Tag: Oakland A’s

Oakland crushes Rangers 12-3, could sweep on Sunday

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The Oakland A’s Matt Olson swings for a two run double against the visiting Texas Rangers in the bottom of the third inning where Oakland scored seven times at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum on Sat Aug 7, 2021 (AP News photo)

Texas 3 – 7 – 0

Oakland 12-16 – 0

By Lewis Rubman

Saturday, August 7 2021

OAKLAND–The A’s got off to a rocky start before they righted their ship in the third frame, finally anihilating the Texas Rangers by the score of 12-3 this afternoon.

Starter Cole Irvin got ahead of Texas rookie third baseman Jonny Hernández 0-2 with one out in the first but let the newcomer work the count full and then smack a single to center. That set up Adolis García’s 24th home run of the year, a 450 foot blast to center that had the home team down 2-0.

It took a spectacular leaping grab over the center field fence by Sterling Marte to catch Andy Ibáñez´s blast and keep Oakland from trailing by three before the home team even came to bat. It was not an auspicious start to the souhpaw’s quest for an eighth victory to offset the 10 defeats on the season that he brought with him to the mound.

Meanwhile, the Rangers’ rookie hurler Drew Anderson (0-0,0.00 in two games), a right hander who had a sip of espresso with the 2018 Phillies, looked unfazed in his first time through the A’s batting order in this, his second major league start.

He surrendered a single in each of his first two innings but didn’t let things go any further until the home third. A walk to number nine hitter Elvis Andrus, followed by another to lead off man Mark Canha set up a down the line double to right by the sterling Starling Marte that went for a two run two base hit to tie the game up. Olson doubled down by doubing to left, which put Oakland ahead with still nobody out.

Lowrie took a page from Canha’s book at got hit by a ptich. Anderson took a walk to the showers. He left after throwing 60 pitches, 34 for strikes and allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. He would end up the losing pitcher.

Anderson’s replacement, Jimmy Herget, who had coughed up Marte’s 11thinning walk off homer last night, served up a double to Yan Gomes, which plated Olson and sent Lowrie to third. Harrison fouled out to deep left, but Chapman doubled off the right field wall, driving in Gomes.

All of those runs except Gomes’s were charged to Anderson, leaving final total of runs allowed at five. Singles by Andrus and Canha hiked the A’s lead to 7-2. This has not been a kind week end to Mr. Herget. It was no surprise that Jharel Cotton opened the fourth on the bump for the Rangers.

Nor was it entirely unexpected that Gomes, who, along with Marte has added considerable umph to the Oakland batting order since their recent arrival, whacked a three run round tripper wto center with Olson and Lowrie on base before the hapless Cotton could retire a batter. It was Gomes’s 11th long ball of the season, the second since he donned the green and gold a week ago. And you thought Carmen Miranda was the Brazilian Bombshell!

Cotton sandwiched a couple of outs between a single by Harison and another by Andrus, followed by a bases loading walk to Canha, but he struck out Marte looking to staunch the hemorrage. Demarcus Evans replaced him on the reliever merry-go-round for the fifth.

Josh Harrison hit a two run homer to center off him. Evans was rewarded for this relatively successful performance by being kept in the game another inning to pitch a scoreless sixth, including two strike outs, before handing the ball to Josh Sborz.

Irvin’s afternoon ended after seven innings of excellent work. Think of the discipline it took to maintain his concentration and rhythm in such a lopsided contest. He allowed two runs, both earned and coming in the first inning, on four hits, three of them also in the initial frame, and two walks. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to 3.45, while bettering his won-lost record to 10-8. 62 of his 92 offerings were strikes.

Irvin’s successor, JB Wendelken, didn’t fare as well but still showed the same ability as Irvin to take a beating and keep on ticket . The Rangers combined three singles and a wild pitch to push a run across the plate with one out, but Wendelken buckled down and put an end to that nonsense.

Infielder Brock Holt pitched the eighth for the Lone Star state. He somehow managed to set the side down in order with a repetory that topped out with a 77 mph slider.

Burch Smith closed out the game for the A’s with a scoreless ninth.

Several Oakland batters had multi-hit games. Olson went four for five; Harrison, three for five; Andrius, two for three and Marte, Gomes, and Chapman, two for five.

Oakland will close out this homestand with on Sunday afternoon with James Kaprielian (5-4, 3.24) facingJordan Lyles (5-8, 5.25) at 1:07.

The A’s will play in Cleveland, Arlington, and Chicago before returning home to face the rampaging Giants at 6:40 in the evening of August 20.

