Tag: Oakland A’s

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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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

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

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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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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!

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s nearly sweep Mariners in another exciting series: Oakland opens up against Houston Friday night for 3 games

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On the A’s podcast with Jerry:

The Oakland A’s nearly got a three game sweep past the Seattle Mariners in a battle that lasted 12 innings on Thursday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. In a pitchers duel, the entire ballgame went 0-0 until the bottom of the ninth when the M’s Dee Gordon lifted a two-run homer just over the center right field fence for the 2-0 lead and eventual win.

A pair of pitchers dueled it out in their starting performances the Seattle Mariners’ Mark Leake, who went eight innings, two hits and one walk, and for Oakland, Brett Anderson 7.2 innings, five hits, and two strikeouts. The A’s got excellent relief help from pitchers Lou Trevino, Fernando Rodney, and Jeurys Familia. A’s reliever Yusmerio Petit drew the short straw, giving up the two-run homer to Gordon for the 2-0 loss.

The A’s have the day off and get ready for the Astros on Friday night at the Coliseum.

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

A’s unable to stop Gordon, Mariners in 2-0 loss in 12 innings

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By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — It was August 15th and the Oakland A’s were loud and proud about the fact that they’re just one game back of the Houston Astros just moments before the home game versus the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon. The A’s haven’t been this confident in a long time.

Both teams engaged in a pitching duel and a very defensive battle through seven innings. Wednesday’s seventh inning stretch was extremely exciting, thanks to the talented in-stadium host Kara Tsuboi (@karashotcorner).

The A’s Twitter managed to make the scoreless innings sound thrilling as they tweeted, “The late innings have arrived. You know what that means.”

A’s manager pulled starter Brett Anderson out of the game, and rookie reliever Lou Trivino entered in relief. Trivino pitched just 1/3 of the eighth inning.

Veteran reliever Fernando Rodney stepped onto the mound for the A’s. Rodney pitched 2/3 of the eighth inning.

Newly acquired reliever Jeurys Familia warmed up in the A’s bullpen just moments before he had to get on the field.

Neither team was able to score in the standard nine innings, so the game went into extra innings. Fans in attendance got the chance to watch additional baseball for free, which was a wonderful thing–especially for the kids.

The Mariners finally broke open the scoring in the top of the 12th inning. The M’s Dee Gordon hit a two-run home run for his 24th RBI of the season. Gordon hit the two-run homer off of A’s reliever Yusmeiro Petit, who has played for the Giants from 2012 to 2015.

The M’s shutout the A’s 2-0 in a three-hour, 13-minute game in front of 17,078 fans. The M’s James Pazos was the winning pitcher. Pazos’ record upped to 3-1. Petit, who was the last A’s reliever, got the loss. Petit’s record dropped to 1-2.

The M’s moved up on the A’s in the AL Wild Card standings. The M’s are now 2 1/2 games back of the A’s and also gained one full game on the A’s.

Notes
Three A’s players made appearances on television and radio Wednesday morning. Stephen Piscotty was on air on Sports 1140 KHTK at 8:35 am PDT. Marcus Semien joined Jim Rome on CBS Sports Network at 9:30 am PDT. Trevor Cahill spoke on MLB Network Radio at 9:35 am PDT.

A’s 50th anniversary moments
In 1976, Joe Rudi collected his 1000th hit as an Oakland Athletic in the A’s 8-7 win against Boston…In 1980, Rick Langford pitched a six-hitter as the A’s defeated Seattle 11-3…It’s his club record ninth consecutive complete game victory…The win came in the midst of a club record 22 consecutive complete games…In 2009, Adam Kennedy was a perfect 5-for-5 in the A’s 8-1 loss to Chicago…It’s Kennedy’s second of two five-hit games in 2009.

Up Next 
The A’s have a much-needed day off on Thursday. They’ll welcome the Astros for a three-game series starting this Friday night at 7:05 pm PDT.

Headline Sports with London Marq: What else will happen if Bonds gets elected to Hall of Fame?; How big was Terrell Owens’ mistake?; Braves’ Acuna accomplishes a great feat; plus more

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On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Barry Bonds, who had his number retired by the San Francisco Giants last week, unofficially launches the campaign to have the former outfielder bid for the Hall of Fame. After all, that has been reported regarding steroid use by Bonds and his admitting to using the cream and the clear undetectable steroids unknowingly in grand jury testimony. If Bonds were elected to the Hall, will this also open the door to players like Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeriro and others to be voted into the Hall too?

