Tag: Khris Davis

Orioles 12 runs, 20 hits & a win; A’s lose as Manaea goes only 1/3 of an inning

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

Bob Melvin after the 12-5 loss on Manaea and more

A’s fans did not see this one coming

The Baltimore Orioles sent 11 men to the plate and Sean Manaea to the showers in the top the first inning on Saturday night in Oakland. Manaea was no mystery to the O’s hitters who roughed him up for six runs (all earned) on six hits in 1/3 inning of work.

RHP Michael Brady – who was just recalled from Nashville by the Athletics – took over for Manaea with one out in first inning. He gave up one run when he gave up a two RBI-double to the Orioles shortstop Tim Beckham (one run was charged to Manaea). After 1/2 inning of play, Baltimore led Oakland 7-0.

The A’s made some noise of their own in the bottom of the first. Newcomer Boog Powell picked up a leadoff walk. Chad Pinder struck out and Jed Lowrie grounded out. That brought Khris Davis to the plate to face RHP Dylan Bundy. Davis hit the first pitch from Bundy over center field wall for a two-run home run – his 32nd of the season. After one inning of play, the Baltimore led Oakland 7-2.

The Athletics held the Orioles scoreless in the top of the second inning. Rookie Matt Olson led off the bottom of the second for the A’s. He took the 1-0 pitch from Bundy over the right field wall on a line drive for his sixth home of the year to make a 7-3 game. The crowd of 29,742 fans started coming to life because it looked like the Athletics might make a game of it after all.

The Orioles began to dash the hopes of the Oakland fans in the top of the fourth inning. Joey Rickard led off and was hit by a pitch. Tim Beckham hit a double that moved Rickard to third. With two out and runners at second and third, the veteran Adam Jones singled to left-center field and drove the runners home to give Baltimore a 9-3 lead over the Athletics.

The A’s made some noise in the home half of the eighth inning with Orioles third pitcher of the game Miguel Castro on the mound. Ryon Healy led off with a single to right. With one out, Matt Chapman doubled to left moving Healy up to third base. Catcher Bruce Maxwell hit a sacrifice fly to center field that brought Healy home from third and moved Chapman up to third. Marcus Semien singled to right to drive Chapman in from third to make it a 9-5 game in favor of the Orioles. At that point, A’s fans felt like their team still had a chance to comeback in the game.

The Athletics went with their only left-handed reliever – Daniel Coulombe – to face the O’s in the ninth. The Orioles were not kind to Coulombe as they scored three runs on five hits (including three doubles). When the top half of the inning was over, Baltimore held a commanding 12-5 lead which would ultimately be the final score of the game.

The Orioles scored 12 runs on 20 hits. The committed one error and left nine runners on base. The A’s put up five runs on 10 hits. They played error free baseball and also left nine men on base.

Time of the game was 3 hours and 20 minutes.

In the batters box

Bal Jones vet hitting
Veteran Adam Jones went 3-for-5 at the plate*

Oakland

  • Khris Davis had a 2-for-4 game that included a home run (32) and two RBI (83)
  • Matt Olson showed his power with home run number six and RBI number 12
  • Matt Chapman went 2-for-3 with two doubles (12), one run and one RBI
  • DH Ryon Healy was 2-for-5 and scored a run
  • The A’s were just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position

Baltimore

Bal Beckham Maxwell
The A’s saw way too much of Beckham on Saturday*
  • Tim Beckham continues to hit at another level since joining the Orioles. He went 4-for-5 in this game with three doubles (12), scored three runs and posted three RBI (45). Beckham extended his hitting streak to 12 games. There have to be some general managers asking how did we overlook him at the trade deadline?
  • The veteran Adam Jones had a 3-for-5 night at the plate and recorded three RBI. He also scored a run.
  • First baseman Chris Davis who has been struggling going just 1-for-14 on the current road trip had 2-for-4 night that included two RBI.
  • The O’s scored 12 runs without the benefit of hitting one home run in the contest. They did hit eight doubles in the game. Many of those extra-base hits banged off the walls.
  • As a team, Baltimore was 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position

On the hill

Oakland

  • It was a nightmare for starter Sean Manaea who takes the loss and falls to 8-7 on the season. He gave up six runs (all earned) on six hits in 0.1 innings of work. His ERA now stands at 4.59
  • Michael Brady worked hard coming into a very difficult long relief situation early in the game. He worked 5.1 innings giving up three runs (earned) on seven hits. Brady struck out five Orioles and walked none
  • Liam Hendriks worked a scoreless 1.1 innings
  • Josh Smith did not allow a run in his one inning of work
  • Daniel Coulombe allowed three runs (earned) on five hits in one inning of relief

Baltimore

BAL Dylan Bundy
Dylan Bundy struck out 10 A’s hitters on his way to the win
  • Dylan Bundy got the win and improves to 12-8 on the season. It was an odd win by the numbers. He pitched 6.0 innings giving up three runs (earned) on seven hits including two home runs which accounted for all three runs. Bundy walked three and struck out 10 (the second time his has struck out that many in his career)
  • Darren O’Day worked a perfect seventh inning
  • Miguel Castro lasted just 0.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits to the A’s in the eighth inning.
  • Mychal Givens (a converted infielder) closed the game giving up no runs or hits in his 1.1 innings on the hill

Up next

The Orioles and Athletics will conclude their four-game series on Sunday at the Coliseum beginning at 1:05 pm PDT. Baltimore will start RHP Jeremy Hellickson (1-1, 2.08) while Oakland will send RHP Kendall Graveman (2-3, 4.97) to the mound for the home team.