A’s rally in 11th for 3 runs in comeback victory 4-1 over Rangers

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Oakland A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt throws against the Texas Rangers line up in the first inning on Fri Aug 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

Texas 1 – 6 – 0

Oakland 4 -4 – 0 (11 innings)

By Lewis Rubman

Friday August 6, 2021

OAKLAND–The big news from the Athletics today came before the game began. Ramón Laureano received an 80 game suspension .after testing positive for the performance enhancer Nandrolone. The team released a statement by their spirited and now sidelined outfielder in which he said, “I would never knowingly ingest any banned substance and put the game that I’ve loved all my life at risk. When I found out that I tested positive for nandrolone, I was shocked. I take great care of my body and have an extremely regimented diet. Based on the minuscule amount that was briefly in my body, I’ve learned that it is likely that it was a contamination of something I ingested.” Nandrolone is found in pork.

Oakland’s recent acquisition of Starling Marte couldn’t have come at a better time.

News of Laureano’s suspension came on the heels of another, more serious medical development. Ray Fosse, the A’s highly respected radio and television analyst, revealed today that he was taking a leave of absence in order to continue his 16 year battle with cancer, a battle that he and his wife, Carol, had been waging silently. He expressed their “gratitude to the baseball community, and community at large, for your thoughts and prayers.” I’m sure we all are pulling for Ray and his family.

The nature of Fosse’s announcement puts matters like Laureano’s troubles in a sobering perspective.

Leaving aside the big picture, in which Fosse’s announcement makes the Laurano situation insignificant, it might seem that, even from a purely baseball perspective. the news about Laureano, while boding ill for the Athletics’ pennant chances, would have little effect on tonight’s meeting with the Texas Rangers, but don’t let the visitors’ game time won-lost record of 39-70 fool you. Playing against them is no walk in the park for this year’s A’s. The teams are 5-5 against each other since opening day.

They also have split their three series against each other this season; each of them has won a series, and the remaining one was a tie. The Rangers have beaten the A’s in seven of their last 13 encounters and emerged victorious in two of their last three games at the Coliseum.

It’s easy to sneer at Ranger starter Mike Foltynewicz’s record of 2-10 ERA 6.00 going into the game, but one of those wins was against Oakland, coming on June 29 at the Nimitz Freeway funhouse, where he held his hosts to two runs on four hits in seven innings of masterful hurling.

Tonight’s game pitted him against Chris Bassitt, the A’s all star right hander, who brought an 11-3, 3.28 record with him to the mound. The result was a nail bitter that took three and a half hours and eleven innings before Oakland, out hit by six to four achieved a 4-1 triumph.

It started out, as most nail bitters do, as a pitcher’s duel. Foltynewicz held the A’s hitless over the first three innnings he pitched, although he allowed one base runner in that period, hitting Elvis Andrus with one down in the bottom of the third. Matt Olson put an end to that dominance by leading off the fourth with an aiutomatic double to right. Jed Lowrie filled the void behind Olson by walking. A full count walk to Sean Murphy loaded the bases with no outs, bringing up Mitch Moreland.

He bounced into a crisp 4-6-3 double play, sending Olson home with the game’s first tally and sending Lowrie to third. Harrison send Foltynewicz’s second offering to the deep center field, where DJ Peterss corralled it for the third ut. Not quite the Curse of the Lead Off Double, but another example of the A’s difficulty in scoring with RISP.

The Rangers didn’t score against Bassitt for four and a half frames, but they did rough him up a bit. They suffered the Curse of the Lead Off Double in the first and hit a pair of safeties in the third.

A one out double by Curtis Terry, followed by a two out single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa put an end to Oakland’s brief and slender lead. Bassitt got out of the inning when Kiner-Falefa, who had taken second on the throw, tried to steal third and was thrown out by Murphy.

Bassitt had put a half a dozen Rangers down on strikes by then. He would end up striking out eight by the time he left after pitching seven full frames and yielding one run, earned, on five hits. He didn’t walk anyone. 66 of his 94 pitches were strikes.

Foltynewicz left the game at the start of the home seventh. He had held the A’s to a single run, which was earned, one two hits, one of them a bunt single by Marte, three walks, and two hit batters. He threw 93 pitches, 52 of them considered strikes. His replacement was Brett Martin, who, after a perfect seventh, was replaced, in turn, by Joe Barlow.

