Tag: mlb

MLB podcast The Show with Daniel Dullum: Halos throw no-no in honoring Skaggs; Gooden in jail for coke possession; plus more

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photo from latimes.com: Angel players place their Tyler Skaggs jerseys at the pitchers mound after no-hitting the Mariners. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel:

1 Angels throw combined no-hitter while honoring Tyler Skaggs

2 Dwight Gooden reportedly arrested for cocaine possession

3 Former All-Star Matt Kemp released by Mets

4 Pirates’ catcher Francisco Cervelli denies saying career is over following sixth concussion

Daniel Dullum does the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Gamel wins it in a pinch 5-4

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Photo from @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Ben Gamel came up with the hit of the game at the most opportune time for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Gamel, who came off the bench hit a double off of Reyes Moronta in the bottom of the ninth inning, helping the Brewers to a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park.

The walk-off pinch hit double by Gamel scored Ryan Braun, who led off the inning, when Brandon Crawford was unable to field the grounder.

Moronta then regrouped to strikeout both Mike Moustakas and Jesus Aguliar, then Keston Hiura walked and then Gamel lined a Moronta pitch into the right field corner to send the Miller Park and the Brewers into celebration mode.

The Giants tied up the game in the top of the ninth inning, as they scored two runs off of Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress. Crawford got the rally started, as he walked off of Jeffress, then went to second on an Austin Slater single. Stephen Vogt singled in Crawford with a single to centerfield and then Slater scored the tying run, when Lorenzo Cain overran the ball.

Slater gave the Giants a 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning, as came off the bench to pick up a pinch-hit double off of reliever Alex Claudio.

Unfortunately, the lights out Giants bullpen was unable to hold onto the lead, as Sam Dyson gave up three straight doubles to give the Brewers the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Moustakas, Aguilar and Hiura began the eighth with those doubles. Eric Thames then came off the back to single Hiura up to third base and that was it for Dyson.

Derek Holland came on to replace Dyson and promptly walked Yasmani Grandal to load the bases, and then Orlando Arcia hit a sacrifice fly to score Hiura from third base.

Madison Bumgarner, who left his last start after just two innings when he was hit on the left elbow on a ball hit by Jose Martinez of the St. Louis Cardinals showed effects from it, as he went five innings, allowing one (unearned) run, on seven hits, walking one and striking out seven.

The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Brandon Belt reached on a fielding error by Zach Davies, then Buster Posey singled to left and after a Pablo Sandoval ground out that advanced Belt and Posey up an additional 90 feet. Evan Longoria then walked to load the bases, and Mike Yastrzemski hit a sacrifice fly that scored Belt from third base.

Davies got the Brewers back into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he doubled with one out off of Bumgarner. After Cain flew out to right field for the second out of the inning, Christian Yelich then hit a ball up the middle that Joe Panik was unable to field and Davies scored the tying run from second base.

Like Bumgarner, Davies did not fare in the decision, as he went six innings, allowing one (unearned) run on just two hits, walking two and striking out five.

NOTES: In honor of the 14th annual Cerveceros Night, both the Brewers and Giants wore Spanish jerseys. The Brewers wore Cerveceros jerseys, and the Giants wore their Gigantes jerseys.

Alex Dickerson was not in the starting lineup, as he experienced tightness in his back in Fridays game. He was available to pinch hit if needed.

UP NEXT: Tyler Beede will make his first ever start against the Brewers on Sunday, while the Brewers will send Jhoulys Chacin will make his 22nd career start against the Giants and is 9-7 with a 3.11 earned run average.

A’s off to a great start in the second half, rout the White Sox 5-1

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Lewis Rubman

Chicago White Sox: 1 | 10 | 1
Oakland Athletics: 5 |13 | 0

OAKLAND — For the third time this year, Mike Fiers took the mound for the A’s to open a segment of the season. He was trounced by Seattle in Tokyo in the season opener but came back eight days later to get the win against the Angels in Oakland’s first game of the campaign on American soil, although his performance on that occassion didn’t even rate as a quality start. His pitching picked up in May, including a no-hitter on the seventh, and, when Frankie Montás was suspended on June 21 for violating MLB’s drug policies, Fiers became the undisputed ace of the A’s pitching staff, a distinction he in any case deserved by dint of his own efforts. The A’s starter went into tonight’s contest with an ERA of 2.87 in May, 2.30 in June, and 1.50 for his one start in July. He faced the task of getting the third portion of the season, the long haul between the All=Star Game and the final stretch drive, off to a successful start.