#2 The A’s won their 21st one-run game of the season against the Seattle Mariners. They are now just one game back of the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. The game was close and the M’s are trying to chase the A’s in the AL West for second, but the A’s now have taken two of the three game series from the Mariners.

#3 In football, people are still talking about how Terrell Owens broke with protocol and held his own Hall of Fame ceremony at his alma mater and not in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. How big of a mistake was that move?

#4 The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna “Matata” Jr. is just having himself a time at the plate, homering in five consecutive games, three of those homers as a lead off hitter, accomplishing the feat that no other player has accomplished.

#5 The Oakland Raiders play game two of the preseason in LA against the Rams. The Raiders, who defeated the Detroit Lions 16-10 last Friday, face the Rams this Saturday. Talk about some of the things that head coach Jon Gruden will be looking for in this game and what does he expect out of his quarterback Derek Carr?

London Marq does the Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s win a thriller over Mariners 3-2; close in on first place in the AL West

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By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s won their fourth game in a row as they defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-2 at the Oakland Coliseum in a very close and competitive contest. With the win, coupled with the Houston Astros’ 5-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies, the A’s found themselves just one game behind the Astros in the race for the AL West division crown.

The A’s are now 72-48, and most of the pundits who predicted this team would finish last in the AL West now have an egg on their collective faces. This team is for real. They have relatively good starting pitching, one of the best bullpens in all of baseball, power up and down the lineup and sensational defense.

636575966572545642-032518-mlb-record-projectionsM’s right fielder Mitch Haniger doubled into the left-field corner to start the game. Mike Fiers retired Robinson Cano for the first out, but Haniger was able to advance to third on the play. With the infield drawn in, Fiers got Jean Segura to ground out. Jed Lowrie made sure Haniger stayed at third base. Nelson Cruz hit a blooper to right field that Stephen Piscotty could not catch. Piscotty was playing deep as Cruz loves to torment the A’s pitching. He had a long run for the ball. It looked as if he caught the ball, but he trapped it. Haniger scored on the play.

In the bottom of the first, Marcus Semien tied the game with a blast off James Paxton that landed in the seats in left field. Jed Lowrie was the next hitter. Lowrie lined a shot off Paxton’s shoulder for a base hit. Paxton’s shoulder dropped, and he was unable to continue and exited the field. Felix Hernandez was brought in to pitch for the M’s. Hernandez walked Khris Davis to put two men on with one out. A’s manager Bob Melvin had Matt Olson pinch-hit for Mark Canha. Olson hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the first inning.

In the bottom of the third inning, Jed Lowrie homered with a man aboard to give the A’s a 3-1 lead. King Felix had retired six in a row since coming in to relieve Paxton. With two out, he walked Matt Chapman. Jed Lowrie then hit his career-high 19th home run of the year and upped his RBI total to 76, which was a new career-high for him.

The M’s plated a run in the top of the fifth when lead-off hitter Cameron Maybin hit his fourth home run of the season over the left field wall. Fiers regained his composure and retired the next three hitters in order The A’s led 3-2 in the middle of the fifth inning.

Fiers retired the M’s in order in the sixth inning. Melvin then turned the game over to his bullpen. Ryan Buchter, Yusmeiro Petit, Fernando Rodney, and Blake Treinen allowed three hits and no runs. The A’s won 3-2.

Game Notes and Stats: The M’s announced the negatives on James Paxton’ left forearm. He suffered a bone contusion and is listed as day-to-day. The M’s, A’s and their respective fans wished him a speedy recovery.

The A’s Matt Chapman continued to play fantastic defense. Chapman lit up the crowd when he made a fantastic catch off Robinson Cano’s popup in foul territory. Chapman made a running catch as he head to lean over the tarp in foul territory. The crowd went crazy.  Chapman extended his career-long on-base streak to 28 games. With his double in the eighth, he has now hit in 12 straight games.

Jed Lowrie hit has 100th career home run. It was the third home run this year off Felix Hernandez.

