On Your Heels: A’s nip Angels 8-7, creep closer to Astros at the top of the AL West

By Morris Phillips

Like today’s starting pitcher, Blake Treinen is a singular force of momentum as a closer.

Treinen stepped on the mound for the bottom of the ninth on Sunday knowing this: only one of the 13 pitchers that preceded him escaped without allowing at least one walk or a hit in a game that resembled batting practice as much as a major league affair can. With the A’s clinging to an 8-7 lead–narrowed from 8-3 by the Angels over the previous four innings–Treinen was entrusted with the task of getting the final three outs.

Challenging task and circumstances? Sure, how else could you explain Treinen needing 11 pitches–not nine–to finish the afternoon with three, consecutive strikeouts?

Well, for the bullpen-rich A’s, Trienen is the closer of closers. Consider the 30-year old fireballer the crescendo of crescendos. Following trade acquisitions Jeurys Familia and Fernando Rodney–both closers for their former teams–not to mention premiere setup man, Lou Trivino, Treinen was one more power arm than the Angels could withstand on Sunday.

While the offenses piled up the runs on Sunday, the bullpens dictated the outcome. The Angels’ bullpen, beset by injuries, had a rag tag, patched together look while the A’s relievers, as a unit, resembled an out-making machine. Afterwards, Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia admitted his guys weren’t exactly a seamless organization.

“We’re looking at whoever is available to give us innings,” said Scioscia, who went without a starter on Sunday, as bullpen guy Taylor Cole took the ball to start, and was followed by six more relievers. “We tried to line them up as best we can, but it’s just not as efficient as it is if you have at least the functionality of having starters that are getting to a certain point of the game.”

Trevor Cahill, looking for his fourth win in as many starts, achieved just once previously in his decade-long, big league career, didn’t exactly deliver the A’s to their bullpen. Not the dominant force on the road as he’s been at the Coliseum, Cahill blew an early 3-0 A’s lead in two, swift acts. Then after he steadied in the third and fourth innings, Cahill fell into trouble in the fifth, and was lifted despite the A’s leading 7-4 at that point.

Jed Lowrie’s two-run homer in the fourth off ex-Athletic Jim Johnson appeared to give the A’s a comfortable lead, but then Cahill gave a run back in the bottom of the frame. Yusmeiro Petit was touched for a run in the sixth, and Familia allowed two runs in the eighth, setting the stage for the narrowed finish.

Treinen picked up his 30th save in 34 chances, lowered his ERA to 0.92, and boosted his strikeouts per nine innings to 12.

Lowrie’s double and homer were the 1,000th and 1,001st hits of his career.

With the A’s winning while the Mariners finished off a four-game sweep off the Astros, the A’s climbed within 2 1/2 games of the AL West division lead. That’s as close as the A’s have been to first place since April 3, and seamlessly sets up their next six games–three against the Mariners, then three against the Astros–all at the Coliseum.

Sean Manaea faces Marco Gonzalez in the series opener with both lefties looking to improve on their double-digit win totals.

MLB The Show with Daniel Dullum: Will Bonds’ past transgressions get swept under the rug and go in the Hall of Fame?; Astros hear footsteps, A’s closing in on first place in the AL West; plus more

Photo credit: @jcfphotog

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum

1 He fought with the media. He admitted unknowingly to using steroids in grand jury testimony. He and his trainer Greg Anderson were well-known to frequent Victor Conte of BALCO Labs, according to Conte, former Giant outfielder Barry Bonds’ ex-friend and business manager, son of former 49er Bob Hoskins, Steve Hoskins, said that he and his sister, Kathy Hoskins, saw Anderson handle a needle in Bonds’ bedroom of his house during Bonds’ playing days Bonds would complain of a sore butt according to Hoskins from taking too many shots. They also recorded Bonds and Anderson talking about steroid use in the Giants clubhouse. Bonds later fired Hoskins as his business manager fast forward. Now, the Giants retired Bonds’ No. 25 and there’s a big push to get Bonds to the Hall of Fame. Will all these transgressions be swept under the rug and will Bonds eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame?

2 Athletics blank Angels, closing in on Astros in AL West.

3 Indians’ Ed Encarnacion headed to DL.

4 Cubs’ Yu Darvish set to throw simulated game Tuesday.

5 Yankees restore relationship with Papa John’s pizza.

Daniel Dullum does the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Angels Rally on Pair of Homers, Top A’s 4-3

Photo credit: mlb.com

By Matthew Harrington

So many times this season the Oakland Athletics have lived by the long ball to win games, but Friday night in Anaheim, the dinger doomed the Green and Gold. The Los Angeles Angels hit two two-run shots, outscoring the A’s 4-3 in the first game of a three-game set. The A’s hit a pair of dingers themselves, a solo shot by Jed Lowrie and a two-run blast by Khris Davis, but Justin Upton and Kole Calhoun’s round-trippers tipped the scales in the Halos’ favor.

The Swingin’ A’s did just that in the first inning, jumping on Angels’ starter Felix Pena after Matt Champan launched his 16th homer of the year with one out and no one on. Jed Lowrie reached base, allowing Davis to crush his team-leading 33rd homer of the season for a 3-0 lead.

Brett Anderson would exit the game in line for the win, but the A’s margin for error was razor thin, nursing a 3-2 lead after Calhoun’s 16th homer of the year knocked in two runs in the bottom of the third.

A’s manager Bob Melvin’s most reliable reliever not named Blake Treinen, Lou Trivino, came into the game in the sixth, but struggled to stymie the Angels after Upton’s two-run shot. Former Athletic Jim Johnson picked up the win, despite throwing just 1/3 of an inning. Blake Parker picked up his 11th save of the season.

The A’s still remain 1 1/2 games up on the Seattle Mariners and they got positive results from newly-acquired reliever Fernando Rodney. He pitched a perfect inning, notching a punchout along the way. Edwin Jackson takes the hill for Oakland in game two, opposed by Tyler Skaggs of the Angels.

The A’s and Angels face each other for game two on Saturday night at 6:07 pm PDT.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s vs Mariners–Bullpen Mano a Mano

Photo credit: espn.com

By: Amaury Pi-González

Two Western Division teams fighting for one of the two Wild Card spots in the American League. One of them, the Seattle Mariners was supposed to be a contender, while the other one, the Oakland Athletics, is the biggest surprise in baseball this season.

Nobody can win a World Series without bullpen talent, all you have to do is go back during the past  few years and see the bullpens of the teams that won the title. The game today lends to starters–with some exceptions–to go between 5 to 6 inning, and then it is bullpen time.

Both clubs have made additions to their bullpens. Earlier this season, M’s manager Jerry DiPoto, brought veteran Alex Colomé from the Tampa Bay Rays (with 12 saves) to join their tremendous closer Edwin Nuñez (43 saves). This year, the A’s began with Blake Treinen, who saved 17 games for the team last season, but this year, he became one of the best closers in the game with 29 saves as well as his first ever selection to the MLB All-Star Game.

When the A’s got really hot and passed the M’s for the No. 2 position in the wild card race, the A’s management went to work. First, they acquired the New York Mets’ Jeurys Familia, a man that saved 51 games in 2016, then Minnesota Twins’ Fernando Rodney, who is 40 years old and a 16-year veteran who has played for five different teams and made 325 saves in his career. He packed his imaginary arrow and came to the Bay Area.

The A’s have 10 games remaining with the M’s, seven in Oakland, beginning next Monday for the first three and then three in Seattle during the last week of the season. This could be a battle of bullpens. The M’s Félix Hernández has been their No. 1 starter and he still is on paper.

However, King Félix, a leader on that pitching staff for 14 years, doesn’t bring the same dominant stuff to the mound anymore. He has a 8-10 record with a 5.73 ERA in 23 starts. Many years ago in Seattle, I saw Félix make his last start at Triple-A with Tacoma. Tremendous stuff, but that doesn’t last forever. Their No. 1 today was lefty James Paxton is 10-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 23 games (two completed games). He is their real top of the rotation man.

