Tag: Oakland A’s

Don’t mess with Texas: Rangers halt A’s potential sweep with 4-2 win

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s were going for a sweep of the three-game series with the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon. But, Rangers’ starter Mike Minor had other thoughts as he shot down the potent A’s offense with just one hit in six innings of work.

The Rangers, who had been shutout in the previous two games, gave Minor support as they scored four runs off A’s starter Edwin Jackson. Jackson had pitched very well before his outing on Wednesday but did not have it. In his 4 1/3 innings of work, he threw 80 pitches, and two of those pitches were sent into the stands by Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Gallo.

The A’s were hoping to eventually get back in the ballgame. The Rangers’ bullpen gave up two runs, giving the A’s a chance to tie it in the ninth, but Nick Martini struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Rangers’ left fielder Shin-Soo Choo ended 18 innings of Texas futility when he hit the first pitch of the game into the left field bleachers. The Rangers failed to score in the first two games of the series. The Rangers led 1-0 after one inning of play.

The Rangers plated another run in the top of the third. Jackson walked the first two hitters he faced. With one out, Rangers’ right fielder Nomar Mazara flew out to center. Ramon Laureano slipped as he caught the ball and that allowed Choo to tag up and advance to third. Adrian Beltre singled to give the Rangers a 2-0 advantage in the middle of the third.

Gallo took Jackson deep to start the fourth inning. The big left-handed slugger blasted his 33rd homer of the year to increase the lead to 3-0. A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano helped out his pitcher with a leaping catch against the wall with a man on first. Choo almost had his second homer of the day, but Laureano’s catch kept at least one more run off the board.

Minor had the A’s mesmerized for the first four innings of the contest. He has allowed one hit and walked one batter so far, and both were erased on double plays. He has faced just 12 hitters in  four innings of work.

It was obvious to most of the fans in the park that Jackson was not as sharp as he could be. The Rangers were able to solve his slants as they put another run on the board in the top of the fifth. Shortstop Elvis Andrus led off with a single. Jackson struck out Mazara on a wild pitch. Andrus went to second on the play. Adrian Beltre, who has a spot reserved for him in Cooperstown after his playing days are over, singled to center to drive in Andrus with the Rangers’ fourth run.

A’s manager Bob Melvin had seen enough, and he brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch. Jacksons’ pitched 4 1/3 innings and he allowed seven hits and four runs. He also was tagged for two solo home runs. The A’s failed to score in the bottom of the inning and now trailed the Rangers 4-0.

The A’s, after being dazzled by Minor for six innings, finally put a run on the board. Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister brought in former Giant Cory Gearrin to face the A’s in the seventh. Gearrin retired the first two hitters he faced. Matt Chapman reached on a walk. A’s DH Khris Davis was hit in the back by a Gearrin pitch to put two men on. Stephen Piscotty followed with a double to drive in Chapman with the A’s first run. It was the A’s second hit of the day. With the left-handed hitter Matt Olson at the plate, Banister brought in lefty Alex Claudio to pitch. Claudio did the job as he was able to strike out Olson for the third out and the A’s left two men stranded. The Rangers are in control 4-1 after seven.

The A’s crept a little closer in the bottom of the eighth. Chad Pinder led off the frame with a single. He went to second a scored on double to right by Jed Lowrie, who was pinch-hitting for Jonathan Lucroy. Rangers’ reliever Chris Martin retired Semien and Loreano to end the threat. The Rangers led 4-2 after eight.

The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth without the benefit of a hit. Rangers’ closer Jose Leclerc walked the first hitter Matt Chapman to start the inning. Chapman went to third on a wild pitch. LeClerc then struck out Khris Davis and got Piscotty to fly out to right. He walked Matt Olson and hit Chad Pinder with a pitch to load the bases. The game was on the line as Martini came to the plate. Martini had the chance to tie the game with a hit, but LeClerc had enough gas in his tank as he was able to strike out Martini for the final out to preserve the 4-2 win for the Rangers.

Game Notes: A’s Edwin Jackson tied a season-low with just 4 1/3 innings of work and matched a season-high in hits allowed with seven. His record is now 4-3.

