Tag: mlb

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s head to Pittsburgh, try to snap out of six-game skid

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On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feiteberg:

#1 The Oakland A’s are getting tired of other teams taking out the broom as the A’s were in another sweep. This time by the Boston Red Sox in a 7-3 loss at Fenway Park.

#2 The loss represents the A’s six straight loss as they’re 0-6 on this current road trip. It has been a tough go as A’s manager Bob Melvin tries to figure all this out.

#3 Amongst those struggling is Oakland A’s starter Mike Fiers, who pitched five innings and gave up three runs on five hits.

#4 Fiers has given up the big fly this time to the Red Sox’s Mitch Moreland, who hit his fifth homer of the season over the Green Monster and it was Fiers’ ninth home run surrendered.

#5 On Friday, the A’s will try it all over again as they’ll open up a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The A’s will start Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.35 ERA) and the Pirates will start Joe Musgrove (1-2, 1.54 ERA).

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

Red Sox sweep series to extend A’s losing streak to six games

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s lost to the Boston Red Sox Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park again to extend their losing streak to six games. The Red Sox won the game 7-3 and swept the series from the A’s and won the season series 4-3. The A’s offense slumbered through eight innings before waking up in the ninth when they put two runs on the board. It was too little, too late.

Mike Fiers started for Oakland and took the loss. Fiers pitched five innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Fiers allowed his ninth round-tripper of the year when Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer into the seats of the Green Monster in the fourth inning.

The A’s grabbed the early lead in the top of the second. The Red Sox tied the game in their half of the second. The Sox added one run in the fourth on Moreland’s blast and one in the fifth to take the lead 3-1 and end Fiers’ day.

The Red Sox added three in the bottom of the sixth. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in J.B.Wendelken to pitch. Boston had the bases loaded with two out when Tzu-Wei Lin reached on an infield single. Andrew Benintendi singled to left center to drive in two more, and Boston was in the driver’s seat 6-1.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vasquez homered to lead off the seventh and extended Boston’s advantage 7-1.

The A’s offense came to life in the top of the ninth. Matt Chapman led off the frame with a double to center field off Red Sox reliever Tyler Thornburg. Khris Davis followed with a double down the left field line to drive in Davis. Thornburg retired the next two A’s hitters, but Chad Pinder was able to beat him with a double to drive in Davis. The A’s could do no more, and the game was over.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s fall to 14-19. Mike Fiers saw his record drop to 2-3. The Red Sox improve to 14-17. The winning pitcher was Marcus Walden, who pitched three innings to see his record improve to 4-0.

The A’s used five pitchers while Boston primarily played a bullpen game. Hector Velasquez started and went just two innings. Marcus Walden pitched the next three. The Red Sox used four more pitchers to finish the game.

The A’s are 0-6 on the nine-game road trip. They are 4-11 so far this year on the road. The line score for Oakland was three runs, seven hits, and no errors. They had just four hits through eight innings, and the offense looked inept. The Red Sox line was seven runs, nine hits, and no errors. Mitch Moreland and Christian Vasquez homered for Boston.

Time of game was two hours and 55 minutes. 33,708 people watched the game in chilly 50-degree weather under overcast skies.

Up Next: The A’s are off on Thursday. They travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates in interleague play. The A’s will not be able to use the DH as the game will be performed using National League rules. The A’s return home and start a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds next Tuesday.

A’s road woes continue as they lose their fifth in a row

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Boston Red Sox, behind a terrific performance by Rick Porcello, sent the Oakland A’s down to their fifth consecutive loss Tuesday night 5-1 at Fenway Park. Porcello was in command as he went eight innings and allowed just two hits and no runs. He threw a season-high 114 pitches.

A’s starter Aaron Brooks lasted only 4 1/3 innings and absorbed his third loss of the season. Brooks continued to give up gopher balls. The Red Sox hit two and Brooks has now surrendered eight long shots so far this year.

In the bottom of the first, with one out, Mookie Betts, the reigning AL MVP, homered to center field to give the Red Sox an early 1-0 advantage. Boston added another run in the second. With one out, rookie second baseman Michael Chavis singled to center. Brooks walked Mitch Moreland to put runners at first and second. Chavis advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on Sandy Leon’s single. Boston led 2-0 after two.

