Tag: Los Angeles Angels

Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (left) gets congratulated by teammates JJ Bleday (33) and Miguel Andujar (22) after slugging a three run home run in the bottom of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jul 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg:

#1 The Oakland A’s made a fast two wins to start this second half of the 2024 season after the All Star break. Taking Friday night’s game in a 13-3 laugher over the Los Angeles Angels and Saturday getting run production from Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler with 3 RBIs each in the A’s 8-2 win.

#2 Before the All Star Break the A’s took two out of three from one of baseball’s toughest team the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia. If the A’s are on the way to winning a whole bunch of games was the Philadelphia experiment a good curve of that?

#3 A’s are getting a sense that this team is starting to jell. Their hitting has vastly improved but the pitching has also kept them in games with recent help from starters JP Sears on Friday and Saturday starter Mitch Spence on Saturday.

#4 A’s have been rolling they’ve won six of their last ten games they’re 13.5 games off the pace in the AL West and have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to be a factor in this race. Some say this A’s team can’t do it and would be lucky if they don’t lost 100 games this season. In view of what you’ve seen in recent games is this just a passing phase or are these A’s serious?

#5 The Angels will try and avoid getting swept today at the Oakland Coliseum and will start RHP Carlson Fulmer (0-2, ERA 3.45) and the A’s will try for the sweep with starter RHP Joey Estes (4-4, ERA 5.29).

Augie Mesenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and is a reporter at 1080 KWAI Honolulu

Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (25) slugs a bottom of the first inning three run home run in front of the Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jul 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (41-57). 001 001 000. 2. 6. 0

Athletics (39-61). 300 400 10x. 8 11 1

Time: 2:29

Attendance: 14,574

Saturday, July 20, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The A’s made it two in a row and clinched the series win against the Angels this lovely Saturday afternoon at the decrepit but, as ever, beautifully manicured Oakland Coliseum. They handily defeated their visitors from the south, 8-2, in a game whose outcome never was in doubt.

Mitch Spence, who started for the Athletics, began the season well, but his performance declined steadily since his first appearance of the season, on March 29. He had been 3-1, 2.84 through April 30. He pitched exclusively in relief through May 13, compiling a record of 4-2, 4.26, after which he joined the rotation. He was 4-4, 4.35 on June 30 and 5-6, 4.75 at game time. The 26 year old righty began to reverse that decline this afternoon.

Spence lasted 5-1/3 innings and allowed two runs, both earned, on five hits, three walks, and a wild pitch to get the win that lowered his ERA to 4.67. Scott Alexander (untouched in two thirds of an inning), Austin Adams (a walk and a strikeout in an inning), and Tyler Ferguson (one hit and a pair of strikeouts in two innings) followed him to the mound. He threw 85 pitches; 35 were balls.

Rookie Jack Kochanowicz, who began last year in High-A Tri-City, made his first big league appearance nine days ago in relief against Seattle. This afternoon marked his first start in the show.

It was not an impressive performance. The 23 year old right hander surrendered seven runs, all earned, on seven hits, one of them a home run, in four innings. He issued three free passes and struck out four Athletics. His pitch count reached 74 in his abbreviated mound tenure and took the loss, leaving him at 0-2, 14.14 Kenny Rosenberg replaced him in the fifth and held the A’s to one run on four hits and a walk.

The A’s picked up where they had left off in yesterday’s 13-3 thrashing of the visiting Angels. Brent Rooker took a 96 mph sinker 445 feet deep, into the left field seats above the American League scoreboard, with Miguel Andújar and JJ Bleday on base, to put the green and gold up 3-0 after an inning of play. It was his 22nd roundtripper and drove in his 63rd, 64th, and 65th runs batted in of 2024.

A combination of sloppy play by the Athletics and heads up baserunning by the Halos’ Jo Adell allowed Los Angeles to get back a run in the third. Adell led off with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third when catcher Kyle McCann couldn’t handle Spence’s third strike to Luis Guillome, forcing the throw to first that put Adell in position to score on Anthony Redon’s sacrifice line drive to left.

It was the bottom of the fourth that proved to be the Angels’ undoing. Brett Rooker and Kyle McCann singled, Harris and Max Schuemann walked, Lawrence Butler doubled to add four runs to the Athletics’ advantage.

The visitors drove Spence from the mound in the sixth. Zach Neto’s double down the left field line that went just under Harris’s glove at third plated Tyler Ward, who had led off with a walk and moved on to second on Logan O’Hoppe’s single to center. Scott Alexander, retiring with nine pitches. the two batters he faced to put out the fire.

The homeless wonders tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, courtesy of Schuemann’s leadoff double and Miguel Andújar’s RBI single off Rosenberg.

Both Butler and Andújar, the numbers one and two in the batting order, went three for four. The former drove in three runs; the latter, one. Rooker went two for three and had three RBI. Schuemann drove in the remaining tally.