*Photos USA TODAY Sports

Home of the walk-off: A’s send Twins to defeat with a game-ending homer for the second, straight day

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Minnesota Twins pitcher Bartolo Colon works against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 30, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Morris Phillips 

OAKLAND–Somewhere near the three-hour mark of Sunday’s series finale between the Twins and the A’s, the stalemates appeared pretty much entrenched.

No movement on the scoreboard, and no movement on the trade front. Sonny Gray, scratched from his scheduled start with speculation high that the A’s young ace would be dealt prior to Monday’s deadline, was still sitting in the Oakland dugout quietly pulling for the only big league club he’s known to summon some extra-inning dramatics.

A weird scene? Indeed, but at the three-hour mark this one had already qualified as strange ballgame.

Luckily, for the A’s, Yonder Alonso would provide a straightforward and satisfying ending–after four hours and six minutes of baseball.

Alonso sent Tyler Duffy’s first offering in the 12th inning over the right field wall to win it, and complete the A’s methodical climb from a 5-0, fourth inning deficit. The 6-5 win enhanced the A’s reputation for late ballgame dramatics despite their being positioned 22 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West.

Sort of like a tantrum-engulfed toddler wailing loudly in a crowded room, the swinging A’s are capable of demanding your attention.

“Once you get a few of them (walk off wins), I don’t want to say you expect it, but you have a good feeling about it happening again once we get to the dugout and have a chance to win,” manager Bob Melvin said.

The A’s won for the ninth time–and second day in a row–on their final at-bat of the day.

The momentum swings in this one ran the range from subtle to stark starting with the Twins’ two-homer, first inning off Jharel Cotton. Thrust into the starting role when Gray was scratched, and fresh from the disabled list, Cotton continued two, disturbing trends by allowing the two bombs, and walking five. The walks were distributed across Cotton’s brief, 78-pitch outing, and visibly frustrated the young pitcher, but Melvin still saw positives.

“He just got a little bit out of sync. He threw some really good changeups at times, good pitches, but he just couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Melvin said. “I thought his stuff was pretty good, it just didn’t translate into outs.”

In contrast, Cotton’s adversary on the mound, Bartolo Colon was Old Steady, making his 516th big league start which lasted into the seventh inning. Colon has hinted at an imminent retirement, but the decision wasn’t in connection with Sunday’s outing. Colon allowed eight hits and a walk, and departed with a 5-3 lead.

Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi complicated things for Colon, Cotton and both lineups with his inconsistent ball and strike calls. The Twins Brian Dozier got the worst of it. After his first inning home run, he struck out five times, and fussed with Cuzzo throughout. Dozier was around for the finish, but Miguel Sano was not. After fanning for the third time in the 11th, Sano paused, then exploded, throwing his bat down, prompting Cuzzi to issue his ejection.

While Cotton and six Oakland relievers compiled 15 strikeouts, they also issued eight walks, helping make the latter innings hectic with the Twins threatening to push across the go-ahead run. But that’s where the A’s defense kicked in with Khris Davis making a pair of high-difficulty catches, and Matt Chapman’s heads up tag play at third that prevented Max Kepler from reaching the base with one out in the ninth.

The beleaguered A’s bullpen was dialed in, throwing 8 1/3 scoreless innings after Cotton allowed all five Minnesota runs.

Gray’s status remains undetermined at press time, but if he’s moved to the Yankees, it will follow weeks of intense negotiating with the Yankees protecting their high-level prospects and the A’s insisting that one or two be included in any deal. If nothing else, stubborn negotiations, and a relatively small number of deals consummated to date by all of the clubs leave room for the possibility that Gray won’t be moved at all.

If 4pm Monday passes without a trade of Gray, he’s expected to make his rescheduled start against the Giants in the Bay Bridge Series opener. Matt Cain, looking to avoid a 10th loss on the season, will pitch for the Giants.

 

Oakland A’s Podcast: Trade Deadline Special featuring Melissa Lockard of OaklandClubhouse.com with Charlie O

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Photo: Bruce Kluckhorn USA TODAY Sports

  • What uniform will Sonny Gray be wearing on August 1st?

  • Who will the Athletics get in return for Gray?

  • What will happen with Yonder Alonso?

  • Should Jed Lowrie and Rajai Davis have their bags packed?

  • Is Khris Davis untouchable?

  • Are the Oakland Athletics really in a true rebuilding mode?

Get the answers to these questions and more on this special edition of the Oakland A’s Podcast which will focus on the MLB trade deadline. The Athletics are definitely sellers at this point and their prize player is pitcher Sonny Gray. Many teams want him, but who will be willing to step up and pay the price the A’s are going to want for Gray?

melissa lockard
Melissa Lockard OaklandClubhouse.com & FanRagSports.com

Charlie O welcomes Melissa Lockard to the podcast to discuss all things trade deadline. Melissa is the publisher and editor of OaklandClubhouse.com and a regular contributor to FanRagSports.com on the latest news relating to the Athletics. Melissa also spends a great deal of time reporting on the A’s minor league organization, so she knows the strengths and weaknesses of the system as well as what the needs are for the future.

This podcast will not waste your time. It’s 19-minutes and 17-seconds of pure content. They jump into the questions and get to the heart of the story.