The Red Sox made it 4-0 in the fourth. Michael Chavis singled, and that was followed by Mitch Moreland’s eighth home run of the 2019 season. The Red Sox added an unearned run in their half of the fifth. Ramon Laureano dropped J.D. Martinez’ fly on the warning track in center field for a two-base error. Xander Bogaerts walked, and that was followed by a double to right field by Rafael Devers. A’s manager Bob Melvin walked to the mound and removed Brooks from the game. Brooks pitched 4 1/ innings and allowed six hits, five runs (four earned), walked three and struck out two. The A’s bullpen held the Red Sox scoreless the rest of the way.

The A’s only run came in the top of the ninth when left fielder Robbie Grossman hit his third homer of the year. Red Sox reliever Tyler Thornburg then retired the side to record the 5-1 win for Boston.

Game Notes: The A’s are now 14-18 for the year and are 0-5 on the nine-game road trip. The A’s play the final game of the three-game series Wednesday. at 10:05 am.

The Red Sox improve to 13-17. Both Rick Porcello and Aaron Brooks, are now 2-3.

Mike Fiers will pitch for the A’s on Wednesday. The Red Sox have not yet announced their starter.

Time of game was two hours and 35 minutes. 31,754 fans watched the game on a very chilly night in Boston. The temperature at the start of the game was just 50 degrees.

Dodgers hit three home runs in 10-3 rout of Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — David Freese did something that is rarely seen at Oracle Park, an opposite field home run by a right-handed batter.

Freese launched a three-run home run in the top of the third inning, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers even up their three-game series with a 10-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 32,017 at Oracle Park.

It was only the 51st home run by a right-handed batter to right field, and the second this season, as Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres hit one on April 10, 2019 against Dereck Rodriguez.

Left that one up a little bit, said Drew Pomeranz.

The Freese home run was close at first, as it looked like it went off the top of the wall; however, it hit the tin roof in right field.

We heard it hit the tin, said Bruce Bochy.

Despite giving up a run in the bottom of the second inning to San Fernando Valley native Kevin Pillar, Walker Buehler pitched an admirable game for the two-time defending National League Champions.

Buehler went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs, on six hits, walking just one and striking out six on his way to his third win of the season without a loss.

The Dodgers blew the game wide open in the top of the sixth inning, as they scored six runs off of Ty Blach, who was recalled from Sacramento after the Giants placed Derek Holland on the 10-day injured list, retroactively to Saturday.

Blach went 3.1 innings in relief, allowing seven runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out one. He also gave up two home runs in those 3.1 innings.

The seven runs allowed by Blach were the most by a Giants reliever since Matt Cain gave up eight runs in just 0.2 innings on August 27, 2017 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Chris Taylor hit a two-run double with the bases loaded that scored Cody Bellinger and Freese, and then Austin Barnes doubled to centerfield to score Max Muncy and Taylor.

After Buehler flew out for the second out of the inning, Enrique Hernandez launched a two-run home run into the left field bleachers.

Pillar, who grew up in West Hills, singled to center off of Buehler, to score Brandon Belt, who walked to lead off the bottom of the second inning.

Pomeranz went just four innings, allowing three runs on three hits, walking two and striking out three, as he was saddled with his third loss of the season against one win.

The Giants attempted to put together a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they scored two runs, with the help of Buster Posey and Brandon Belt.

Joe Panik led off the inning with a base hit, then after a strikeout of Yangervis Solarte, Posey doubled in Panik and then Belt tripled to right-center field to easily score Posey from second base.

Justin Turner finally got his first home run of the season, as he launched a solo home run just out of the reach of Pillar in straightway center field to lead off the top of the seventh inning.

Buster Posey extended his hitting streak up to seven games, and 9-for-26 during the streak.

NOTES: Once again, the first inning was not good for the Giants, as they are now 11-for-97 (.113) with five walks in the opening frame.

Gerardo Parras assist on Monday night gave him four on the season, tying him for the most in the National League with Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers. As a team, the Giants lead the major leagues with 11 outfield assists.

