Tag: mlb

Bumgarner, Giants shelled in embarrassing 7-1 loss to Reds

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Photo credit: @SanDiegoGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

When this key road trip began, thing were looking good for the San Francisco Giants; however, by the end of the week, it is a totally different story with the Cincinnati Reds.

Matt Harvey took a no-hitter into the top of the sixth inning, while Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera each hit home runs and the Reds defeated the Giants 7-1 at Great American Ballpark on Saturday.

One night after picking up three hits in the opener of the three-game series, Scooter Gennett did it again and scored three runs, sending the Giants to their third straight loss after winning three straight.

Madison Bumgarner did not pitch well at all, as he gave up a season-high six runs and eight hits in six innings.

Things were going good until the bottom of the fourth inning, and that is when the Reds scored the only runs that they would need off of Bumgarner.

Peraza led off the inning with a home run into the left field seats, and then Brandon Dixon completed the scoring in the inning, as he hit a two-run double.

It got even worse in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Friday’s hero Phillip Ervin hit a sacrifice fly that scored Peraza from third base and then Eugenio Suarez scored on a throwing error by Steven Duggar to extend the lead.

Herrera launched a 419-foot home run into the center field seats that gave the Reds a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Suarez rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning, as his single to center field scored Gennett.

The Giants scored their only run of the evening in the top of the eighth inning, as Evan Longoria grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Andrew McCutchen from third base.

Harvey did not give up a hit until there were two outs in the top of the sixth inning, as Joe Panik beat out an infield roller that was snared by Peraza and Panik just beat out the throw from Peraza.

NOTES: Hunter Strickland made his return to the active after being out since June 10 when the team leader in saves with 13 was placed on the disabled list with a fractured right hand. To make room for Strickland on the 40-man roster, Pablo Sandoval was transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and is out for the rest of the season.

Strickland pitched one inning, allowing one run on two hits after replacing Bumgarner in the bottom of the seventh inning.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Reds will wrap up their series on Sunday at 10:10 am PDT.

Andrew Suarez looks to get the Giants back into the win column on Sunday, as he takes the mound at Great American Ballpark for the first time in his major-league career. Suarez faced the Reds on May 16 at AT&T Park, and lost to the Reds 6-3.

The Reds will send Luis Castillo to the mound, as they look for the sweep.

A’s are “double trouble” for Astros as they win 7-1 and tie Houston for first place

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Davis-Melvin
Photo: @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND — The Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 7-1 at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday afternoon and are now tied for first place in the American League West. Fans were in disbelief that the A’s (74-49) were in contention for the Wild Card in the AL, but now, the Green and Gold are fighting to win their division. Virtually none of those fans thought that was a possibility before the season began.

Strong starting pitching and power hitting was the key to the A’s win on Saturday.

Trevor Cahill (5-2) started the game for Oakland. He has been pitching the lights out in the Coliseum with an ERA under one at home. Cahill continued his mastery of opponents in his home stadium as pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, allowing the Astros just one hit. The right-hander struck out seven batters and walked just one. Cahill threw 100 (62 strikes).

The A’s also went on another power surge on Saturday as they hit eight doubles which tied an Oakland single-game record, but you were not allowed to hit just one double – you had to hit two. All of the extra base hits were recorded by four A’s hitters. Khris Davis (24), Stephen Piscotty (33), Matt Olson (26) and Josh Phegley (6) hit all of the “two-baggers” for Oakland versus Houston. The A’s posted a total of 11 hits in the contest.

More A’s

  • The A’s were trailing the Astros by 12 games back on June 18. Today they are tied for first place.
  • Oakland’s 74-69 (.602) record is tied for third best in the majors. It is tied for fourth place in A’s history after 123 games.
  • Khris Davis’ double in the first inning snapped a 0-13 hitless streak.
  • Matt Olson’s two doubles extended his hitting streak to six games.
  • Matt Chapman’s 14 game hitting streak and 30 game on-base streak came to an end on Saturday when he went 0-for-4 in the game.
  • Add on Trevor Cahill: he retired 20 of the 22 batters he faced in the game. The A’s have won Cahill’s last seven starts.

Astros’ notes

  • The A’s scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning which means the Astros opponents have now outscored them 56-55 in the first inning.
  • Alex Bregman’s road on-base streak continues as he picked up a base-on-balls on Saturday. His streak currently stands at 38 games.
  • The ‘Stros recorded just two hits in their loss on Saturday. It was just the third time this season they posted two or fewer hits in a game.
  • Dallas Keuchel (9-10)–who was charged with the loss–saw his four-game road winning streak come to an end.

Up Next

The A’s and Astros wrap up the three game series on Sunday at 1:05 pm PDT on Sunday.

The Astros will send RHP Justin Verlander (11-8, 2.52) to the mound in an attempt to salvage one win in the series. The A’s will go with their ace LHP Sean Manaea (11-8, 3.44). Manaea won his last start on Monday in Oakland over the Mariners 7-6. He is 1-1 in three starts versus the Astros this season.

MLB The Show Podcast with Matt Harrington: A’s close the gap in the AL West; Dodgers crush Mariners–now 2 out; White Sox, 25 games out, but still attract loyal fans

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Photo credit: whitesoxpride.mlblogs.com

On the MLB The Show podcast with Matt:

The Oakland A’s are the toast of baseball with their series opening win over the Houston Astros in 10 innings on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum 4-3. The A’s now move just one game back behind first place Houston in the AL West. The Astros have been snake bitten with five of their key players on the disabled list.

The Los Angeles Dodgers keep the pressure up as they pick up their second straight win this time in a laugher at Safeco Field against the Seattle Mariners 11-1. For the Mariners, their third loss in their last four games and trying to get some traction since the A’s passed them up in the AL West standings the M’s are now 4 1/2 games back. The Dodgers are now just two games back of first place Arizona in the NL West.

Despite being 25 games out of first place in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox have won three straight in a 9-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Their not drawing record breaking crowds but considering where they are in mid-August. They drew over 24,000 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The New York Yankees–still holding onto a wild card spot and some 10 1/5 games behind first place Boston–were able to get a two run win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yanks’ Neil Walker hit a three-run homer and Giancarlo Stanton hit an opposite field homer in the cause.

The race for the NL East between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies got a little interesting Friday night. The Braves who lost and the Phils, who won tighten their pace by a 1/2 game. The second place Phils are now a 1/2 game out as the first place Braves lost to the Colorado Rockies 11-5 and the Phillies got a two-run win over the Mets 4-2 after the Mets crushed the Phillies on Thursday 24-4.

Matt Harrington does the Oakland A’s coverage each Friday and MLB The Show podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Olson’s First Walk-Off Homer Puts A’s One Game Back of Astros After 4-3 Win in 10 Innings

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @MLB_News247

By: Matt Harrington

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s now have a chance to exit the weekend series against the Houston Astros with a one-game lead in the American League West, and momentum is on their side. The A’s tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning on a play at the plate, then Matt Olson launched his first career walk-off hit, a homer of Tony Sipp, in the bottom of the 10th for a 4-3 win over the division leaders at Oakland Coliseum on Friday night.

Olson pulled the A’s to within one game of the division lead after working a full count off Sipp. Sipp’s 3-2 pitch, a slider low in the zone just below the belt, found its way over the right field wall for Olson’s 23rd longball of the year and Sipp’s first loss of the campaign (1-2, 1.80 ERA). He almost didn’t get a chance for his heroics. The A’s trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. The leadoff man Mark Canha grounded out against reliever Hector Rondon to leave the A’s two outs away from defeat. Pinch hitter Chad Pinder walked, then was replaced by rookie Ramon Laureano, a pivotal substitution by A’s manager Bob Melvin.

The next batter, Nick Martini, laced a ball to right, with Laureano racing home from first. Josh Reddick’s throw home beat him to the plate and Astros catcher Martin Maldonado appeared to block off the plate perfectly to tag out Laureano as he dove headfirst across home. Home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez thought so, too, calling Laureano out.

The rookie, however, felt he had gained the plate legally, gesturing as soon as he rose from his slide. His manager challenged the play, and following a lengthy review, Laureano was deemed both correct and safe and Oakland was tied 3-3. Blake Treinen (6-2, 0.87 ERA) worked around a runner at second with two outs, while striking out three Stros to pick up his sixth win of the year.

The A’s had to play catch-up three times. They trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth after starter Edwin Jackson gave up solo homers Alex Bregman and Maldonado in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. They loaded the bases against Houston starter Charlie Morton with no outs, but Jonathan Lucroy only plated one runner on a double-play grounder. Matt Chapman would plate another run in the inning, but the big damage was avoided with the A’s forced to settle for the 2-2 tie.