Edwin Jackson has done a terrific job for the A’s and now Mike Fiers, after a very good outing against the Dodgers, is part of the rotation. The A’s No. 1 is without a doubt, Sean Manaea, the young lefty is 10-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 24 starts and one complete game, a no-hitter against the Red Sox in Oakland back in April. It is worthy to mention that M’s Marco Gonzáles is having his best season. He is 12-7 and 3.79 ERA in 23 starts with one complete game.

As far as for both of these contending team starters, the M’s might have a slight edge, but when it comes to the bullpen, the A’s bullpen is much deeper than the M’s. That is just a fact. Will the A’s bullpen continue to perform as good? It is hard to find a better bullpen in baseball, maybe the Yankees, but definitely not many as solid as the A’s relievers. The A’s also picked up Nationals reliever Shawn Kelley, who began his career with the M’s, who gave up a completely meaningless ninth inning home run to Austin Jackson, which turned the Nats’ 23-run win into a 21-run win. He was mad about giving up that homer, threw his glove really hard on the ground, and that was his last game with the Nats. So the A’s told him, “Pick your glove up”and come our way!

Starting next Monday, when the A’s return from their trip to Anaheim against the Angels, I expect a bullpen battle between the A’s and M’s. This is when the rubber meets the road. Also, in this home stretch, the A’s will be facing other division teams like Houston, Texas and Los Angeles Angels, and of course a battle royale when the New York Yankees invade the Oakland Coliseum in the first week of September.

Fastens your seat belts, it going to be quite a ride!

Listen to the A’s games in Spanish on KIQI 1010AM/990AM, covering the San Francisco Bay Area as well as Sacramento, Stockton, and the Valley.

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: A’s on the road for brief three-game series in Anaheim; Oakland coming off 7-1 homestand

Photo credit: @KPOD1240AM

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman:

The Oakland A’s went 7-1 on their last homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was like the A’s were a knife going through butter as they made it look so easy. The A’s are playing with a lot of confidence and after acquisitions of pitchers Mike Fiers from Detroit, Sean Kelly from Washington, Jeurys Familia from the New York Mets, and picking up Fernando Rodney from Minnesota on Thursday night, the A’s have a real pitching nucleus.

Fiers, who pitched on Wednesday night for five innings plus, didn’t get the win, but was instrumental with 5.1 innings, four hits, one earned run, and eight strikeouts. A’s third baseman Jed Lowrie started working on his leg by doing sprints, treadmill, and lower body workouts.

Tonight, the A’s open a three-game series in Angels Stadium as they’ll start Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.64 ERA) going up against the Angels Felix Pena (1-3, 4.97 ERA).

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

 

Preview of the A’s and Angels’ 3-game series starting Friday night

Photo credit: youtube.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s start a short three-game road trip starting Friday night at Angel Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s record of 34-11 is the best in baseball since June 16th. They went 7-1 in the last homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The A’s split the two-game series with the Dodgers, and the entire experience felt as if it were the MLB playoffs.

The A’s are playing with supreme confidence right now. They acquired twp pitchers, Jeurys Familia and Shawn Kelley, to buttress the bullpen, and added a starter, Mike Fiers. Fiers’ debut against the Dodgers was impressive. Fiers didn’t receive credit for the win, but he gave the A’s 5 1/3 innings of work before A’s manager Bob Melvin turned the game over to his outstanding bullpen.

After the quick stop in Anaheim, the A’s will return home to face the Seattle Mariners for three and the Houston Astros for another three. The A’s lead the M’s by three games in the race for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. They trail the division-leading Astros by five.

There were high hopes for the Angels this year. The people in Orange County thought their team would be contending for the division crown. Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia was optimistic that this year would belong to his team. After all, they signed the highly-touted Japanese star, Shohei Ohtani, to play for them. Ohtani would pitch and on the days he didn’t, he would be their DH.

