Former Seattle Mariner Teoscar Hernandez signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Mon Jan 8, 2024 for a one year deal worth $23.5 million (AP file photo)
On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 The Los Angeles Dodgers have reached a one year deal with All Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez worth $23.5 million. Hernandez 31 hit .258, 70 runs, 161 hits and 93 RBIs for Seattle last season. Also this week pitcher Tyler Glasnow joins the Dodgers talk about how Hernandez and Glasnow will be a of a help to the Dodgers.
#2 Former Oakland A’s starter left hander Sean Manaea has signed with the New York Mets. Manaea 7-6 with an ERA 4.44 with his only year with the San Francisco Giants last season. You’ve seen Manaea over the years he’s a eight year veteran how do you see him in the Mets rotation?
#3 This past week the Giants traded for Robbie Ray for outfielder Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani and six million dollars. Ray won’t be ready until July as he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery did the Giants take a gamble on Ray waiting for him until July and coming back from Tommy John ?
#4 Also this past week the Los Angeles Angels signed Dan Plesac to a one year $1 million dollar deal. Plesac a right hander. In 2023 Plesac five games with a 1-1 record and a 7.59 ERA in 21 1/3 innings of work. Plesac appeared in 19 games and 18 of those were starts.
#5 The investigation continues for Tampa Bay Rays Wander Franco as to if he had a relationship with a 14 year old girl. Franco was released from a Dominican Republic jail. Franco bailed out paying $2 million Dominican pesos ($34,000 US) as a judge ordered his conditional release. Franco had been accused by two other minor girls and did not speak to reporters upon his release on Monday.
Photo credit: SF Giants opener John Brebbia pitches against the Dodgers on September 23, 2023. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
By: Mary Anne
The San Francisco Giants played their third game with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. The Giants were shutout by the Dodgers 7-0 at Dodger Stadium. San Francisco fell to 77-78, while Los Angeles improved to 95-59.
The Giants’ starting lineup featured Austin Slater, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger, Marco Luciano, Luis Matos, Tyler Fitzgerald, Patrick Bailey, and John Brebbia. Brebbia (3-2, 3.53 ERA) took the loss after pitching just 1 1/3 innings and giving up one hit, one earned run, one walk, one strikeout, and one home run.
After a scoreless first inning, Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. J.D. Martinez homered on a fly ball to center field for a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the bottom of the third inning. J.D. Martinez doubled on a line drive to Luis Matos. Mookie Betts and Max Muncy scored to make it a 3-0 game.
The Dodgers added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Freddie Freeman doubled on a line drive to Luis Matos. Austin Barnes scored to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0 as Mookie Betts went to third base. Max Muncy then singled on a fly ball to Tyler Fitzgerald. Betts scored to expand the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0 as Freeman went to third base.
The Dodgers got two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mookie Betts doubled on a line drive to Mike Yastrzemski. David Peralta and Austin Barnes scored to widen the Dodgers’ lead to 7-0.
Notes The Giants recalled Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento after placing Scott Alexander on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain — retroactive to September 22.
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, we remember on this day in 1956, Ozzie Virgil Sr. made his MLB debut as the league’s first player from the Dominican Republic. Virgil Sr. played in the MLB from 1956 to 1969 as a utilityman. Three of Virgil Sr.’s stints were with the New York/San Francisco Giants (1956-57, 1966, and 1969).
Up Next The Giants and Dodgers will wrap up their rivalry series on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. Pacific. The Giants’ starter is TBD, while the Dodgers’ starter is Lance Lynn (12-11, 5.92 ERA).
The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies concluded their four-game series on Sunday. The Giants survived a wild 11-10 game over the Rockies at Coors Field. San Francisco improved to 76-74, while Colorado fell to 56-93.
The Giants’ last dance in Denver began with a starting lineup with Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, Joc Pederson, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, and Sean Manaea. Manaea pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up eight hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts, and one home run.
After four scoreless innings, San Francisco got on the board first. Mitch Haniger doubled on a line drive to Brenton Doyle. J.D. Davis scored for a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
The Giants took a commanding lead in the top of the sixth inning. Joc Pederson doubled on a sharp line drive to Hunter Goodman. Thairo Estrada scored for a 2-0 lead. J.D. Davis singled on a ground ball to Nolan Jones. Pederson scored to make it a 3-0 game as Michael Conforto went to second base. Mitch Haniger doubled on a sharp fly ball to Brenton Doyle. Conforto and Davis scored to make it 5-0 as LaMonte Wade Jr. went to third base. Brandon Crawford homered on a fly ball to right center field. Wade Jr. and Mitch Haniger scored to expand the Giants’ lead to 8-0. Estrada capped the top of the sixth inning’s scoring with a single on a line drive to Doyle. Mike Yastrzemski scored to extend the Giants’ lead to 9-0.
The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hunter Goodman homered on a line drive to left center field. Nolan Jones scored to reduce the Giants’ lead to 9-2. Brenton Doyle homered on a fly ball to left field. Brendan Rodgers and Alen Trejo scored to cut the Giants’ lead to 9-5.
The Giants added to their lead in the top of the seventh inning. Patrick Bailey doubled on a sharp line drive to Hunter Goodman. Austin Slater and J.D. Davis scored to put the Giants up 11-5.
The Rockies made it a five-run game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brendan Rodgers singled on a line drive to Mitch Haniger. Ezequiel Tovar scored to lower the Giants’ lead to 11-6 as Hunter Goodman went to second base.
The Rockies picked up the pace in the bottom of the ninth inning but fell just short. Hunter Goodman was out on a sacrifice fly to Austin Slater. Elehuris Montero scored to slash the Giants’ lead to 11-7 with one out. Kris Bryant reached on a fielding error by Camilo Doval. Nolan Jones scored to slice the Giants’ lead to 11-8 as Brendan Rodgers went to third base. Elias Diaz sealed the scoring with a single on a ground ball to Mike Yastrzemski. Rodgers and Sean Bouchard scored to put down the Giants’ lead to 11-10.
Notes Thairo Estrada achieved a new personal best — a career-high 22 stolen bases.
The Giants wished a special 86th birthday to former Giant Orlando Cepeda. Cepeda, also known as the Baby Bull and Peruchin, played in San Francisco from 1958 to 1966.
Up Next The Giants will continue their road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. Pacific. The starters haven’t been confirmed yet.
The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies played the second game of the four-game series on Friday. The Giants dropped a 3-2 decision to the Rockies at Coors Field. San Francisco fell to 75-72, while Colorado improved to 54-92. Camilo Doval (6-5, 2.98 ERA) took the loss for the Giants.
The Giants’ lineup featured Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, Luis Matos, and Logan Webb. Webb pitched for eight innings and gave up four hits, one earned run, and six strikeouts.
After a scoreless first inning, San Francisco got on the board in the top of the second inning. Patrick Bailey grounded into a force out to Chase Anderson and Ezequiel Tovar. Michael Conforto scored for a 1-0 Giants lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. was out at second base, while Bailey went to first base with two outs.
The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ezequiel Tovar singled on a line drive to Austin Slater. Ryan McMahon scored to tie the ballgame 1-1. Tovar went to second base.
The Giants regained the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Wilmer Flores walked. J.D. Davis scored for a 2-1 lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. went to third base, while Patrick Bailey went to second base.
The Giants’ lead was short-lived as the Rockies took the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. Elehuris Montero singled on a ground ball to Mike Yastrzemski. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Jones scored for a 3-2 lead. Montero went to second base. Yastrzemski committed a throwing error. Moreover, San Francisco challenged the play for a home-plate collision, and the call on the field was upheld.
Notes The Giants optioned Kyle Harrison and Casey Schmitt to Triple-A Sacramento. Ross Stripling returned to San Francisco from rehab and was reinstated from the 15-day injured list.
The Giants recognized and celebrated the cultures, achievements, and celebrations of their Hispanic players, employees, and community members for Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Giants celebrated Roberto Clemente, a Latin American hero and one of the greatest baseball players of all time, on Roberto Clemente Day.
Up Next The Giants and Rockies will meet again on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. Pacific. Keaton Winn (1-2, 3.55 ERA) will start for the Giants, but the Rockies haven’t named a starting pitcher yet.
Photo credit: San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kyle Harrison, right, waits to face the next batter as San Diego Padres’ Xander Bogaerts, left, rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
By: Mary Anne
The San Francisco Giants continued their series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. The Giants lost to the Padres 6-1 at Petco Park. San Francisco fell to 70-66, while San Diego improved to 64-73.
The Giants’ starting lineup featured Austin Slater, Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, J.D. Davis, Paul DeJong, Casey Schmitt, Wade Meckler, and Kyle Harrison. Harrison (1-1, 4.70 ERA) took the loss after pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up six hits, six earned runs, two walks, five strikeouts, and four home runs.
The Padres got on the board first. Juan Soto homered on a fly ball to center field for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The Padres tripled their lead in the bottom of the second inning. Xander Bogaerts homered on a fly ball to center field for a 2-0 lead. Gary Sanchez homered on a fly ball to center field for a 3-0 lead.
The Padres doubled their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Garrett Cooper homered on a fly ball to left center field. Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts scored for a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Giants wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth inning. Austin Slater doubled on a sharp line drive to Fernando Tatis Jr. Casey Schmitt scored to cut the Padres’ lead to 6-1. Wade Meckler went to third base.
Notes Wilmer Flores achieved a career-high 20 home runs in the Giants-Padres game Friday.
Up Next The Giants and Padres will finish their series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. Pacific. Alex Cobb (7-5, 3.57 ERA) will start for the Giants, while Seth Lugo (5-6, 3.67 ERA) will start for the Padres.
The San Francisco Giants looked to win two straight games against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night. The Giants defeated the Cardinals 11-3 at Busch Stadium. San Francisco improved to 35-32, while St. Louis dropped to 27-41.
Before the game, San Francisco wished their assistant coach, Alyssa Nakken, a Happy 33rd Birthday. Nakken’s a boundary-breaking coach who became the first woman to coach in an MLB regular season game in April 2022.
The Giants’ starting lineup featured LaMonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada, Joc Pederson, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, Mike Yastrzemski, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, and Alex Cobb. Cobb pitched four innings and gave up five hits, two earned runs, two walks, and five strikeouts.
The first inning ended in a 2-2 tie.
The Giants got on the board in the top of the first inning. Michael Conforto doubled on a sharp fly ball to Tommy Edman. Thairo Estrada and Joc Pederson scored for a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals tied the ballgame in the bottom of the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled on a ground ball to Conforto but deflected by LaMonte Wade Jr. Brenden Donovan scored to cut the Giants’ lead in half, 2-1. Dylan Carlson grounded to a force-out, and Thairo Estrada went to Brandon Crawford. Goldschmidt tied the game 2-2 as Nolan Gorman went to third base, Nolan Arenado was out at second base, and Carlson went to first base with two outs.
The Giants regained their lead in the top of the third inning, but they had to overcome some adversity. The Cardinals challenged Michael Conforto’s play for a tag play, but their call was overturned. Conforto singled on a line drive to Jordan Walker. Joc Pederson scored for a 3-2 lead as J.D. Davis was out at third base on the throw, and Walker went to Nolan Arenado with two outs.
The Giants poured in the runs in the top of the fifth inning. Casey Schmitt singled on a ground ball to Dylan Carlson. Blake Sabol scored for a 4-2 lead as Michael Conforto went to third base. Patrick Bailey singled on a line drive to Carlson. Schmitt scored to make it 5-2, as Mike Yastrzemski went to third base. Brandon Crawford was out on a sacrifice bunt as Genesis Cabrera went to Paul Goldschmidt. Yastrzemski scored to extend the Giants’ lead to 6-2 as Bailey went to second base with two outs.
The Giants extended their lead in the top of the sixth inning. Mike Yastrzemski homered on a line drive to left-center field. Michael Conforto scored for an 8-2 lead. Patrick Bailey homered on a line drive to left field to expand the lead to 9-2.