Three the hard way: Trio of solo shots holds up, A’s avoid the sweep in New York

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AP17204761930936
Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell, left, congratulates Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Santiago Casilla (46) after Casilla earned a save by closing out the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, July 23, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

By Morris Phillips

You do what you can do, right?

The A’s don’t score many runs, don’t get a lot of hits, and they don’t do any better when the odds are supposedly stacked in their favor with runners on base poised to score.

For that matter, the A’s strike out too much, commit too many errors, and don’t like facing lefties, National Leaguers, or playing day games. But for the most part, all that stuff is actually part of a different story.

For this story, the A’s needed to overcome their run-scoring limitations and find a way to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Mets on Sunday. And they did just that by relying on something that they do well: hitting home runs with the bases empty.

Oakland got solo shots from Marcus Semien, Khris Davis and the game-winner from Matt Chapman in the seventh to edge the Mets, 3-2 at Citi Field in New York. The A’s avoided the sweep and improved their American League-worst road victory total to 16.

But by winning by the narrowest of margins, the A’s also buried a weekend of demons in which they were narrowly defeated Friday and on Saturday, after their 5-0 lead evaporated in the final, four innings.

“We’ve gotten worn down here a little bit these first two games here where we had some leads and they came back, so it was good the guys kept grinding and kept responding,” manager Bob Melvin admitted.

This time, the A’s worked through an hour-long rain delay, and the loss of 1-0 and 2-1 leads. And with the game on the line, reliever Santiago Casilla retired three of the four Mets he faced to earn his 16th save.

The A’s have battled their youth and inexperience all season as reflected in their below-standard positioning in numerous, statistical categories. But hitting homers is one thing this club does well, hitting 134 of them in 98 games. Mets starter Rafael Montero had to be aware of the A’s proficiency with the long ball coming in, but not overly concerned. Montero had allowed just two home runs in his 45 innings pitched this season.

All that concern for Montero was heightened two batters into Sunday’s game. First, Semien launched Montero’s elevated offering into the left field seats. Then in the fourth, Davis hit his team-leading 28th home run to give the A’s a 2-1 lead. After the first two round trippers, 59 percent (80 of 136) of the A’s homers had come with the bases empty.

“Those home runs, when they occurred, that’s because I kept the ball too high,” Montero conceded.

A’s starter Daniel Gossett came in with just one win on the season–like Montero–but unlike his Mets’ counterpart, he was able to change his storyline on Sunday.  Gossett allowed five hits and two runs in his six innings of work to earn the win. Gossett addressed his won-loss record and his personal safety in the fifth when he stabbed Curtis Granderson’s liner through the box to end the inning.

The A’s open a four-game set in Toronto on Monday night. Chris Smith goes for his first, big league win in a matchup with Francisco Liriano at 4:07pm.

Chapman and Davis lead a power explosion as the A’s beat the Indians 5-3

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Athletics kept telling everyone the kid had power – tonight he showed it off

The A’s have won two consecutive games since the All-Star Break: Melvin’s happy

The game in brief

CLE Kluber game
Kluber struck out 12 A’s hitters*

Cleveland sent veteran All-Star Corey Kluber to the hill to face the Athletics rookie Paul Blackburn who was just making the third start of his major league career on Saturday night. The game really belonged to the hurlers for much of the early stages. Pitching mistakes highlighted the runs that were scored early.

Kluber (7-3, 2.86) certainly would like to have the 2-1 offering back that Matt Chapman hit over the left-center field wall in the bottom of the third inning for the first home run of his MLB career. Kluber had not allowed a hit until the home run which put the A’s up 1-0.

The young Mr. Blackburn (1-0, 1.83) put himself and the A’s into jeopardy in the top of the fourth by giving up a leadoff walk to Michael Brantley. Edwin Encarnacion then followed up by taking the 0-1 pitch from Blackburn down the left field line for a two -run home run (19). Blackburn fought his way through the inning without allowing any additional runs but the Indians held a 2-1 lead.

With two out and the bases empty in the home-half of the fifth, Chapman hit a solid double to right off Kluber. Rajai Davis followed with an RBi-single to right and the A’s had tied the game at 2-2.

In the top of the sixth, Blackburn put himself back on the griddle when he issued a leadoff walk to Encarnacion. Jose Ramirez singled to right and Encarnacion advanced to third. Carlos Santana grounded to the right side of the infield but because the shift was on the only play was to first base. Encarnacion scored easily from third to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead.

A trio of A’s relievers finished the game for Oakland giving no runs on no hits and did not allow a Cleveland baserunner.

Kluber came out and started the eighth inning for the Indians. He was still looking strong as he had struck out 12 A’s batters. The first Oakland hitter was Matt Chapman who hit Kluber’s first pitch over the center field wall for his second home run of the night. That tied the game at 3-3 and chased Kluber from the contest.

The Indians were unable to score in the top of the ninth so the game remained tied as the A’s came to bat.

Cleveland reliever Andrew Miller walked Oakland’s leadoff man Yonder Alonso. Terry Francona pulled Miller and inserted Bryan Shaw into the game. The first batter to face Shaw was Khris Davis. Davis worked the count to 3-2 and then Davis hit the next pitch over the right-center field wall for a two-run walkoff home run giving the A’s a 5-3 win over the Indians.

The win guarantees that Oakland (41-50) will the series which concludes on Sunday.

The win goes to Ryan Madson (2-4, 2.06). The Indians reliever Andrew Miller (3-3, 1.60) takes the loss.

Take a bow

CLE Chapman
Chapman digs for second vs Cleveland*

Come back out for an encore Mr. Chapman. The rookie third baseman was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game with all three hits coming off Corey Kluber. Chapman not only hit his first major league home run but he also had the first multi-home run game of his career. Do not forget his other hit was a double that turned into a run when Rajai Davis hit a single that drove him home. So, Chapman also posted three runs and two RBi on Saturday night.

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber does deserve honorable mention even though he did not figure into the decision. He struck out 12 hitters in his 7.1 innings of work while walking none. The reason Kluber also gets kudos is he threw 106 pitches (72 strikes). 100-plus pitches: “that’s old school” and it deserves an nod.

In the batter’s box

Khris Davis has to be brought out for a standing ovation for hitting his second walk-off home run of the season (the fourth of his career). It was his 25th round-tripper of the year to go with 62 RBi.

The Indians Edwin Encarnacion also deserves a nod for 2-for-3 game that included his 19th home run and two RBi.

On the hill

Hats off to the A’s trio of relievers who worked the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Liam Hendriks, Daniel Coulombe and Ryan Madson combined to pitch a perfect final three innings to give the Athletics a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

Up next for the Athletics

The Indians and Athletics wrap up this three-game series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. at the Coliseum on Rickey Henderson Field.

  • Indians – RHP Trevor Bauer (7-7, 5.24) will be the starter for Cleveland. It will be his 18th start of the season and his first start in nine days. Bauer lost his last start 6-2 to the San Diego on July 5 when he allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5.0 innings.
  • Athletics – Oakland will counter with LHP Sean Manaea (7-5, 3.76). He lost his last start on July 7 in Seattle giving up three runs (earned) on eight hits in 7.0 innings on the mound. Manaea walked one and struck out three Mariners. He beat the Indians back on May 31 in Cleveland as he struck out nine Indians in seven innings. The A’s won that game 3-1.

 For you long-range planners

Sonny Gray is scheduled to start the final game of the Tampa Bay series on Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. If you are a Gray fan, I’m just saying …

*Photos Ed Szczepanski – USA Today Sports

A’s lose a heartbreaker to Braves 4-3; rookie pitcher is impressive in debut

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

Braves vs Athletics 2:20 Twitter Video Game Wrap

Game Summary

The Oakland Athletics entered the game with the Atlanta Braves on Saturday in search of their first win in three games. They were also looking to rebound after just avoiding being no-hit on Friday night.

The Athletics had to turn to a rookie pitcher making his first start in the major leagues to face the Braves in the second game of the series. RHP Paul Blackburn was called up from Triple-A Nashville to make the spot start because Jharel Cotton is still battling a blister on his thumb. Blackburn had to face-off with cagey knuckleball throwing veteran R.A. Dickey.

Scoring

The Braves put the first run on the board when Tyler Flowers scored from second base off Danny Santana’s double to left-center in the top of the second inning. Flowers had advanced into scoring position when SS Franklin Barreto’s throw sailed over the glove of Yonder Alonso into foul territory. Barreto was charged with an error. (Braves 1, A’s 0)

The A’s scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth when Ryon Healy hit a one-out single up the middle driving in Khris Davis from second base. Oakland had additional chances to score in the inning but did not take advantage of those opportunities. The inning ended on a bases loaded double-play. (Braves 1, A’s 1)

The Braves scored again in the seventh inning. Sean Doolittle replaced A’s starter Paul Blackburn on the mound. With one out, Danny Santana singled to left. He then proceeded to steal second base. Then in a very aggressive move, Santana moved up to third by stealing the base. Dansby Swanson hit a double and Santana scored easily. (Braves 2, A’s 1)

ATL swanson
Rookie Dansby Swanson had big day for the Braves*

Nick Markakis led off the eighth inning for the Braves by hitting a double to right field off Madson. Markakis moved to third when Matt Kemp grounded out. He scored when Matt Adams hit a sacrifice fly to left field. (Braves 3, A’s 1)

The Athletics roared back in the eighth inning. With one out, Jed Lowrie walked. That brought DH Khris Davis to the plate to face Braves reliever Arodys Vizcaino who was brought in to pitch the eighth inning. Davis hit the 1-2 pitch from Vizcaino over the left-center field wall for a two-run home run to tie the game at 3-3. It was the 22nd home run of the season for Davis. (Braves 3, A’s 3).

In the ninth inning with Santiago Casilla on the mound, the Braves Danny Santana reached first base on a fielding error charged to Franklin Barreto. Santana then was able to successfully steal second. Dansby Swanson hit a double to left field that drove Santana home with what would prove to be the game winning run. (Braves 4, A’s 3).

Outstanding Performances

Athletics

Paul Blackburn pitched 6.0-innings in his first major league start giving up just one run (unearned) on three hits. He struck out three batters and walked one.

Ryon Healy went 3-for-3 on the day plus a walk and a RBI (51). It was his 23rd multi-hit game of the season.

Khris Davis had a 1-for-3 game that included a two-run home run (22) and two RBI (56).

ATL davis hr
Khris Davis hit his 22nd HR of the season on Saturday*

Braves

Rookie Dansby Swanson had a 2-for-4 day at the plate. He hit two doubles and recorded two RBI (35).