Unfortunately, Ohtani has been sidelined with elbow problems for most of the year. He has received plated rich plasma infusions to treat a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. He hasn’t pitched since June 6th. His record was 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA. Ohtani is expected to resume throwing off the mound on August 11th. As a DH, Ohtani is hitting .268 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs in 69 games.

In addition to Ohtani’s problems, the Angels’ pitching staff has also been racked with injuries. Pitchers John Lamb, Garrett Richards, and Kenyan Middleton all have undergone Tommy John surgery. Jake Jewell had surgery to his right ankle and is out for the year. Alex Meyer had surgery on his right shoulder last September and has not been able to return to action. Matt Shoemaker has surgery on his right forearm and may be back in August. Lefty Tyler Skaggs may return this weekend after being sidelined with a left abductor strain.

The Angels’ best player Mike Trout is day-to-day due to an injury to his wrist. He is expected back this weekend. Trout, the two-time MVP in the American League, is hitting .309 with 30 home runs and 60 RBIs. Kole Calhoun, who struggled earlier in the season, had raised his average to .214 and has 15 homers and 44 RBIs. Justin Upton is another dangerous hitter in the Angels’ lineup. Upton is at .255 and has 23 dingers to go along with 65 RBIs. The other offensive threat is the 38-year-old Albert Pujols. Pujols is hitting .253 and has banged out 18 homers along with 56 RBIs.

The A’s and Angels have met 10 times so far this season. Both teams have five wins apiece. After this weekend’s series, they will play six more games. Three will be in Oakland, and the A’s will wrap up the season in Anaheim.

The probable starters for Friday night’s game will be Felix Pena (1-3) for LA and lefty Brett Anderson for Oakland. Edwin Jackson will pitch on Saturday, and Trevor Cahill will go on Sunday. Sunday’s starter for the Angels have not been announced yet.

The Angels would love nothing better than to be spoilers. The A’s cannot take this team for granted. Yes, the Angels are disappointed by their lack of success so far this season. They have the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, but they will still miss the playoffs.

There have also been a lot of rumors regarding the status of their long-time manager Mike Scioscia. Scioscia has managed the team for 19 years, and he won a World Championship in 2002. Reports have him leaving at the end of the season. Scioscia has adamantly denied the reports. However, in baseball, one never knows.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Sources–A’s not happy with flagship station The Game; Fiers and his pitching debut for A’s; plus more

Photo credit: @Athletics

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry:

The Oakland A’s front office according to sources say they’re not too happy with their flagship station, The Game 95.7, because the station is dedicating too much time to the San Francisco Giants and less airtime for the A’s. The A’s are the hottest team in baseball. According to the source, are asking what do they have to do to get more airtime on their own flagship station? Do they have to play like the 1927 New York Yankees?

The A’s starter Mike Fiers, making his A’s pitching debut on Wednesday night pitched himself a game with some good off speed pitches, painted the corners, worked a pitch that dropped to the bottom of the strike zone, and kept the Los Angeles Dodgers off balance all night, which is no easy task for five-plus innings.

The A’s, who had a six game win streak going into Tuesday night’s game, but lost 4-2; but still monumental with the winningest record in baseball. The Dodgers are no pushovers as they’re hanging in there with Arizona a half-game back and the footsteps of the Colorado Rockies just two games behind. There’s some competition to be had in the NL West.

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

A’s edge the Dodgers 3-2 for a series split

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Oakland A’s and the Los Angeles Dodgers played a very close and very entertaining game Wednesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. It was the type of game that one would expect between teams that are contending for a playoff berth. The A’s sent newly acquired starter Mike Fiers to the hill to face the powerful LA Dodger lineup. The Dodgers had their ace, Clayton Kershaw, handling the pitching chores. The A’s would have to work hard to win, and they did just that as they beat the Dodgers 3-2.

Fiers was terrific for the first four innings. He retired all twelve hitters he faced and struck out eight along the way. The Dodgers scored a run in the fifth on a  Yasmany Grandal home run, and Fiers allowed two more hits in the inning but did not allow another run. He retired the first hitter in the sixth, but Manny Machado sent Fiers to the showers when he hit a double. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Fiers from the game at that point and turned the game over to the bullpen. Fiers received a standing ovation from the A’s fans as he left the field. The game summary follows below.

The A’s scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Khris Davis and Mark Canha singled to put men on at first and second. Kershaw retired Matt Olson on one pitch for the second out of the inning. With the count at 3 and 2 and the runners on the move, Stephen Piscotty singled to drive in Davis. Canha stopped at third. Rookie Ramon Laureano singled to drive in Canha with the A’s second run. The A’s lead 2-0 after four.

The A’s starter, Mike Fiers, who had been perfect for the first four innings of the game, gave up a home run to Dodgers’ catcher Yasmani Grandal. Grandal blasted his 20th of the year into the seats in right field. The Dodgers nicked Fiers for two more singles in the inning, but he was able to escape with no further damage.

The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. Cody Bellinger led off the frame with a single. Reliever Lou Trivino retired Yasiel Puig on a foul out to first baseman Matt Olson for the first out. Max Muncy, a former Athletic, hit a sharp ground ball to Olson. Olson didn’t field the ball cleanly. He was able to retire Muncy, but Bellinger was able to get to second safely. Dodger shortstop Chris Taylor singled to drive in Bellinger with the tying run.

The A’s regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth. The A’s rally was started by Marcus Semien who singled to start the inning. Matt Chapman flew out to center for the first out. Jed Lowrie, mired in a 3-for-28 slump, singled to right sending Semien to third base. The next hitter, Khris Davis, hit a slow roller to Dodgers’ third baseman Manny Machado. Machado threw home in an attempt to Nail Semien for the out. The umpire called Semien out but reversed the call when Grandal could not hold onto the ball. Davis was safe at first on a fielder’s choice. Nick Martini, pinch-hitting for Mark Canha struck out, and Matt Olson hit into a fielder’s choice for the third out. The A’s lead 3-2 as the teams head into the ninth.

A’s closer Blake Treinen did his job as he earned his 29th save of the year.  He struck out Cody Bellinger for the first out. Yasiel Puig then walked. Muncy hit a ground ball to A’s first baseman Matt Olson. Olson made an unassisted play at first for the second out, but Puig moved into scoring position. Treinen had to get Chris Taylor for the final out. He got Taylor to hit a soft fly ball that Jed Lowrie was able to catch for the final out of the game. The A’s win 3-2.

Game Notes- With the win the A’s improve to 68-47. The now lead the Seattle Mariners by three games as the Mariners lost to the Texas Rangers 11-7. The Dodgers are now 63-52 and fall 1/2 game behind the Arizona D-Backs who beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0.

The A’s end the homestand with a record of 7-1. They also split the four-game series with the Dodgers. The A’s are now 34-11 dating back to June 16th. It matches the best 45-game stretch in the majors this season. The A’s end interleague play with a record of 12-8.

Jeurys Familia was the winning pitcher, and he is now 3-0 with Oakland. Treinen recorded his 29th save. JT Chargois took the loss for Los Angeles.

The A’s are off on Thursday, and they start a three-game series on Friday with the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. Lefty Brett Anderson will go for Oakland, and Felix Pena will pitch for the Angels.

Time of game was three hours exactly and 33, 062 fans packed the Coliseum to see the A’s prevail.

Dodgers snap A’s win streak with 4-2 victory

Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers for a brief two-game set at the Oakland Coliseum starting Tuesday night. The A’s sent their best pitcher, Sean Manaea, out to face the powerful Dodger hitters.

The Dodgers had seven players in the lineup that are in double-digits in home runs hit this season. Rich Hill, who was with the A’s in 2016, went for the Dodgers. The Dodgers sent Manaea to an early shower in the third inning and went on to beat the A’s 4-2. The win for LA was important as it broke a virtual tie for first-place in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs lost and the Dodgers reclaimed the lead with the win.The A’s lost ground to the New York Yankees in the race for the first Wild Card slot in the AL. The first Wild Card hosts the one-game all or nothing contest in October. The A’s, on the other hand, did not lose ground to the Seattle Mariners as the M’s lost.