The Cardinals scored in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it was “too little, too late.” Jordan Walker doubled on a ground ball to Blake Sabol. Willson Contreras scored to cut the Giants’ lead to 9-3 as Dylan Carlson went to third base.
The Giants expanded their lead to double digits in the top of the ninth inning. Thairo Estrada singled on a soft ground ball to Tommy Edman. Brandon Crawford scored for a 10-3 lead as LaMonte Wade Jr. went to third base. Blake Sabol was out on a sacrifice fly to Dylan Carlson. Wade Jr. scored for an 11-3 lead as Thairo Estrada went to third base with one out.
The Giants and Cardinals will close their series on Wednesday, June 14, at 10:15 am Pacific.
Former San Francisco Giant Carlos Rodon will be delivering pitches for the New York Yankees for the next six years for $162 million (AP News file photo)
Carlos Rodón from Giant to Yankee
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
SAN FRANCISCO–The New York Yankees signed Carlos Rodón to a 6-year $162 million contract.
Carlos Rodón had the best year of his career in the 2022 season with the San Francisco Giants, ended with a 14-8 record and 2.88 ERA with 237 struck outs in 178 innings. The lefty born in Miami who has been in the major leagues since 2015 with the Chicago White Sox, and in 2022 with the San Francisco Giants signed a 6-years $162 million deal with the New York Yankees.
Rodón is now second in the Yankee rotation behind Gerrit Cole, who led the major leagues in strikeouts with 257, while Rodón (now his teammate) was #3 in major league in strikeouts with 237.
Giants got the best of Rodón and were lucky the lefty was healthy during the whole season, which in his case was the main reason he got the Yankees to that six year deal. Rodón dealt with shoulder injuries in 2016 and 2021 and in between had Tommy John surgery. And even with his best season in 2022 with the Giants, making 31 starts he averaged just 5 2.3 inning per start, which was his career high.
Many say the Yankees overpaid Rodón, but the same could be said about the Giants for Carlos Correa giving him a 13 year deal for $250 million. We must have in mind Correa played most of his career with the Houston Astros (previous to his one season in 2022 with Minnesota) and with the Astros he was surrounded by some great players like José Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yuliesky Gurriel.
Starting in 2023 we will see if Carlos Correa can become the leader of the Giants. The Giants are still in need of that big slugger, like the one they went after in Aaron Judge.
While the Yankees were able to keep their slugger Aaron Judge and now acquiring left handed pitcher Carlos Rodón, among all these big names some might have forgotten that the Giants a few weeks ago signed Bay Area native outfielder Mitch Haniger, although a few injuries have limited him over the years,
Haniger when healthy was one of the Mariners best hitters for a decent average and good power, having a couple 25+ Home Run seasons including 39 in 2021. As a matter of fact Correa has never hit 39 home runs or driven 100 runs in a single season, something that Mountain View native Haniger has done with the Seattle Mariners in 2021.
The Giants also signed Haniger to a three-year $43.5 million contract on the second day of the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego. Haniger’s has an opt-out clause in 2024. That deal, not as big as the Correa’s, could prove to be much productive for the Giants. The one downside to Haniger is that he is prone to injury, but when healthy he is very much underrated and could be a key for the Giants if they want to compete next season.
As far as I am concerned, the Giants are probably to finish again in third place. The San Diego Padres are loaded, with great pitching and one of the best lineups in the game and the LA Dodgers still formidable division winners, and they know how to win.
I am still not totally sold on that the Giants fans are very happy with Correa’s signing, but Giants management had to do something after missing on Aaron Judge they when after the next best option. Nobody in history before has signed an infielder to that type of a contract.
Former Carolina Panther quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) walks off the field against the Baltimore Ravens on Sun Nov 20, 2022 in Baltimore (AP News photo)
On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong:
#1 Jessica, the big news was the Los Angeles Rams acquiring quarterback Baker Mayfield who can very well make his start on Thursday Night Football against the Las Vegas. Mayfield is expected to be in the line up Thursday night.