The tie would be short-lived, as Houston scored in the top of the sixth. Lou Trivino struck out Carlos Correa but walked Marwin Gonzalez and Evan Gattis to put himself in trouble. Reddick capitalized against his former team, singling in Gonzalez. Trivino wriggled out of the jam trailing 3-2 after getting first baseman Tyler White to bounce into a double play.

The A’s don’t need to do any scoreboard watching if they want to lead the division by the end of play Saturday. They just need Trevor Cahill to take the bump and stymie the Houston batters. Oh, and they also need to beat Dallas Keuchel, a former Cy Young award winner.

The A’s and Astros will square off for game two Saturday afternoon at 1:05 pm PDT.

Ervin’s first career walk-off helps Reds to 2-1 win over Giants in 11 innings

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Photo credit: @Reds

By Jeremy Kahn

Phillip Ervin ended the pitchers’ duel between the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds with one swing of the bat.

Ervin hit the first pitch he saw from Ray Black over the center field wall, helping the Reds to a 2-1 over the Giants at the Great American Ballpark on Friday.

It was the first walk-off home run for Ervin since he hit one in his sophomore year of college for Samford against Auburn.

The loss by the Giants was the second straight loss after starting the road trip with two straight come-from-behind victories over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday and Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Casey Kelly made the start in place of the now disabled Dereck Rodriguez, who is on the disabled list (retroactive to Monday) after straining his hamstring during the bench clearing brawl between Nick Hundley and Yaisel Puig.

Kelly, who was making his 10th Major League start of his career and first since May 22, 2016 for the Atlanta Braves had a long-time fan in the Reds’ dugout, his father Pat, who is the bench coach for the Reds.

Prior to the game, Kelly looked into the Reds dugout, and the two saluted each and then it was the Giants and the Reds.

Kelly, who pitched 1.1 innings on Wednesday night in the series finale against the Dodgers went 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on nine hits, walking one and striking out two.

Not only was Kelly’s father in the Reds dugout, but Kelly also faced former high school teammate, Scooter Gennett, who ended the night with three hits.

Five Giants relievers 5.2 innings, allowing just that one run on two hits, walking one and striking out nine.

It was the second loss of the season for Black, who went one inning and one batter, allowing the eventual game-winning home run to Ervin, on one hit and struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th inning.

David Hernandez pitched a shutdown 11th inning, as he struck out two of the three batters he faced in the inning to up his record to 5-0 on the season and the Reds ended a four-game losing streak.

Curt Casali gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, as singled in Tucker Barnhart, who doubled.

That was not the score for long, as the Giants tied the game in the top of the third, as Steven Duggar hit a leadoff double, then Kelly sacrificed to third and then Duggar scored the tying run on an Andrew McCutchen single off of Reds starter Andrew DeSclafani, who went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits, walking one and five strikeouts.

McCutchen picked up three hits on the evening for the Giants.

NOTES: With Rodriguez on the disabled list, Hunter Strickland will be activated from the 60-day disabled list after missing two months with a broken right hand.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Reds will face each other again Saturday at 4:10 pm PDT.

Madison Bumgarner takes the hill on Saturday for the Giants, as they look to even up the series, while Matt Harvey takes the mound for the Reds.

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: A’s giving Astros a good run as Houston just hanging on by two games with five key injuries

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Photo credit: nbcsports.com

On the A’s podcast with Joey:

How tight will this race go in the American League West? The Houston Astros are holding onto a two-game lead over the Oakland A’s, who open a very tight playoff-like series tonight at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s have fallen to the Astros in all of their meetings at the Coliseum this season in the month of May and June and are hoping to turn that around. The A’s swept the Astros the last time the two teams met at Minute Maid Field.

The A’s Brett Anderson last Wednesday (the A’s had Thursday off) pitched 7.2 innings, going 7.2 innings, five hits and two strikeouts in a brilliantly pitched game at the Coliseum that went 12 innings. The Astros are snake-bitten right now with injuries to second baseman Jose Altuve (knee), outfielder Jake Marisnick (groin), catcher Brian McCain (knee), pitcher Lance McCullers (forearm) and shortstop Carlos Correa (back). Will these missing Astros help give the A’s an advantage?

