 3.31. Irvin has pitched well lately. The A’s offense has not given Irvin much support this season. The pitchers for the games on Saturday and Sunday have not been announced.

The A’s would love to win a series on the road. It will not be easy going against one of the best teams in baseball. If the A’s could take two out of three from Houston over the weekend, it could be quite a feather in the cap of manager Mark Kotsay’s.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s try and rebound from Texas series as they open up in Houston on Friday night

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Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn was racked up for five runs by the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Wed Jul 13, 2022 but settled down for the rest of his six inning stint (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Oakland A’s All Star representative Paul Blackburn got the Charlie Brown treatment surrendering five runs in the bottom of the first inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday as the Rangers got off to a quick 5-0 lead.

#2 Jerry, what were some of the things that Blackburn struggled with in that first inning was it a matter of his not getting tracked or the Rangers were just seeing the ball very well.

#3 For the rest of his start Blackburn pitched shutout ball for the next five innings in the remaining time of his start and found his control.

#4 It was that first inning five run rally that stood up for the Rangers who wound up getting the 5-2 win over the A’s. The A’s who scored only two runs and again lacked the hitting needed to get back in the game.

#5 Starting pitchers for Friday in Houston as the A’s have Thursday off for Oakland Cole Irvin (3-7, 3.32) and Houston manager Dusty Baker has not yet announced a starter for Friday a 5:10 pm PDT first pitch at Minute Maid Field. Jerry can the A’s rebound from the last series they had with the Astros.

Jerry does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s have tough time keeping Astros down; Oakland heads to Texas to open 3 game series

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Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvin delivers a first inning pitch against the Houston Astros line up on Sun Jul 10, 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Houston Astros rookie Korey Lee had his way with the Oakland A’s on Sunday with three hits in his big league debut at the Oakland Coliseum as he contributed to the Astros 6-1 win over the A’s.

#2 Astros starter Jake Odorizzi pitched seven innings of shutout ball giving up four hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts which was good enough to hold down the A’s.

#3 Astro outfielder Kyle Tucker hit his 17th home run of the season his efforts helped the Astros continue their winning ways with their 11th win in 14 games.

#4 The A’s got a home run from rookie Vimael Machin in the bottom of the eighth inning to end the shutout against Astro reliever Phil Maton. Machin just got the pitch over the rightfield fence.

#5 The A’s open up a three game series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. The A’s will be going with Adrian Martinez (2-1, 6.00) for the Texas Rangers Spencer Howard (0-1, 10.97) at 5:05 pm PDT

Join Barbara for the Oakland A’s podcast each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Quiet Baseball: A’s offense missing in 6-1 loss to the Astros

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–Two things are cropping up with the A’s these days: the losses and the length in time of the losses.

Add it up, not good, and neither was the 6-1 loss to the Astros in which they barely registered offensively. Only three A’s came to bat with a runner in scoring position, and they drew just one walk, and left four men on base.

Vimael Machin’s first Major League home run in the eighth was the highlight, and the whole thing was a rap in two hours, 39 minutes as the A’s saw a steady diet of strikes from three Houston pitchers and did little with them. The A’s have dropped nine of 13, and they haven’t exactly extended themselves in a majority of the losses.

But that’s A’s baseball these days, including the steady performance of their starters. Cole Irvin pitched six innings, allowing five hits and no walks, which looked good and was good, it just came without assistance, outside catcher Stephen Vogt.

“Little bit more curveball usage than I’ve had all season,” Irvin said of his afternoon. “Made my fastball look a little bit harder. Didn’t have good command of it early but it got better. I really wasn’t thinking too much out there. Vogter was calling a great game.”

In the absence of Yordan Alvarez, the impressive home run hitting first baseman for the Astros, who was both named to the All-Star team and placed on the injured list on Sunday, Kory Lee did his thing with three hits and three RBI. Lee, a 2019 first round pick from Cal, was feeling it, not so much from friends in attendance, but the Coliseum’s reputation for zaniness. Not a linear connection, but it worked as Lee put the Astros up 2-0 in the fifth, and doubled home two runs in the seventh for a 4-0 lead.

It’s crazy, being in Oakland,” Lee said. “The people here, the fans are really special so it was nice to get a little taste of home and do my thing here. It was a good day.”

It was a good day for Dusty Baker, who saw his club increase its AL West lead to 12 games and get five All-Star roster spots. And he didn’t get kicked out. In fact, Baker did little besides adjust his wristbands in the dugout, as opposed to getting ejected arguing calls as he did on Saturday.

“We got some timely hitting from some guys who played pretty good fundamental ball. Got ‘em over and got ’em in,” Baker said. “Korey Lee had a big day in front of all his folks. He put on a good display.”