Danny Santana also went 2-for-4 against the A’s plus he scored two runs and had one RBI.

Nick Markakis went just 1-for-4 but that one hit was a double that ultimately turned into a run.

Closer Jim Johnson – who struggled when was a Oakland Athletic – picked up his 18th save of the season. He worked a perfect ninth inning striking out two Athletics.

Player who had the toughest game of the day

Oakland rookie infielder Franklin Barreto really struggled on Saturday. He started at shortstop for the A’s and committed two errors which resulted in two Atlanta runs.

Most baseball experts see Barreto as a second baseman but he has seen a great deal of time at shortstop in the minor leagues. Fans cannot forget that Barreto is a rookie.

 

Oakland Manger Bob Melvin’s comments on the loss to Atlanta

Athletics Rookie Pitchers Paul Blackburn meets the media after the game

Meet Paul Blackburn

Blackburn was called up from Triple-A Nashville to make a spot start for Jharel Cotton who is dealing with a blister on his thumb.

  • He’s a Bay Area product who was born in Antioch
  • Blackburn attended Heritage High School in Brentwood
  • The pitcher was a 1st round draft choice (#56 overall) of the Cubs in 2012
  • Was traded by the Cubs to the Seattle Mariners on July 20, 2016 as a part of a four-player deal
  • Blackburn was dealt to the Athletics in November 2016 in the trade that sent infielder Danny Valencia to Seattle

Braves ATL Cap logo

Atlanta plans to send RHP Julio Teheran to the mound on Sunday to face the A’s. Teheran is 6-6 in 2012 with 5.30 ERA in 16 starts. He has given up 59 runs (53 earned) off 96 hits. Teheran has struck out 62 batters and walked 34.

Teheran has really struggled in the Braves new Sun Trust Park. Only one of his six victories has come at home in Atlanta. He is a much tougher pitcher on the road.

Teheran has faced the A’s just once in career back in 2014. He led the Braves to a 4-3 win over Oakland.

Athletics A's primary logo

 Oakland will counter by sending LHP Sean Manaea to the hill on Sunday. Manaea is 7-4 with a 3.87 ERA. His seven wins has him tied for ninth best in the American League. Left-handed hitters are batting just .127 off Manaea while right-handers are hitting him at .243 clip. The mark against lefties is the second lowest in the major leagues with 50 or more innings.

Manaea won his last start over the Astros in Houston on Monday. He worked 5.2-innings giving up one-run (earned) on nine-hits while walking three and striking three. Manaea has never faced Atlanta.

Matt Chapman visits Stockton

Matt Chapman logo

Matt Chapman’s rehab process from his bout with cellulitis in the left knee is running ahead of schedule which is great news for the Athletics. Chapman will be the Designated Hitter for the Ports in Stockton on Saturday night. He will then take a start at third base on Sunday for the Ports.

The A’s medical staff will evaluate Chapman’s knee after his weekend in Stockton in order to determine what the next step will be for the rookie. Chapman is eligible to come off the disabled list now.

The Bottom Feeder: Davis, Cotton key A’s four-game sweep of the Yankees

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AP17169785386505
Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis (2) is congratulated by Chad Pinder (18) after hitting a two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the third inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 18, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND-On one of the hottest days on record at the Coliseum, it didn’t matter that Khris Davis had been swinging a cold bat.

The A’s home run leader took an 0 for 5 collar with four strikeouts on Saturday, dropping his batting average to .236 and boosting his strikeout total to an alarming 90 just 68 games into the season. Any big-league hitter knows that struggles to that degree can be mentally taxing.

But obviously not as taxing as facing an inexperienced pitcher who’s on the ropes is invigorating. With the Yankees’ early lead suddenly wiped out and starter Luis Cessa offering a 2-1 pitch with a runner aboard, Davis had his slump busting scenario in place.

Cessa’s mid-90’s fastball up in the zone made the Yankees’ rookie making only his second big-league appearance look as if he hadn’t consulted the scouting report on Davis.  The mighty mite slugger who uses his quick hands as much as his lower-body base to drive baseballs out of the park jumped on Cessa’s offering and deposited it beyond the centerfield wall just like that.

Davis’ team-leading 18th home run traveled an estimated 445 feet, and came just two batters after Chad Pinder erased the Yankees’ two-run lead with a double into the gap. Pinder taxed Cessa by fouling off four, consecutive pitches before finding one to his liking. The A’s entered the third with no hits.  They exited with four hits, and a 4-2 lead.

“The first two innings, (Cessa) was down in the zone,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He got some balls up and it led to some balls in the gap and the home run, and that was the difference.”

Jharel Cotton pitched into the seventh inning, and Sean Doolittle gained the save as the A’s held on for a 4-3 win, and a four-game sweep of the AL East-leading Yankees. The A’s entered the series off a disappointing road trip, but won three of the games against New York by one run.  One key was their season-long bugaboo of committing costly errors disappeared. The A’s had just two errors in the series, the second coming in the ninth inning on Sunday.

“That’s a great team on the other side, they’ve got a lot of power guys, and we just battled and battled,” outfielder Matt Joyce said. “It showed how relentless we can be.”

The A’s entered the series buried in the American League basement, and even after the sweep, are still in possession of the AL’s worst record.  But at 31-38, and still 15 games behind division-leading Houston, you get a sense the young-and-getting-younger A’s are building on something.

Manager Bob Melvin brushed off comparisons to the 2012 A’s, who also swept the Yankees on their way to earning a division title on the season’s final day. But he was quick to point out that for the team’s newest members–and likely their future core–this was an eye-opener and confidence builder.

“If you’re a Matt Chapman, a Chad Pinder, a Jaycob Brugman, guys that are just getting here, to know you can have a series like this gives you a lot of confidence, not only in yourself but as a team,” Melvin said.

NOTES: The first pitch temperature at the Coliseum was 90 degrees, the hottest such reading since 2008.

The A’s improved to 22-13 at home, giving them MLB’s biggest disparity between home and road results.  The A’s are only 9-25 on the road with a three-game series in Chicago against the White Sox starting Friday night as their next opportunity to improve their road numbers.

Reliever Santiago Casilla was hit by a batted ball in the shoulder during Saturday warmups, and despite declaring himself as unscathed and healthy, Melvin reiterated after the game that he had no plans to use Casilla in Sunday’s game.

 

“Let’s play two!” The A’s and Rays split a Saturday twinbill in Tampa Bay

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

MLB: Game One-Oakland Athletics at Tampa Bay Rays
Sonny Gray worked hard but could not come up with a win for the A’s on Saturday Photo: Kim Klement USA Today Sports

The Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays honored the memory of the great Ernie Banks today by playing two the old fashion way. The teams played a true doubleheader where fans were able to watch two games for the price of one.

There are many baseball people who believe that having more doubleheaders would be beneficial for the game because it would help to shorten the season. Angels manager Mike Scioscia likes the idea of shortening the season to 154 games with one doubleheader per month scheduled for every team. “I would trade anything to get this game more seasonal and finish in October,” said Scioscia back in 2015.

Even if Major League Baseball decided to implement a schedule that included six doubleheaders per each season, most the twinbills would not be tradition two-for-one ticket games. In today’s sports economy, MLB owners would almost certainly insist on “day-night” doubleheaders where the stadiums are cleared and tickets must be purchased for each game.

So much for the romantic idea of returning to the days of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and “Let’s play two!”.

Speaking of Mr. Cub – at the end of this story there will be an answer to a trivia question about playing two games on one day for you. How many doubleheaders did Ernie Banks play in both games of during his 19-year major league career?

Game One 

MLB: Game One-Oakland Athletics at Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays wore throwback uniforms in game one. Those are truly forgettable outfits. Photo: Kim Klement USA Today Sports

The Rays used game one as a “throwback game” donning uniforms from their first year in Tampa Bay for the contest. The Athletics were looking to bounce back after 13-4 crushing loss that they suffered on Friday night.

Oakland entered the game with an 8-21 road record – the second worst in the major leagues. If the A’s are to ever even their record at .500 to have a chance making a run for a Wild Card spot, they have to start winning more games on the road.

That did not happen in game one on Saturday.

The A’s had their number one starter in Sonny Gray on the mound in the opening game. Gray went 6.0-innings giving up five runs but only two were earned due to two errors committed by the Athletics. Gray actually committed one of the errors himself on an errant throw to first base. The Rays collected nine hits off Gray while he struck out 10 and walked just one batter. He did not figure into the decision.

Erasmo Ramirez started for the Rays and he also struggled in his outing. He lasted 5.1-innings allowing three runs (all earned) on 10 hits. Ramirez struck out six and walked one. It was also a no-decision game for him.

MLB: Game One-Oakland Athletics at Tampa Bay Rays
Chad Pinder tags out Logan Morrison on a steal attempt. Photo: Kim Klement USA Today Sports

Even though they took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, the A’s trailed the Rays 5-4 as they headed to the top of the ninth. Khris Davis led off the ninth by striking out. Yonder Alonso then hit his 11th double of the season off reliever Alex Colome. Rajai Davis came in as a Pinch-runner for Alonso. DH Ryon Healy hit a double (16) to left field that drove Davis home to tie the game at 5-5. The inning would end with the potential go ahead run in Healy stranded at third base.

Ryan Madson set the Rays down in order in the bottom of the ninth and it was on to extra innings.

Tampa Bay brought in reliever Austin Pruitt to face Oakland in the top of the 10th. He kept the A’s from scoring and the game remained tied as it went to the bottom of the 10th.

Liam Hendriks took the ball for the A’s and gave up a single to the Rays leadoff hitter – Peter Bourjos. With Evan Longoria at bat, Hendriks threw a wild pitch that moved Bourjos to second. Longoria then hit a single to left that drove Bourjos home to score the winning run. The Rays won the game 6-5.

The good news was the A’s had only 45 minutes to think about the loss because they would have been deeply distressed by some of the numbers. They committed two errors. Errors have been the bane of this team’s existence. The A’s had 16 hits to go with two walks and left 13 men of base. The loss dropped their road record to 8-22 for the year.

The good news was game two was less than hour away from first pitch.

Jaycob Brugman who was held hitless in his firs professional game on Friday night went 2-for-4 with a walk in this game. Joyce, Lowrie, Davis, Alonso and Healy also had a multi-hit games in the opener.

Game Two

MLB: Game Two-Oakland Athletics at Tampa Bay Rays
Yonder Alonso continues to be hot with the bat Photo: Kim Klement USA Today Sports

The bad news was the A’s lost the first game. The good news was they had the very hot Sean Manaea on the mound for game number two. The key question was would the A’s be able to provide the run support Manaea would need win the game.