Thru their first 30 games of the season, the Giants have not hit a home run in the first three innings. This is the most games in a row that a team has failed to hit a home run in the first three frames since the 1991 St. Louis Cardinals went 34 in a row, and that season, the Cardinals ended up hitting only 68 home runs as a team.

With three more home runs tonight against the Giants, the Dodgers now have 52 home runs on the season, trailing only the Milwaukee Brewers, who have hit 57 on the season.

A.J. Pollock was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Dodgers with elbow inflammation, and the team recalled infielder Matt Beaty from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Beaty made his major-league debut in the top of the eighth inning, and singled to center off of Blach.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner heads to the mound in the series and home stand finale on Wednesday night for the Giants, while Hyun-Jin Ryu will take the mound for the Dodgers.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: A’s crumbled after great start, which has Melvin concerned after four losses

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On the Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie:

#1 The Oakland A’s opened up Monday night’s game with four runs after two innings and the start of the contest looked promising. The A’s Jurickson Profar started things off with a second inning, two-run single.

#2 It didn’t last long as Profar committed an error when he couldn’t handle an inning-ending double play ball in the third and the Boston Red Sox went on to score six runs.

#3 The loss now is the A’s fourth in a row as they dropped the first of three to the Sox to open the series. How concerned is manager Bob Melvin with a lot more of this road trip left?

#4 Profar is hitting just .165 and has been struggling, but the A’s need him at second base as they don’t have many choices at the moment. Do they stay with him or start to scout for another second baseman?

#5 The A’s will start Aaron Brooks (2-2, 5.33 ERA) and the Red Sox Rick Porcello (1-3, 7.43 ERA). Porcello had to have five starts to get his first win and Brooks got his second win after pitching five innings in good outing against the Rangers.

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Bruce Maxwell with the Acereros de Mexico

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Ex-Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell is playing baseball with the Acereros de Monclova (Steelers) in Mexico. Maxwell hopes that he will be noticed by a major league scout and a return to the major leagues.

In 2017, Maxwell took a knee during the National Anthem in Oakland. To this day, he is the only major league player to do so, but things got more complicated for the catcher when he was later was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Eventually, the A’s let him go after the 2018 season, a season where they won 97 games and made it to the one-game wild card playoff against the New York Yankees.

During his three years in Oakland (2016-18), Maxwell played in 127 games, recorded a combined .240 batting average, five home runs and 42 runs batted in. The A’s obviously expected more productivity. The German-born catcher is looking for another opportunity and a fresh start. I think wverybody deserves a second chance since it is not like today’s major leagues are super-rich with great catchers. The Philadelphia Phillies’ J.T Realmuto is in his prime, while the St. Louis Cardinals’ Yaider Molina and the San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey are nearing the end of their respective careers.

Maxwell is 28 years old. He is working in Mexico to impress a major league team. I hope he succeed and can return to play for one of the 30 teams in the majors.

As of today, Maxwell’s club Monclova is 14-7 for third place in the Norte (North) Division and two games behind Tijuana.

Longoria’s Big Hit a Difference-Maker: Giants rally to beat the Dodgers, 3-2

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO — The intensity of the North-South rivalry was eerily missing from Oracle Park from the start. Then the Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda kept the Giants in check for five innings, supporting what Clay Bellinger’s been doing all season.

And the Giants seven hits to that point might as well have been distant cousins, they surely didn’t interact, or amount to much more than of parade of stranded baserunners.

Down 2-0, a fourth consecutive loss on the season’s biggest homestand of the season-to-date looked like a distinct possibility. Then in the seventh an opportunity surfaced, and Evan Longoria seized it.

Longoria’s three-run double gave the Giants a lead they would grasp tightly in a 3-2 win that especially for the game’s star was a long time coming.

“The rivalry is a big deal, so it’s a big situation there,” Longoria said. “For me and for this team, every one right now is big. We have a lot of work to do.”