Sergio Romo served as the A’s set up man and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Closer Lou Trivino entered the fray with the score still tied at one in the top of the ninth. Texas almost got a foot in the door with one out when Andrus’s throw on a grounder by Adolis García pulled Olson off the bag and Chris Guccione called him safe at first, a decision that was overturned on video review.

The Rangers proceeded to get two feet in the door when Nathaniel Lowe singled toright and Charlie Ciulberson, pinch running for him, stole second. But Trivino wiggled out of the jam by getting Jonah Heim to pop out to Chapman.

Oakland came to bat in the bottom of the ninth facing Danny Santana, who held them to a single, sending the game into extra innings.

Andrew Chafin took the mound for Oakland, and Heim took his position at second base as the zombie runner. He remained there while Chafin set down DJ Peters, Andy Ibánez, htting for Brock Holt, and Curtis Terry, who had scored the Rangers´s run that tied the game, in order.

Spencer Patton was tasked with shutting out the A’s, who started their half of the tenth with Gomes placed on second. He got Chapman on a fly to shallow right field. Tony Kemp batted for Andrus and flew into an 8-5 double play, another case of a mistaken Oakland baserunning decision.

So Yusmeiro Petit pitched the eleventh with Terry placed on second, where he remained while the veteran right hander mowed down Jonny Hernández, Kiner-Falefa,and Jason Martin.

It was Jimmy Herget facing the top of the order with Kemp on second in the Oakland eleventh. Canha tied the A’s team record for hit by pitches in a season when he was plunked for the 20th time to lead off the frame. Then Starling Marte sent us and the two runners home by blasting a definitve home run deep into the left field seats.

The win went to Petit, who now is 8-1, 2.91, and the loss fell to Jimmu Herget, 0-1, 6.00.

With tonight’s win and Houston’s 5-4 loss to Minnesota, the A’s now trail the Astros by three games in the AL West.

The A’s and Rangers will meet again Saturday afternoon at 1:07 with Cole Irvin on the mound for Oakland and Drew Anderson toeing the rubber for Texas.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s look to Marte after Laureano’s 80 game suspension

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Oakland A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano said that he is educated enough about banned substance abuse and that he would never dishonor teammates, family and coaches. MLB says they have found traces of banned substance in Laureano’s test and Laureano has been suspended from baseball for 80 games effective immediately (file photo from athleticsnation.com)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremaiah:

#1 Oakland A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano suspended for 80 games for traces of a anabolic steroid the traces were minimal enough for MLB to rule that Laureano violated baseball’s zero tolerance policy on steroid or illegal substance abuse policy.

#2 The A’s newly acquired outfielder Starling Marte who also was suspended for the same substance in 2017 when Marte played with the Pittsburgh Pirates will be heavily relied on to pick up the pieces of the loss of Laureano.

#3 The A’s can’t afford to get too relaxed with the Texas Rangers (36-69) who are without Joey Gallo who was dealt to the New York Yankees. Even so the A’s have split their first ten meeting with the Rangers who are looking for more wins.

#4 The right now would love to get within range of the AL West first place Houston Astros who have a 4.5 game lead on Oakland and the A’s are hoping to cut down some of those games before it gets away from them.

#5 For the first of the four games at the Coliseum the Texas Rangers will be sending Mike Foltynewicz (2-10 ERA 6.00) he’ll be matched up against the Oakland A’s Chris Bassitt (11-3 ERA 3.28) Jeremiah tell us how you see this match up tonight at the Coliseum.

Join Jeremiah for the A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s announce broadcaster Ray Fosse will be undergoing treatment for cancer

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Oakland A’s broadcaster Ray Fosse working in the A’s broadcast booth seen in Mar 8, 2015 photo at Mesa in Spring Training will be taking time away from the team to receive medical treatment for cancer (photo by Michael Zagaris Oakland A’s team photographer)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s announced today that longtime broadcaster Ray Fosse would be stepping down from the microphone to undergo treatment for cancer.

Everyone at Sports Radio Service is sending their thoughts and prayers to Ray and his family for his speedy recovery. Ray’s family is requesting privacy during this very difficult time.

Ray has been the color analyst with the A’s since 1986. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and Gold Glove award winner. He broke in with the Cleveland Indians in September 1967 and had a 12-year career in Major League Baseball.

Fosse is most remember for the 1970 All Star Game when a speedy Cincinnati Reds of the National League Charlie Hustle Pete Rose was rounding third and didn’t put on the breaks when a throw to Fosse who was catching for the American League at the time caught and dropped the ball after Rose had collided with him at the plate. Rose’s effort was counted as a run on the scoreboard. Fosse was injured on the play and it was that play that he felt shoulder pain for decades after.