Jonathan Lucroy threw out Dee Gordon, trying to steal second in the top of the eighth. Lucroy has nailed 20 runners, and that ties him for the Major League lead with Jorge Alfaro of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Felix Hernandez made his first appearance of his career. Hernandez took the loss and is now 8-11. Mike Fiers improved to 8-6.

The A’s are now 38-12 since June 16th. They are 50-0 when leading after the seventh inning. They are the only team in baseball that is undefeated when leading after seven.

The final game of the three-game series will be played Wednesday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. Game time is at 12:35 pm. Lefty Brett Anderson (2-4, 4.53 ERA) will pitch for Oakland, and the M’s will send Mike Leake (8-7, 4.11 ERA) to try to stop the A’s

Time of game was a crisp two hours and 28 minutes and 17,419 fans saw the A’s win a thriller over the M’s.

Up Next: The A’s wrap up their series versus the Mariners on Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm PDT. Brett Anderson (2-4, 4.53 ERA) will pitch for the A’s, and the M’s will send Mike Leake (8-7, 4.11 ERA) to try to stop the A’s.

They are off on Thursday before starting a crucial three-game series with the Astros on Friday at 7:05 pm PDT.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Lots of chatter about postseason for A’s; Race tightens in the AL West

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

1) A’s fans now are talking about winning the Western Division, not just making the Wild Card Game. Is that a realistic goal for this Oakland team?

2) Last week, you said that August 10th to the 22nd were the 12 most important days of the 2018 season for the A’s. Do you still feel that way? How are they doing so far?

3) The Seattle Mariners have been on the move and are nipping at the A’s heels just 2.5 games back in the standings. On Tuesday night, the M’s got Robinson Cano back after his long suspension. What kind of impact will Cano make on his team?

4) A’s players are making appeals to fans to come out and see them play. Why aren’t the fans filling the seats at the Coliseum?

5) There is a group called the Portland Diamond Project that is drawing up plans for potential downtown ballparks in Portland. Should Bay Area fans be worried about that group?

6) The A’s announced on Tuesday the establishment of the Athletics Hall of Fame. What are thoughts about the concept and the Class of 2018?

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

A’s win a nail-biter 7-6 over the Mariners

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s beat the Seattle Mariners 7-6 at Oakland Coliseum on Monday night before a crowd of 10,400 fans.

The A’s were cruising along with a 7-1 lead with two out in the eighth when things began to go south. The A’s starter Sean Manaea, who did not pitch well last week against the Los Angeles Dodgers, returned to form. He was in complete control for 7 2/3 innings of work. He left the game with the A’s in front and all the bullpen had to do was get the last four outs of the game. The A’s bullpen, which is so reliable and one of the best in baseball, almost failed to get the job done Monday.

A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Manaea after he gave up a single with two outs in the eighth. He had thrown just 86 pitches, and it looked like he would stay in the game to finish the eighth. His replacement, Emilio Pagan faced two hitters, and both singled to make it 7-2. Melvin brought in rookie Lou Trivino to get the final out. The first hitter he faced singled to make it 7-3. Trivino struck out Kyle Seager to end the inning. Things got tense in the ninth. The M’s scored three more runs to close within one, and they had the tying run on at second with two out and a very dangerous slugger, Nelson Cruz, at the plate. Blake Treinen, the A’s All-Star closer struck out Cruz to end the game and put smiles on the fans’ faces that stayed until the bitter end.

The A’s jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, third baseman Matt Chapman lined a shot that bounced off M’s third baseman Kyle Segura. Chapman ended up on second base with a double. Jed Lowrie, batting from the right side, singled to right to drive in Chapman with the A’s first run of the night.

The A’s put three more on the board in the third inning. M’s starter, Marco Gonzalez, walked the first hitter of the inning, Marcus Semien. Semien then stole second. Matt Chapman blooped a double into short center field. Semien had to hold up as it appeared the ball might be caught.  The A’s had second and third with no out and Jed Lowrie coming to bat. Lowrie, who had been mired in a slump due to a leg injury, doubled to drive in Semien and Chapman. Gonzalez retired Khris Davis and Mark Canha. A’s first baseman Matt Olson singled to drive in Lowrie with the A’s third run of the inning and the fourth of the game. The A’s led 4-0 after three complete.

