Tag: mlb

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Were horses traded in the Nevada Legislature in order to approve the A’s Vegas ballpark?

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Oakland A’s have billboards up and around Las Vegas extending their congratulations to the recent NHL Stanley Cup champions Vegas Golden Knights. The A’s are already trying to make inroads in the Las Vegas community. (photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Las Vegas Review Journal got a letter from a reader that says they rarely disagrees with the Journal saying that there will be new taxes and the Nevada tax payer will be on the hook for the new Las Vegas A’s ballpark at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino.

#2 Amaury, the paper points out, the average wage for the Nevada citizen $44,000, the average salary for a player is $724,000, while A’s owner is a multi billionaire. The paper goes onto to say that the citizens should not have to pay for a wealthy owner who owns a ball club.

#3 Amaury, a vote on the A’s relocation could come as soon as next week. This would be well ahead of the MLB drop date of Dec 2023. Will the MLB owners vote no because there is no share of relocation money to be divided or will they vote yes because the next owner who wants to move can do so without paying the relocation fee?

#4 Amaury, how interesting do you find it that despite 87 percent who were polled in a written opinion poll at the Nevada Legislature were against the funding of public dollars for the new A’s ballpark the Nevada Legislature had voted 25-15 in favor of funding the park worth $380 million in tax credits.

#5 Amaury, I know you wrote about this in your column yesterday that gambling is in the veins of those who live in Vegas and baseball is coming to casinos right outside of the ballpark and across the street from the park and that asks the question should lifetime banned players Shoeless Joe Jackson of that famous 1919 Chicago Black Sox team and former Cincinnati Reds player-manager Pete Rose be reconsidered for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez if the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Yastrzemski magic in the tenth propels Giants to their eighth victory in a row 7-4

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Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants. Yastrzemski celebrates his walk off hit at home plate on 6/19/23.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN FRANCISCO- The Giants winning streak was brought up to eight tonight by a Yastrzemski walk-off homer in the tenth as they beat the Padres 7-4.

Getting the start for the Giants was right hander Ryan Walker in his first ever start while for the Padres right hander Michael Wacha started.

First pitch was thrown at 6:45 p.m. and Adrian Johnson would be the one calling the balls and strikes in tonight’s game.

This game got off to an interesting start as Fernando Tatis Jr. lead off the game with a double. Then Tatis got caught trying to steal third despite originally being called safe. After Tatis was called out Juan Soto then launched one into left field that was deep enough to get over the wall making it 1-0 Padres. The homer was Soto’s 12th of the season.

After Manny Machado grounded out Xander Bogaerts drew a walk thankfully though for Walker Jake Cronenworth brought the inning to an end by grounding out.

The bottom of the first and entire second inning passed by rather quietly with each team only getting a hit apiece. In the second Taylor Rodgers came in for Walker who finished his night going 1.2 innings and giving up three hits, one homer, and walking one hitter.

In the third with Jakob Junis now on the mound San Diego threatened once again as Tatis reached on a rare error by Brandon Crawford and Machado hit a single. Bogaerts would kill the momentum though by grounding into a double play keeping the score 1-0.

With Junis still pitching in the fourth Cronenworth lead off the inning with a single followed by Gary Sanchez striking out. With Rougned Odor now hitting he got a double and with runners now on second and third Ha-Seong Kim got them both home with a base knock. Junis was able to get the next two hitters out but the damage had been done as the score was now 3-0.

The Giants couldn’t get a response going in the bottom of the fourth as they went down in order. In the top of the fifth Keaton Winn came in to replace Junis who finished with 1.2 innings pitched, four hits given up, and two earned runs.

The first batter Winn had to face was Soto who had already homered in the game. Despite the different pitcher it did not seem to matter to Soto who took the first pitch thrown at him and crushed it over the left field wall once again. The homer was Soto’s 13th of the season and made it 4-0.

This time in the bottom of the inning the orange-and-white got a rally going as with two outs David Villar responded by homering to left center field making it 4-1. Lamonte Wade Jr. also got a base hit but Joc Pederson flew out bringing the inning to a close.

Following up the fifth the Giants kept the momentum going as Mike Yastrzemski smashed one over the right field wall getting his ninth homer of the season. The homer made it 4-2 and despite the Giants not being able to get anymore runs in the inning the winds had certainly shifted.