Fosse later went onto play for some great World Series teams with the Oakland A’s in 1973 and 1974 as starting catcher and helped signal call with some of the greatest pitchers including Jim Catfish Hunter, Ken Hotlzman, and Vida Blue. These teams won those World Series in 73 and 74 and Fosse was instrumental in the success in handling those A’s winning pitchers.

Fosse had become part of the Oakland broadcast network in 1986 through the present, he works television and radio. He worked the radio side with Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo and television with Glen Kuiper, Kuiper’s brother Duane who calls the play by play on television for the San Francisco Giants had to take some time off because he had to be treated for chemotherapy during this season.

Fosse was working the A’s and Los Angeles Angels game Sunday in Anaheim and felt ill and had to leave the game.

Texas Rangers-Oakland A’s preview: A’s can’t afford to take Rangers lightly; Texas always up for A’s series

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt will get the call on Fri Aug 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum for the first of four games against the Texas Rangers (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–This weekend, the Oakland A’s have an off-day on Thursday before their three-game series with the pesky Texas Rangers. The Rangers are 39-69 for the season and are in last place in the AL West. They are 4-6 in their last ten games and are 13-40 on the road.

The Rangers sent their best pitcher, Kyle Gibson, and their closer Ian Kennedy to the Philadelphia Phillies at the July 30th trade deadline. They traded one of their best players, right fielder Joey Gallo, to the New York Yankees. There is no doubt that the Rangers are in rebuild mode.

The A’s cannot afford to take Texas lightly. So far this season., the teams have split the ten games played. The Rangers would love nothing better than upsetting the A’s applecart. The players can be loose. The young guys on the Texas team will be playing hard, hoping to make sure that they will be in the Rangers’ plans for next year.

The A’s, on the other hand, are fighting for a playoff berth. Oakland is 61-48 and owns the second AL Wild Card. They would love to win the AL West crown. They trail the Houston Astros by four and 1/2 games. They have six games left with Houston in September.

The A’s know that they have to keep winning to maintain the second Wild Card spot. They lead the revitalized Yankees by two games. The Yanks are 16-8 and are moving up in the AL East division. The additions of Gallo and Anthony Rizzo have helped the Yankees surge. The Toronto Blue Jays are also playing better ball since the trade deadline. Toronto, as well as the Seattle Mariners, trail Oakland by three games. 

The Rangers will not have two players available to play against the A’s this weekend. This year, versatile Eli White, who has given the A’s fits, is on the 10-day IL. Outfielder Willie Calhoun is on the 60-day IL with a left ulnar bone fracture.

Players to keep an eye on are catchers Jose Trevino and Jonah Heim. Heim, who went to Texas in the trade for Elvis Andrus, would love nothing more than find a way to beat his old mates. Ranger center fielder Adolis Garcia is hitting .251 and has 23 homers and 64 RBIs. Without Joey Gallo hitting behind Garcia, the A’s pitchers will be able to pitch around him. 

On Friday night, the A’s will send Chriss Bassitt to the mound to face the Rangers. Bassitt is 11-3, and his ERA is 3.28. Mike Foltynewicz is 2-10 for the year. For some reason, Folty had had success against the A’s in his career. He beat them when he was with the Atlanta Braves, and he beat the A’s earlier in the season. With three new players, Starling Marte, Yan Gomes, and Josh Harrison, the A’s want to send Folty to an early shower.

Saturday’s game will feature lefty Cole Irvin going for Oakland. Irvin lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Angels last weekend. The Rangers have not announced their starter yet. On Sunday, the A’s are hoping James Kaprielian will be ready to pitch. Kaprielian has been on the 10-day IL.

If he can’t go, the A’s will use Daulton Jefferies. Jefferies recorded his first Major League victory against the Angels last Sunday. The Rangers have penciled in Jordan Lyles to start against the A’s.

After the three-game series against the Rangers, the A’s have a ten-game road trip. They play three against Cleveland, three more with the Rangers, and four with the Chicago White Sox. 

Player signing: The A’s announced they have signed slugger Khris Davis to a Minor League Contract. Davis hit forty or more home runs in four consecutive seasons with Oakland. He slumped in 2019 due to an injury when he ran into a wall attempting to catch a foul ball.