Facing him for the White Sox was Iván Nova, a right-hander much given to throwing sinker balls and having a 4-7, 5.88 ERA record to show for it.

The A’s opened the scoring in the top of the first, when, with one out, Matt Chapman’s line drive ate up Leury García at short and ended up as a single to left. Matt Olson promptly moved Chapman to third with a single to right. The A’s third baseman then scored on Khris Davis’s clean single to center. Nova escaped further damage by inducing Mark Canha to hit into an inning ending double play, short to second to first.

Ramón Laureano extended the A’s lead by blasting a 2-2 pitch into the second deck left field seats for his seventeenth home run of the season. Not to be outdone, Jurickson Profar, batting left-handed, the switch-hitting second sacker’s weak side, followed with a homer, his eleventh, into the Budweiser seats in right, putting the home team in front by a score of 3-0.

The Pale Hose threatened in the top of the third when Ryan Cordell and García, the number nine and one hitters, laced back to back one out singles. But Oakland’s Fiers put out the Chicago fire, striking out Yoán Moncada and José Abreu, both of them swinging.

Fiers kept on shutting out the Sox, and Nova settled down, not allowing the A’s any more runs until with one down in the bottom of the sixth Canha shot his 13th round tripper of the season over the center field fence, just to the right of the 400 foot sign. On the next pitch, Robbie Grossman lined a double off the left center field wall. But Nova got Laureano to ground out to third and Profar to first to keep the A’s from posting a crooked number.

But Nova had thrown 104 pitches, and that finished his work for the night. Josh Phegley greeeted his replacement, Juan Minaya, by hitting a solid single to left on his first offering in the home half of the seventh. Three pitches later, Semien plated Phegley with a triple to left center. Minaya got two quick outs on Chapman and Olson but then issued back-to-back walks to Davis and Canha to load the bases. Rick Rentería sent lefty Josh Osich in to face Grossman, who would have batted from his weak, right, side if Bob Melvin hadn’t sent Chad Pinder in to hit for him. Osich got his man on a called third strike. But, by now, the A’s held a 5-0 advantage over Chicago.

When Fiers walked John McCann with two down and a man on base in the top the eighth, the A’s starter had thrown 111 pitches over seven and two-thirds, innings, more pitches over more innings than in any game since his early season no-hitter. Oh, yes, his replacement, Yusmeiro Petit, retired the side by getting John Jay to ground out to Profar at second.

Joakim Soria came in to mop up in the ninth. He wasn’t quite up to the job. García’s two-out single on a 3-2 count brought in Eloy Jiménez who had led off the frame with a single to spoil the shutout. Oakland’s all star closer, Liam Hendricks, the Pride of Perth, came in and struck out Moncada on three pitches.

The win went to Fiers; the loss to Nova. Hendrick got the save, his sixth in eight opportunities.

Oakland’s win puts them at 51-41, a half a game behind Cleveland for the second wild card spot.

Tomorrow afternoon’s contest will feature righty Chris Bassitt (5-4, 4.29 ERA) on the bump for the A’s. His opposing number is as yet unnamed, making it likely that he will be an opener.

Posey’s grand slam wins it for the Giants 10-7

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Buster Posey came up with the biggest hit of the night when the San Francisco Giants needed it the most.

Posey launched a grand slam off the scoreboard in left-center field, helping the Giants to a 10-7 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

The grand slam by Posey was the fifth of his career, and it was set up after Joe Panik led off the inning with a single, Mike Yastrzemski walked and Brandon Belt singled. Posey took the first pitch he saw from Matt Albers over the wall.

Will Smith blew his first save of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he gave up a leadoff triple to Christian Yelich and then two batters later, Mike Moustakas tied up the game, when grounded out to Joe Panik.

Brandon Crawford gave the Giants the lead in the top of the ninth inning, as he hit a solo home run off of Brewers closer Josh Hader and it was the second home run in as many innings that Hader surrendered.

Tyler Austin tied up the game in the top of the eighth inning, as he hit a solo home run to right field.

