Tag: Khris Davis

A’s score first, but can’t hold on to get the win in Steel City

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Pit score
Graphic: @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics shot out of the gate quickly on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, hanging three runs up on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Khris Davis singled to right to drive Matt Chapman home to score. Kendrys Morales hit his first triple of the year to drive Davis home to score, and Morales would score the third Oakland run of the inning on a Stephen Piscotty  single to left field. That was a very promising start for the green and gold.

The Pirates put their first run up on the board in the home-half of the second inning when Josh Bell hit a Chris Bassitt 84 mph cutter over the right field wall.

Bell came back to haunt the A’s again in the bottom of the third inning with two out and Starling Marte on at first. Bell hit his eighth home run of the season over the center field wall off a 93 mph sinker that tied the game at 3-3.

The A’s retook the lead in the fifth inning when Khris Davis hit a single to center field that drove Matt Chapman home to score the fourth run of the contest for Oakland.

Pittsburgh broke this game open in the bottom of the seventh inning when they scored three runs. Kevin Newman hit his first triple of the season off Wendelken that drove in two runners on base to score and gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead. Francisco Cervelli then hit a 2-2 change up from Wendelken into left field that allowed Newman to score easily from third base. After seven complete innings, the Pirates held a 6-4 lead.

Pirates (15-15) focus

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Josh Bell hits one of his two home runs Photo: @Pirates
  • Josh Bell was the star of the game for Pittsburgh. He hit two home runs, picked up three RBI and scored two runs. Bell is batting .291 for the Pirates.
  • Gregory Polanco went 2-for-5 for Pittsburgh on Saturday. He hit a double and scored a run for his team in the win.
  • Outfielder Bryan Reynolds had a good night for his team, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Reynolds also scored a run.
  • Michael Feliz picked up his first win of the season working in relief.
  • Felipe Vazquez recorded his ninth save of the year preserving the win for his team.

A’s (15-20) spotlight

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Skye Bolt gets his first major league hit Photo: @NBCS
  • Matt Chapman had a 2-for-4 game scoring two runs. He hit a double and a triple in the game.
  • Khris Davis picked up two RBI and scored a run in his 2-for-4 night for Oakland. Davis played left field in the game because there is no designated hitter because this is a National League ballpark.
  • The A’s are hoping that this was a breakout game for Kendrys Morales who went 2-for-4 with the bat scoring a run and adding an RBI.
  • Skye Bolt, who was just called up to the majors, picked up his first major league hit in the game.
  • Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt did not figure into the final decision. The loss was charged to J.B. Wendelken (0-1) who pitched 1.0 innings giving up three runs (all earned) off four hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Up next

The third and final game of the series will be played on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35 AM Bay Area time. Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.97 ERA) will take the hill for Oakland. The Pirates will counter with Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42 ERA).

Five-Run Leads Don’t Mean Much: Rangers turn the tables on Oakland, win 8-7

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By Morris Phillips

The A’s got a much-needed day off on Saturday. But they didn’t take advantage of that break on Sunday.

The A’s avoided a marathon stretch of 18 games in 18 days when Saturday’s game in Arlington was rained out. But the A’s still appeared to run out of gas on Sunday, right after building a 7-2 lead in the fourth inning.

On Friday, the A’s were down five runs and rallied for an 8-6 win. On Sunday, it was the Rangers’ turn. Danny Santana put his signature on the win with a game-tying, two-run triple. Santana then scored what would become the winning run on Delino Deshields’ well-timed bunt single.

“That’s a game we normally don’t lose,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We just had one guy get whacked around a little bit in the eighth inning.”

Ironically, Santana was making his big-league season debut, pinch hitting for first baseman Pat Wisdom in the eighth inning. With runners on first and third, Santana ripped a Joakim Soria pitch into the right-centerfield gap, scoring Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera with the tying runs.

Soria was replaced by Yusmeiro Petit, who retired Jeff Mathis on a pop-up. Deshields then laid down a bunt that turned into a run-scoring single when catcher Josh Phlegley fielded it and threw a split-second late to first base.

The A’s had an opportunity to answer in the ninth, but Jose Leclerc struck out three batters in the ninth–the last two with a runner aboard–to close it out.

