Tag: Oakland A’s

Another Slow Start for Oakland Spells Series Loss To Seattle 8-4

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Oakland A’s pitcher Alex Wood (57) waits for the ball after walking the Seattle Mariners Luis Arias in the bottom of the second inning at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Sun May 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

It’s awfully hard to win a game when you fall behind 5-0 by the second inning. It’s even more difficult when you fail to score a single run until the fifth inning. This was the scenario for the Oakland A’s (19-23) Sunday in Seattle.

A rough outing on the mound plus a poor offensive effort spelled the difference in the game. Oakland lost this to the Seattle Mariners (25-19) game 8-4. They faced a team with one of best pitching in the league. Seattle’s Luis Castillo went six innings while the A’s Alex Wood lasted only two innings before turning it over to Kyle Muller

Game recap: This game started under sunny skies as the stadium continued to fill with families celebrating Mother’s Day treating mom to a fun-filled day at the ball park. Yesterday 32,000 plus fans attended the game and huge attendance is expected today on this Mother’s Day.

The players and umpires got into a celebratory mood with an array of pink sweatbands, bats, socks and Seattle catcher Seby Zavala was decked out in pink from head to toe. This was no ordinary boring pink but an electric hot pink making the outfield a blaze of color. The final attendance was over 41,000 fans.

The Mariners struck first in this game when Mitch Garver singled driving Dylan Moore home for the 1-0 lead going into the second inning. In both games one and two Seattle scored the first run of the game and today again took the first lead.

Seattle’s Sam Haggerty had his first hit of the season in the second inning driving in Ty France for a 2-0 lead. Oakland pitcher Alex Wood had already thrown 59 pitches some of them erratic. Dylan Moore sacrificed flied and Luis Urias scored for yet another run 3-0.

Wood then threw a pitch that really hurt when Julio Rodriguez knocked it out of the park, a two-run home run and Seattle had taken a 5-0 lead. In games where the Mariners led by 5 runs, they were 12-1 and Seattle had broken this game open. So far, the A’s had run into an offensive buzzsaw.

In the third inning Abraham Toro attempted a steal and was thrown out for the third out and not much was going right for Oakland in this game.

The A’s got their first run of the game in the fifth inning when Oakland’s Max Schuemann hit a solo home run with so much ground to make up trailing 5-1. The A’s got little chance to even think about a comeback when Seattle struck again with a two-run home run courtesy of Mitch Garver and the Mariners had extended their lead to 7-1.

The sixth inning saw a long ball from each team. The A’s Abraham Toro hit a solo shot and the Mariners Seby Zavala had a solo home run as well. Trailing by the 8-2 deficit, single runs were not going to get the job done for the A’s. So much damage was done on the mound and coming back was a bleak prospect. Oakland was running out of frames.

The A’s continued to fight and in the eighth inning Brent Rooker hit a two-run home run but with only one inning left in the game they were up against immeasurable odds trailing 8-4. It was a quick ninth inning for Oakland coming up short and the Mariners had won this game 8-4 as well as the series.

Post game notes: Sunday afternoon the A’s and the Mariners closed out their three series, a rubber match in a reversal of fate series. In game one it was all Seattle crushing the A’s 8-1. Oakland could not generate very much offense while the Mariners were dominating on both sides. All eyes were watching to see how the A’s would respond in game two and respond they did to the tune of an 8-1 victory of their own.

The Mariners came out in the first inning with Mitch Garver’s RBI scoring Dylan Moore to put the M’s ahead 1-0. The Mariners came right out and struck again in the bottom of the second this time with four runs including a home run by Julio Rodriguez. The Mariners starter Luis Castillo pitched six innings giving up seven hits and two runs and the A’s starter Alex Wood went two innings four hits and gave up five runs.