Lower calf soreness forced Los Angeles first sacker Nolan Schanuel to leave the game after the top of the third.

Joey Estes (4-4, 5.29), who’s been on a tear recently, will pitch for the Athletics in their attempt to sweep the series when he goes against the Angels Carlos Fulmer (0-2, 3.45). The first pitch is scheduled for 1:07.

left to right the Oakland A’s Seth Brown (15), Brett Harris (77) congratulate Max Scheumann (12) on his three run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Jul 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris, the A’s have been a hitting bunch of late. They took two out of three from the Philadelphia Phillies when the finished the first half of the season and they come back last night and won in lopsided contest beating the Los Angeles Angels 13-3.

#2 The A’s Max Scheumann contributed with a three run home run and had four RBIs in the ten run win against the Angels.

#3 The A’s JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers both hit two run home runs. They’ve getting their share of extra bases but over the last week it’s been a huge improvement.

#4 Earlier this season the A’s were having issues with getting run production but in their last road trip against Boston and Philadelphia would you say that’s helped build their confidence?

#5 Angels and A’s match up again today at the Coliseum. The Angels will be starting RHP Jack Kochanowicz (0-1, 12.00 ERA) he’s matching up against the A’s RHP Mitch Spence (5-6, ERA 4.75).

Morris is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s starter Joey Estes (right) is excited after completing a shutout against the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Jul 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (36-49) 000 000 000 0 5 1

Athletics (32-56) 020 012 00x 5 10 0

Time: 2:14

Attendance:14,837

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Oakland, CA

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The A’s made it two in a row this balmy Wednesday evening on the eve of the fourth of July, with their 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels behind the strong—to say this least—pitching of Joey Estes, who went the route for the first complete game by an Athletics hurler since June 1, 2021.

He was supported by a variegated offense that included two home runs and in which the only member of the lineup who didn’t get at least one hit was JJ Bleday, who was due up after Max Schuemann made the team’s last out.

Estes had come within a questionable ball-strike call and a decent follow up reliever of, at the minimum, a no decision in his most recent previous start last Wednesday at the Big A. He ended up being the losing pitcher in a 5-2 defeat, which brought him to this balmy evening’s midweek, pre holiday contest at 2-3, 5.24. Tonight he turned what might have been into what was the outstanding A’s pitching performance of the year.

The 22 year old righty threw 92 pitches, only 24 of which were balls, to 30 batters and held them to five hits, all of them singles, and a walk while striking out four and inducing three twin killings.

Davis Daniel, who started for the team previously known as the Los Angeles Angels, the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, before coming, weary at heart, back where they started from, once more the Los Angeles Angels was drafted by the Halos in the June 2019 draft but didn’t play that year because he had undergone Tommy John surgery in April.

He missed the next season because the minor leagues didn’t operate in 2020. From 2021 through ’23 he had a minor league record of 11-16, 3.95. He went 1-1, 2.29 for the in three games for the Angels last year and was 1-0, 0.00 for them when he toed the rubber Wednesday night.

The 27 year old righty lasted 5-1/3 innings before yielding to Matt Moore with runners on first and second with two outs and the carpetbagger A’s ahead, 4-0. Daniel was charged with a post humus run for a total of five.

One run was unearned, but Daniel himself committed the second inning error that led to its being scored. Moore allowed Brett Harris the single that drove in the inherited runner but didn’t allow any runs of his own. Carson Fulmer pitched the last two innings for the Anaheim nine, allowing two hits but no walks or runs while striking out three.

Matt Shuemann’s 376 foot round tripper to left put the A’s ahead in the bottom of the second. Brett Rooker’s 389 foot blast, also to right, in the sixth was their other four base hit. The A’s also played small ball. Lawrence Butler singled in the second and went to third on Daniel’s throwing error on a comebacker by Brett Harris. Then, with Schuermann at the plate, Harris was picked off, but Butler scored in the run down for the A’s second tally.

The Athletics’ fielding was sharp, as shown by their trio of double plays. Also noteworthy was Harris’s eye catching grab at third of Luis Rengifo’s scorching line drive in the top of the first.

The A’s will—dare I say this?—go for the sweep in a fourth of July day game Thursday at 1:07pm PT. They’ll sent southpaw JP Sears (4-7, 5.00) against right hander Roansy Contreras (3-0, 3.82).

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

Oakland A’s Lawrence Butler (4) who hit a three run home run runs the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Jul 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

#1 The A’s got hitting and pitching against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night and beat the Angels by two runs 7-5 at the Oakland Coliseum. Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler both hit a home run in the cause.

#2 A’s third baseman Brett Harris got a run double to help the A’s run production. The A’s got scored four i the fourth and three in the sixth for all their runs.

#3 Rooker’s home run came off a 0-2 knuckle ball pitch of Angels pitcher Jose Soriano. Butler’s three run home run just cleared the left field foul pole. It was the big fly that helped win the game for the A’s on Tuesday.