After hitting two homers and scoring seven runs in the first four innings, the A’s went scoreless the rest of the way.

Stephen Piscotty and Matt Chapman homered, and Khris Davis and Marcus Semien had run-scoring doubles in the A’s big start that chased Texas starter Adrian Sampson after four innings. Sampson allowed eight hits, seven earned runs in his first start after two previous relief appearances.

But four Ranger relievers followed Sampson and scattered two singles and a walk across six innings of work.

Meanwhile, the A’s normally reliable bullpen imploded. Soria suffered the majority of the damage, and J.B. Wendelken allowed a solo shot to Elvis Andrus in the seventh.

Andrus tripled off A’s starter Brett Anderson in the first, scoring DeShields. Then, at third base, Andrus got creative, stealing home on Anderson’s pick off throw to first.

“I started calling (Nomar) Mazara to try to get more, more, more, because I wanted (an unaware Anderson to attempt a second, pickoff) again. I talked to (third-base coach Tony) Beasley and said, ‘If he does that again, I’m going to home plate.’ So he just told me, ‘Make sure you’re safe.’”

Anderson produced a quality start, allowing just the two, first inning runs. The veteran went six innings, allowing two hits, two walks and one batter hit by a pitch.

The A’s have Monday off then open a homestand with a night game against the Astros on Tuesday. Marco Estrada goes for the A’s, Shelby Miller for the Astros with both pitchers enjoying additional days between starts.

Khris Davis homers twice, again, as A’s take 3 of 4 from Orioles

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, April 11, 2019

Khris Davis continued to swing his hot bat for Oakland Thursday, belting a pair of home runs to lead the Athletics past Baltimore 8-5 in an early getaway game at Camden Yards.

Meanwhile, Orioles DH Chris Davis extended his record hitless streak to 53 at-bats, going 0-for-3 with a walk. Chris Davis is in the fourth season of a $161 million, seven-year deal. He hasn’t gotten a hit since last Sept. 14.

It wasn’t just Khris Davis swinging the big lumber for Oakland – Josh Phegley, Kendrys Morales and Marcus Semien also hit round-trippers for the A’s in their third straight win after dropping the series opener. Oakland hit 16 home runs in the four-game series at Baltimore.

In his first career start against the Orioles, Aaron Brooks (2-1) gave up three runs on three hits and three walks over six innings. Blake Treinen struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to earn his fourth save.

Dylan Bundy (0-1) surrendered six runs on seven hits in five-plus innings while striking out eight. Bundy surrendered four of Oakland’s five home runs; the Orioles have given up at least one homer in all 13 games this season.

From the injured list, A’s first baseman Matt Olson is reportedly taking ground balls while working on his conditioning. Olson underwent off-season surgery on his right hand. He’s also taking one-handed swings in the batting cage.

The A’s begin a weekend series in Arlington, Texas, on Friday against the Rangers.

Astros use five pitchers to shutout the A’s 6-0 on Saturday night in Houston

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stros 1
Graphic: @athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics (6-6) lost their second consecutive game to the Houston Astros on Saturday as they were shutout by a combination of five Houston pitchers. The managed to pick up six hits off the Astros pitching, but only one of those hits was for extra bases.

Oakland went 0-for-5 with RISP and left a total of nine men on base. They struck out seven times and picked up four walks. It was a classic night where strong pitching dominated professional hitting.

Houston Hurlers

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Wade Miley on the mound Photo: @Astros

Wade Miley made the start for the Astros and worked 5.2-innings. Miley gave up no runs on four hits. He struck out four A’s batters and walked two hitters. Miley threw 95 pitches (56 strikes). He was credited with the win, which was his first for the season.

Will Harris, Josh James, Chris Devenski, and Framber Valdez combined to work 3.1-innings of scoreless relief for the Astros. The four relievers gave up just two hits and walked no Oakland hitters. The relief corps combined for three strikeouts.

Houston Offense (4-5)

Free-agent addition Michael Brantley led the Astros attack with the bat by going 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI. Brantley hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning which was his second HR of the season.

Yuli Gurriel had a 3-for-4 day with the bat. He added one RBI to his season total.

George Springer went 2-for-4 in the game versus A’s pitching. Springer hit his third home run of the young season off Aaron Brooks in the fifth inning. The round-tripper was a two-run shot.