The Brewers took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Ryan Braun doubled Yasmani Grandal and Moustakas to tie up the game and then took the lead when Eric Thames singled in Braun.

Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to give them their first lead of the game that scored Posey.

Austin Slater tied up the game in the top of the fifth inning, as he an opposite field home run that scored Kevin Pillar in front of Slater.

Keston Hiura gave the Brewers the lead in the bottom of the second inning, as he singled off of Giants starter Shaun Anderson.

Thames doubled in Braun in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead and then one-half inning later, Slater tied it up.

Anderson went five innings, allowing four runs on six hits, walking three and striking out eight, as he did not fare in the decision.

It was a season-high eight strikeouts for Anderson, who struck out Yelich on three different occasions.

Brewers starter Chase Anderson left with the lead, as he also went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five.

Hiura drove in the final run of the game in the bottom of the 10th inning, as he hit his eighth home run of the season off of Mark Melancon.

Despite blowing his first save of the season, Smith ended up picking up his second win of the season.

NOTES: This was the first time that the Giants hit more than four home runs since April 23, 2014 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, when they hit six.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner makes his return to the mound, as he is ready to pitch after leaving Sundays game at Oracle Park, when he was smacked on the elbow on a Jose Martinez liner.

Zach Davies will take the mound for the Brewers, as he makes his second start of the season against the Giants. Davies lost to the Giants on June 14 at Oracle Park, and is 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA in his three career starts.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca and Daniel Dullum: If Smith and Bumgarner go, so will any chance for a wild card go for SF

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

On the Giants podcast with Michael and Daniel:

#1 The Giants are 5 1/2 games out from a wild card spot as the second half starts tonight. Critics says forget those odds, the team hasn’t had enough offense to get back. What does Michael say to those critics?

#2 If the Giants are sellers and unload starter Madison Bumgarner and closer Will Smith, that would pretty much crush any chance the team has at the postseason.

#3 Buster Posey has — like last season — been off limits for any trade deals and most likely that will be the case this July too. Posey has had several concussions and his hitting has been below where it normally is at this time of year. How much does Posey’s past injuries play even though he’s untouchable?

#4 If the Giants deal Bumgarner and Smith, how much will their departures impact the Giants for years to come?

#5 The Giants open up a three-game series in Milwaukee tonight and a six-game road trip. Milwaukee has always been a tough customer. The Giants will be starting Shaun Anderson (3-2, 4.23 ERA), and for the Brewers, Chase Anderson (4-2, 4.32 ERA).

Michael Duca and Daniel Dullum does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants’ future quite murky as trade deadline looms

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

Technically, the Giants are only five-and-a-half games out of a wild-card spot in the National League as the second half of the season kicks off starting Friday. This fact alone is a cause for slight optimism for a great deal of a fanbase that is still sunbathing from a string of World Series titles won years ago.

Here’s a tip: Forget it. The rest of the league is expected to pick up its play – the wild-card leaders are just hovering above .500 at press time – and the wear and tear that the Giants have shown during the course of this young season will be even more prevalent as the summer months roll along.

That’s not to mention the dead weight that is being caused by underperforming players on bad contracts, which new general manager Farhan Zaidi vowed to do away with upon stepping into his new position this past offseason.

His first big task will be the manner in which he handles the trade deadline, which will take place on July 31, a mere three weeks away.

The player that has created the most buzz has been lefty Madison Bumgarner, and to no surprise, there is no shortage of teams that could put a sizable deal on the table. The Twins, Yankees, Braves and Phillies, among other teams, could be possible destinations for Bumgarner, with a move to Atlanta making the most sense.

Besides Bumgarner, there has been more talk surrounding lefty closer Will Smith, who has been perfect in his save opportunities this season and has by far been the most consistent performer on the Giants’ roster. Among teams that could be destinations for Smith are the Washington Nationals and the Oakland A’s, who sorely need help in their bullpen if they are going to make another postseason run.

One thing is for certain, however. The Giants are undoubtedly going to be sellers this time around, and this should be quite interesting and could dictate the team’s roster for years to come.

Preview of the A’s series with the White Sox

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Photo credit: lookoutlanding.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s start the second half of the season by hosting the visiting Chicago White Sox for three games starting Friday night at the Coliseum. The White Sox, under second-year skipper Rick Renteria, have surprised a lot of people as they finished the first half of the season with a record of 42-44. They are currently in third place in the AL Central trailing the Minnesota Twins by 12 1/2 games.