The seventh and eight went by quickly as neither team got a hit though Tim Hill did take over for Wacha in the seventh inning. Wacha finished with six innings pitched, four hits given up, two earned runs, and two hitters walked.

With Winns able to close out the top of the ninth it all came down to the bottom of the inning for the Giants to formulate a comeback.

The inning got off to a good start as Blake Sabol who was pinch-hitting for Michael Conforto drew a walk. Yastrzemski then got a base hit putting runners on the corners with no outs. Feeling the pressure Luis Garcia who had come in to close the game for the Padres threw a wild pitch that got Sabol home. Now it was only a one-run game at 4-3 with still zero outs.

Luis Matos then flew out to center field but it was deep enough to get Yastrzemski to third. J.D. Davis then drew a walk to once again put runners on the corners with only one out. With Patrick Bailey up all he needed to do was put a ball in play to tie the game up. Bailey would do just that as he hit one to right field that was deep enough to get Yastrzemski home tying the game 4-4.

The Giants kept the lineup moving as Villar and Casey Schmitt drew walks loading the bases. Pederson had the opportunity to walk it off but was not able to as he struck out meaning extra innings were on the way.

In the tenth Tatis was the runner at second and Soto lead things off. Kapler did not let him see a pitch though as he intentionally walked Soto bringing up Machado. Camilo Doval was now on the bump and him and Machado got into a battle at the plate. Doval managed to get the win over Machado and then took care of the rest setting up a big end of the tenth.

The Padres responded in the bottom of the tenth by intentionally walking Thairo Estrada with Pederson on second. Sabol then laid a perfect bunt to advance both Estrada and Pederson. With Ray Kerr on the mound for the Padres he faced down Yastrzemski who had that late game swagger about him like he always does. With the count 3-1 Kerr threw a fastball right down the plate that Yastrzemski did not miss.

The smack of bat on ball was all you needed to hear as Yastrzemski had just walked it off to get the Giants their eighth victory in a row. The home run was a splash hit which was number 102 and Yastrzemski’s tenth home run of the season.

Doval got the win which brought his record to 2-2 while Kerr took the loss.

“Everybody’s gonna talk about Yas and for good reason that was a clutch of an at bat as it gets and he had several of them in the game,” manager Gabe Kapler said after the game.

The Giants next game will be the second of this three game home series against the Padres and the first pitch will be at 6:45 p.m.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Giants go for 8th straight win tonight against Padres to open series

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ryan Walker looks for his third win against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on Mon Jun 19, 2023 (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

On the Giants podcast with Stephen:

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The San Francisco Giants swept the Los Angeles Dodgers for the sixth time between the franchises since they both moved to the west coast in 1958.

#2 The Giants turned up the offense in this three game series with a combined 29-8, the Giants clobbered the Dodgers in the second of the series on Saturday night 15-0.

#3 Stephen talk about the two errors committed on the Giants on the same play with five fielders trying to get the runner on a run down at Dodgers Stadium. There was also some bad base running on that play.

#4 The Giants also are on a seven game win streak which started back on Jun 11 against the Chicago Cubs and the Giants went onto sweep the Cardinals in three games in St Louis and Dodgers in Los Angeles in three games.

#5 Giants pitcher Logan Webb said that the Giants couldn’t be more happy with this road trip and they played really good baseball.

#6 The Giants host the San Diego Padres, the Padres Michael Wacha (7-2 ERA 2.89) for the Giants Ryan Walker (3-0 ERA 1.23) a 6:45 pm PT.

Stephen does the San Francisco Giants podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s Move to Las Vegas and Gambling Scandals in Major League Baseball

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Shoeless Joe Jackson is serving a lifetime ban for being associated with seven of his other 1919 Chicago White Sox teammates. Jackson tried to plea that he did not bet on the 1919 World Series or throw the World Series (photo from baseballhistorycomesalive.com)

A’s Move to Las Vegas and Gambling Scandals in Major League Baseball

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Notwithstanding the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal with the use of technology during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Major League Baseball has a much larger history of gambling scandals, the most recent in the 1980s.

Pete Rose’s betting scandal is the only reason the man with 4,256 hits, more than any other player in history as well as another four batting records, is banned from baseball and his election into the Hall of Fame.