Stephen Piscotty tied a career-high with his 35th double.

Despite the loss, the A’s still have the best record in baseball since June 16th (42-15). They have not lost a series to an AL West opponent since June 12th to June 14th at Houston. They finished the homestand with a 6-3 record.

The Rangers’ Mike Minor improved to 10-6, and it was his third quality start in his last four games.

The A’s line score was two runs, four hits, and no errors.

The Rangers’ line was four runs, nine hits, and no errors.

The A’s drop to 76-51.

Time of game was three hours and three minutes and 13,139 people stopped by to watch the A’s lose the finale of the three-game series.

Up Next: The A’s head to Minneapolis to take on the Twins for a three-game series starting Thursday at 5:10 pm PDT.

The A’s will send Trevor Cahill (5-2, 3.12 ERA) to the hill and Kohl Stewart (0-1, 7.71 ERA) will go for the Twins.

Is the A’s magical season just a fluke?

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — To a non-A’s fan, the A’s magical season may be just a fluke. To a A’s fan, this season may be the real deal. But, before all of us jump to conclusions about whether or not the A’s are going to win it all, let me remind that history may repeat itself. Just take a look at the 2012 and 2014 seasons in that order.

In case you need a refresher, the 2012 A’s won the AL West by one game, but then lost to the Detroit Tigers in five games in the ALDS. That was six years ago, but the A’s had an over .500 season but were unable to get past the Tigers. Moreover, the 2014 A’s merely clinched the AL Wild Card berth on the final day of the season and faced the Kansas City Royals in the AL Wild Card Game, only to lose to the Royals in one of the most disappointing ways possible–a walk-off for a 9-8 win in the 12th inning. The Royals got their first playoff win in 29 years, but were ultimately ousted by the Giants in seven games in the 2014 World Series. That was depressing news for the A’s fans, but it was an even year for the Giants, so y’all should give credit to your cross-town rivals.

Anyways, it almost seems surreal that the 2018 A’s displayed character, grit and relentless all of a sudden. Of course, the naysayers were proved wrong, and the Oakland-based reporters and fans are confident in this team…but are they accurate?

Let’s take a look at five reasons why the A’s aren’t all that, shall we?

1. It comes down to money
The A’s ownership has constantly demonstrated that money is a priority as opposed to the Green and Gold fanbase. Since the Moneyball days, the A’s ownership has always took the bargain-basement approach to every aspect of the game.

This is obviously not good for the fans nor the team, as the A’s continue to be known as a small-market team even though they’re one of the hottest teams in baseball and DH Khris Davis is having himself a season. Davis’ current stats are .311/.373/.786 over 103 at-bats with 32 hits, 4 doubles, 15 home runs, 35 RBI, 10 walks, and 23 strikeouts. And, despite being the other KD in the Bay Area, no one is talking about Davis.

A’s manager Bob Melvin recently told the local media, “I’ve been hearing some talk on some of the national broadcasts on MVPs. His name’s not even brought up. I mean, how could you not?”

With that said, it’s likely going to be difficult for Melvin to put together a playoff team in spite of massive budget restrictions. Sure, the current A’s roster is incredible, but how much longer are the regulars going to stay in Oakland?

2. The 2012 A’s caught some breaks
Remember when the Texas Rangers were in first place with a 35-26 record on June 10, 2012, while the A’s were in last place at the opposite inverse with a 26-35 record?

Also, Josh Hamilton dropped the ball in center field during Game 162.

The possible factor of outside help was able to weave its way into the A’s then-success, but it’s something that may not have a significant influence in 2018. Yeah, the Mariners were surging in May and June, but now, they can’t seem to find their groove right now. Additionally, the Astros can’t seem to catch a break on injuries. So it’s unclear how everything will work out, but in the meantime, it’s quite interesting to follow.

3. The 2012 A’s had more swag
Okay, I admit I use the word “swag” more often that not, but the 2012 A’s had more swag in its lineup.

