Tag: Oakland A’s

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.

The Oakland A’s Shea Langeliers (23) swung a hot bat in the first game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers driving in a career high five RBIs is seen here being congratulated by teammate Brent Rooker (25) at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed May 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

Texas (21-17). 101 200 000 4. 8. 0

Athletics (18-20). 020 211 30x 9 10 0

Time: 2:19

Attendance: Not announced

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND– After dropping three games in a row, one to the lowly Miami Marlins, and two to the powerful Texas Rangers, the Athletics returned to the win column by outmuscling the visitors from Arlington, 9-4, in the first game of this afternoon’s twin bill..

JP Spears, who started the first game has been a one-man double header so far this season. He had allowed a run or less in four of his previous starts and four or more in the remaining three. That gave him a record of 2-2, 3.89.

By day’s end Sears had thrown 88 pitches, 58 for strikes, over 5-2/3 innings, and allowed four runs, all earned, on seven hits, two of which went yard and a walk, while striking out three. Sears got the win, and his record now stands at 3-2, 4.20. Austin Adams relieved him with two down and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth.

Sears opposite number for Bruce Bochy’s defending World Series champion Rangers, Michael Lorenzen, also is a Janus-faced hurler. His 2023 highlights were high indeed, including a no hitter in his second start for Philadelphia but Lorenzen’s post acquisition fall off fully justified the Phillies’ refusal to offer him a multi-year contract, leading him to sign as a free agent with Texas on March 22.

Sears brought a season record of 2-1, 3.52 and lifetime numbers of 4-0, 0.29 against the A’s with him to the Coliseum. Sears had seven pitches in his arsenal; the four seamer, slider, sinker, and change of pace being the ones he uses most frequently.

Rangers starter Michael Lorenzen was unimpressive this afternoon, yielding a half a dozen runs, all of them earned, in as many innings. He threw 107 pitches, 30 of them balls and walked two batters, while striking out six. He took the loss, which left him at 2-2, 4.66.

Sears used up his Dr. Jekyl allotment of runs in the opening frame. Marcus Semien opened things with a single to left, advanced to second on a walk to Corey Seager and to third on a fielder’s choice, short to third, when Brett Harris was off the bag to receive the throw and then failed to take the runner. Jonah Heim’s sacrifice fly to right brought the Rangers’ second baseman home with the game’s first tally.

Sean Langeliers erased Texas’s momentary advantage with a 376 foot blast into the left field staircase with Brent Rooker, who had singled to center, on board. It was the A’s eighth round tripper and came on an 89 mph sweeper.

The A’ lead was shorter than the Rangers’. Semien, leading off, wiped it out on the third pitch of the top of the third, a 91 mph four seam fastball that carried 412 feet into left for his game tying seventh dinger of 2024.

Texas went ahead again in its next go round on a two run homer by Leody Tavares. Ezequiel Durán was on base after an infield single and a productive out when the Rangers’ center fielder knocked the ball 411 feet into left centerfield. It was, after all, a dry, sunny day by the banks of the River Nimitz.

Before you knew it, the green and gold had knotted the score again. Rooker knocked a one out double off the right centerfield wall, between the State Farm and Coca-Cola signs. Davis followed with a two bagger to right, but Rooker stopped at third because Adolís García almost caught Davis’s shot. Both runners scored on Langeliers’ double.

One inning later, Harris put the A’s ahead with his second home run of the year, taking a first pitch 92 mph sinker 428 feet into the left field seats. It was now 5-4 in favor of the temporary occupants of the Coliseum.

They added to that in their half of the sixth. Langeliers followed a lead off walk to Davis with his third extra base hit in as many plate appearances, a triple to left center, and now Kotsay’s crew was up, 6-4.

Cole Winn took over for Lorenzen after the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” He was the victim of the A’s third home run of the game, a three run 427 foot shot by Rooker over the wall in dead centerfield, his ninth HR and 22nd, 23rd, and 24th RBI of the year.

The reigning AL Reliever of the Month, fireballer Mason Miller, set the Rangers down 1,2,3 in the eighth, two of them by strikeouts. Ditto in ninth.

The second game of the afternoon’s entertainment is scheduled to start at 3:35. Both teams will send freshly promoted right handed starters. The Athletics will call on Osvaldo Bido, who has 50-2/3 innings of Major League experience but hasn’t thrown a pitch in the show for 2024. The Rangers’ Jack Leiter does, although he probably wishes he didn’t since he comes to work today at 0-0,17. 18).