#2 Mayfield who wanted out at the Carolina Panthers was released by the team last Monday with mutual agreement by Panthers head coach Steve Wilks. Mayfield wanted to be released by Carolina after finding out that he would no longer be the starting or back up quarterback.
#3 Switching over to Major League Baseball New York Yankees Aaron Judge gets a big pay day with a nine year $360 million deal with the Yankees. Judge has spoken with three MLB clubs who sought interest the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers before concluding that he will stay with the Yankees.
#4 The San Francisco Giants signed outfielder Mitch Haniger signed for three years worth $43.5 million . Haniger turns 32 this month comes over to the Giants from the Seattle Mariners after hitting .246, 11 home runs, 34 RBI in 37 games. Did the Giants make the right move signing Haniger.
#5 The Golden State Warriors had tried to develop center James Wiseman during the last four years. During the 2019-20 season Wiseman played only three games. Wiseman tore his meniscus during the 2019-20 season. The Warriors have recalled Wiseman after his playing just seven games in the G league.
Every analyst and reporter that covers the Oakland Athletics kept telling fans that their team was going to wake up and start playing up to their potential any day now. They (including this reporter) kept reminding you that the A’s started slowly last season but found their legs in June.
After a while, it began to feel like the front office, team, media, and the fans were all in the same sports bar after a game trying to convince each other that the turnaround was going to happen.
Now, the great turnaround of 2019 is underway. The A’s have won eight consecutive games. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games. Oakland has won five of their last six series. The A’s swept the series in Detroit and Cincinnati.
This is how the A’s turned their season upside down in 2018 by winning series after series at home and on the road. The 2019 A’s may be on the verge of unlocking the secret to repeating that accomplishment.
Oakland is two-hundredths of a percentage point out of second place in the AL West. Both Texas and the A’s trail the Astros by 7.5 games. The A’s are in a virtual tie for the second Wild Card spot in the American League (don’t laugh — it’s never too early to look at the Wild Card when Houston is in your division).
Fiers first home start since the no-hitter
Mike Fiers took the mound for the A’s on Saturday and did not throw a no-hitter, but he did keep his team in the game. The veteran worked six innings giving up three runs (all earned) off five hits. Fiers struck out three Mariners and walked two. He also earned the win which upped his record to 4-3.
Fiers faced 23 batters and gave up just two extra-base hits. Domingo Santana hit his 10th home run of the year off Fiers in the fourth inning and Mitch Haniger hit his 13th round-tripper off the starter in the fifth. Jay Bruce hit his ninth double of the season off the starter. Fiers threw 89 pitches (66 strikes). He has pitched at least five innings in each of his last six starts, which dates back to April 26 in Toronto.
The A’s scored first
Chapman celebrates the 50th HR of his career Photo: @athletics
The A’s are 18-9 when they score first this season.
Matt Chapman put the A’s first run up on the board when he hit his 12th home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning off Seattle starter LHP Yusel Kikuchi with two out and the bases empty. Chapman is hitting just .229 versus left-handed pitching, but he has six home runs in 48 at-bats against southpaws.
Ramon Laureano went 2-for-3 on Saturday with a double and an RBI. Laureano extended his hitting streak to eight games (12-for-31) which is also a new career high. His double in the fifth inning tied an Oakland record. It was the fifth consecutive game in which Laureano had hit a double tying a record that has been done five times in A’s history. The last to do it before Saturday was Miguel Tejada back in 2003.
Treinen gets the save
Blake Treinen picked up his 62nd save as an Athletic (10th of 2019). The save did not come without some excitement. Treinen gave up two runs (earned) on three hits, including a home run, but he held on to get the save.
Seattle
The M’s have now lost five consecutive games and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Seattle currently is in sole possession of last place in AL West 5.0 games back of the A’s and 12.5 games behind the division-leading Astros.
Starter Yusel Kikuchi lasted just 3.1 innings, his shortest start of the season since April 26. Kikuchi gave up five runs (4 earned) off 10 hits including one home run. He struck out one and walked one batter. Kikuchi was tagged with the loss and his record now stands at 3-2.
