Tag: Oakland A’s

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s hope to snap eight game skid against Tigers tonight

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Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera (24) makes a face that could only scare the Oakland A’s and it must’ve worked as the A’s got crushed by the Tigers 7-3 on Thu Sep 21, 2023 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal set a season high of ten strikeouts in seven innings pitched on Thursday night and won his fourth straight game against the Oakland A’s.

#2 The loss for the A’s was their eighth straight. The Tigers went up by scores of 2-0, 5-0 and 7-0 up until the bottom of the ninth inning. The fact of the matter is through these eight straight loses the A’s offense have been absent.

#3 The Tigers Kerry Carpenter picked up his ninth multi hit game for September and it’s Detroit’s 34th multi hit game for the season.

#4 Jeremiah, the two hitters in the A’s line up that’s been seeing the ball well has been Brent Rooker and Zack Gelof but it’s not enough they whole line up needs to hit and score runs to keep up with the opposing offense?

#5 Sawyer-Gipson Long (1-0 2.70) is starting for the Tigers in game two of this series for Oakland Ken Waldichuk (3-8 ERA 5.40) first pitch at 6:40pm PT.

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

Tigers Skubal keeps A’s off balance for his fourth straight win 7-3 in Oakland

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Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Luis Medina jumps over Detroit Tigers’ Zach McKinstry (39), who slides into third base after hitting a double and advancing on an error during the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Sep 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

Detroit (72-81).          200 030 020.  –    7.  9.  0

Oakland (46-107).     000 000 003.  –    3.  5.  3

Time: 2:33  

Attendance: 6,160

Thursday, September 21, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND—The significant news from the Oakland Coliseum tonight wasn’t the first of the four game series  between the Detroit Tigers and your for now Oakland Athletics. Both teams had already been eliminated from wild card competition.

Indeed, Detroit would have had to win tonight and go onto be undefeated in their nine subsequent encounters to reach .500 by the season’s end. I don’t have to tell you that Oakland’s chance of getting into the postseason crap shoot had been shot to hell some time ago.

So tonight’s decisive 7-3 win by the visiting Tigers paled in importance in the face of the stark climatological reality of a game time air quality index of 104 with no significant improvement expected before Saturday. 

It almost goes without saying that the PA announced before the game that it was a perfect day for baseball. (After each game, the PA blares its thanks to the spectators “for being the best fans in baseball.” We heard the same message tonight as well).

Luis Medina, one of the four players the A’s got from the Yankees in exchange for Frankie Montás and Lou Trivino last August, sent his first offering into the smoke filled air at 6:41. The young lefty was 3-9, 5.56 in this, his rookie season and went home after the game at 3-10, 5.73.

He lasted five innings, and pitched  acceptably in the first four of them. The two runs he surrendered in the initial frame were earned but not deserved. Two of the three he gave up in the fifth were well and truly earned.  He faced 23 batters in all and threw  80 pitches, 58  of them considered strikes. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out five. He also committed a run producing balk. It was no surprise that he didn’t come out for the sixth.

Tarik Skubal, a Hayward native, was 6-3, 3.25 for the less than mediocre Bengals when he went to work in the bottom of the first. That’s pretty good, but when you consider that he had gone 4-2, 2.98 in his seven previous starts, you realized that the weak hitting Athletics and their game time team batting average of .224,were up against a formidable opponent, at least as far as pitching was concerned. Although still poor, Detroit’s team BA of .234 before today left little doubt about which team was least bad  in that department.

Skubal’s performance tonight was excellent. He shut the Athletics out on two hits over seven frames, striking out ten and issuing but a single base on balls. He faced 22 hitters, one over the minimum, helped out by two double plays, and threw 87 pitches, 61 for strikes. He earned his seventh victory against three defeats and lowered his ERA to 2.95. Brenan Hanifee relieved him and went the rest of the way.

The Tigers lost no time in taking the lead. Matt Vierling’s leadoff pop fly to short right fell in for a Texas League double. He scored on Spencer Torkelson’s grounder to short that Nick Alllen threw away in an attempt to get Vierling out at home, Torkelson taking second on Allen’s error and then scoring when Andy Ibáñez smacked a triple to right center.

The Tigers tacked on a trio  of talleys in their half of the fifth. Parker Meadows started things with a single to center and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch to Jake Rogers, who then flew out to the right field warning track, advancing Meadows to third.

Verling’s single to center drove in Meadows. Zach McKinstry smacked his 20th two bagger of the year,  a line drive to right that plated Vierling, and kept on running to third on Brent Rooker’s errant throw. After Torkelson went down swinging, Medina ceded an international pass to Kerry Carpenter. Both runners moved up 90 feet, with McKinstry scoring, on a balk.  That made it 5-0, in favor of the men from Mo’ Town. 