Obviously, this group of veteran spark plugs may not be great anymore, but man, they had Brandon Inge, Coco Crisp, Grant Balfour and Jonny Gomes. And, of course, they did the Bernie Lean.

Right now, Matt Chapman’s defense, Khris Davis’ bat and Blake Treinen’s sinker are notable mentions, but the entire team isn’t always in sync–and therefore, they don’t regularly take the field with large peps in their steps.

4. The 2012 season had a lot of flaws
Of course, there were many things in the right direction in the 2012 season, but at the same time, there were plenty of things that worsened the overall quality of the teams that year. Bartolo Colon was suspended on August 22. Brandon McCarthy got hit in the skull by a line drive on September 5. Moreover, the A’s lost six out of eight games in the second half of September.

The 2018 season has pretty much been the same, just a different year. Four A’s pitchers are currently out of order due to Tommy John surgeries. And, at some point, Matt Chapman injured his thumb while Khris Davis suffered a groin injury.

As of now, the A’s are over .500, but they’re sort of going back and forth with the injury-plagued Astros for first place in the AL West.

5. The 2011 season didn’t show a lot of promise
The 2011 season, especially the final weeks, didn’t show a lot of promise. A’s manager Bob Melvin just arrived in Oakland that mid-season, but his new team also parted ways with several players after their 77-84 finish in the Winter Meetings.

The 2017 A’s obviously didn’t receive a new manager, but they did undergo quite a few changes during the season, yet wrapped up the second half of the season just one game below .500.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “History repeats itself.” And, that could happen, so don’t be surprised if the A’s magical season turns out to be a fluke. There’s always next year.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Baseball…A Hispanic World!

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Photo credit: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The last national census was taken in 2010 and the next one is scheduled for 2020. As of July 1, 2016, the HIspanic population in the United States was 57.5 million. This is the largest ethnic or racial majority in the country with around 18 percent. In the Bay Area in 2010, over 1.6 million Hispanic resided in nine counties for 23.5%, which is over six million people. Today’s estimates are between 1.8 and 2 million Hispanics who have made the Bay Area their home.

Baseball is no different. According to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 27.4 percent of all players in the Major Leagues were Hispanic as of 2016.

On Sunday, September 9, the Oakland Athletics will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Day. During this season at the Club Level entrance at the Oakland Coliseum, there is big mural from the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame–a non-profit organization founded in San Francisco in 1998–dedicated to the research, history and recognition of all Hispanic players. On that mural, fans can enjoy flags of Latin American countries and some of the history of the contributions made to baseball by Latinos. On that day, the A’s will be giving a Sugar Skull Bobblehead to the first 35,000 fans.

Currently, the A’s have one position player and three pitchers of Hispanic descent. The brilliant rookie outfielder Ramón Laureano, who is 23 years old, was born in the Dominican Republic, relievers Yusmeiro Petit from Venezuela, and Jeurys Familia and Fernando Rodney from the D.R. plus Emilio Pagán, who is of Puerto Rico descent, and Lou Trivino, who is of Ecuadorian descent. Santiago Casilla was also with the A’s this season from the D.R. and young infielder Franklin Barreto, who was born in Venezuela, future A’s second baseman.

The Latino presence is palpable with upbeat salsa music playing before a game in the clubhouse. The Texas Rangers, who played a three-game series in Oakland, had a regular starting lineup featuring Ronald Guzmán, Rougned Odor, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltré, Nomar Mazara, Carlo Tocci, Robinson Chirinos and in some cases, the ageless 45 year-old Bartolo Colón or the 22-year-old rookie Ariel Jurado from Panamá.

Some of the biggest Hispanic stars in the game are J.D Martínez, José Altuve, Manny Machado, Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez, Carlos Correa and more.

The World Baseball Classic showcases to the world the great passion for this game from their biggest protagonists: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba and México. Baseball is played more and more around the world. Latinos have some of the greatest history to go along from Cuban-born pitcher Adolfo Luqye, who in 1923 with the Cincinnati Reds finished with a 27-3 record and 1.93 ERA, pitching 322 innings to the great “Cometa de Carolina” with Roberto Clemente.