Here are the starting pitchers for tonight: For the A’s, Edwin Jackson (4-2), and for the Astros, Charlie Morton (12-3).

Joey does the A’s podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants and Dodgers meet again end of September–will there be more bad blood?

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Photo credit: @MLBONFOX

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

How about Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen on Wednesday night? He hit a three-run home run that gave the Giants a lead that would soon end in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But, regardless, he is finding his swing, so look for more from McCutchen during the Cincinnati Reds series starting tonight.

In the rivalry series in LA, things got hot and somewhat out of control in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s game in which the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig missed a pitch and tossed and caught his bat when Giants catcher Nick Hundley said something to Puig. Both players ended up in each other faces and Puig shoved Hundley. That emptied the benches and both Puig and Hundley were ejected. Michael will see if this a continued trend between the two teams?

Major League Baseball offices are sifting out what discipline will be given to Hundley and Puig. Puig was suspended for two games and fined. Hundley was also fined. Unless Puig appeals, he’ll begin the suspension today.

Michael has the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants rookie Dereck Rodriguez to miss Friday’s start against the Reds

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Photo credit: @McCoveyChron

By Jeremy Harness

The little brouhaha between Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and Giants catcher Nick Hundley claimed a casualty. And the Giants will feel that starting Friday night.

That’s because starter Dereck Rodriguez expected to take the mound in Friday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ball Park, but he was hurt in Tuesday’s skirmish, as he strained his right hamstring. As a result, he will miss at least this start, and he was also placed on the 10-day disabled list.

In the meantime, righty Casey Kelly (0-1, 1.42 ERA) will start in Rodriguez’s spot, as he will go opposite Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.46 ERA). DeSclafani has been on a roll lately, winning his past two starts and going seven innings each time.

He shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-0 win last Friday, as he gave up only three hits as he struck out nine guys and did not walk a single batter. Six days before that, he surrendered only a run on six hits in a 7-1 win over Washington.

The Giants will bring out Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.71 ERA) on Saturday against the Reds’ Matt Harvey (5-7).

Bumgarner has started to hit his stride these days, as he has given up a total of three runs over his last three starts. However, he has only one win out of those three to show for it, as he was stuck with a pair of no-decision in each of his past two starts.

Harvey (5-7, 5.19 ERA), on the other hand, has gone the other way, going 0-2 in his last four decisions, although he did go seven strong last Saturday and gave up only two runs in a win over Arizona. He, however, was stuck with a no-decision.

Preview of the A’s upcoming 3-game series with the Astros

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: youtube.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — This is the time of the year that fans hunger for. Oakland A’s fans have not seen their team in a playoff race since 2014. The A’s made the playoffs as the second Wild Card team that year. They traveled to Kansas City, Mo. and were eliminated by the Kansas City Royals. Since then, the A’s have been in rebuild mode. The last three seasons found the A’s finishing last in the AL West. Attendance was significantly down as fans were tired of seeing the A’s trade their best players for subpar prospects. The team wants to build a new stadium, but plans to build one at Laney College were scuttled after the A’s thought they had a deal. All the experts picked the 2018 A’s team to finish as cellar-dwellers once again, but this year’s team has put eggs on all the faces of the pundits that picked them to finish last.

Last year, the A’s front office decided to bring up Matt Chapman and Matt Olson to play in first and third bases, respectively. Chapman is fantastic at third base, and his hitting has improved. Chapman may win a Gold Glove this year. Olson is a big power bat and he is also good defensively.

The A’s signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy before the season started. Lucroy is one of the best gunning down runners attempting to steal. He has picked off 20 so far and is tied for the MLB’s lead.

The A’s pitching rotation has been a work in progress. Sean Manaea is the current ace. The big lefty threw a no-hitter against the red-hot Boston Red Sox in April. The A’s also brought back two former players to pitch. Trevor Cahill has been good at home, but not so good on the road. The big righty still can pitch. The other pitcher is Brett Anderson. While the lefty is not a flamethrower, he knows how to pitch and has been a valuable asset in Oakland. In addition, the A’s acquired Edwin Jackson and Mike Fiers–both of whom are veterans who know what to do on the mound. Fiers won a ring with the Astros last year.