The White Sox have several players on the team that have contributed to their success. Their veteran first baseman, Jose Abreu, is having another excellent season. Abreu is hitting .278 and has hit 21 dingers and driven in 66. Other players to watch include Eloy Jiminez, third baseman Yoan Moncado, Catcher James McCann, and pitcher Lucas Giolito. The White Sox obtained Moncado from the Red Sox in the trade for pitcher Chris Sale. Moncado appears to be reaching his potential as he is hitting .308 and has hit 16 homers and knocked in 48. Giolito is 11-3 and has an ERA of 3.15.

Giolito and McCann were named to the AL All-Star team this year.

Other players to keep an eye on are center fielder Leury Garcia, second baseman Yolmer Sanchez, and veteran right fielder Jon Jay.

The White Sox have several critical decisions to make before the July 31st trade deadline. Will they be buyers or sellers? It does appear that they can overtake the Rays, Indians, A’s, Rangers, or Red Sox in the race for the two Wild Card spots. If they decide to be buyers, they would have to give up prospects to get the players they would need to make a playoff run. If they are sellers, who would go? They have several players that they could move even though they have another year of team control. Perhaps their most valuable asset is closer Alex Colome. The 30-year reliever has converted 20 save opportunities in 21 tries this season. Colome could bring the White Sox some highly rated prospects from teams looking for a reliable closer. The Red Sox might be interested, but their farm system has been depleted. Other players that might be on the move include James McCann, Leury Garcia, John Jay, pitchers Ivan Nova and lefty reliever Aaron Bummer. Jose Abreu is also mentioned as a player that might be going elsewhere.

The A’s have not announced the starters for the series with the White Sox. Mike Fiers, Brett Anderson, and Chris Bassitt probably will pitch this weekend, but that could change. The White Sox will send Ivan Nova to the hill Friday night. Nova is 4-7 with an ERA of 5.58. Reynaldo Lopez will go for Chicago on Sunday. His ERA is 6.34, and he has a won-lost record of 4-8. Lopez’ ERA is the worst of any starting pitcher in baseball.

The A’s would like to sweep the series this weekend. That may not happen, but taking two out of three would be a reasonable goal for the A’s. The A’s are off on Monday. They play two against the Seattle Mariners next Tues and Wednesday before heading off to play four against the Minnesota Twins and three in Houston against the Astros. The schedule brings the A’s home to play the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.

The A’s are a good second-half team. They know that every game is essential and no opponent can be taken lightly. They are in a race with the Indians, Red Sox, and Rangers for the second Wild Card spot. The A’s are a good team and fun to watch.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s rolling good enough to catch Houston in second half

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Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

On the A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Jerry, the A’s are opening the second half of the season with a record of 50-41. They for a good part of the first half were a team in last place in the A.L. West. What were some of the factors that lifted them out of the cellar to second place and just seven games out of first place?

#2 The A’s have been getting some great offensive help, but it’s looking up and down that lineup with some of the key bats and key support that they’ve got that have helped the along the way.

#3 Going into the second half, the A’s will continue to try and figure their nemesis, the Houston Astros. The Astros are chalked with talent up and down their lineup, the A’s face the Astros in a couple of weeks, and when that time comes, the Astros will be an important series.

#4 The A’s are in need to get some starting pitching they won’t get Jharel Cotton is reportedly developing well on his come back while Daniel Mengden, who made a comeback, threw an outstanding game on his return to the A’s.

#5 Second half of the season getting ready to get started the A’s are opening things up hosting the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. For the Sox, Ivan Nova (4-7, 5.58 ERA), and for Oakland, Mike Fiers (8-3, 3.87 ERA).

Jerry Feitelberg does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sorry offense has Giants in the pits

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By Jeremy Harness

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has said that the baseballs that are being used in games are not juiced, despite the high number of home runs being his this season.

There is direct proof of this statement: Just watch the San Francisco Giants hit on a nightly basis.

After spending most of the season ranking dead last in home runs hit, the Giants are now 27th out of 30 teams in the majors with only 88 balls going out of the ballpark in the season’s first three months.

They do, however, have the worst batting average in baseball with a team mark of .230, and they rank in the bottom five in every offensive category, with the exception of doubles and triples (they rank near the middle of the majors).

To give you an idea, Kevin Pillar currently leads the Giants with a .256 batting average with 47 RBI. Meanwhile, Evan Longoria leads the team with only 12 home runs, which is not a lot of return for the $14.5 million he is getting paid this year.

That lack of offense has had a direct effect on their overall performance on the field, in what will be Bruce Bochy’s last season as a major-league manager. They have a 41-48 record as they enter the second half of the season, which puts them firmly in the National League cellar and qualifies as the league’s third-worst record, trailing only Miami and the New York Mets.

The NL, however, remains fairly open, and amazingly, the Giants are actually in the hunt for a wild-card spot, as they currently sit only five-and-a-half games out of the wild card. The wild-card leaders, Washington and Philadelphia, are barely sitting over .500 at press time.

This, however, may very well turn out to be fool’s gold, considering the fact that the Giants are expected to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline (more on that tomorrow).

A’s start the race to the playoffs on Friday

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The A’s start the second half of the season with a record of 50-41. The A’s have played 91 and have 71 games left to play. As fans know, it’s not how you start, it’s where you finish.

The A’s won 97 games last year with a so-so starting rotation, but, had a bullpen that was lights out. They lost second baseman Jed Lowrie to free agency. Lowry had a career-high 99 RBIs last year, and the team had to fill the hole. They traded for Jurickson Profar, and the young man has yet to show that he can play every day. The A’s have brought up Franklin Barreto to see if he can do the job, and the jury is still out on him.

The A’s starting rotation has surprised the pundits so far this year. Mike Fiers started slowly, but he has pitched well since May. Brett Anderson is healthy, and he has done the job. Chris Bassitt has thrown well, and Daniel Mengden has won a couple of games since being recalled. The fifth starter is a work in progress. Tanner Anderson is 0-3 and has yet to show that he can stay in the rotation. The A’s are hoping that Sean Manaea will be back in the rotation in early August. The A’s relievers Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen have not performed as well as they did last year. Trivino started well but has been rocked lately. Treinen has not had his control. He does have 16 saves, but he has walked too many hitters when he comes in to close. Yusmeiro Petit and Joakim Soria have pitched well all year. The big surprise is Liam Hendriks. Hendriks was designated for assignment last year. No one signed him, and he went back to Triple-A. This year, things have turned completely around. Hendriks was named to the AL All-Star squad, and he has done the job when called upon.

The A’s offense has power hitters all through the lineup. Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Khris Davis, Stephen Piscotty, Ramon Laureano, Marcus Semien, and Profar all can send the ball into the seats. Catchers Josh Phegley, Chris Herrman, and Nick Hundley can also blast a baseball into the stands. The A’s defense has been superb.

The A’s have put together a team that could possibly go deep into the playoffs. They need to improve the starting rotation. Will the A’s make a trade for a starter? No one knows what Billy Beane or David Forst will do. They have not hesitated to pull the trigger on a deal if they think that it will improve the team. They don’t want to give up any of their key players as Beane or Forst remember what happened in 2014 when they sent Yoenis Cespedes to Boston for John Lester. The team went into a spiral and barely made the playoffs that year. The A’s may feel that the players coming off the Il will be sufficient to get them there. Manaea and Jharel Cotton should be back soon.

The A’s lost starting pitcher Frankie Montas for 80 games due to using of an illegal substance. Montas may make it back in late September, but he is not eligible to play in the postseason.

The ingredients are there. They have pitching, offense, and defense. They start the second half at home with three against the Chicago White Sox, and two against the Seattle Mariners. Following that, they go on the road for four with the Minnesota Twins and three with the Houston Astros. The A’s took two out of three from the Twins last week in Oakland. The Twins, in first place in the AL Central, played well against the A’s and they will give the A’s a tussle when they meet next week. The A’s then have to play the Astros in Houston. The Astros have one of the best teams in baseball. The Astros won the World Series two years ago and want to win another. They also have a potent lineup. They have two terrific starters, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. The A’s have not had success against Houston so far this year.

The A’s will have quite a race to the finish line. The Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox are teams that will be competing for the second Wild Card slot in the American League. It should be fun.