The influx of Hispanic players will continue to increase in years to come.

Listen to the A’s in Spanish on KIQI 1010 AM/990 AM, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton and The Valley. Also, on the SAP on your television as NBC Sports California.

A’s shutout the Rangers again 6-0

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — Oakland A’s starter Brett Anderson pitched his best game of the year as he went seven innings and allowed just one hit as he won his third game of the season. The A’s DH Khris Davis tormented the Rangers’ pitching when he his 38th home run of the year and drove in three runs to pace the A’s attack. His RBI total reached to 102. It was the third season in a row that Davis has knocked in over 100 runs. It was also the first time in a while that the A’s had two starters pitch seven innings and allowed just one hit. The A’s shutout the Rangers 6-0 for their second straight shutout versus Texas.

The A’s tallied the first run of the night in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Nick Martini singled to left to get things going. He advanced to second on Matt Chapman’s groundout and scored when Jed Lowrie singled to center. The A’s lead 1-0 after one.

The A’s plated a run in the bottom of the fifth. With two out, third baseman Matt Chapman doubled. Rangers’ pitcher Ariel Jurado then walked Jed Lowrie. The next hitter, Davis, singled to center to drive in Chapman to give the A’s a 2-0 lead. For Davis, it was his 100th RBI of the year.

Oakland put two more runs on the board in the sixth. With one out, Marcus Semien doubled to left. Ramon Laureno singled to end Semien to third. Lurean then stole second. With the infield drawn in, A’s catcher Josh Phegley hit a sharp grounder to Rangers’ third baseman Jurickon Profar. Profar bobbled the ball, and his only play was to first base. Semien scored the A’s third run of the night. A’s left fielder Nick Martini then singled to drive in Laureano, and the A’s had a 4-0 lead after six.

Davis hit his 38th home run of the year with a man on to put the A’s ahead 6-0 after seven innings of play. Davis is just one home run behind Boston’s J.D.Martinez for the lead in that department. He is also second in the AL with 102 RBIs.

The A’s used Jeurys Familia in the eighth and Lou Trivino in the ninth as they kept the Rangers scoreless the last two innings of the game. The A’s won 6-0.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s are now 76-50 for the year and will remain in first place in the AL West. The A’s are a season-high 26 games over the .500 mark. They are 6-2 on the current homestand. They will go for a sweep of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

Brett Anderson went seven innings and allowed one and gave up just one walk. It was the first time in Oakland history that this has happened and it was the third time in the last four games. Before Tuesday night, Anderson had not allowed a run in two of his last three starts He is now 3-3 for the year. He has walked one batter or fewer in his last seven starts.

A’s DH Khris Davis has hit nine homers and knocked in 24 in 15 games with Texas this year. For his career, he has hit 27 dingers and batted in 62 in 52 games. Davis has 100 RBIs for the third year in a row, and it was the first time for an A’s hitter since Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada from 2001 to 2003.

The A’s line score was six runs, 12 hits, and no errors. The Rangers’ line was no runs, two hits, and one error.

Time of game was two hours and 26 minutes and 11,579 fans in attendance were delighted with the outcome.

Up Next: The A’s meet the Rangers again Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm PDT.

Edwin Jackson will pitch for Oakland, and Texas will send lefty Mike Minor to the mound in an attempt to salvage one game of the series.

Khris Davis puts on a show as the A’s roll over the Rangers 9-0

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — Oakland A’s Mike Fiers was magnificent as he dominated the Texas Rangers and won his ninth game of the year. The A’s trounced the Rangers 9-0 at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night. The A’s pounded Rangers’ starter Bartolo Colon for seven runs, and as a result, Colon’s record dropped to 7-11.

The A’s scored three times in the bottom of the second. Stephen Piscotty started the rally off Colon, with a double to left. Marcus Semien followed with another double to drive in Piscotty with the A’s first run. A’s rookie Ramon Laureano, facing Colon for the first time in his short Major League career, hit his first home run as a Big Leaguer to put the A’s ahead 3-0. Laureano took Colon’s 89 MPH fastball over the wall in right-center field.