The Dodgers scored the first run of the game in the top of the first. Second baseman Brian Dozier led off with a single to left. Dozier was erased at second on a nice fielding play by Jed Lowrie. Machado was safe at first on the play. Third baseman Justin Turner doubled to deep right-center to put men on at second and third. Machado scored when Kike Hernandez grounded out. Manaea struck out Matt Kemp for the final out of the first.

LA added a run in the second. Manaea walked Chris Taylor to start the inning. Manaea retired Cody Bellinger for the first out. Right fielder Yasiel Puig singled to send Taylor to third.  Catcher Austin Barnes laid down a bunt that scored Taylor. Manaea threw Barnes out at first on the play. Puig stole third, but Manaea was able to retire Manny Machado for the final out of the inning. The Dodgers led 2-0 after two innings of play.

In the top of third, the Dodgers knocked Manaea out of the box as they plated their third run of the game. Justin Turner started the rally with a single to left. Hernanez fouled out. Matt Kemp walked to put men on at first and second. Manaea retired Taylor for the second out. Bellinger singled to center to drive in Turner. A’s manager Bob Melvin finished Manaea’s night when he walked to the mound to bring in Emilio Pagan to pitch. The A’s have not been able to do anything against Hill and they trailed 3-0.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Chapman led off with a double. Hill struck out Lowrie for the first out. The next hitter, Khris Davis, crushed an 88-MPH four-seam fastball to bring the A’s within one run of tying the game. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Hill from the game. The Dodgers used two pitchers to get the last two outs of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Dodgers had Joc Pederson pinch-hit for Kike Hernandez. Pederson doubled off the wall in left-center field. The ball missed going out of the park by just a few inches. Kemp then singled to drive in Pederson with the Dodgers’ fourth run of the game. A’s pitcher Yusmeiro Petit walked Bellinger to put men on at first and second with one out, Petit then got Puig to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. The Dodgers led 4-2 halfway through the seventh. The Dodger bullpen shut the A’s down the last three innings of the game to preserve the win for LA and Hill.

Game Notes: With the win, the Dodgers improved to 63-51 and regained the lead in the NL West. Roberts used five pitchers and Jansen recorded his 32nd save of the season. Hill’s record improved to 5-4.

Manaea took the loss and his record dropped to 10-8. It was Manaea’s shortest outing since August 12, 2017. He pitched just 2 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, six hits and walked three batters.

Davis was the hitting star for the A’s. Davis blasted his 32nd home run of the season with Matt Chapman aboard in the bottom of the sixth. Davis now has 88 ribbies for the year. It was the third game in a row that Davis has homered.

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

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

Time of game was three hours and 21 minutes and 33,654 fans watched the two teams play a very entertaining game.

Up Next: The finale of the two-game series will be played on Wednesday night at 7:05 pm PDT.

The Dodgers will send their ace, three-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw, to the mound.

The A’s will counter with righty Mike Fiers. Fiers came to Oakland on Monday when the A’s made a trade for his service from the Tigers.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Fiers and Kelly for a song can help launch A’s even further

Photo credit: Photo collage of Mike Fiers (left) and Shawn Kelley (right) from @AthleticsPR.

On the A’s podcasts with Charlie O:

1. We said the MLB trade deadline would not be the end of the trading season from the A’s and we were right! They’ve added two new pitchers. What kind of impact will Mike Fiers and Shawn Kelley make on the A’s?

2. The A’s made a flurry of roster moves Tuesday. What do we need to know about those transactions?

3. Oakland has won six straight games and moved into second place in the AL West and Wild Card. Can they sustain their position?

4. It’s an all LA rest of the week. Two with the Dodgers and three in Anaheim. How important are these games?

5). You say August 10-22 may be the most important 12 days of the season for the A’s. Why?

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