The Oakland A’s will be relieved to get back on the road after this series taking on the Houston Astros Monday evening. Putting this series behind them is a must as they take on another division rival. Ross Stripling (1-6 ERA 5.14) will take the mound for Oakland while Spencer Arrighetti (0-4 ERA 8.44) will be on the hill for Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM.

Oakland A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg: A’s-M’s battle for rubber game today in Seattle

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The Oakland A’s Brent Rooker swings for an RBI single in the top of the top of the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Sat May 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Augie Mesenburg:

#1 The Oakland A’s put together a late rally scoring three runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings and came out on top of the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle 8-1 on Saturday night.

#2 Sometimes you just don’t know what A’s team is going to show up on Friday night the A’s got clobbered 8-1 but then turned it around with some clobbering of their own on Saturday night winning 8-1.

#3 Augie, A’s starter Joey Estes got the call up from triple A Las Vegas pitching five innings, giving up only two hits and one earned run. A great outing by Estes who kept the M’s off balance with the backing of four relievers.

#4 The A’s got offensive help from Abraham Toro and Brent Rooker hit for RBIs in the A’s two run third inning, Max Scheuemann hit a double for three runs in the eighth, and JJ Bleday hit a two run homer in the ninth.

#5 Oakland A’s LHP Alex Wood (1-2 ERA 5.30) and the Seattle Mariners Luis Castillio (3-5, ERA 3.35) will match up in the rubber game tonight at T Mobile. It comes down to who wants bad enough. Who do you like this one?

Augie Messenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com; Augie is also a reporter at 102.3 KHAI Honolulu

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: How much blame falls on Oakland Mayor Thao or A’s owner John Fisher in loss of A’s

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during the Oakland 68’s and the Last Dive Bar’s FanFest at Jack London Square Oakland back in March 2024. Thao is facing a recall from office as being organized by Oakland residents. (photo by the City of Oakland)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 An Oakland poll that was taken asked if Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao should go and she got a 96.6 percent rating that asked if Mayor Thao should be recalled. Although Oakland residents blame Oakland A’s John Fisher for taking the A’s out of Oakland Thao is being blamed for a large part of losing the A’s.

#2 Thao and the City are also being blamed for not solidifying their negotiations in trying to bridge the gap to get the financing done to get a ballpark village at Howard Terminal. How much of the blame of losing the A’s will be part of Thao’s legacy?

#3 It’s very likely a recall to remove her from office will be in motion soon. Thao is being blamed for the high crime, retail closing and leaving, the high profile closure of In and Out Burger at the Airport Corridor, and the failure to negotiate an agreement with the A’s to keep them at the Coliseum for the interim for three years.

#4 Charlie, how much did the $92 million for three years offer by Oakland to keep the A’s at the Coliseum for interim while the park is being built in Las Vegas seem like a pie in the sky offer by Thao and the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority?

#5. What really went wrong between Fisher and Thao in negotiations in terms of closing the deal at Howard Terminal?

Charlie O does Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Flip the Script Beating Seattle 8-1

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The Oakland A’s Lawrence Butler (4) scores in front of the Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (left) at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Sat May 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

In game two of the A’s three game series with the Seattle Mariners (21-19), Oakland (19-22) turned the tables on Seattle. Losing 8-1 in game one, it was the A’s whose offense was lit winning game two 8-1.

Oakland had a great offensive and defensive effort. A’s pitcher Joey Estes had a great game going five innings allowing two hits, one run and no walks with 5 strikeouts. Relief pitching was terrific putting the icing on the cake in the final four frames.

Game recap: The Mariners were first up on the scoreboard in the second inning. Cal Raleigh knocked the ball out of the park, a solo shot, to take the early 1-0 lead. Oakland got some offense going in the third inning. Lawrence Butler walked and Brett Harris singled with Abraham Toro at the plate with no outs. Toro singled driving Butler home and this game was tied 1-1. With two outs Brent Rooker singled and Harris scored giving Oakland a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the third inning. The A’s had strung some hits together in the early innings with some nice offensive production.