The Astros scored six runs off 11 hits while leaving six runners on base.

A’s Pitching

Aaron Brooks really struggled in innings four, five and six. Brooks gave up five runs on nine hits. All five runs were earned. Brooks struck out two and walked out one. He also gave up two home runs.

The A’s used three relief pitchers–Yusmeiro Petit, Liam Hendricks, and Ryan Buchter, combined–to work the final three innings. They gave up no runs off just two hits. The relievers walked one and struck out two Astro hitters.

Brooks was charged with the loss – his first of the season. Brooks record is now 1-1 on the year.

Oakland hitting

Stephen Piscotty was the A’s leader with the bat. He went 2-for-3 at the plate and picked up the only Oakland extra-base hit. Piscotty also reached base via a walk.

Khris Davis, Chad Pinder, Kendrys Morales, and Mark Canha each picked up a base hit off Houston pitching.

Unfortunately for A’s fans, the Oakland hitters were unable to put those hits together to produce runs.

BoMel’s Thoughts

Manager Bob Melvin reaction after the game was that his team ran up against some great pitching and that is sometimes just too much to overcome. In other words, tomorrow is another day.

Up Next

The A’s and Astros will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday with a game that is scheduled to begin at 11:10 AM on Sunday morning. RHP Mike Fiers will make his fourth start of the season. His record is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

RHP Brad Peacock will make the start for the Astros. It will be his second start of the season. Peacock is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA.

Frankie Flamethrower: Montas, Davis lead the A’s past the Angels, 2-1

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND — If anything, some revision is needed: the A’s starting rotation isn’t a question mark, it’s a work in progress.

The progress part was in grand display over the weekend, as the A’s took three of four from the Angels, getting outstanding starts in each game, capped by Frankie Montas’ outing that highlighted a 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Montas hit 96 mph and above on his first eight pitches thrown, and allowed just one run in the sixth inning, as the A’s dominated a close game with power pitching, capped off with three innings of flawless relief. Incredibly, Montas was the only A’s starter to allow a run in the first six innings of a game in the series, a stat that wipes out any notion that the Oakland rotation is struggling. In fact, the rotation–at least at this early date in the season–appears just fine, and could be headlined by a career-defining season for No. 4 starter Montas.

“I don’t think you ever envision, this early in the season, four guys going out and giving you results like that,” manager Bob Melvin said, emphasizing the fact that the A’s spring training was truncated, and disjointed, limiting the rhythm and progress of Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada, Brett Anderson, Montas and Aaron Brooks, who makes his initial start Monday night.

Fiers and Estrada didn’t last long in their starts in Japan, as the team lost both games. But both rebounded: Fiers allowed one hit in six innings on Thursday, and Estrada two hits in six innings on Friday. Anderson was only slightly less impressive Saturday, allowing a double to Mike Trout, two singles and two walks.

But Montas–with his superior velocity and expanded repertoire–carries the buzz. The reliever turned starter posted the lowest ERA (0.56) in Major League Baseball during spring training, striking out 16 in 16 innings of work over five appearances. On Sunday, 32 of his 77 total pitches were between 96 and 98 mph. Montas has always brought the heat, but now he has the pitch command and a third weapon–a splitter–to complete the mix.

“The splitter has made a big difference,” Montas explained. “Now I have three plus-pitches and hitters can’t just worry about the fastball and slider. They have to worry about another pitch.”

Montas isn’t beyond missing a pitch, but those occassions are fewer and further between, as Kole Calhoun became the first hitter to take Montas deep in 2019 with his ridiculously-launched, 440-foot shot in the sixth. Previously, those missed pitches would bunch up, keeping the hard throwing, right-hander from establishing himself. But a new pattern has emerged: Montas is retiring hitters with regularity.

Khris Davis hit his fourth home run in six games to give the A’s a 1-0 lead in the fourth. With two outs in the fifth, Marcus Semien doubled and Matt Chapman singled to put the A’s up 2-0.

Lou Trivino retired three, consecutive hitters in the seventh to pick up Montas, who allowed a leadoff double to Justin Bour. Joakim Soria needed just 11 pitches to get through the eighth, and Blake Treinen closed the door in the ninth.