Kyle Seager made his first appearance of 2019 since coming off the injured list — it was his first ever trip to the IL. Seager hit his 250th career double in the ninth inning of the game on Saturday.
Domingo Santana had quite a game. He went 2-for-4 on the day with both his hits being home runs. He has touched them all 11 times this season. It was his first multi-home run game of the year.
Mitch Haniger loves to face the A’s. He is batting .296 (45-for-152) including 11 home runs versus Oakland in his career. Haniger went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI on Saturday.
Seattle is now 0-18 when their opponent scores first this season. The Mariners have scored 147 of their 278 runs (52.9-percent) via the home run.
Up Next
The A’s and M’s will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at 1:07 PM. Seattle will go with RHP Mike Leake (3-5, 4.73 ERA) while the Oakland will counter with LHP Brett Anderson (5-3, 4.14 ERA).
The A’s return home after a successful 6-2 road trip. The A’s were beating the Tigers in one game that was suspended due to bad weather. That game will be completed when the Tigers play the A’s in September. The two losses on the trip happened when the A’s played the Mariners in Seattle.
The Mariners and A’s have met four times this season, and the M’s have won them all. The A’s lost the first two in Japan to open the season and the last two in Seattle on May 13th and 14th. The games in Seattle were close. The Mariners won on May 13th 6-5 even though the A’s hit five home runs in that game. They beat the A’s again on May 14th, 4-3. Since that time the A’s won three in Detroit and three in Cleveland.
The A’s have also moved up in the standings in the AL Central. Oakland ‘s record is 25-25, and they are in third place just 1/2 game behind the surprising Texas Rangers. Seattle, on the other hand, played well to start the season but have fallen on hard times. They currently reside in last place in the AL West with a record of 23-29. They have lost 3 in a row and are 3-7 in their previous 10 games.
The Mariners have placed several key players on the 10-day IL. They include second baseman Dee Gordon, first baseman Ryon Healy, pitcher King Felix Hernandez, and third baseman Kyle Seager.
The Mariners still have a potent lineup. First baseman Daniel Vogelbach, DH Edwin Encarnacion, outfielders Jay Bruce, Domingo Santana, and Mitch Haniger all have power, and all of them have hurt the A’s with their bats. Infielder Tim Beckham has also punished the A’s with his power.
The pitching matchups for the series will be the following. On Friday, Oakland will send Daniel Mengden (1-1 3.65 ERA) out to pitch. Mengden is 0-2 with an ERA of 5.89 in four career starts against the Mariners. The Mariners will counter with lefty Wade LeBlanc. LeBlanc, in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins, went 2 and 1/3rd innings and gave up seven hits and seven runs. LeBlanc missed five weeks due to a strained oblique. In two starts against the A’s last year, LeBlanc held the A’s scoreless for eleven innings.
Saturdays’ game will feature Mike Fiers (3-3, 5.05 ERA) going for his fourth win of the year. Fiers has an ERA of 2.53 over his last five starts, and that includes the no-hitter that he had against the Cincinnati Reds. Fiers is 2-2 with an ERA of 6.36 in 10 starts against Seattle. Rookie Yusei Kikuchi (3-1, ERA 3.43) will go for the M’s. Kikuchi is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.03 in his last four starts.
On Sunday, The A’s will have lefty Brett Anderson on the mound. Anderson (5-3, ERA 4.14)is returning to action after he left the game last Monday in Cleveland with a cervical strain. Anderson is 8-5 and has an ERA of 2.38 in 20 games against the M’s. Mike Leake goes for Seattle. Leake is 3-5 for the year and has an ERA of 4.73. Leake is 2-2 against Oakland in nine career starts.
The A’s are playing better as the offense has come alive and the pitching has been better. The A’s have seen improvement from Chris Bassitt, Mike Fiers, and Frankie Montas. Anderson has pitched well, and Mengden is still a work in progress.
Following the three-game series with Seattle, the A’s will face the LA Angels and then host the first-place Houston Astros.
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