A pitching duel ensued through the next four frames and going into the eighth inning the Oakland offense lit up. Max Schuemann doubled driving three runners, Kyle McCann, Esteury Ruiz and Brent Rooker home, taking a 5-1 lead. The A’s would tack on another run in the ninth inning. Brett Harris crossed home plate on a wild pitch from Seattle’s Eduard Bazardo for a 6-1 tally. Oakland had more in store for the Mariners when JJ Bleday homered with Abraham Toro on base extending their lead to 8-1 this time in favor of Oakland. In game one the Mariners finished with an 8-1 win and tonight Oakland flipped the script; it was the A’s who were crushing the Mariners, the final score 8-1.

Oakland had a solid night on the mound. Starting pitcher for the A’s Joey Estes finished the game going five innings allowing only two hits, one run and 5 strikeouts. Relief pitching was also top notch. Only one hit was allowed in the final four innings closing out this game in style. The A’s had definitely gotten their revenge after last nights loss and now had the opportunity to win this series in tomorrow’s rubber match.

The A’s had nine hits in this game hanging onto the 2-1 lead going into the eighth inning. Oakland broke this game wide open in the eighth frame scoring 3 runs and in the ninth inning three more runs for the 8-1 final score. They scored their first five runs without a home run. Going into the ninth inning however, JJ Bleday hit the long ball and finished off this game with a 2-run homer.

Post game notes: Friday night the A’s got shellacked by the Mariners narrowly avoiding a shut out scoring in the ninth inning. Lawrence Butler singled Kyle McCann home for the single Oakland run in the ninth inning for a final score of 8-1.

The Mariners went crazy in the fifth inning scoring five runs at the expense of A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn. Seattle would go on to burn Blackburn for two more runs before he was relieved in the game. Oakland got some payback in game two of the series turning the tables on the Mariners.

The A’s got better offensive production in the early innings. They did start hitting in the latter innings of game one but were stagnant in the early frames. Joey Estes took the mound for the A’s pitching over five innings giving up two hits and one earned run. The M’s Bryce Miller started for Seattle pitched over six innings gave up five hits, two earned runs, two walks and struck out nine hits.

Oakland will finish off this series Sunday in game three looking to win the series. Alex Wood will take the mound for the A’s while Luis Castillo will get the nod for Seattle. First pitch for this rubber match is scheduled for 1:10 PM.

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A’s Get Stomped by the Mariners 8-1; Blackburn gets lit up for seven hits and seven runs

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Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn throws to the Seattle Mariners line up at T Mobile Field in Seattle. Blackburn got lit up by the M’s four seven hits and seven runs over four innings of work on Fri May 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (18-22) had a rocky start to their series up in Seattle against the Mariners (21-18) Friday night. There was not much hitting through the first six innings for the A’s and Paul Blackburn only lasted four innings on the mound giving up 7 hits and 7 runs.

Coupled with lack of offense from Oakland as well as some very productive offense from Seattle, they built a 7-0 lead going into the seventh inning.

The Mariners would tack on one more run in the seventh inning for a 8-1 finish at T Mobile Field in Seattle. Oakland’s Lawrence Butler singled in the ninth driving Kyle McCann home. The A’s loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning but left the runners stranded.

Game recap: There was not much going on through the first three innings for either team. It was a one, two, three fourth inning for Seattle’s Bryan Woo. Paul Blackburn did not follow suit in fact he allowed five Seattle runs in the bottom of the fourth.

He had back-to-back walks and later on in the inning allowed a couple of doubles and a Dylan Moore home run for a 5-0 lead through four innings. The Mariners had turned this game inside-out. Oakland had a lot of work to do going into the fifth inning.

Seattle’s Bryan Woo, in his first start of the season, exited the game in the fifth inning. He had been struggling with elbow inflammation in the pre-season and he began to show signs of some discomfort putting a damper on his return to the mound.