A’s manager Bob Melvin signaled for the ball to be returned to the dugout so that Laureano could put it in his trophy case at home. Jonathan Lucroy continued the hit parade with another double, but Colon settled down and was able to get out of the inning with no further damage.

The A’s DH, Khris Davis, led off the bottom of the third with his 37th round-tripper of the year. The ball left his bat traveling at 111 MPH and went an estimated 439 feet. The ball hit the concrete just below the glass that protects the fans in the suites in left field.

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The A’s sent Colon to the showers in the bottom of the sixth. Piscotty led off the inning with a single. Semien also singled to put men on at first and second with no out. The next hitter, Laureano, who hit the first home run of his career in the second inning, did it again as he slammed Colon’s pitch into the seats in the seats in left field to put the A’s in the driver’s seat with a formidable 7-0 lead. Piscotty homered in the seventh to make it 8-0, and the A’s tacked on another run in the eighth to win by a final score of 9-0.

Game Notes: A’s Mike Fiers was magnificent as he dominated the Rangers Monday night. Fiers gave up just one hit, one walk and hit a batter in his seven innings of work. He retired the last 18 batters he faced for his ninth win of the year.

The A’s hitting stars of the night were Stephen Piscotty, Marcus Semien, Ramon Laureano, and Jonathan Lucroy. Piscotty had a single, double and home run. Semien had two singles and a double. Laureano had two home runs and five runs batted in. Jonathan Lucroy had two singles and a double.

The A’s hit four home runs Monday.

With the win, the A’s are now 75-50 and were back in first place following the Houston Astros’ 7-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Time of game was two hours and 48 minutes and 9,341 fans went home happy.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series will be played Tuesday night at 7:05 pm PDT. The A’s will send Brett Anderson (2-3. 3.90 ERA) to the mound and the Rangers will counter with Ariel Jurado (2-2, 6.41 ERA)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: This Week in 1980, Charlie O. Finley Sold the A’s for $12.7 Million

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Photo credit: thesportsesquires.com

By: Amaury Pi-González

On August 21, 1980, Athletics owner Charlie Finley announced at a news conference that he has sold his A’s to Walter A. Haas, Jr., the chairman of the board of the Levi Strauss clothing empire, Haas’s son Walter Jr., and son-in-law Roy Eisenhardt for $12.7 million.

In 1980, Finley agreed in principle to sell to businessman Marvin Davis, who was planning to move the A’s to Denver, but before that, Finley and Davis were to sign a contract, as the NFL’s Oakland Raiders announced they were moving to Los Angeles in 1982. The City of Oakland and Alameda County officials didn’t wanted to be held responsible for losing Oakland status as a big league city and refused to let the A’s out of their lease with the Coliseum. So the A’s were sold and stayed.

Although they have changed ownership a few times since, today’s A’s are in solid ground to continue playing in Oakland. These days, the last thing in mind for the A’s is to move out of Oakland, because soon they will be the only professional team left, after the Warriors move to San Francisco and the Raiders to Las Vegas. That is the good news. Plus, MLB commissioner Robert Manfred has said it all along, “the Bay Area is a two-team market.”

However, there is presently a group called Protect Oakland’s Shoreline Economy that is questioning the A’s proposed move to their favorite location of the Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. Here in the greater Bay Area, there is never a shortage of groups that oppose construction of sports facilities. and this one is the most recent. This is the second chapter of this novela. In December of last year, the A’s plans to build a 35,000 seat ballpark near Lake Merritt was stopped cold, when the community college refused to start negotiations about the proposed park.

All these recent concerns have been rather silenced by the A’s current play on the field, as they have been shocking the baseball world. They just took two out of three from the Mariners and two out of three from the Astros–two of their biggest rivals. This Monday, the Rangers open a three-game series at the Coliseum and then the A’s go on a six-game road-trip to Minnesota and Houston. They return the 30th of this month to say adios to August and welcome September with a four-game series against the M’s, three against the contending Yankees and the Rangers again. I do not believe the A’s bandwagon is close to capacity yet, as there are still a lot of folks who are not 100 percent certain they are going to see postseason play at the Coliseum. But I think they will.