The A’s rebuilt their bullpen by sending two of their arguably best relievers, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson, to the Washington Nationals for Blake Treinen. Treinen has 32 saves and is a cool customer on the mound. They traded Ryon Healy to the Seattle Mariners for Emilio Pagan. They traded for Jeurys Familia. They signed Shawn Kelley. They acquired Fernando Rodney. They brought up rookie Lou Trivino from Triple-A Nashville. This year’s bullpen is loaded.

The A’s have surprised everyone in baseball this year. They are 38-13 since June 16th. They passed the M’s in the race for the second Wild Card slot, and they are now just two games behind the Astros for first place in the AL West.

The A’s players know that they can beat any team in the MLB. They are playing with a lot of confidence. They have one of the best managers in baseball, Bob Melvin. So, the baseball gods in their infinite wisdom, have scheduled the Astros to show up in Oakland this weekend. The Astros, who are defending World Series champions, own a 74-47 record. They are 9-4 against the A’s and have beaten them in all six games played here.

However, the worm has turned as the A’s took three out of four from the Astros in Houston in July. The Astros still have the third best record in the AL, but their express train to the AL West crown has gone slightly off the tracks due to several injuries. The Astros’ All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve has been sidelined with a knee injury and will not be available this weekend. The reigning AL MVP may be back before the end of the year, and he is missed by Astros fans. Shortstop Carlos Correa was activated last week, but he went 1-for-15 before he hit a three-run double Wednesday afternoon. George Springer will be activated off the DL Friday night. Relief pitcher Chris Devenski, catcher Brian McCann, and outfielder Jake Marisnick are still on the DL.

The A’s will still have to deal with a very good Astros’ team. Astros’ catcher Evan Gattis, who probably will DH, gets fired up when he comes to Oakland. He loves to hit here, and he has killed A’s pitching in the past. The A’s shut him down the last time they were in Houston, and they hope to do it again. Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman has blossomed into a terrific player. He can hit for average and power. First baseman Yuli Gurriel is solid. The Astros will likely use Tyler White or Tony Kemp at second base in place of Altuve. White hit two homers on Wednesday in the Astros’ 12-1 rout. The Astros’ outfield of Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, and Josh Reddick is solid. All three can hit the ball out of the park.

The A’s will counter with Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, and Jed Lowrie. Lowrie started the season on a high note, but he fell off a bit due to an injury, yet he has returned to be the same hitter he was earlier this season. Nick Martini has been doing a solid job as the leadoff hitter and has played well in left field. Mark Canha has been playing in center, but Melvin will move him to left if a lefty is pitching.  Ramon Laureano is a terrific defensive player who will see playing time this weekend. Stephen Piscotty has been solid all year. DH Khris Davis is third in the AL with 34 bombs and is second in the MLB with 93 RBIs.

The Astros have penciled in Charlie Morton to pitch Friday night. Morton is 12-3 and has a 2.88 ERA. Morton has thrown at least six innings in each of his last four starts. He is 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

The A’s will counter with Edwin Jackson. Jackson has performed well since being reclaimed from life in the minor leagues. Jackson is 3-0 in his last three starts and has allowed no earned runs in that span. He went 7 1/3 innings against the Angels last Saturday for his longest start of the year.

Astros’ lefty Dallas Keuchel will pitch on Saturday. Keuchel, a former Cy Young award winner, got off to a slow start this year. However, he has evened his record at 9-9 and has a respectable 3.43 ERA. He has been Houston’s best starter the last two months as he went 6-1 and had a 2.19 ERA.

Trevor Cahill will pitch for the A’s. Cahill did not have a good outing last week against the Angels. He allowed four runs and seven hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work. Cahill is 4-2 with a 3.39 ERA.

On Sunday, former MVP and CY Young winner Justin Verlander will be on the mound for the Astros. Verlander has been struggling lately. His record is 11-8, but he is 2-6 with a 3.94 ERA in his last 11 starts. He started the season with a 9-2 record and a 1.61 ERA in his first 15 starts. His next win will be the 200th of his career.

The A’s Sean Manaea will be seeking his 12th win. Manaea went 7 2/3 innings against the M’s Monday night as he picked up his 11th win of the year. Manaea has not allowed more than three runs in any of his starts since May.

This is what baseball is all about. The defending champs going up against the up-and-coming A’s. One team is expected to repeat as the AL representative in the World Series and one team is hoping to dethrone the defending champs. The underdog is going to face the Goliath. The series should be fun. Be there!