“We didn’t have a great offensive day but it felt like we had a great team day,” Semien said. “Frankie was throwing really hard and our bullpen did what they do.”

The A’s host a second, consecutive four-game set against the World Champion Red Sox starting Monday night. Familiar face and arm, David Price will be on the mound for Boston.

The A’s win for the 97th time, downing the Angels 5-2

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LAA Hendriks
Liam Hendriks was the “opener” on Saturday night Photo: @NBCS

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics know what they will be doing next Wednesday night. They will be in the Bronx, New York at Yankee Stadium fighting for their very “baseball lives” in the 2018 American League Wild Card Game. The problem for the A’s is they have to finish the regular season in Anaheim before heading to the East Coast.

The Athletics have two goals for those final games on Saturday and Sunday at the “Big A”:

  1. Don’t get hurt and
  2. DON’T GET HURT!

Oakland has been a team that has been besieged by injuries this season and they cannot afford to lose any member of this team before heading into the playoffs. Of course, these proud athletes want to win, but staying healthy is more important than winning at this point in the season.

Fortunately, the A’s were able to win and stay healthy on Saturday night. Oakland set the tone of the game in the first inning in a very familiar way. With two out and Matt Chapman on at first base, Khris Davis hit a pitch from Tyler Skaggs over the right field wall for his 48th home run of the season to give the A’s a 2-0 lead. The two RBIs upped Davis’ total to 123 for the season.

The A’s decided to go with the “bullpenning” pitching philosophy in game two of this final series of the regular season. As usual, Liam Hendriks opened the game on the mound working the first for Oakland. Trevor Cahill became the “featured pitcher” taking over in the bottom of the second inning.

Oakland added another run in the top of the third inning when Jed Lowrie hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Ramon Laureano to score from third. Laureano hit a double to lead off the inning.

The Angels took advantage of an A’s fielding error, added a stolen base and well-timed RBI single to score their first run of the game in bottom of the fifth inning.

Jim Johnson–yes, that Johnson who pitched for Oakland back in 2014–took over the pitching duties for the Angels. Jed Lowrie stepped in the batter’s box and hit his 23rd homer of the season off Mr. Johnson to up the A’s lead to 4-1.

Fernando Rodney took the ball for the A’s in the bottom of the seventh and he struggled. With the bases loaded and two out, Rodney walked in the Angels second run of the contest. He then had to face Mike Trout with bases loaded. Rodney was able to get Trout to fly out to right field and the A’s were still leading 4-2 after seven full innings.

In the top of the eighth inning, the A’s loaded up the bases with one out. Stephen Piscotty hit a fly ball to right field that was caught by Kole Calhoun. Ramon Laureano tagged up at third and scored the A’s fifth run of the game.

That would be it for scoring in the game and Oakland recorded their 97th win of 2018 with the 5-2 victory.

LAA 5-2
Graphic: @Angels

The “Bullpenning” A’s
Oakland used six pitchers in their win on Saturday night. Hendriks opened while Trevor Cahill filled the role of the featured pitcher going 4.0 innings giving up one run (earned) on one hit. He walked one and struck out one batter.

Shawn Kelley worked one inning walking one and striking out two. Fernando Rodney had very shaky outing as he wound up facing seven batters and giving up an earned run in the seventh inning.

Familia came in to set things up in the eighth inning and Blake Treinen closed it out in the ninth.

Cahill (7-4) was awarded the win while Treinen picked up his 38th save of the year.

Angels’ hurlers
LA starter Tyler Skaggs (8-10) took the loss after giving up the two-run home run to Davis in the first inning. The Angels used six pitchers who did not do a bad job. The gave up five runs off eight hits. They walked four A’s and struck out nine. It was the two home runs that really did the Angels in on Saturday night.

A’s at the plate

LAA Davis
Two guys who love the game Photo: @Athletics
  • Ramon Laureano continues to be amazing. He went 2-for-5 in this game scoring two runs. Yes, he scored each time he reached base.
  • Jed Lowrie does it again with a home run, sacrifice fly, two RBI and a run scored.
  • Khris Davis (yes, they must sign him to a long-term contract) had just another day at the office with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored.
  • Chad Pinder went 2-for-4 in the game.