By then, we will see how are the Atléticos de Oakland doing, with two very possible scenarios: 1) winning the division or 2) advancing as one of the two Wild Card teams.

Listen to the A’s games in Spanish on KIQI 1010am/990am, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton and the Valley, and on the SAP Channel on NBC Sports California.

Our Turn: Astros respond with 9-4 win to recapture first place in the AL West

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND — First, the Oakland A’s smashed a team-record eight doubles on Saturday to cap a 53-game run to a share of the AL West lead. Then the world champion Houston Astros responded on Sunday with five home runs to reclaim the division lead to themselves.

And what can we conclude from this series of events? Life at the top of the AL West–baseball’s toughest division–isn’t for the faint of heart. That, and look for something truly special to take place over the final 38 games of the season as the three playoff hopefuls in the West chase two playoff spots.

“These guys are no fluke whatsoever,” said Sunday’s winning pitcher Justin Verlander of the A’s. “We have the toughest division in baseball, without a doubt. The three teams are going to fight and claw all the way to the finish.”

Woven into the competition between the Astros, A’s and Mariners are the numerous accomplishments racked up along the way. Verlander’s 200th win of his career on Sunday ranks among the biggest, as 200 wins for a Major League starting pitcher has taken on the significance that 300 wins once held. Verlander, no stranger to the Coliseum and making himself at home wherever he pitches, moved himself into exclusive company as only the third active pitcher to achieve the milestone, joining C.C. Sabathia and the ageless Bartolo Colon.

Including the playoffs, Verlander has beaten the A’s 16 times, and been dominant in a few of those outings, including the clinching Game 5 win in the 2012 ALDS that forced a full house at the Coliseum to spend the evening sitting on their hands as Verlander’s Tigers cruised to a 6-0 victory.  On Sunday, the 35-year old right hander got all he could handle early as the A’s hottest hitters–Khris Davis and Matt Chapman–combined for three homers off Verlander before the conclusion of the third inning.

Yuri Gurriel allowed Verlander to survive the early onslaught with one swing of the bat, as his three-run shot off Sean Manaea gifted the Astros a brief 4-2 lead. Davis’ second home run–his 36th of the season–got the A’s even, but little went right for Oakland after that.

While the Astros added single runs in the the fourth and fifth to chase Manaea, then added three more off reliever Emilio Pagan in the seventh and eighth innings, the A’s offense went quiet, one of the rare occasions that the A’s didn’t take control of a ballgame late. Marwin Gonzalez capped the Houston outburst with his solo shot in the eighth–the seventh extra base hit for the Astros one day after the A’s tallied eight.

The Astros won for just the second time in their last nine games, part of their struggles with reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve on the disabled list. Altuve started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Fresno on Sunday, giving Houston hope that the second baseman can rejoin the club this week. The Astros continue their road trip in Seattle on Monday, the opener of a three-game set.

The A’s open a series with Texas at the Coliseum on Monday night at 7:05 pm PDT with Mike Fiers facing either Mike Minor or Colon for the Rangers, who have a beat up rotation, and have not announced a starter for any of the three games in Oakland.  The Rangers have dropped four straight to the A’s, and have lost 10 of their previous 13 games at the Coliseum.

MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum: Braves and Phillies battling in NL East, Cardinals and Brewers battling in NL Central ; A’s can move into first today…if they can beat Houston

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Photo credit: @Cardinals

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel:

1 Pennant race deck getting shuffled–Braves, Cardinals making a move in NL, Houston trying to hang on in AL.

2 Swingin’ A’s tied for first in AL West, take first two of weekend series against Astros.

3 Tigers add Nolan Blackwood as player to be named later in deal with A’s for Mike Fiers.

4 Matt Harvey takes no-hitter into the sixth, Reds beat Bumgarner, Giants 7-1.

5 Indians retire Jim Thome’s #25.

Daniel Dullum does the MLB podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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.

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.