#4 Oakland A’s starter Mitch Spence had himself an outing pitching 5.1 innings, giving up six hits, allowing one earned run and striking out five. The A’s are hoping to get more quality starts that could help them win a few more games.

#5 The Angels and A’s play the second of this two game series at the Coliseum Wednesday starting for the Angels Davis Daniel (1-0, ERA 0.00) for the A’s Joey Estes (2-5, ERA 5.24) a 6:40pm PT start at the Coliseum.

Jeremiah regularly does A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Zack Gelof (20) congratulates Lawrence Butler (4) after he scores in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angeles at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Jul 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (36-48). 000 010 202. 5. 11. 0

Athletics (31-56). 000 403 00x. 7. 7. 0

Time: 2:40

Attendance: 5,447

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Having paused for a day after finishing their 12th consecutive losing month, the wandering A’s got off on the right foot Tuesday night at the homeless encampment that is the Oakland Coliseum by defeating the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 in a game that almost got away from them in the frame.

The nominal home team chose four year minor league veteran Mitch Spencer, whom they acquired in the Rule 5 draft last December, as their starting pitcher. The 26 year old right hander came to work at 4-4, 4.35. He began the season in the bullpen and was 3-1, 4.26 before joining the rotation. on May 17.

He was quite successful at first, going 1-1, 2.08 in his first three outings, but cooled off to the point that his record as a starter was 1-3, 4.40 overall in that capacity. This balmy evening his start lasted 5-1/3 innings, long enough to earn him his fifth win of the season and lower his ERA to 4.15.

He surrendered one run, which was earned, on six hits and a walk while striking out five. 56 of his 94 offerings were counted as strikes. Tyler Ferguson took over for him with Logan O’Hoppe on first with a one out single in the top of the sixth.

The visiting Halos went with José Soriano, another Rule 5 draftee. His Rule 5 story has an interesting twist to it. The Angels signed him as an international free agent in 2016. The Pirates claimed him as the first overall pick in the 2020 Rule 5 draft.

While recovering from Tommy John surgery at the end of the ’21 season, all of which he spent on the IL, Soriano was returned to the Angels. He made his big league debut with them last year and went 1-3, 3.64. He was 4-5, 3.48 when he took the mound.

He left it trailing 4-1, on his way to the loss that made his record 4-6, 3.77. All of the four runs charged to him were earned. They came on three hits, two of which went yard, a walk, and a hit batter. He struck out four Athletics and threw 62 pitches, 30 counting as strikes.

There was no scoring for the first 3-1/2 innings. Then the A’s bats came alive in their half of the fourth. Brent Rooker to a Soriano knuckle curve 405 feet deep over the right center field fence for a solo home run. Shea Langeliers singled to left, and, an out and a Zack Gelof single later, Lawrence Butler’s third homer of the year made it 4-0.

Poor fielding and some wildness on Spence’s part cost the A’s a run in the visitors’ fifth. With Brandon Drury on first with a lead off single and one down, the A’s starter unleashed a wild pitch to Jo Adell that allow the runner to take second.

Adell then sent a soft fly to center that JJ Beday let fall to his feet for a single that put Drury on third. Nolan Schanuel lifted a sacrifice fly to left that narrowed the Athletics’ lead to 4-1. Soriano didn’t come out to the mound in the bottom of the frame.

Hans Crouse relieved him and kept the separation at three runs. José Marte took over for the sixth and coughed up three runs on a hit batter (Gelof), Butler’s single that Taylor Ward caught on a short hop and almost resulted in Gelof getting put out in a rundown between first and second, and Brett Harris’s two RBI double. The green and gold now was up, 7-1.

A walk to Brandon Drury and a Mickey Moniak double put two runners in scoring position before Ferguson fanned Adell for the first out in the top of the seventh. Then Kotsay and Co. pulled him in favor of Scott Alexander, who surrendered a two run single to Schanuel.

The runs were charged to Ferguson. Alexander then closed out the inning with a twin killing, Max Schuemann, unassisted at short, to Tyler Soderstrom at first. Lucas Erceg hopped on the merry-go-round at the start of the eighth allowed nothing but a leadoff single to Luis Rengifo.

Hunter Strickland was the Angelinos’ fourth and final pitcher. He retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth, so the score remained 7-3 in favor of the Athletics when Miller Time went into effect. Mason Miller gave up a leadoff walk to Drury anf retired Moniak and Adell, before allowiing an RBI double to Schanuel and an RBI singe to Rengifo. At last, he fanned Ward, sealing the A’s 7-5 victory.

6:40pm PT Wednesday, evening is the scheduled time for the second of this three game series. Joey Estes (2-3, 5.24) will start for the Athletics; Davis Daniel (1-0, 0.00) for the Disneyland Dandies.