Another gambling-related scandal was the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, where eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds for money; gambling syndicate boss Arnold Rothstein led the fix.

Other gambling-relating incidents in Major League Baseball include the 1877 Louisville Grays scandal, a 1908 bribery attempt, the 1914 World Series “upset”, and suspicions in 1917-1918. Gambling has been in the DNA of America’s pastime.

1914-The Philadelphia Athletics franchise in the 1914 World Series, some of the A’s players may have been upset at their owner/manager Connie Mack, because he was a penny-pincher, and the rumor was that the A’s players did not play hard in coordination with heavy wagering against Philadelphia A’s placed by famous Broadway entertainer George M. Cohan who was a good friend of Connie Mack.

Did somebody say “collusion”? More recently and now, for over a decade, MLB has partnered with DraftKings North America. In 2012, President and co-founder of Draft Kings North America, Matt Kalish, said, “As we adapt and scale integrations within the constantly evolving sports landscape, MLB and DraftKings will again shape the future of fan engagement in baseball and beyond.”

Major League Baseball helped ignite the daily fantasy industry. Millions of fans bet on baseball. I do not. However, I know people (not baseball players) that are “into the fantasy baseball thing”. Nobody did more for popular gambling in sports than Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder.

He changed the perception of sports betting, which used to be limited to sleazy bookies. Snyder shared his knowledge on radio and television, and even newspapers. He would be The Gambling King of Vegas if he were alive today.

He died in Las Vegas in 1996 at the age of 78 years old. He died eight years after making controversial racist comments that damaged his reputation. Today, some of the big media that cover legalized gambling in sports: are ESPN Radio 24/7 Sports Coverage, Sports Grid Radio Network, Sports Gaming Info and Entertainment, ESPN New York 98.7, Fox Sports Radio, Sports Byline USA.

On October 10, 2022, Cumulus Radio in San Francisco 810AM (old KGO radio) launched The Bay Area First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting. And, of course, all the commercials on network TV during televised sporting events.

The proposed new Athletics baseball park stadium is scheduled to inaugurate in 2028 in the Gambling Capital of the World. The location is at the southern end of The Strip, near the airport, which takes more sports bets (for all sporting events) than any other in the world.

Gambling is what’s in the blood veins of Las Vegas, Nevada. Will this move to Vegas finally get Pete Rose into Cooperstown? Stats: The new proposed A’s stadium in Las Vegas across from the MGM Grand is nine acres large and should have a half-retractable roof. Target Field in Minneapolis, the home of the Twins, is only 8.5. acres (smallest in MLB) and does not have a roof but a canopy above the top deck.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s lead play by play announcer on the A’s Spanish radio network 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Giants hope to keep win streak going open series with Padres tonight

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San Francisco Giants’ Luis Matos (29) returns to the dugout after scoring off of a single hit by Blake Sabol during the sixth inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Jun 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 The San Francisco Giants swept the Los Angeles Dodgers for the sixth time between the franchises since they both moved to the west coast in 1958.

#2 The Giants turned up the offense in this three game series with a combined 29-8, the Giants clobbered the Dodgers in the second of the series on Saturday night 15-0.

#3 Marko talk about the two errors committed on the Giants on the same play with five fielders trying to get the runner on a run down at Dodgers Stadium. There was also some bad base running on that play.

#4 The Giants also are on a seven game win streak which started back on Jun 11 against the Chicago Cubs and the Giants went onto sweep the Cardinals in three games in St Louis and Dodgers in Los Angeles in three games.

#5 Giants pitcher Logan Webb said that the Giants couldn’t be more happy with this road trip and they played really good baseball.

#6 The Giants host the San Diego Padres, the Padres Michael Wacha (7-2 ERA 2.89) for the Giants Ryan Walker (3-0 ERA 1.23) a 6:45 pm PT.

Join Marko for the Giants podcast Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s day off report: Medina gets the call to open series in Cleveland on Tuesday; Ruiz leads off and has MLB stolen base lead

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Oakland A’s Esteury Ruiz slides home safely after scoring on a Ramon Laureano single against the Seattle Mariners Tue May 23, 2023 in first inning action at T Mobile Field in Seattle (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s finished an up-and-down week, ending the seven-game homestand with two wins and five losses. The A’s had won seven games in a row before they lost two to the Tampa Bay Rays and three to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The A’s seven-game win streak saw them win two against the Pittsburgh Pirates and a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates and Brewers are in a dogfight for first place in the NL Central. The A’s won the first two games of the four-game set with the Rays.

It was no easy task as the Rays own the best record in baseball. The team had almost 28,000 people in the seats on Tuesday, June 13th. Organizers of a reverse boycott hoped to show A’s owner John Fisher and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred the fans would support the team in Oakland.

Fisher, as usual, said nothing. Manfred dismissed the effort as meaningless as he said their effort was no better than the average attendance at a game in Major League baseball. Manford also said the city of Oakland needed to do more.

Oakland needed a program in place to build the stadium. Manfred is tone-deaf. Oakland had raised over 400 million dollars in grants for infrastructure needs. The City Council was two days away from a vote. The A’s ownership had turned the fans off by trading away their best players and leaving the fans with a team with the worst record in all of baseball.

Winning brings people into the seats. Then, to make matters worse, the Nevada legislature voted to approve $380 million to give to the A’s to help build a stadium in Las Vegas. The Nevada governor signed the bill.

The only hope the A’s fans have is that the owners of the other 29 teams will reject the move. Manfred has said baseball will waive the $300 million relocation fee. The owners share those fees. Many of them say they want Las Vegas to get an expansion team. The fees for an expansion team are around two billion. That’s a lot more money to share.

None of the drama on the relocation situation should affect what’s happening on the field. The A’s still have to go out and play the game. A’s manager Mark Kotsay has to be pleased with his team’s performance in the last 12 games.

They went 7-5. During the winning streak, the A’s starters and relievers pitched well. The A’s offense came to life, and the team showed improvement. They split four games with the Rays. They lost three games to the Phillies. Two of the losses were by one run. The Phillies are the hottest team in baseball. They have won fourteen of the last 16. The Phillies were in the World Series last year.

The A’s start a six-game road trip in Cleveland Tuesday night. The A’s will play three against the Guardians and then finish the road trip with three against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Guardians are in second place in the AL Central with a record of 33-38.

They are two and 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins. Manager Terry Francona is in his 11th year as the skipper of the Guardians.

The A’s will send Luis Medina (1-6, 7.55) to the hill Tuesday night. Cleveland will counter with Aaron Civale(2-2, 2.67). Righty Paul Blackburn (0-0, 3.49) goes for the A’s on Wednesday. The Guardians have not announced a starter. Lefty JP Sears(1-4, 4.24) will be on the mound on Thursday. Logan Allen (3-2, 3.95) goes for Cleveland.

The key players for the Guardians are first baseman Josh Naylor, third baseman Jose Ramirez, and outfielders Stephen Kwan and Will Brennan. Their catcher is Josh Naylor’s younger brother Bo Naylor. Closer Emmanuel Clase leads the Guardians bullpen. Clase is 1-4 but has recorded 20 saves this year.

Their setup guy is Trevor Stephan. The Guardians do not have a left-handed pitcher in the bullpen. The A’s will see relievers Sam Hentges, Enyel De Los Santos, Elijah Morgan, Nick Sandlin, Xzavion Curry, and two recently recalled from Triple-A, Daniel Norris and Tim Herrin. The A’s will not see the Guardians’ ace Shane Bieber in the series.

The A’s want to get some wins on this road trip. They will need better pitching and timely hitting. They know they can win on the road. They are looking for players such as Esteury Ruiz, Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, Seth Brown, JJ Blesday, Ramon Laureano, Roberto Perez, and Shea Langeliers to get back on the hit parade. Blackburn has pitched well since coming off the IL.

Also of note A’s leadoff hitter Ruiz leads the majors in stolen bases with 36 for the season and could get some good coverage on the base paths that could help Oakland get a leg up for this upcoming road trip.

Medina has improved, and Kotsay wants him to give the A’s a quality start on Tuesday night. JP Sears, acquired in the trade that sent Frankie Montas to the New York Yankees, has to find a way to stop serving up gopher balls. Sears has allowed 17 dingers in his starts this year.

The A’s still are the worst team in baseball. Kotsay continues to have a positive outlook. He has seen some improvement in the last two weeks. The A’s would love nothing better than winning each series against the Guardians and The Blue Jays.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s hope to end 5 game skid Tuesday night in Cleveland

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Oakland Athletics’ JJ Bleday, bottom right, steals second base next to Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, left, and umpire Brennan Miller during the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Jun 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Tough loss for the Oakland A’s starter Hogan Harris who dropped his record to 2-1 in the A’s fifth consecutive loss on Sunday. The A’s lose by a run 3-2 to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 Harris went six innings, giving up four hits two runs, seven strikeouts. He had his pitches working for him and kept runners off the bases.

#3 The Phillies Kyle Schwarber led off with a left field home run in the top of the first for his 20th homer of the season and it didn’t shake Harris’ confidence.

#4 In the top of the eighth the Phils Trea Turner’s hit scored Cristian Pache and the Phillies went up by two runs 3-1. The A’s were able to pick up one run in the bottom of the eighth but weren’t able to tie the game going down by a run.

#5 The A’s will try it all over again as they have the day off on Monday and face the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field for a three game series starting on Tuesday night at 4:10pm. For the A’s Luis Medina (1-6 ERA 7.55) will go up against the Guardians Aaron Civale (2-2 ERA 2.67) to open the series.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s Harris goes 6 innings but not enough in loss to Phils

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, right, gestures toward teammates after hitting a single next to Oakland Athletics first baseman Ryan Noda (49) during the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Jun 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Tough loss for the Oakland A’s starter Hogan Harris who dropped his record to 2-1 in the A’s fifth consecutive loss on Sunday. The A’s lose by a run 3-2 to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 Harris went six innings, giving up four hits two runs, seven strikeouts. He had his pitches working for him and kept runners off the bases.

#3 The Phillies Kyle Schwarber led off with a left field home run in the top of the first for his 20th homer of the season and it didn’t shake Harris’ confidence.

#4 In the top of the eighth the Phils Trea Turner’s hit scored Cristian Pache and the Phillies went up by two runs 3-1.

#5 The A’s will try it all over again as they have the day off on Monday and face the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field for a three game series starting on Tuesday night at 4:10pm. For the A’s Luis Medina (1-6 ERA 7.55) will go up against the Guardians Aaron Civale (2-2 ERA 2.67) to open the series.

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

Giants Sweep Dodgers Take Over Second Place In NL West in four run 7-3 win

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San Francisco Giants’ Luis Matos (29) doubles during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Jun 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Giants Sweep Dodgers Take Over Second Place In NL West in four run 7-3 win

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (39-32) swept the Los Angeles Dodgers (39-33) at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles 7-3.

Neither team scored in the first three innings of game three. In the fourth inning the Giants took up where they left off in yesterday’s game scoring two runs. Michael Conforto hit a sacrifice fly and LaMonte Wade Jr. scored for the 1-0 lead. Yastrzemski singled Joc Pederson home for a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth the Dodgers James Outman singled and David Peralta scored. It was a close game 2-1 going into the fifth inning.

San Francisco got another run in the fifth taking a 3-1 lead. Brandon Crawford scored when Wade Jr. grounded out. The Dodgers kept this game close; Freddie Freeman scored off a Peralta single but they were still trailing 3-2.

The Giants blew this game open in the sixth inning. They scored four runs with Conforto, Yastrzemski, Luis Matos and Blake Sabol all crossing home plate for a 7-2 lead. San Francisco had a couple of singles and one double in the inning. Each team had seven hits but it was the Giants that held the significant lead going into the eighth inning.

San Francisco held the 7-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. The Giants were three outs away from the sweep. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the inning but it was too little too late and the Giants had not only the sweep but their seventh win in a row and a move in the NL West to second place. The Giants did walk a run in.

It was a solid game for S.F. pitcher Logan Webb who went seven innings allowing eight hits and two runs. Those two earned runs would be all that the Dodgers would get through eight innings. The Giants did everything they needed to do to sweep the Dodgers finishing a most successful road trip.

Notes: San Francisco won the first game of the series on Friday night after trailing by the score of 4-0 going into the seventh inning. It was another come from behind victory and the Giants who had to go 11 innings to get the win.

In game two on Saturday night the Giants saw something that the Dodgers had not seen since 1898. The Giants shut Los Angeles out to the tune of 15-0, the worst shutout loss for the Dodgers since they were in Brooklyn.