LA Stars

  • Only four Angels managed to get a hit in the game–Jose Fernandez, Andrelton Simmons, Taylor Ward and Kaleb Cowart.
  • Five LA batters did reach base by way of a walk.
  • Ouch! The Angels left nine men on base.

Up next
Game 162 of the 2018 season will get underway at 12:07 pm PT on Sunday. All MLB games on Sunday will begin in the noon hour in their respective time zones. Brett Anderson (4-5, 4.42) will start for the A’s while Matt Shoemaker (2-2, 4.82) will take the mound for the Halos.

A’s slightly off their game in 5-4, series-deciding loss to the Rays

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By Morris Phillips

The A’s played it conventional with their pitching on Sunday, no surprise there. Trade acquisition Mike Fiers started five times in August, and twice so far in September, and the A’s won all seven, proving the old-fashioned, pitch deep into the ballgame starting pitcher still has a place among today’s compartmentalized baseball philosophies.

But Sunday wasn’t Fiers’ day, with the former Tiger slightly off his game while facing the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays, the A’s new dark horse competition for the final AL wild card spot.

“I felt like I couldn’t really get in a rhythm. I put the guys behind early and this game is big on momentum,” Fiers said.

Jed Lowrie’s fielding error stood out as the first blow to Fiers’ momentum, his bobble of Ji-Man Choi’s grounder screwed up what would of been an inning-ending double play. Instead, the next batter, C.J. Cron homered to give the Rays a 2-0, first inning lead.

Fiers walked three batters in the second, then escaped, via a double play and a groundout. In the fourth, Willy Adames homered to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead.

Fiers departed after four innings–his second shortest stint of his eight in Oakland–without any offensive support and destined for his first loss as an Athletic.

Meanwhile, the Rays went with their bullpen committee, and the combination of opener Diego Castillo, eventual winning pitcher Andrew Kittredge, Hunter Wood and Jaime Schultz were baffling to A’s hitters. That quartet pushed the Rays through the first seven innings, allowing two hits, the first coming with one out in the fifth inning.

“We called on some guys that hadn’t had a ton of work here recently and hadn’t pitched in tight situations recently, but they really did a nice job,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It was fun to watch them how they really pieced it together.”

Emilio Pagan allowed a two-run triple to Brandon Lowe in the seventh, another blemish on the reliever’s string of recent, subpar appearances.  That stood as a minor footnote with the A’s trailing 5-0, but quickly became a big deal when Khris Davis delivered a ninth inning, grand slam that brought the A’s within a run before reliever Sergio Romo retired two batters to end it.

Instead of a critical win on a day the Yankees lost, the A’s settled for a one-run loss, and a rare series loss. With 12 games remaining, the A’s lead Tampa Bay by seven games in the quest for the second wild card. But Houston’s lead in the AL West grew to 4 1/2 games, and they failed to move any closer to the Yankees, with their 1 1/2 game lead for the right to host the wild card showdown on October 3.

The A’s concluded play against the AL East with the loss, only their 11th loss versus that division this season. Five of those 11 losses came at the hands of the Rays.

The A’s open their final homestand of the season on Tuesday at 7:05pm. Liam Hendricks and Daniel Mengden are scheduled as the opener and featured reliever entrusted with getting the club through at least four innings. Tyler Skaggs wll start for the Angels.

 

 

 

 

 

A’s outlast the Rangers 8-6 in a slugfest on Saturday at the Coliseum

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND — The Oakland Athletics’ 61-0 winning streak when they held a lead after seven innings was on the line Saturday versus the Texas Rangers. The A’s had a 6-4 lead after seven innings, but Texas veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre had other ideas about Oakland continuing that winning streak.

Beltre came to bat in the top of the eighth inning with teammate Nomar Mazara at first and his team trailing by two runs. With the count at 0-2, Beltre hit a Fernando Rodney pitch down the left-field line into the seats for a two-run home run to tie the game at 6-6. It was home run No. 11 of the season for Beltre and his second of the game (his first multiple home run game of the season). The crowd of 20,504 became very concerned.

The Rangers brought RHP Chris Martin into the game from the bullpen. The first batter he had to face was Matt Olson who entered the game in the seventh inning for Mark Canha. Olson hit the 0-1 pitch from Martin over the fence in left field for his 25th home run of the year to give the A’s a 7-5 lead. After Chad Pinder flied out, Jonathan Lucroy singled. Ramon Laureano struck out for the second out of the inning. Matt Chapman, who leads the majors in doubles since the All-Star Break, hit an RBI-double to right field that allowed Lucroy to score the A’s eighth run of the game to give them an 8-6 lead.

The A’s went to the top of the ninth with an 8-6 lead which meant it was “Treinen Time.” Treinen took the mound and struck out the first two hitters he faced. Shin-Soo Choo then stepped into the batter’s box and hit a soft line drive to Marcus Semien for the final out of the game.

The A’s won the game 8-6 and upped their record for the season to 86-57. They have now won three consecutive games and have guaranteed that they will win this series with the Rangers. The A’s are now 11-0-2 in their previous 13 home series which is the longest single-season home series unbeaten streak in Oakland history.

Ryan Buchter (4-0) received credit for the victory and Blake Treinen of the A’s picked up his 37th save. Chris Martin (1-4) of the Rangers was hung with the loss.

The Astros beat the Red Sox on Saturday 5-3 in Boston so the A’s will stay 3.5 games back of Houston. The Mariners host the Yankees on Saturday night.

Bob Melvin analyzes the game

Performances worth remembering

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  • Khris Davis hit his 41st home run of the season in the home half of the first inning. He now has 10 round-trippers off Rangers pitching.
  • Jed Lowrie hit his 36th double of the year in this contest, which ties him with Nick Swisher for third most for switch hitters in A’s history.
  • Stephen Piscotty doubled in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
  • Matt Olson’s 25 home runs lead the American League for most HR’s by a first baseman.
  • Chad Pinder hit his 11th home run of 2018 in the sixth inning – a solo shot.
  • The Rangers Shin-Soo Choo has reached base in 15 out of 17 games versus the A’s this year.
  • Jurickson Profar hit his 16th home run of the season in the fourth inning off Jackson.

Pitching was a group effort in this game

A’s

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  • Starter Edwin Jackson was credited for just 3.0 innings and was dinged for four runs (all earned) off five hits. He struck out five and walked just one but gave up two home runs.
  • Shawn Kelley was back after his kitchen accident and pitched a perfect inning with two K’s.
  • Lou Trivino worked a perfect inning of relief.
  • Fernando Rodney was charged with blown save for giving up the two-run shot to Beltre.
  • The A’s used eight pitchers.
  • Oakland pitching gave up six runs (all earned) off six hits. They walked just one batter. A’s pitchers struck out 12 Texas hitters. They did give up three home runs.

Rangers

  • The Rangers used five pitchers in the game.
  • All but one of those hurlers gave up at least one earned one. Ouch!
  • Eddie Butler was the only reliever not to give up a run.
  • Texas pitchers gave up eight runs (all earned) on nine hits. They struck out seven and walked six. The Rangers also issued three home runs to A’s hitters.

Up next

The series wraps tomorrow at 1:05 PM when the Rangers send RHP Ariel Jurado (2-4, 6.00) to the mound to face the A’s RHP Trevor Cahill (6-3, 3.60).

Khris Davis is the other KD that people should be talking about

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Photo credit: @athletics_fanly

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — I think it’s pretty obvious that Khris Davis is the other KD in the Bay Area that people should be talking about. But, just in case you need a couple of reasons on why Davis deserves a similar amount of praise like Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant, I’ll give you a couple of reasons.

Davis, a Lakewood, Calif. native, has been piling up the hits and RBIs on the field as the A’s designated hitter. The Coliseum’s playing surface, Rickey Henderson Field, is a gorgeous reflection of the Green and Gold. But, as you may already know, Davis has a shot at becoming a big A’s star. The 30-year-old bats and throws right and recently has joined quality company alongside Jimmie Foxx and Mark McGwire with his third straight year with 40 or more home runs.

“It’s just miraculous [the kind of] numbers that he puts up,” A’s manager Bob Melvin told NBC Sports Bay Area. “We’ve had a long history of power hitters here, and to be with Jimmie Foxx in that kind of company and we’re still looking at close to a month left … He’s been as consistent a power hitter as anyone’s been in Oakland.”

Davis also joined Foxx as the second player in A’s history to go back-to-back with 40 homers. Davis needs eight more homers to pass Terry Steinbach for 15th place on the A’s all-time home runs list.

Davis has been dubbed as “the most consistent hitter in baseball history” by FiveThirtyEight.com. Davis’ batting average is consistent to the point where it’s scary.

Davis’ opposite is Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper, who’s currently tied as the third most volatile hitter over a five-year span. Harper’s batting average has taken quite the roller coaster ride, but it’s obvious that inconsistency doesn’t automatically mean that a hitter is subpar. Harper’s team, however, tends to fall apart in the postseason, thanks to the so-called Washington D.C. sports curse.

In my opinion, Davis’ other nickname could be “Mr. Reliable” since he provides a ray of consistency in the midst of random batting averages among MLB players.

Additionally, Davis’ actions off the field speak volumes that he’s not just a respectable DH, but also an all-around good guy. Last month, Davis asked a young male fan, Anthony Slocumb, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to sign his jersey. Slocumb is a sixth grader from Oakland. Slocumb had been in remission from a rare cancer called Langerhans cell histiocytosis, but attended an A’s vs. Rangers game at the Coliseum with a group from the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Greater Bay Area chapter.

Davis kept Slocumb in his memory while out and about on the field. Davis also slugged a homer for the A’s 9-0 shutout win over the Rangers that day.

“I thought about him around the bases. There’s not a better feeling than hitting a home run, so hopefully he got some excitement and joy from watching that,” Davis told ESPN. “They’re really the stars. … He was excited. I could tell that he was just happy to be here and wanted to have some fun. It was amazing, the look on his face.”

Davis never thought once about changing uniform shirts either.

Slocumb’s mother was pleased by Davis’ kind gesture, as it’s not everyday where an average person or group of persons crosses paths with a talented and kind-hearted MLB player.

With all that said, Davis may not become this year’s MVP, but he has been a large chunk of the A’s renaissance; and this why he’s the other KD that people should be talking about.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Khris “Krush” Davis joins Jimmie Foxx in three straight years of hitting 40 home runs or more

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photo from athleticsnation.com file: Oakland A’s slugger Khris Davis (2) joins former A’s slugger Jimmie Foxx for hitting at least 40 or more home runs per season for three consecutive years

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND — On Saturday September 1, 2018, Oakland Athletics’ designated hitter Khris Davis hit his 40th home run at the Oakland Coliseum against Seattle reliever Alex Colomé. Davis joined Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (1932-34) of the Philadelphia Athletics as the only two players in three consecutive years to have 40 home run seasons in the A’s franchise. Khris Davis came to the A’s in 2016–that season he ended with 42 home runs and 102 runs batted in, 2017–43 home runs and 110 runs batted in, and as of the conclusion of Sept. 1–40 home runs and 105 runs batted in. Originally a left fielder, he is the A’s everyday DH. A quiet player that goes on with his business. Davis is a 30-year-old, Lakewood, Calif. native. His mother was born in Guadalajara, México. He has played on a “year to year” contract since he arrived with the A’s, making $10.5 million this season.

Here is the all-time list of players who have accomplished this feat: Babe Ruth, NYY 1926-32, Alex Rodriguez, 1998-2003, Sammy Sosa (1998-2003), Ken Griffey Jr. (1996-2000), Ralph Kiner (1947-1951), Ryan Howard (2006-09), Albert Pujols (2003-06), Jim Thome (2001-04), Mark McGwire (1996-99), Ernie Banks (1957-1960), Duke Snider (1953-56), David Ortiz (2004-06), Barry Bonds (2000-02), Vinny Castilla (1996-98), Andres Galarraga (1996-98), Juan Gonzalez (1996-98), Jay Buhner (1995-97), Frank Howard (1968-1970), Ted Kluszewski (1953-55), Eddie Mathews (1953-55), and of course, Jimmie Foxx (1932-34).

Listen to the A’s games on KIQI 1010AM/990AM in San Francisco, Oakland, San José, Sacramento, Stockton and the Valley. Also, on the SAP line on A’s television.