He had a poor 2020 season, and the A’s sent him to Texas in exchange for Andrus. Davis was released on June 13th. He was hitting. 157 and had two home runs in 22 games. “Given an opportunity, we’d love to have him back in the organization,” manager Bob Melvin said on Wednesday. “

It’s giving an opportunity for him to get back to where he was in the past, and he hasn’t had the opportunity here recently, so we’ll see what happens in Triple-A. “Obviously, we wish him the best. We hope he gets off to a good start and plays his way here.”

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Rangers always put on tough show against A’s; Series starts Friday at Coliseum

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The Oakland A’s Matt Olson swings for a tenth inning double that scored runs for a walk off two bagger against the San Diego Padres on Wed Aug 4, 2021. Olson leads the A’s for average at .277 as the A’s host the Texas Rangers Fri Aug 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Oakland A’s (61-48) host the Texas Rangers (39-68) and regardless where the Rangers are in the standings they always seem to be up for Oakland the A’s did take two out of three from the Rangers the last time the two clubs met Jul 9-11.

#2 Previous to the Jul 9-11 match up in Texas the Rangers took two out of three from the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum Jun 29-Jul 1. So you never know how a series with the Rangers will turn out.

#3 The Rangers and A’s open a four game series starting on Friday night the A’s top hitters Matt Olson .277, Jed Lowrie .259, Mark Canha .256, and Tony Kemp .251 can provide some offense. Matt Olson certainly did with a 10th inning double against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday afternoon.

#4 The Rangers top hitters Adolis Garcia .254, Isiah Kiner-Falefa .253, Willie Calhoun .254, and Nate Lowe .249, the Rangers last in the AL West struggling having won four of their last ten games.

#5 The Rangers will start Mike Foltynewicz (2-10 ERA 6.00) he’ll be matched up against the A’s starter Chris Bassitt (11-3 ERA 3.28) a 6:40pm first pitch at the Oakland Coliseum.

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

A’s score twice in 10th for comeback walk off on Padres 5-4

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Jubilation at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum as Matt Olson (right) is congratulated by teammate Tony Kemp (5) after hitting a game winning double in the bottom of the tenth on Wed Aug 4, 2021 afternoon to split a two game series with the San Diego Padres (AP News photo)

San Diego 4 – 11 – 0

Oakland 5 – 7 – 0 (10 innings)

By Lewis Rubman

Wednesday August 4, 2021

OAKLAND–After Tuesday night’s disappointing 8-1 loss to the San Diego Padres (62-48), the Oakland A’s (61-48) went into Wednesday’s game against the Padres five and a half games behind the Astros in the race for the AL Western Division flag.

Winning that pennant has to be Oakland’s main goal if they are to have any hope of making it into the post season; three teams, the Yankees, Mariners, and Blue Jays are breathing down their necks, all three games or less behind the green and gold in the battle for the second wild card slot.

This afternoon’s contest, a thrilling 5-4, 10 inning triumph for Oakland, began as a tight pitcher’s duel, with the teams locked in a 1-1 tie after the first three innings. I like to consider this the opening act of the three act drama with 17 or 18 scenes that is a well constructed game of baseball. This afternoon’s contest had an epilogue.

The A’s took an early lead against Joe Musgrove, the Friars’ right handed starter who came to the mound with an impresive ERA of 2.94 to offset his unprepossessing won-lost record of 7-7. Jed Lowrie opened the second inning by blasting his 12th home run of the year, a 379 foot drive to right off a 90 mph cut fast ball.

Frankie Montás coughed up that slender lead in the following frame, allowing a lead off leg double to slow footed catcher Victor Caratini, who scored on Adam Frazier´s single to center after Montás had struck out the two intervening Padre batters, Jake Marisnick and Tommy Pham.

The tide turned in San Diego’s favor at the start of the second act, innings four through six. The Padres took the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Eric Hosmer singled to right. Jurickson Profar hit a liner that just cleared the glove of a leaping Olson and landed in right for a single that sent Hosmer to second. Trent Grisham then smacked a line drive against the right center field wall that rebounded past the centerfielder, Marte.

That drove in Hosmer, but Laureano fielded the elusive pellet and, combined with Josh Harrison’s fast and accurated relay, nabbed Profar at the plate, 9-4-2. That valiant play went in vain, as the pesky Caratini, who opened the day batting all of .226, singled to left, plating Grisham with the Friars’ third tally.

The second act, and with it Montás´s appearance, ended with San Diego still ahead, 3-1. The A’s starter threw 86 pitches in his afternoon’s work; 60 counted as strikes. All three runs he allowed were earned, and they came on eight hits. He struck out eight friars and didn’t walk any one.

Oakland’s had a new man on the mound to start the third and final act. Andrew Chafin, acquired from the Cubs on July 26, held the Padres to a single in the seventh before passing the ball to Jake Diekman in the eighth, who pitched a scoreless eighth and gave way to Yusmeiro Petit for the ninth inning. He yielded a two out double to Grisham but still held the Padres scoreless.

The seventh inning also brought a new pitcher to the mound for the visitors. Pierce Johnson relieved Musgrove, who, in six innings of brilliant work, had held the home team to a single run on only two hits, although he did issue three wallks and hit two Oakland batters.

One of them was the human bull’s eye, Mark Canha, whom he plunked on a full count in the first. Musgrove’s pitch count was 99. 40 of those were balls. Drew Pomeranz set the A’s down in order in the eighth.

Mark Melançon took the mound in the ninth for the visitors, looking for his 33rd save. Laureano greeted him with a double down the left field line to culminate a ten pitch at bat. Lowrie made the first out, taking a cutter for a called strike three.

Harrison sent a sorching ground ball to the right side of the infield of which Profar made a diving grab and beat the A’s second baseman to first for out number two while Laureano advanced to third. Murphy walked on four pitches, bringing up Chapman. Melvin called on Tony Kemp to run for Muphy.

Chapman hit a grounder to short, and Kemp beat Cronenworth’s throw to second, allowing Laureano to score and bringing Andrus to the plate with the tying run second and the winning run on first with two outs. Yan Gomes pinch hit for him and lined a single to center, bringing in Kemp with the tying run. We now were in extra innings.

Lou Trivino, who had converted his last 10 save opportunities relieved Petit with Ha-Seong Kim pinch running for Caratini, the placed runner on second, and Wil Myers batting for Marisnick. Myers grounded out short to first, sending Kim to third.

The shortstop, by the way, was Chapman, Kemp having stayed in the game, playing third. Chapman couldn’t handle a Tommy Pham’s grounder, and the error allowed Kim to score the run that put San Diego ahead 4-3.

It fell to Tim Hill to protect San Diego’s slender lead with Canha the placed runner on second and Marte at bat. Marte singled to right, sending Canha to third. Matt Olson lifted a fly to right that Myers, who remained in the game, seemed to have trouble finding in the sun. The ball bounced off the wall for a double, scoring Canha and Marte. with, respectively, the tying and winning runs.

Trivino got the win. He’s now 4-4, with an ERA of 1.95. Hill got charged with a blown save (as did Melançon) and the loss, making his recorrd 5-6, 2.90

The A’s have tomorrow off and will return to the Coliseum Friday evening at 6:40 when Chris Bassitt (11-3, 3.28) is scheduled to face the Texas Rangers and Mike Foltynewicz (2-10,6.00)

Pads Snell holds A’s to a run; SD scores early in 8-1 win

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San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell serves them up against the Oakland A’s in the first inning of game one of the two game series at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum on Tue Aug 3, 2021 (AP News photo)

San Diego 8 – 14 -0

Oakland 1 – 7- 0

By Lewis Rubman

Tuesday August 3, 2021

OAKLAND–Tonight’s southpaw starters, 2018 AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell (4-4, 5.44 at game time) for the Padres and Sean Manaea (8-6,3.01), whose ERA speaks for itself for the Athletics are no strangers to each other. They were mound rivals last Wednesday at Petco Park, where Manaea retired the first 16 Friars he faced before walking his erstwhile teammate Jurickson Profar in the sixth frame.

Manaea ended up pitching a full six innings before leaving the game, which Oakland eventually won 10-4 with a 10-0 lead. Obviously, Snell wasn’t as effective. He got chased after surrendering seven runs in a scant four inning stint on the mound.

Tonight, it was a different story. The Padres took the lead in the first and never relinquished it, going on to win by the lopsided score of 8-1. Tommy Pham, leading off for the Friars, drove a 3-2 sinker 401 feet into left center field for his 12th home run and 36th RBI of the year to get San Diego off and runnning-I should say trotting-to a one run lead.

Snell, for his part, got through the first undamaged, although the A’s put men on second and third with no outs on a single by Mark Canha and Starling Marte’s double. Leaving runners in scoring position has become an unfortunate tendency over the last month or so for the green and gold.

The Padres added on in the second, with two out singles by eighth and ninth hitters, Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Marisnick, driving in Austin Nola, who also had singled. Then Tommy Phan brought in Kim with a single to center just before Jake Croenenworth’s infield single brought in Marisnick with San Diego’s third tally of the frame.

The A’s threatened in their half of the second but were done in by another of their recently displayed short comings, bad base running. With the bases loaded and one out, Josh Harrison, who was part of the July 30 trade with Washington that brought Yan Gomes to Oakland, tried to score on Canha’s fly to medium right field.

The result was an inning ending 9-2 double play. To give the Athletics´performance on the basepaths its due, Harrison and Chapman pulled off a duble steal as part of the threat, and Oakland stole a total of four bases over the course of the game. (Marte and Laureano swiped the other two).

It was the curse of the lead off double that did the A’s in in the fifth. The two bagger came off the bat of Laureano, who followed it uo with his 12th stolen base of the season. But Chapman struck out, and Andrus flew out to the warning track in left center, and the A’s once more had left a man stranded on third. (Their total for the game was eight).

When Manny Machado doubled to left with one down in the fifth, that was it for Manaea. He lasted 4-1/3 innings,and surendered five runs, all earned, on eight hits, including Pham’s lead off home run, but didn’t walk anyone. He threw 99 pitches, 68 for strikes, and, at game’s end, was the losing pitcher, leaving him with a record of 8-7, 3.26.

Deolis Guerra relieved him and closed out the inning but not before he’d walked Wil Myers and allowed Austin Nola to double to left, scoring Machado, a run charged to Manaea, and Myers, whose run went on Guerra’s account.

The A’s finally got on the board when Marte blasted his eighth round tripper of ‘21, and first as an Athletic, with one down in home fifth. It came on a 94 mph four seamer and traved 413 feet into the left field seats.

Burch Smith took over for Guerra to start the sixth and set the side down in order but gave up two runs on four singles (by Machado, Hosmer, Nola, and Grisham) in the seventh. A walk to Cronenworth was all he allowed in eighth.

Snell came out after the fifth, having thrown enough innings to earn the win, improving his record to 5-4, 5.24. He threw 105 pitches, 65 for strikes, and allowed one, earned, run on six hits and three walks, striking out six. His replacement was Craig Stammen, who pitched a flawless sixth before giving way to Emilio Pagán in the seventh and Matt Strahm in the eighth.

JB Wendelken mopped up for Oakland in the top of ninth, and Miguel Díaz closed the book on the A’s for San Diego.

Barring a post season match up, the two teams will play each other for the last time this year Wednesday afternoon at 12:37. Frankie Montás (9-8, ERA 4.08) and Joe Musgrove (7-7, ERA 2.94) are scheduled to face each other in a battle of bleary eyed righthanders.

Preview San Diego Padres-Oakland A’s: A’s at home after ten game road trip

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea seen pitching in his last start will start against the San Diego Padres Tue Aug 3, 2021 at Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (60-47) have an off-day on Monday. The A’s were 4-2 on the last road trip against the San Diego Padres (61-47) and Los Angeles Angels (52-53). The A’s split the series last Tuesday and Wednesday against the Padres in San Diego.

The A’s moved up to Anaheim to play four against the Angels. The A’s won three of the four games. They would have had a sweep if they had given Cole Irvin some run support last Saturday. Irvin pitched a gem but was the losing pitching as the A’s fell to the Angels 1-0.

After the two-game set concluded last Wednesday, both teams were active before the July 30th trade deadline. The Padres were hoping to make a big splash by landing Max Scherzer from the Washington Nationals. Most of the pundits had the big righty heading to San Diego.

San Diego’s hopes were dashed when the Los Angeles Dodgers snagged Scherzer and Trea Turner. Turner going to LA was unexpected. The Dodgers made quite a few headlines with the deal. The Padres did make a deal as they traded for Nats’ reliever Daniel Hudson.

The A’s acquired four players as they hope to catch the Houston Astros in the race for the AL West crown. The A’s bolstered their bullpen as they made a deal to acquire lefty Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs. Before the trade, Jake Diekman was the only lefty in the A’s bullpen.

The move helped A’s manager have more flexibility using his relievers. The next big move was the trade to get outfielder Starling Marte from the Miami Marlins. The A’s gave up Jesus Luzardo in the trade. It was sad to see Luzardo go, but the team needed improvement in the outfield.

The A’s finished the wheeling and dealing by making a trade with the Washington National. They sent prospects to the Nats in exchange for catcher Yan Gomes and the versatile Josh Harrison. All three players have contributed since coming to the A’s. Gomes homered in yesterday’s game to help the A’s beat the Angels 8-3.

So, let’s look at what happened last week in the two-game series in San Diego. San Diego beat the A’s and starter James Kaprielian 7-4 last Tuesday night. Kaprielian went four innings and took the loss. The winning pitcher was Chris Paddack. Both pitchers are now on the 10-day IL. Kaprielian has a shoulder impingement.

The A’s brought up Dulton Jefferies to take his spot in the rotation. Jefferies made his second Major League start on Sunday against the Angels and was the winning pitcher. In the 7-4 loss to the Padres Last Tuesday, the Padres’ young superstar, Fernando Tatis, Jr., homered, doubled. Veteran third baseman Manny Machado also hit a big fly in the game.

The Padres pounded A’s pitchers for 12 hits Tuesday night. The A’s turned the tables on the Padres on Wednesday. The A’s had no trouble with Pads’ starter, Blake Snell. They sent Snell to the showers at the end of the fourth inning. Snell gave up seven hits and seven runs as he absorbed his fourth loss of the year. The A’s won the game 10-4. A’s starter Sean Manaea went six innings and allowed one hit.

The A’s played four against the Angels last week. They won three of the four. The Padres split their four games series with the Colorado Rockies.

Both teams are in the second Wild Card spot in their respective leagues. If the Wild Card Games were to be played today, The Padres would travel to Dodger Stadium and face the Dodgers. The A’s would fly to Boston for the one-game playoff against the Red Sox.

The probable pitchers for the series will feature the Padres’ lefty Blake Snell going against Sean Manaea. Frankie Montas will go for Oakland Wednesday, and Joe Musgrove pitches for San Diego.

Fernando Tatis, Jr. will not be in the PAdre lineup as he suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder. The Padres placed him on the 10-day IL.

The Padres still have a lot of firepower on their roster. Keep your eyes on third baseman Manny Machado, Second Baseman Jake Cronenworth, Adam Frazier, and Eric Hosmer. Tommy Pham, Wil Meyers, and Trent Grisham all can win ball games for San Diego.

Marte, Harrison, and Gomes have bolstered the A’s offense. The A’s are now four and 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West. The Astros made two moves to bolster their bullpen. They traded for former A’s starter Kendall Graveman from the Seattle Mariners. The M’s converted Graveman to a closer, and he has resurrected his career. The Astros also acquired Yimi Garcia from Miami to strengthen the ‘pen.

The A’s are 60-47 for the season. They made the moves to better the team. The A’s have made the playoffs the last three seasons. They know how to win. They can do it by playing better against the Mariners, Rangers, and Astros. The A’s meet the Rangers six times in the next two weeks. The last-place Rangers have given the A’ fits this year. The Rangers traded their best player, Joey Gallo, to the Yankees. Hopefully, the A”s will turn the tables on the Rangers.

The A’s now they can beat the Padres. A’s fans will be hoping for a sweep. The Padres have other thoughts.

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: If you like shutouts A’s-Angels series was for you

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Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas kicked off the four game series at the Big A in Anaheim with a three hit 4-0 shutout over the Los Angeles Angels one of multiple shutouts during the A’s visit to the Southland (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara the Oakland A’s came into Anaheim to battle their Southland rivals the Los Angeles Angels and although many don’t look at these two teams as rivals the first three games of the series were like it was with three consecutive shutouts pitched.

#2 The first game on Thursday night that was pitched in the series Oakland starter Frankie Montas threw for seven innings, three hits, three walks, the real kicker here was he kept Angel hitters off balance all game long and ended up with ten srikeouts.

#3 In the second shutout of the series on Friday night A’s starter Chris Bassitt was lazer beamed down Broadway throwing strikes showing command and getting Angels out and working his pitches through the innings. Bassitt went seven innings, giving up six hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in a 2-0 shutout.

#4 The third shutout came on Saturday afternoon when the Angels starter Jamie Barria was absolutely a mystery against the A’s line up. Barria was able to keep the A’s top hitters off balance with Mark Canha 1-3, Starling Marte 1-3, Matt Olson 1-4, and Ramon Laurenao 1-4. Barria’s line for the afternoon, 6.2 innings, two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts for the 1-0 shutout.

#5 The A’s have Monday off and return to Oakland Tuesday after concluding their ten game road trip to face Fernando Tatis Jr and the San Diego Padres. Starters for Tuesday night’s game for the Padres Blake Snell (4-4 ERA 5.44) and the A’s have not announced at starter.

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