After one of the trainers came out and evaluated Woo’s elbow it was determined that he was done for the evening. Trent Thornton would relieve Woo in the fifth inning after Woo’s 62nd pitch of the evening.

Paul Blackburn continued to struggle giving up a couple of singles and a walk loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. A change was made on the mound for Oakland and Tyler Ferguson took over trying to get out of a very sticky situation.

He was looking to stop the bleeding. A ground out, a strike out and Thornton was one out away from getting out of the inning. With the two outs, the Mariners Dylan Moore singled driving in two more runs and Seattle was cruising 7-0.

This game went into the sixth inning and the A’s had only two hits so far in this game. The Mariners were completely outhitting Oakland through five innings with 8 hits; a home run, a couple of doubles and a single.

The game went into the seventh inning with Seattle holding onto a comfortable lead 7-0. Oakland’s Easton Lucas who relieved Ferguson had a terrific sixth inning closing out the inning with three straight punch outs.

The Mariners scored another run in the bottom of the seventh inning winning this game 8-1. The A’s got a couple of singles in the top of the ninth inning from Kyle McCann and Tyler Soderstrom with Lawrence Butler driving McCann home and the A’s had avoided the shut out.

They did load the bases in the top of the ninth inning leaving three runners stranded. This was not the way that Oakland wanted to start this road trip. They finished this game with seven hits, loading the bases in the ninth but it was too little too late.

Post game notes: The A’s are coming off a disappointing four game series with the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum this past week. They only managed a single win, the first game of a double-header in the final third and fourth game of the series on Wednesday . The A’s in Seattle Friday night took a tough loss from the Mariners in an eight difference. Oakland is still holding down third place in the American League West although dropping seven below five hundred after Friday’s shelling but remain four games out of first place.

Friday night Blackburn for the A’s got racked up pitching four plus innings surrendering seven hits and seven runs and Bryan Woo for the Mariners went 4.1 innings held the A’s to just one hit, no runs, and struck out one and walked three. Blackburn’s ERA was raised to 4.11 and dropped to 3-2 on his win/loss record. He had been having success this season and but Friday night against an aggressive and seeing eye M’s line up Blackburn was just simply overmatched.

Saturday night the A’s will take on the Mariners in game two of their series. This will be an evening game with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM. Joey Estes will be on the mound for the A’s with a 0-0, 6.04 ERA and Bryce Miller will get the nod for the Mariners with a 3-2, 2.61 ERA. Oakland will be looking for some more productive offensive work on Saturday night.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s Mason Miller could be traded

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller is seen here throwing to the Seattle Mariners line up in the top of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue May 2, 2023 back when he was a starter. Since converting to the closer role in 2024 Miller has seen lots of success in save situations. So much so other big league clubs have express interest in his services including the New York Yankees. (AP file photo)

A’s Mason Miller could be traded

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A team in transition like the Oakland A’s (Oakland until September 26) is always building for the future, especially with so many moving parts right now for the Athletics, cities, new stadiums, and lawsuits, referendums. A possible trade this season that involves A’s closer Mason Miller is very likely. It all depends on the situation and where the A’s are in the standings. Or maybe not, considering the unpredictability of the A’s ownership.

The A’s will be asking for a big package of promising players, but I think this will have to wait until at least the middle of the season. Let’s say the A’s continue to improve, and they are fighting for the western division title on July 31. What do you do?

Various teams have reportedly expressed interest in the 25-year-old “lanzallamas.” Two teams expected to be contenders, the Orioles and the Cubs, are probably the types of teams that are one stud short in the ninth inning, a closer away from pulling the trigger.

The A’s might still have Miller and not be contenders, and if that is the case, the probability of a trade increases. This applies to the A’s and the other teams that want to trade for Miller. How are they doing when they also pull the trigger? Is there urgency? The A’s hold all the cards with Miller since he is still under A’s control until 2029, so they can wait. If you are a negotiator, you want to start with an advantage, and the Oakland A’s have it today with Miller.