The former Tampa Bay Rays’ star has struggled to reach expectations since being traded to San Francisco at the beginning of last season. On Monday, he started the game on the bench for the second, consecutive day in favor of Pablo Sandoval, who has the struggling team’s only batting average of note. But an injury suffered over the weekend wouldn’t allow the Panda to hit right-handed in the sixth after Maeda departed. That issue forced manager Bruce Bochy to insert Longoria in the sixth, as a pinch-hitter following Buster Posey’s leadoff double.

But reliever Scott Alexander induced Longo to fly out, and the Giants remained scoreless through six.

But in the seventh, Joe Panik singled, Yangervis Solarte doubled, and Brandon Belt drew a walk to load the bases, giving Longoria another shot. Facing reliever Dylan Floro, Longoria delivered a bases-clearing double down the left field line to give the Giants a lead.

“We needed a big hit in that game,” Bochy said. “It was good to have somebody deliver for us in a big way.”

Hopefully, Longoria’s big hit gets him going. The third baseman had just six hits and one RBI at Oracle Park in 12 games prior to getting to Floro. The team has contemplated changes everywhere on the diamond, even with few, obvious options, other than inserting Sandoval at first or third.

But Bochy’s continued to tinker with his lineup and his established patterns nonetheless. Starter Jeff Samardzija lasted just five innings Monday as the team’s brass is weary of exposing the veteran starter to opposing lineups a third time through. So despite allowing two hits and no runs, Samardzija was lifted after just 79 pitches. He remains winless against the Dodgers in seven, career starts.

Brandon Crawford, Kevin Pillar and Gerardo Parra started, but hit sixth, seventh and eighth in deference to their anemic batting averages.

On the other end of the spectrum, Bellinger stayed red hot with two hits, knocking in a run in the sixth, and throwing out Crawford at third as he tried to advance on a hit in the second inning. Bellinger leads all MLB hitters in hits, home runs and batting average after 30 games this season.

Los Angeles’ Walker Buehler and the Giants’ Drew Pomeranz are tabbed to start the second game of the series on Tuesday.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants-Yankees series review; Giants open up series with Dodgers with a bang

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On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 The New York Yankees’ Luke Voit was a one-man hitting machine, going 6-12 in the series against the Giants and went 3-4 on Sunday in the Yankees’ 11-5 win over the Giants.

#2 It seemed all series long that the Giants weren’t going to get anything going and they even had first baseman Brandon Belt playing right field during this series.

#3 The Yankees got strong pitching from their starter Domingo German, who pitched six innings and gave up four runs.

#4 It almost looked like once the Yankees scored two runs in each of the first, second and third innings, they grew their confidence?

#5 It’s game one of the three-game series between The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, for L.A., Kenta Maeda (3-2, 5.20 ERA), and for San Francisco, Jeff Samardjiza (2-1, 3.00 ERA), Monday night at Oracle Park.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

BoSox big inning sinks A’s at Fenway 9-4

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By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, April 29, 2019

Oakland got off to a good start Monday at Fenway Park, but the Red Sox got off to a better one.

The A’s jumped to a four-run lead after two innings. Boston surged ahead in with a six-run third and stayed there for a 9-4 win. It was the fourth straight loss for Oakland.

Boston returned to the win column after dropping two games to AL East-leading Tampa Bay.

Xander Bogarets had the big hit of that six-run rally, sending a game-tying two-run double over the head of A’s centerfielder Ramon Laureano. It was revenge of sorts for Bogarets, who was thrown out by Laureano in consecutive games earlier this season when Oakland took three of four from the Bosox.

Mookie Betts drove in the first run of the big Red Sox rally, followed by an RBI single by J.D. Martinez. Both were set up when A’s second baseman Jurickson Profar bounced a throw to second for an error, and Andrew Benintendi was safe when A’s pitcher Frankie Montas missed the bag when covering first.

Michael Chavis capped the outburst with a two-RBI single.

Chavis added an RBI single in the fifth. Jackie Bradley Jr. also had a run-scoring single in the seventh, and Martinez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Oakland did all of its scoring with a four-run rally in the top of the second, sparked by a two-run single by Profar. Josh Phegley followed with run-scoring single, and Matt Chapman doubled in Phegley.

Montas (4-2) was rocked for seven runs — one earned — in 4 1/3 innings.

Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who gave up all four A’s runs, fell 1/3 inning short of getting the win, which went to reliever Ryan Brasier (1-0). Matt Barnes came in with one out in the ninth to earn his second save.

Off the field, the A’s placed outfielder Mark Canha on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right wrist. Oakland manager Bob Melvin said Canha would have an MRI on Tuesday.

With Canha headed to the IL, the A’s have only two bench players — outfielder Robbie Grossman and catcher Nick Hundley. In a corresponding move, the A’s recalled lefthander Ryan Buchler (0-0, 7.04) from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Tuesday’s game features a pair of righthanders — Aaron Brooks (2-2, 5.33 ERA) for Oakland, and Rick Porcello (1-3, 7.43 ERA) for Boston.

Voit continues hot streak as Yankees sweep Giants with 11-5 win

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — Luke Voit turned Oracle Park into his own batting cage this weekend for the New York Yankees.

Thru his at-bats in the three-game series, Voit went 6-for-12, including going 3-for-4 in the finale and the Yankees completed the three-game series with a 11-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 34,540 at Oracle Park.

This was the first time this season that the Giants have been on the other end of a series sweep, and have lost their last four home games.

Domingo German pitched six strong innings, as he allowed four runs on five hits, walking one and striking out five on his way to his fifth win of the season.

The Yankees got the scoreboard rolling in the first inning, as Gary Sanchez reached on a fielders choice that scored DJ LeMahieu and Brandon Crawford committed a fielding error.

After the Crawford fielding error, Gleyber Torres grounded into a double play that scored Voit from third base.

Once again, it was that man Voit again, as he hit a two-run single in the top of the second inning that scored Gio Urshela and Tyler Wade.

Torres got in on the act in the top of the third, as he launched a two-run home run over the left-center wall.

After giving back-to-back singles to start the top of the fourth inning, that was the end of the afternoon for Dereck Rodriguez, who went just three innings, allowing six runs (four earned), on seven hits, walking four and striking out three, as he saw his record fall to 3-3 on the season.

The three-innings pitched by Rodriguez matched his second-shortest start of his major league career. Rodriguez allowed tied his career high in hit allowed with seven (fifth time) and walks with four, also the six runs allowed were a career high.

Nick Vincent came on to replace Rodriguez, and was cruising until Sanchez launched a two-run home run that landed deep into the left field bleachers. It was the second home run in as many days for Sanchez, who hit his first career grand slam in Saturdays 6-4 victory.

The Giants literally cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they scored four runs off of German.

Joe Panik drove in the first run of the game for the Giants, as he drove in Tyler Austin, who walked while pinch-hitting for Vincent.

Pablo Sandoval doubled to center field that scored Yangervis Solarte, who reached on a fielders choice, then after a Brandon Belt single, Pablo Sandoval doubled in Solarte, Crawford lined out to Torres for the second out, but then Kevin Pillar, singled in Belt and Sandoval.

The Yankees tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth inning, as Cameron Maybin singled in Torres and then Tyler Wade drove in Mike Tauchman and Maybin, who advanced on the throw home.

Pillar led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run, his fifth of the season and it was his 18th run batted in of the season, tying his career for most RBIs in one month. He previously drove in 18 runs in June of 2015.

NOTES: Voit extended his on-base streak up to 39 games when he walked in the first inning, as it is the second longest streak by a Yankees player, trailing Mark Teixeiras 42-game streak in 2005. Also, it is the longest current on-base streak in the major leagues.

LeMahieu was forced to leave the game in the bottom of the third inning with inflammation in his right knee, and x-rays were negative.

Urshela left the game in the fourth inning after he was hit by a pitch on his left hand, and x-rays were negative.

The 11 runs scored by the Yankees were the most given by the Giants in any game this season, and as a team, the Yankees outscored the Giants 24-12 in the three-game sweep.

UP NEXT: Jeff Samardzija takes the mound on Monday, as the two-time defending National League Champion Los Angeles Dodgers head to the Bay Area for a three-game series. Kenta Maeda will take the mound for the Dodgers, who are coming off a three-game series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium.