Tag: Oakland A’s

Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea in the process of throwing a four hit complete game shutout against the Seattle Mariners is seen here pitching in the fifth inning on Wed Jun 2, 2021 at T Mobile Center in Seattle (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Sean Manaea has had some tough outings his last few times out but that all seemed to change on Wednesday night when he threw a complete game four hit shutout.

#2 Manaea struck out eight hitters and kept the Mariners off balance all night.

#3 Previous to Tuesday night’s game which the A’s won the A’s had lost four of five games to the Mariners and they knew they had to come back and they have showed some improvement over these last two games.

#4 Like Tuesday night when the A’s rallied for six runs in the seventh inning on Wednesday night the A’s rallied in the top of the third inning getting five runs and getting solid pitching from Manaea the A’s capped off the three game series taking two out of three from the Mariners in Seattle.

#5 The A’s open up a three game series against the Colorado Rockies starting on Friday night the A’s pitcher Frankie Montas gets the start (5-5 ERA 4.45) will be matched up against the Rockies Jon Gray (4-5 ERA 3.71)

#6 Lastly the Oakland A’s minor league system says that the food served to the players have been an embarrassment and it was widely reported on Wednesday that the A’s have served the players either a slice of cheese with a slice of tomato between two slices of white bread or a tortilla with a little chicken and bell pepper. A’s president Dave Kaval apologized for the fare that was photographed and made the rounds on social media and said we have to do better and put the blame on the caterer saying they will redouble their efforts at serving better options.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat writer and podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Thursday

Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea throws to the Seattle Mariners line up in the fifth inning at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Wed Jun 2, 2021 in Seattle (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (33-25) met the Seattle Mariners (28-29) at the T-Mobile Park in Seattle Wednesday night. It was the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day. MLB had the day to recognize efforts to combat ALS. The A’s sent lefty Sean Manaea to the hill, hoping to get the win. The Mariners’ starter, Chris Flexen, an East Bay kid from Newark, Ca entered the game with a 5-2. Manaea wound up pitching a gem going the distance for a 6-0 victory over the Mariners.

The A’s had not given Manaea a lot of run support this year. The A’s scored three runs in Manaea’s last three starts. A’s manager Bob Melvin wanted Sean to cut down on his pitch count so that he could go deep into the game.

Manaea came through with one of his best performances ever as an Oakland Athletic. Manaea pitched a complete game. He allowed four hits and no runs. The Mariners loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Manaea got the M’s shortstop, J.P.Crawford to end the inning by hitting into a ground out.

Chris Flexen retired the first six A’s hitters. Things went south for him in the top of the third as the A’s put five runs on the board. Matt Chapman walked to start the rally. Flexen retired Tony Kemp for the first out. The A’s shortstop, Elvis Andrus, lined a double down the left-field line, sending Chapman to third.

Mark Canha followed with a single to drive in Chapman and Andrus. A’s third-base coach, Mark Kotsay, threw up the stop sign, but Andrus ran through it and scored on the play. Flexen retired Jed Lowrie for the second out. Matt Olson singled and scored ahead of Mitch Moreland, who blasted a monster 444-foot blast to centerfield. It was Moreland’s fifth of the year.

The A’s added a run in the top of the ninth to win 6-0.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the A’s are 33-25 for the year. They remain 1/2 game ahead of the Houston Astros. Houston beat Boston for the third night in a row. The Mariners are 28-29.

Manaea improved to 4-2 for the season. His line was nine innings pitched, four hits, and no runs. He threw 111 pitches, walking two and striking out eight. The A’s line was six runs, ten hits, and one error.
Chris Flexen took the loss, and his record is now 5-3.

Matt Olson had three hits. Matt Chapman, still struggling at the plate, had a couple of hits. Hopefully, Matt will get his bat going again.

Olson made an unusual double play in the bottom of the eighth. With Jack Mayfield on first, Jake Fraley was thrown out 4-3. Olson noticed Mayfield round second and went a bit too far. Olson threw a strike to Matt Chapman that nailed Mayfield as he scrambled back to the base.

A’s manager Bob Melvin recorded his 800th win since taking over the helm in 2011.
The A’s have a day off Thursday. They went 17 days without a break. They meet the Colorado Rockies in Denver for three games starting Friday night. The game will start at 5:40 pm.

Oakland A’s Matt Olson makes contact for a two run RBI single in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Tue Jun 1, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s downed the Seattle Mariners 12-6 Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. The way the game went for the first six innings seemed to be a replay of Monday afternoon’s game. Seattle won that game 6-5 in ten innings.

The A’s drew first blood when Matt Olson connected on his 14th big fly of the season to put the A’s ahead 1-0 in the third. Seattle rocked A’s starter Chris Bassitt for three runs in the third and one in the fourth. In the bottom of the third, with two out, M’s shortstop, J.P. Crawford singled. Doubles by Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager, and Ty France put the three runs on the board for Seattle. In the fourth, left fielder Taylor Trammell took Bassitt deep to give the M’s the lead 4-1 after four.

The A’s inched closer as they scored their second run of the night in the fifth. With one out, Elvis Andrus walked. Second baseman Tony Kemp doubled to drive in Andrus. The A’s trailed 4-2 after five complete.

The A’s put the game away as they scored six runs in the seventh, two in the eight, and two in the night. In the seventh, the A’s sent ten men to the plate. They put together three singles, two doubles, two walks, and a sacrifice fly to put the runs across the plate.

Tony Kemp blasted a two-run dinger in the eighth to make it 10-6. The Mariners catcher, Tom Murphy, homered off lefty reliever Jake Diekman to close within four 10-6. The A’s responded with two more in the ninth to put the game out of reach. Oakland wins 12-6.

Game notes and stats- With the win, the A’s are 32-25 for the year. They remain 1/2 game ahead of the Houston Astros, who beat the Boston Red Sox for the second night in a row.

The Mariners are now 28-28.
Bob Melvin passed former A’s manager Tony LaRussa for most wins as an Oakland A’s skipper. Melvin recorded his 799th win. The Most wins by any A’s manager is Connie Mack, who managed the club for 50 years in Philadelphia.

Tony Kemp was the A’s hitting star Tuesday night. Kemp hit his second homer of the year and tied a career-high with five RBIs. Matt Olson hit his 14th of the season and had three RBIs. Sean Murphy knocked in two with a double in the seventh. Mariners’ first baseman, Ty France, had two doubles and a single. Their catcher, Joe Murphy, homered off Diekman to drive in two.

A’s starter, Chris Bassitt, worked four innings. He was charged with four runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Lefty Jesus Luzardo, coming off the 10-day IL, pitched well in his three innings of work. He allowed two hits and no runs.

He struck out six and allowed one walk. Luzardo received credit for the win. The Mariners’ starter, Marco Gonzales, out since April 27th, went four innings and left the game after reaching his limit of fifty pitches. He gave up one run and two hits.

The A’s line was 12 runs, 13 hits, and no errors. Seattle’s line was six runs, 11 hits, and no errors.

The A’s and the M’s will play the rubber match Wednesday night at T-Mobile park in Seattle. The game will start at 7:10 pm. Seam Manaea will go for Oakland, and the A’s will face the M’s Chris Flexen.

The Seattle Mariners Donavon Walton takes the Oakland A’s deep in the eighth inning as he hits one into the right field bleachers with A’s right fielder Seth Brown (15) watching it go at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Mon May 31, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (31-25) started a six-game road trip in Seattle Monday afternoon at the T-Mobile Stadium. The A’s were hoping to snap a two-game losing streak but it was not to be as the A’s lost in extra innings at T Mobile Park in Seattle 6-5.

The Seattle Mariners (28-27) had taken two out of three from the A’s last week. Oakland’s starter, James Kaprielian, earned his second big-league win downing the M’s at the Coliseum. The M’s sent righty Logan Gilbert to the hill. Gilbert had not yet recorded his first win in the Majors.

The A’s scored the first run of the game in the top of the third inning. Chad Pinder, sporting a new haircut and playing shortstop, doubled to lead off the inning. With two out, Gilbert issued a free pass to Matt Olson. Jed Lowrie followed with a ground-rule double. Pinder scored, Olson stopped at third. Gibert struck out Seth Brown for the third out. The A’s were ahead 1-0 in the third.

The M’s plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth. M’s shortstop, J.P.Crawford led off with a single. Rightfielder Jake Fraley singled to put men on at first and second with no out. Jose Godoy hit into a 3-6-1 double play.

Crawford went to third. Kaprielian had a chance to get out of the inning with no damage if he could retire the M’s DH, Jacob Nottingham. Kaprielian, who had hit Kyle Seager with a pitch in the third, hit Nottingham to put two men on with two out.

The next hitter was Donovan Walton. Walton was hitting way under the Mendoza line for the season. However, as baseball fans know, even guys with low batting averages can hit the ball out of the park. Walton sent Kaprielian’s fastball into the seats into the right-field seats make it 3-1.

Kaprielian then walked Jarred Kelenic and gave up a double to Kyle Lewis. Kelenic scored, and A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Deolis Guerra to pitch. Guerra retired Seager for the third out. The M’s led 4-1 after four.

The A’s bullpen did a stellar job keeping the M’s off the board. Oakland plated a run in the sixth. Pinder led off the frame with his second double of the game. Matt Olson doubled to drive in Pinder to make it a 4-2 game. Guerra retired all seven batters he faced. Sergio Romo set the M’s down in order in the seventh.

Oakland tied the game in the top of the eighth. Lefty Anthony Misiewicz was on the hill for Seattle. Mark Canha reached on a walk. Matt Olson followed with a single. Canha went to third when Kelenic could not field the ball properly. Misiewicz struck out Lowrie and Brown.

M’s manager Scott Servais brought in righty J.T. Chargois to face Sean Murphy. The home plate umpire called a balk on Chargois that allowed Canha to score. Olson went to second. Murphy doubled to drive in Olson with the A’s fourth run of the game. The A’s bullpen kept the Mariners off the board the next two innings. The game ended tied at 4-4 after nine innings of play.

With the new extra-innings rules in effect in the tenth, Matt Olson was at second with no out. M’s reliever Daniel Zamora retired Lowrie and Stephen Piscotty, who was pinch-hitting for Brown. Aramis Garcia singled to drive in Olson with the A’s fifth run of the day.

The A’s brought in Lou Trivino to pitch the tenth. Jack Mayfield was on second base to start the inning. Trivino retired Kyle Seager for the first out. M’s first baseman. Ty France singled to tie the game at 5-5. J.P. Crawford hit a screamer that somehow bounced over Matt Olson’s glove to went down the right-field line for a double. France advanced to third on the play. M’s catcher Tom Murphy drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. Seattle wins 6-5.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the A’s drop to 31-25 for the season. It was their third loss in a row. The Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox in Houston and moved with 1/2 game of the lead in the American League West. The Mariners won their fifth game in a row to extend their winning streak to five. They are 28-27 for the year.

The hitting star for the A’s was Chad Pinder. Pinder had two doubles and a single Monday afternoon. Each team used six pitchers. Lou Trivino was the losing pitcher. Daniel Zamora picked up the win.

Kaprielian, who went seven innings against the M’s last week in Oakland, lasted three and 2/3rds innings Monday afternoon. He allowed four runs and five hits. He had control issues as he walked three batters and hit two. He recorded three strikeouts. M’s starter Logan Gilbert gave the M’s a quality start. He pitched six innings and gave up two runs, and allowed five hits. He struck out five and walked one.

The A’s will send Chris Bassitt to the hill Tuesday night. Bassitt shut out the Angels last week in Oakland. He had his first complete game ever. Bassitt is 5-2 with an ERA of 3.21. Lefty Marco Gonzales will be making his first start since April 27th. The game will start at 7:1- pm.

The time of the game was three hours and thirty-four minutes. Eleven thousand one hundred twelve fans were in attendance.