The lifespan of a young closer throwing high-octane doesn’t last forever. Free of injuries, there have been very few Mariano Riveras out there, the type of pitcher who has owned the ninth inning for years.

Finally, I would not be surprised if the Oakland A’s traded Miller during this 2024 season, and you also should not be. But let’s face it: For a young and very good team like the Baltimore Orioles, that is their focus. A team like the O’s might need that one piece, a “lights out” closer, to win the World Series this year. But the Orioles should not be over-excited. The Baltimore Orioles have not won a World Series since 1983 (41 years), and they are today one of the elite teams in the game.

Is it Miller time?

Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Oakland will never be the City of Champions again; More fans staying away from 2024 home games vs.2023

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Three time World Champions the 1974 Oakland A’s top row left to right Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, second row left to right Reggie Jackson, owner Charlie Finley, Gene Tenace, and third row bottom Sal Bando, Catfish Hunter and Campy Campaneris (Sports Illustrated 1974 photo)

On the Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 For almost a year now the Oakland A’s who announced they had a binding agreement at the Rio in Las Vegas it was the beginning of would be the end of Oakland sports. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors were gone and the Oakland Raiders left for Vegas from the looks of it Daniel the Oakland Coliseum and the City of Oakland will never see a top line professional sports team again as MLB had made it clear they want out of Oakland.

#2 In the 1970s when the A’s won three straight world Championships in a row no one would have dreamed that the A’s would even consider moving out of Oakland and that possibility came in 1977 and 1978 when the A’s within a whisker of moving the team to Denver and being owned by Marvin Davis.

#3 in 1977 the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority filed a law suit against former A’s owner Charlie Finley saying that Finley had ten more years left on the Coliseum lease. January 23, 1978 Davis ended negotiating with the City of Oakland and the A’s would remain in Oakland.

#4 The appeal for new language on the Nevada petition to stop public funding or SB1 for an Las Vegas A’s ballpark on the Las Vegas strip still no word from the Nevada Court of Appeals. If approved Schools over Stadiums would have until the end of June a month and half away to gather 102,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot for the Nov 2024 election.

#5 Attendance for A’s home games in Oakland and to no ones surprised down from last year through the first 21 games of the season as reported during the Rangers-A’s doubleheader last Wednesday. The A’s top attendance was on opening day at 13,500 and their lowest crowd was less than 2900 on Monday night. Comparing it to last season’s opener which had 25,000 fans.

Join Daniel Dullum each Friday for the Oakland A’s Relocation podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s hope to capture series against M’s in Seattle Friday night

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Oakland A’s Tyler Soderstrom (21) is congratulated by Max Scheumann (12) at the plate after Soderstrom’s two run homer against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum in the second game of a doubleheader on Wed May 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Oakland A’s catcher Shea Langeliers has been lighting it up with his bat. In the doubleheader on Wednesday he slugged for a two run home run and knocked in five run for a career five RBIs. In game two he proceeded to hit for three more RBIs against the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum.

#2 The A’s lost game two of the doubleheader 12-11. The Rangers Jonah Heim and Nathaniel Lowe both hit for three RBIs. The Rangers wound up winning three out of four in the four game series.

#3 The A’s tried to make a come back but fell short in the night cap scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before Rangers reliever Kirby Yates shut the door on the A’s for his seventh save of the season getting the A’s Tyler Nevin to fly out to right field with runners at first and second.

#4 Langeliers was just seeing the ball well hitting a two run home run and got another RBI while hitting into a ground out. Langeliers surpasses former Oakland A’s right fielder Reggie Jackson for the most RBIs Jackson had seven and Langeliers picked up eight on Wednesday.