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Having Fun at A’s Tailgate Party With Some Old Amigos

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Photo credit: @ThompsonScribe

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Last Wednesday, I had the time to join some good old A’s baseball amigos during an afternoon game at the Oakland Coliseum against the Seattle Mariners. When the A’s play a day game, anytime between Monday and Friday, those are not in our schedule to broadcast in Spanish. Decisions that simply out of nowhere, but it is what it is. A long time ago, I learned I should not get upset with stuff that I can’t control. It’s simple as that.

Mi amigos, they are all retired, and true A’s fans for decades. Gilberto Crespo from San Leandro since 1968 when the A’s first moved to Oakland. Dagoberto Blanco Campaneris, also known as “Campy,” who is arguably the best shortstop in A’s history and three-time World Champion. I stayed as a rookie at Crespo’s home. My friend Crespo, who was also born in Cuba, was joined by Stan, who is an Irishman, but can speak a good amount of Spanish. Also, Juan and Jorge were there, they are all A’s fans during the good and bad years, so they do not subscribe to the theory of the bandwagon fans.

Crespo told me, “I used to come to A’s games when Charlie Finley was the owner and we were winning but seldom there were sellouts here.”

Stan, who is retired and an avid A’s and 49ers fan, could not believe the crowd for a Wednesday afternoon. Stan told me, “Well, they are winning and now everybody is an A’s fan.”

Jorge and Juan were born in Costa Rica–where fútbol is the national sport–but they also have been in this country long enough to assimilate, so they are old baseball fans who love to talk about strategy and share their opinions.

Jorge said, “Amaury, there is no hit and run, no bunt, everybody is hitting home runs, but I love this young A’s team because they hit a lot of home runs … Yes, but what happens when they do not hit home runs, they do not win?”

For the record, that game went into extra innings and the Mariners won 2-0 in 12 innings on a two-run home run by Dee Gordon, who is one of the fastest players and perhaps a top base thief–in the game and anything, but a hom run hitter.

There was a nice big pick-up truck and a great BBQ a couple of hours prior to the game. Good eats, beer and even Jack Daniels was there, I am not a drinker at ballgames, but I did had a couple of beers with very good food with my amigos. And then we watched the game on a sunny perfect afternoon at the Coliseum. Our talk was mostly about the A’s and baseball in general. Though, Stan goes to Alaska every year to fish for salmon, and he went last month.

Stan told me, “No, esta vez no me fue muy bien.” Translation: “This time, it didn’t go very well.” He didn’t catch as many fish as last time, but he took it in stride, as he knows there will always be fish waiting for him to catch in Alaska. He is also a 49ers fan who used to have season tickets, but told me a long time ago that he was unable to afford the tickets since they moved to Levi’s Stadium.

It is always fun to catch a ballgame outside of the press box. With the fans in the stands, the conversations are priceless, the food keeps coming, the talk gets better, some fans cheer when a Mariner strikes out, while others suffer when an A’s hitter hit into a double play. There were fans wearing M’s jerseys, but more A’s, like, say, Matt Chapman jerseys. Baseball fans are arguably the greatest, especially the older fans who can talk about the game forever.

One thing for sure is that no fan is in a hurry if the game drags–like this one–and there is basically a pitching match between Leake and Anderson with a lot of ground ball outs. I never saw a fan looking at the clock as if they were in a hurry. Chapman is more than a leader of this team, as the 25-year-old is also the guy who asked fans to come and support the team, which is a refreshing sight to see. Players make very good money, even a rookie makes 10 times the average annual salary of the average American, but some players are class acts and they want to see fans supporting them. Chapman spoke from the heart, and fans appreciated that candor.

It is ironic that baseball has been trying to speed up the game, to keep up with the social media culture. They do all kinds of research, but they never ask the fan if they think the game is slow. And you know why? Because they know the answer they are going to get. Of course not, I mean there is nothing better that a great tailgate party with some good old friends with great conversations and to watch a ballgame in the middle of the afternoon on a sunny day at the Coliseum. The Coliseum is the one sports facility in the Bay Area with the best access to transporation with BART to the east and Highway 880 to the west. Like many others, I would welcome a new ballpark for the A’s at Howard Terminal, so I support A’s President Dave Kaval in this particular endeavor, but the current Coliseum location is like the A’s these days–tough to beat!