In the top of the fourth, the M’s plated their first run of the game. Mitch Haniger led off with a double. Manaea retired Cameron Maybin and Jean Segura for the first two outs of the inning. Melvin signaled the umpires to issue an intentional walk to DH Nelson Cruz. Seager singled to drive in Haniger with the M’s first run. Manaea retired former Athletic Ryon Healy for the third out. The A’s did not score in their half of the frame. The A’s led 4-1 in the middle of the fourth.

The A’s tallied three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Chad Pinder started the rally with a single to the left. Jonathan Lucroy walked to put men on at first and second with no out. M’s reliever Casey Jackson struck out Semien for the first out. He had to face Matt Chapman. Chapman doubled to drive in Pinder and Lucroy. It was Chapman’s third double of the night, and that tied an A’s team record. The next hitter, Lowrie, also doubled to drive in Chapman. It was Lowrie’s third hit of the night. The A’s were in the driver’s seat with a 7-1 lead after six innings of play.

The M’s rallied to score two runs in the top of the eighth after two men were out. Manaea retired the first two M’s hitters to start the inning. He then gave up a single to Haniger. Melvin walked to the mound and took Manaea out of the game. Manaea received a standing ovation from the fans. Pagan was the new A’s pitcher, and he did not get anyone out, He gave up singles to Maybin and Segura. Haniger scored on Segura’s single. Melvin brought in Trivino to pitch. Cruz, singled to drive in Maybin with the M’s third run of the game. Trivino struck out Seager to end the inning. The A’s led 7-3 after eight.

The A’s brought in Jeurys Familia to close out the ninth. However, there was just one little problem–Familia couldn’t find the strike zone. Not only did he commit the cardinal sin of walking the leadoff hitter in the ninth, but he also walked the next two batters to load the bases with no out. The fans were getting nervous, and so was Melvin. Melvin removed Familia and brought in Treinen to pitch. Treinen struck out pinch-hitter Chris Herrmann for the first out. With Haniger hitting, Treinen uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Healy to score from third. Haniger then singled to drive in Mike Zunino and Denard Span, and it was a 7-6 game with a man on first and one out. Treinen struck out Maybin for the second out. Segura, with two strikes on him, reached on an infield single to move Haniger into scoring position. Treinen now had to pitch to the ever-dangerous Cruz. Cruz, who has beaten the A’s many times in the past, was not able to punish the A’s as Treinen struck him out to end the game. The A’s won 7-6.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s improve to 71-48. They are 37-16 since June 16th. They are now just two games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. They increased their lead over the Seattle Mariners to 2 1/2 games in the race for the second wild card slot in the American League.

The A’s are now 49-0 when leading after seven innings and are still the only team that is undefeated in that department.

Sean Manaea was the winning pitcher and is now 11-8. Marco Gonzalez absorbed the loss, and his record dropped to 12-8.

Jed Lowrie had three hits and four RBIs. He has driven in 74 runs so far this year and is just one behind his career-high of 75.

Matt Chapman had three doubles in the game and is the first A’s third baseman to have two three-double games in a season since 1948 when Hank Majewski did it for them when the A’s were in Philadelphia.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series will be played Tuesday night at 7:05 pm PDT in Oakland.

The A’s Mike Fiers will make his second start as a member of the Green and Gold. The M’s will send their ace, James Paxton, to the hill as they try to even the series.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s now 2 1/2 behind first-place Astros; A’s open nine-game homestand tonight

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Photo credit: @Athletics

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 The Oakland A’s new ticket plan called “A’s Access” gives the fans the opportunity to buy passes to all games for low ticket prices. It gives the working, middle-class a chance to buy affordable tickets at lower prices.

#2 The A’s continue they’re winning ways getting a 8-7 win over the LA Angels and are now closing in on the Houston Astros for first-place in the AL West. The A’s are now just 2 1/2 games back.

#3 The A’s recent acquisitions of pitchers like Fernando Rodney, Jeurys Familia, Shawn Kelly, and Mike Fiers, put the A’s in a very good place to go deep in the postseason.

#4 The A’s open a long homestand tonight against the Seattle Mariners. M’s Marco Gonzalez (12-7) against the A’s Sean Manaea (10-8).

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish play by play announcer and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com