#5 The A’s open a three game series in Seattle on Friday night at T Mobile Field. The A’s starter will be RHP Paul Blackburn (3-1 ERA 3.00) and for the M’s Bryan Woo (0-0 ERA 0.00) a 6:40pm PDT start.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#3

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: San Jose Sharks get No.1 draft pick; Celtics bury Cavs to take game 1; plus more news

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NHL overall top draft pick Macklin Celebrini is most likely a top choice for the San Jose Sharks. The NHL announced that the Sharks have the number one choice at the NHL Draft on Jun 28-29th, 2024 which will held at the Sphere in Las Vegas (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly presented the flip card revealing the number one draft pick and the San Jose Sharks who had the league’s worst record at 19-54-9. The Sharks are looking at Macklin Celebrini the first overall draft pick in the NHL draft.

#2 The Boston Celtics went through the Cleveland Cavaliers like butter on Tuesday night in Boston with a 25 point 120-95 win to take game 1 of the NBA second round playoffs. The Celtics got top scoring from Jaylen Brown with 32 points and Derrick White hit seven three pointers.

#3 The WNBA has committed for the next two seasons to spend $58 million for charter for the league travel as opposed to commercial flying. This would be full time charter flight service. With the arrival of Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever as the face of the league the WNBA plans on stepping it up and taking care of it’s players with charter flights that means no more standing in lines at the ticket counter, at security and with other passengers to board a flight. They’ll be treated truly like a professional team.

#4 The frustration of the Denver Nuggets is starting show. The Nuggets who lost the first two games of this second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets saw team leader Jamal Murray throw a towel and then a heat pack toward an official and ended up getting fined $100,000 and was lucky he didn’t get suspended for a game. The toss came while live action was taking place with 4:41 was remaining in the second quarter.

#5 On Tuesday the Texas Rangers didn’t hold back scoring ten runs in the top of the second inning against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum. The Rangers 15-8 win gives them their fourth straight win and the A’s their third straight loss. The Rangers and A’s split both ends of a doubleheader with the A’s taking the front game and

Jessica Kwong does Headline Sports every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Rangers just get by A’s in night cap 12-11 for split of doubleheader

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Oakland A’s runner Brett Harris (left) dives in safely at second base as the Texas Rangers Josh Smith (right) puts on the tag just a bit too late in the bottom of the sixth inning of the second game of a doubleheader at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed May 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

Texas (21-17). 014 200 032. 12. 16. 1

Athletics (18-21). 022 200 014. 11. 14. 1

Time: 3:33

Attendance: 8,230

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–After halting their losing streak at three in the first game of this lovely sunny day’s double header on Wedensday, the Athletics came up short in the nightcap, falling 12-11 in an action packed melodrama that lasted over three and a half hours,

Both starting pitchers were recently called up right handers. Oakland sent Osvaldo Bido, whose big league experience had consisted of 50-2/3 innings with Pittsburgh, where he went 2-5, 5.86 last year. He threw 57 pitches before he was relieved, leading 2-1, after hitting Josh Smith with a pitch in the top of the third.

That hit batter loaded the bases, and so the runs they eventually scored were charged to the starter, who wound up being the losing pitcher. He gave up a total of four runs, all earned, including the three posthumous ones and notched four strikeouts against two walks, giving him a record of 0-1, 13.50.

The reason for his departure was a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Michael Kelly (1/3 of an inning, three runs, two earned), TJ McFarland (two innings, two hits), Kyle Muller (three innings, three runs, all earned, on five hits), and the newly promoted Easton Lucas, making his. season’s debut in the ninth (one inning, two runs, earned, on three hits) also pitched for the Athletics.

Jack Leiter, who started for Texas, didn’t have any big league experience before this year and probably regretted the little he had in 2024; his record at game time was 0-0, 17.18. He lasted four frames, in which he gave up six runs, four earned, on seven hits, two of them out of the park, and left with a no decision that improved his record to 0-1, 12.91).

The Rangers sent six more pitchers to the mound. The first of them, Jaob Latz, threw a one hit scoreless fifth, The second, Josh Sborz, gave up a walk to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth, went 3-1 to the sixth, and then left with an undisclosed injury, replaced by David Robertson (two innings, a walk and five Ks).

He was followed by José Leclerc (one inning, one hit, one run–earned–one walk, two strikeouts), Owen White (no outs, three hits, three runs, all earned), and Kirby Yates (one inning, two hits, and a run, which was earned).

The Rangers jumped ahead early with a run in the top of the second on a two out walk to Johnah Heim,and back to back singles by Ezequiel Durán and Davis Wendzel.

In the bottom of the second, Shea Langliers picked up where he had left off in the afternoon’s opener and put the green and gold ahead with , 2-1, with a 454 foot home run to centerfield, his second of the afternoon and ninth of the season.

Seth Brown, who had led off the frame with a single, was on base, giving the A’s DH seven RBI for the day, which tied him with Reggie Jackson for the most runs batted in a double header by an Oakland Athletic, set in 1969. Maybe there should be an asterisk next to his name in the record book due to the toponym.

Michael Kelly replaced Bido after his removal in the top of the third. With Semien, who had singled, and Lowe, who had walked, on base and two away, Heim’s grounder to second just snuck past Toro and into center to drive in Lowe and Semien and send Smith to third. Travis Jankowski brought him home with a single to right, and Texas was on top, 5-2.

But the A’s fought back, scratching out a couple of runs in the bottom of the frame. Toro led off with a scratch single to second. With one out, Rooker lined a single to center that put Toro on second. Seth Brown forced Rooker out at second on a grounder to first.

Umpire Mike Estabrook called Brown safe at first, but Texas challenged that ruling, which stood on review. Langeliers then forced Brown out at second while Rooker scored, giving Langeliers another RBI and putting him ahead of Reggie for the most RBIs for the Athletics in a twin bill. (See above proviso)

The A’s coughed those two runs up in the next inning. TJ McFarland relieved Kelly with Tavares and Semien on base and nobody out. Each of them advanced a bag on Evan Carter’s ground out to first and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s single to first. It now was 7-4, Texas.

But not for long. Max Schuemann led off the bottom of the fourth with single to center and Tyler Soderstrom, recalled from Las Vegas when the rosters were expanded to 27 for the double header, celebrated by sending an 88.7 mph cutter 421 feet deep into the left centerfield seats at 106.5 6mph. The A’s now trailed by a single run, 7-6.

The A’s came close to drawing even in the bottom of sixth. Robertson delivered a fourth ball to Toro and then retired Bleday and Rooker. He walked Thyler Nevin, who had replaced Brown, bringing up Langeliers, who was having the game of a lifetime. He worked a full count, taking close pitches, and then whiffed on a fastball.

Texas put the game on ice in the eighth with two walks, a double, a stolen base, a throwing error by Sodeerstrom, now catching, and a pair of singles, with an overturned safe call at home thrown in for good measure. All that netted Texas three runs and a lead of 10-6..

Still, the A’s inched closer, picking up a run on a leadoff walk to Harris, a double by Toro, and Bleday’s RBI ground out to first, and it was 10-7.

If Texas put the game on ice in the eighth, they locked it into the deep freezer in the ninth. Lucas allowed them two more runs on three singles and a walk.

Even that wasn’t enough to make it an easy win for the Texans. Singles by Langeliers, JD Davis, Schuemann, and Toro, Bleday’s double, a sac fly by Harris, and a balk combined to bring the A’s within a run of tying it up against Owen White and Kirby Yates. Later pitched to six batters, counting an intentional walk to Rooker, to earn his seventh save. Robertson, now 2-0, 0.87, was the winning pitcher.

The Athletes are off to Seattle, where Paul Blackburn (3-0, 3.00) will face a Seattle pitcher to be announced on Friday evening at 6:40. They return to the empty confines of the Coliseum on Tuesday, May 21 to do battle with the Colorado Rockies.