GAME NOTES: The A’s have scored one run or no runs in 32 games thus far with little success (1-31). They entered Sunday’s game with a .209 batting average as a team and went 5 for 31 in the loss. The lowest team batting average over a full season since 1900 is .211 by the Chicago White Sox in 1910.

The A’s recalled Domingo Tapia from AAA Las Vegas and optioned Zach Logue, who started Saturday’s game.

The A’s open a three-game set in Arlington, Texas on Monday. Adrian Martinez and the Rangers’ Spencer Howard are the announced starters for Monday at 5:05pm.

A’s cash in on wild pitches, slip past Astros 3-2

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Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy (12) scores on Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado, right, and pitcher Framber Valdez (59) in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum Sun Jul 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, July 9, 2022

OAKLAND – Houston’s Framber Valdez threw a complete game on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Astros lefthander, his eight innings of work also included a wild pitch and a passed ball, which both contributed to Oakland’s 3-2 come-from-behind win at the Coliseum.

Sean Murphy opened the Athletics’ fourth with a single to right and moved to second on a one-out walk to Elvis Andrus. Stephen Piscotty then singled to left-center to load the bases.

Seth Brown reached on a fielder’s choice that drove in Murphy and moved Andrus to third and Piscotty to second while Brown was out trying to advance on the throw, A passed ball charged to catcher Martin Maldonado allowed Andrus to score and Piscotty to move to third. Piscotty scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Valdez (8-4).

From there, the A’s bullpen did the rest after A’s starter Zach Logue (3-4) was pulled after five innings. A.J. Puk, Domingo Acevedo, Azch Jackson and Sam Moll held Houston scoreless on one hit between the sixth and eighth innings.

In the Astros ninth, Lou Trivino issued a one-out walk to Kyle Tucker, followed by a single by Yuli Gurriel before retiring pinch-hitter JJ Martinez on a line out to center to earn his seventh save.

Houston took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on a run-scoring single by Chas McCormick and an infield groundout by Martin Maldonado. Both runs were charged to Logue.

Valdez gave up three runs – two earned – on four hits and two walks while striking out three. He threw 96 pitches. Gurriel was 2-for-4.

Murphy had two of Oakland’s four hits.

The A’s and Astros wrap up their weekend series on Sunday at the Coliseum. :Lefthander Cole Irvin (3-6, 3.35) will start for Oakland, facing Houston rigfhthander Jake Odrorizzi (3-2, 5,04 First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 p.m.

A’s ACORNS: The Athletics traded catcher-infielder Christian Bethancourt to the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers – righthander Christian Fernandez and outfielder Cal Stevenson. Bethancourt is expected to bolster the Rays’ catching depth. … Astros manager Dusty Baker was ejected from the game in the eighth inning for arguing balls-and-strikes. … Attendance was 10,054.

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s have trouble holding leads; MLB teams shopping for Montas

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Oakland A’s centerfielder Ramon Luareano can’t reach a ball hit by the Houston Astros Aledmys Diaz in the top of the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Jul 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Daniel:

#1 The Oakland A’s (28-57) lost their second game in their last four games on Friday night at the Coliseum dropping an 8-3 decision. The A’s got out to a 2-0 but couldn’t hold back the Houston Astros (55-28) who scored three runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.

#2 The A’s also faced some great pitching from Astros starter Jose Urquidy pitching eight innings giving up three runs all earned and four hits. Also Astros manager Dusty Baker showed all the confidence in Urquidy letting him go eight innings and confidence in his line up to catch up on the struggling A’s.

#3 he Oakland Athletics traded catcher/infielder Christian Bethancourt to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league right-handed pitcher Christian Fernandez and minor league outfielder Cal Stevenson, the club announced today.

#4 Who will the A’s send to the All Star game in LA on July 18th? They have two young prospects who represent them at the Futures game catcher Shea Langeliers and outfielder Denzel Clarke. Langeliers is hitting .271, 71 hits, 14 home runs, and 40 RBIs in the A’s triple A affiliate Las Vegas. Clarke is hitting .279, with 57 hits, nine home runs, and 32 RBIs.

#5 Oakland A’s number one pitcher Frankie Montas will miss his next start due to shoulder inflammation he exited last Sunday’s game in Seattle and was supposed to start either yesterday or today. He did get a cortisone shot after getting an MRI last Wednesday. He’s the go to pitcher on the A’s staff will his shoulder inflammation hamper his trade status before this month’s trade deadline?

Daniel Dullum is a MLB analyst for http://www.sportsradioservice.com