Manaea was definitely up to the task. He put in a quality start working 7.0-innings giving up two runs (both earned) on six hits (one home run). The lefty struck out five and walked just two Rays. Manaea earned the win and his record improved to 6-3 for 2017.

Manaea also received the run support that he needed. The A’s scored their first run in the first inning and they would never trail in the game. They scored another run in the second, one in the sixth, three in seventh and one more run in the ninth inning.

MLB: Game Two-Oakland Athletics at Tampa Bay Rays
Ryon Healy hit his 14th home run of the year in Game 2 on Saturday Photo: Kim Klement USA Today Sports

Six of the Oakland batters had a multi-hit game. Yonder Alonso went 4-for-5 with run scored and an RBI in the game. Khris Davis was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Ryon Healy went 2-for-5 hitting his 14th home run of the season to go with two runs scored. Chad Pinder had a 2-for-5 day with a home run (8). Josh Phegley also had a 2-for-5 game hitting his third home run of the season. Jaycob Brugman stayed hot as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI in game two.

The Rays scored two runs on six hits.

The A’s road record improved to 9-22. Oakland remains in last place in the American League West with a record of 27-35, 16.5 games back of Houston and two games back of fourth place Texas.

Up Next

The A’s and Rays wrap up the three day – four game series on Sunday. Jesse Hahn (2-4, 3.40) will start for Oakland while Tampa Bay will counter  with Chris Archer (4-4, 3.65). The first pitch is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. PDT.

Oh yes, the answer to our Ernie Banks question

Rays Banks 2
Mr. Cub will always look like this in my memories of him

Ernie Banks played in both games of 318 doubleheaders over 19-years in the major leagues. No wonder he said, “Let’s play two!”

 

A’s 9th-inning comeback ends up one run short; Nats win series final 11-10

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

MLB: Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics
Sonny Gray did not earn his third win of the year on Sunday versus the Nationals Photo Neville E Guard USA Today Sports

“That’s American League baseball. A lead is never safe because they’re used to coming back and having big innings because the offensive clubs hit the ball out of the ballpark. We didn’t walk guys to get to that situation, they hit us,” opined Nationals manager Dusty Baker after the game.

I have the greatest of respect for Dusty Baker who I have covered as a manager since he was the skipper of the San Francisco Giants, but I have to disagree with him on his analysis of the game in Oakland on Sunday.

What the Nationals saw as they escaped with an 11-10 win in the third and final game of this interleague series match up was not American League baseball, it was Oakland Athletics’ baseball at home on Rickey Henderson Field. This 2017 A’s team loves to play at home in Oakland. At home they are tenacious, fierce and tough to beat which is why they are 16-12 in Oakland (on the road they are a different team, 8-20).

The second thing that Dusty Baker saw was a Nationals team that is now 35-20 on the season that had an 11-4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning against the last place team in the American League West lose its focus as they were looking ahead to a series with the Dodgers that begins in L.A. on Monday. Not to take anything away from the A’s, but that comeback should have never happened.

This was really a tale of two different games:

The Pitching Duel

Both starting pitchers were strong in this game. Which may surprise you when you look at the score.

Sonny Gray worked seven strong innings. He finished giving up three runs (all earned) on four hits. He walked three while striking out six National hitters. Gray threw 103 pitches (63 strikes). Sonny Gray wound up with a no-decision despite the fact that he pitched well enough to get a win.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics
Tanner Roark recorded his sixth win of the year against the A’s on Sunday Photo Neville E Guard USA Today Sports

Washington starter Tanner Roark looked like he might wind up with a “CG” (complete game) with the way he was pitching. Roark was strong through seven innings but ran into trouble in the eighth. He finished going 7.2 innings giving up 4 runs (all earned) on five hits. He walked just one and struck out four A’s. Roark also pitched well enough to win but his bullpen really let him down, but he still wound up with his sixth win of the season.

Sonny Gray left the game with score tied 3-3 after seven complete innings.

Tanner Roark exited the game with two out in the bottom of the eighth with a 6-4 lead.

The relief pitching was a little scary

The A’s brought in Ryan Madson for the top of the eighth inning. Madson gave up three runs on just two hits including a three-run home run to Ryan Zimmerman (16). After the Zimmerman round-tripper, Madson induced Daniel Murphy to ground out. He was then replaced by Frankie Montas who caused Anthony Rendon to pop out to end the inning. Madson would take the loss in the game.

The 100+ mph throwing Montas came back for the ninth inning and got shelled by the Nats. Montas gave up five runs (all earned) on five hits including back-to-back home runs to Matt Wieters and Michael Taylor. Josh Smith had to be brought in to close out the ninth for Montas.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics
Shawn Kelley picked up his fourth save of 2017 on Sunday in the win over the A’s Photo Neville E Guard USA Today Sports

Koda Glover who was able to get Tanner Roark out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth inning returned in the bottom of the ninth. Glover gave up five runs (all earned) on four hits. Shawn Kelley was brought to replace Glover and he gave up a grand slam home run to Matt Joyce while also earning his fourth save of the season.

Yes, it was a weird game.

Stars on offense

Both teams had stars on offense. The A’s scored 10 runs on 10 hits while leaving two runners on base. The Nationals scored 11 runs on 11 hits leaving four runners on base. There were a total of five home runs hit in the game. There were also three doubles and one triple hit in the contest.

The Nationals were led on offense by designated hitter Ryan Zimmerman who went 3-for-5 on Sunday with three RBI and scoring two runs to go with his 16th home run of the season.

Washington shortstop Trea Turner had a 2-for-4 day with two runs scored and two RBI. Turner hit his third triple of the year off Sonny Gray.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics
Nationals catcher Matt Wieters hit a home run on Sunday Photo Neville E Guard USA Today Sports

Catcher Matt Wieters went 2-for-3 scoring two runs and posting two RBI. Wieters hit his fifth homer of the year off Montas in the ninth inning.

The Nats number nine hitter – Michael Taylor – had a day every number nine batter would like to have any day. Taylor recorded a 2-for-4 day with two runs scored and one RBI. Taylor also hit his sixth home run of the season off Montas in the ninth inning of the game.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics
Khris Davis hit his 17th home run of the season on Sunday Photo Neville E Guard USA Today Sports

The Athletics Khris Davis had a day he would have liked to have had on Saturday – his bobblehead day. Davis went 3-for-4 scoring three runs with two RBI that included his 17th home run of the year and his sixth double.

Outfielder Matt Joyce posted four RBI and scored two runs while going 2-for-4 against the Nationals on Sunday. Joyce hit his seventh home run of the season in the A’s six-run ninth inning.

Up next

The A’s have three more games at home this week with the Toronto Blue Jays. The series begins on Monday night. The Blue Jays will send J.A. Happ to the hill in the first game of the series. He is 0-3 on the year with 4.50 ERA. The A’s will counter with lefty Sean Manaea who is 4-3 with a 3.91 ERA. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Oops!: A’s defense sloppy again as the Yankees capitalize in a 9-5 win

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

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By Morris Phillips

For the A’s, home run pop comes with a price.

Khris Davis made A’s fans proud with his laser shot Sunday, into the left field seats at the Bronx Zoo, traveling at no point more than 40 feet above the playing surface. Davis’ two-run shot in the eighth made a game of it again, and pulled the A’s within two runs of the Yankees, trailing 7-5.

But a half inning earlier, there was Davis rolling around in left field after Gary Sanchez launched a ball toward the foul line and Davis appeared to catch it only to see it squirt out of his glove, and briefly out of his sight. Almost an out, Sanchez’ drive instead was an RBI double scoring Ronald Torreyes, and increasing the New York lead to 7-3.  And highlight worthy, unfortunately due to Davis’ turn and crawl to retrieve the ball.

In the second inning, Matt Joyce inexplicably dropped a fly ball. That allowed the Yankees to load the bases, and then cash in on the scoring opportunity with Aaron Judge’s grand slam. Before that, Davis had a chance to throw out Starlin Castro, trying to advance from first to third on a single. But Davis’ throw was slow and inaccurate, allowing trail runner Didi Gregorius to advance to second.

With all the sloppy defense, the Yankees built a six-run total after four innings with only one extra-base hit. That put the normally-reliable Andrew Triggs on the hook for the loss despite allowing only one earned run.  The other five were unearned and equipped the Yankees with plenty in a 9-5 win over the road-challenged A’s.

While the A’s have undeniable pop–their home run total of 70 in 49 games puts them in the AL’s top three as a team–their defense has been awful.  The A’s 49 errors tops all major league clubs, while a trio of clubs (Cardinals, Cubs and Padres) that rank second worst have committed 12 fewer errors than the A’s.

That’s bad.  Given the numerous errors, no degree of offensive ability can put the A’s in the win column consistently.  A frustrated manager Bob Melvin sees a psychological disadvantage for his club as well with all the miscues.

“If we make plays, it’s probably a different story, and that’s been an Achilles’ heel for us all year.  When your defense is poor, sometimes it’s mentally tough to overcome that,” Melvin explained.

Sunday’s loss prevented the A’s from capturing a critical series in the ballpark of the AL East leaders.  It also dropped them to 7-17 on the road, the worst road mark in the American League, and just a half-game ahead of Miami’s big-league worst 7-18 mark.

Thinking along with Melvin, with the Yankees announcing Michael Pineda as their starter, an A’s lineup loaded with power hitters made sense.  Pineda came in having allowed 11 home runs in 53 innings this season, so Melvin likely figured a lineup with 9 of his top 11 home threats could take advantage of Pineda. But with Matt Joyce in right, Mark Canha in center and Davis in left, Melvin’s outfield defense was compromised, minus Rajai Davis in center.

Also, Melvin took a chance batting Canha leadoff for the first time in his career, and saw the decision backfire.  Canha went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts dropping his average to .234. In the two slot, Stephen Vogt also went 0 for 4, giving the A’s no table setting ahead of their 3 through 6 hitters.

And Pineda escaped, keeping the A’s in the ballpark for six innings, allowing only a ground rule double to Yonder Alonso for Oakland’s sole extra-base hit prior to Davis’ homer in the eighth off reliever Chad White.

Meanwhile, defensively, the A’s two errors and other misplays were killers.

NOTES: Kendall Graveman has been placed on the disabled list, and Daniel Mengden will take his turn in the rotation on Monday in Cleveland.  Mengden made 14 starts in 2016, and was 2-9 with a 6.50 ERA.  Carlos Carrasco will oppose Mengden as the A’s visit Progressive Field for Memorial Day, the start of a big week of competition for the cities of Oakland and Cleveland with Game 1 of the NBA Finals on tap for Thursday.