San Francisco will return home to take on the San Diego Padres in a four game series that will begin Monday night. The Giants are undecided as to who will take the mound in this game. The Padres will send Michael Wacha in this game with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 PM. Wacha has a 7-2 win/loss record and a 2.89 ERA.

A’s come up short in 8th edged by Phils 3-2 at Coliseum

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, left, is congratulated by Trea Turner after hitting a home run during the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jun 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Philadelphia (38-34). 100 010 010. – 3. 7. 0

Oakland (19-55). 000 000 110 – 2. 9. 0

Time: 2:35

Attendance: 24,326

Sunday, June 18, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Worst Record Standings (at end of today’s Oakland game)

Team W L Pct. June 18 Result 1899 Cleveland Spiders 9 39 .188 No game 1962 NY Mets 16 45 .262 Lost to Milwaukee 7-1 2023 KC ROYALS 18 52 .257 Lost to Angels, 5-2 2023 OAKLAND A’S 19 55 .257 Lost to Philadelphia, 3-2.

Mark Kotsay and Scott Emerson chose Hogan Harris, the A’s third round choice in the 2018 draft, to start this afternoon’s attempt at reversing yesterday’s bitter defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, a team in the process of recovery from its own weak start.

The Phils opened the day at 37-34, good enough for third place in the NL East. They finished last year in third, too and then went on to represent the National League in the World Series.

Hogan was the winning pitcher in his last two appearances, which included his only start of the season, when he went five innings against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits on June 7.

The 26 year old southpaw began the day at 2-0, 4.84 and ended it at 2-1, 4.45, He pitched very effectively for six innings, allowing two runs, both earned, on four hits, one a round tripper and issued only one base on balls against seven strike outs. 61 of his 96 pitches went into the books as strikes.

Right hander Zach Wheeler (5-4.3.73 at game time) was a first round draft choice in 2009. The Giants chose him as the sixth overall selection. Between then and his first pitch this afternoon, Wheeler was 79-61, 3.44 over 1,268-2/3 innings in 209 games.

He had struck out 1,283 batters and achieved the impressive WHIP of 1.20. In was an almost incredible 1.01 in 2021 and 1.04 last year. He brought a better than respectable 1.20 to the mound. When the dust settled the veteran had thrown 107 pitches, 67 for strikes over six frames, shutting the A’s out on six hits and a walk while striking out four. He lowered his ERA t0 3.48 and brought his won-lost record to 6-4 with the win.

It didn’t take long for Philadelphia to take the lead. Kyle Schwarber lined Harris’s fourth offering over the State Farm sign in left center field for his 20th homer and 40th RBI of the season. Harris settled down after that and kept Philadelphia off the board, allowing only one base runner until Cristián Pache got a leg double to center with two out in the fifth.

Schwarber drove him in with a single to right on an outside 2-2 offering that the Phillies’ DH just reached out and dropped into right field. The visitors now were ahead, 2-0, both runs having been driven in by Schwarber.

Shintaro Fujinami took over for Harris to pitch the seventh. He retired the Phils in order. Matt Strahm was not as successful in handling the A’s when he took over for Wheeler to start the seventh. Aledmys Díaz touched him for a one out home run over the 367 foot sign in left to bring Oakland within a run of the Phillies.

Philadelphia overcame the Curse of the Leadoff Double to score another run in the top of the eighth. The double was Pache’s second straight two bagger to center. The RBI came on Turner’s single to left. After Fujinami walked Bohm, Lucas Erceg came on to pitch. He got Realmuto out on a pop up to first and retired Stott on a fly to left. But the A’s now trailed, 3-1.

José Alvardo assumed mound duties for the visitors in. the eighth. He fanned Rooker before Esteury Ruíz, pinch hitting for Brown, smacked a double to center and Carlos Pérez, hitting for Bleday, drove him home with a single to left that made it 3-2.

Austin Pruitt s threw a scoreless top of the ninth for Oakland in spite of allowing a leadoff single to Josh Harrison.

The Aheltics faced Yunior Marte in their do or die half of the ninth. He struck out the side to earn his first save of 2023.

The Athletics have a day off Monday and will face the Guardians in Cleveland on Tuesday at 4:10 Pacific time. They’ll send Luis Medina (1-6, 7.55) against Aaron Civale (2-2, 2.67)