Mason Miller relieved Medina for the sixth. He pitched a scoreless inning that ended when the A’s challenged second base umpire  Brian Walsh’s safe call on an attempted stolen base by Parker Meadows, who had received a two out walk. The A’s won the challenge, and Miller went on to retire the Tigers in order in the seventh.

That ended Miller’s effectiveness. Torkelson and Carpenter hit back to back singles to kick start the visitors’ eighth, and Ibáñez smacked a single to left through a drawn in infield to make it 6-0- Miller was yanked in favor of Easton Lucas, which, in turn, brought  about a pinch hitter for Miguel Cabrera (how the mighty have fallen!), André Lipcius.

With him at the plate, Lucas unleashed a wild pitch that moved both runners up a notch. After Lucas walked LIpcius, Zack Short pinch hit for Akkil Baddoo. He hit a weak grounder to first that Jordan Díaz fumbled,  bringing in Carpenter and leaving the bases loaded. Then Lucas settled down and retired the side with Detroit ahead, 7-0. Trevor May hurled a 1-2-3 top of the ninth.

Oakland finally ended their string. of goose eggs in their last turn at bat. Kevin Smith advanced to third on a ground out to second by Allen after leading off with a double to left and scored on a wild pitch to Gelof, who reached first on a two out infield single.  Oakannd’s last hurrah came on Rooker’s 28th home run of his rookie season, a blast that cleared the 388 foot marker at the State Farm advertisement in right center.

The series will resume Friday, evening at 6:40pm PT with Ken Wldichuk (3-8, 5.40), another acquisition in the Montás, Trivino trade, facing off against Sawyer Gipson-Long (2-0, 2,70) at the Swinging Coliseum,.

Mariners beat A’s 6-3 to sweep three-game series at Coliseum

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Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh, middle, is congratulated by Teoscar Hernandez (35) after hitting a home run as Oakland Athletics catcher Tyler Soderstrom, right, looks on during the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Sep 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Seattle Mariners spoiled rookie pitcher Joey Estes’ Major League debut Wednesday afternoon. Estes went 4.2 innings, allowing six runs and six hits. Five of the six hits were for extra bases, two doubles, and three home runs. The Mariners, behind George Kirby’s seven innings, holding the A’s three runs, beat the A’s 6-3 to sweep the three-game series.

The M’s put two runs on the board at the top of the second. With one out, Tye France reached on Jordan Diaz’s fielding error. It was Diaz’s second error of the game. The next hitter, Dominic Canzone, homered to give the Mariners an early lead, 2-0.

Zack Gelof, leading off in the fourth, sent George Kirby’s pitch over the wall in center field to bring the A’s within a run of tying the game. The Mariners still lead 2-1 heading into the fifth inning. 

The M’s big boys put four more runs on the board in the fifth to take a 6-1 lead. Hit by one of Estes’ pitches in the third, Julio Rodriguez exacted a degree of revenge by blasting his 31st home run of the year. The next hitter, catcher Cal Raleigh, who doubled in the first, homered for the 29th time to give the M’s a 4-1 lead. Seattle scored two more.

With one out, Eugenio Suarez doubled. Estes hit first baseman Ty France with a pitch. A’s manager, Mark Kotsay, removed Estes from the game. Adrian Martinez came in to pitch. The first batter Martinez faced, Dominic Canzone, who had homered in the second, doubled to drive in both runners. The M’s led 6-1 halfway through the fifth inning.

With two out in the bottom of the sixth, the A’s rallied to make it a 6-3 game. Seth Brown singled for the second time, and the A’s best power hitter this season, Brent Rooker, sent George Kirby’s 97 mile-per-hour out of the park. For Rooker, it was his 27th big fly of the year. 

Neither team scored in the final three innings. Seattle wins 6-3.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 46-106. They own the worst record in baseball. They have lost seven in a row and are sixty games under the .500 mark. They are close to exceeding the 1979 A’s team that lost 108 games, a team record.

The Mariners are now 84-68—the M’s kept pace with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. The Astros are just 1/2 game ahead of the Rangers and the Mariners in the race for first place in the AL West.

The Line score for Oakland was three runs, eight hits, and two errors. Joey Estes was the losing pitcher. The 21-year-old Estes was the fifth A’s pitcher this year to debut in 2023. Estes’ line was 4.2 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, six hits, three of which were home runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. Estes threw 90 pitches, 60 were strikes.

The Line for Seattle was six runs, eight hits, and no errors. George Kirby was the winning pitcher. Kirby’s record improved to 11-10.

Julio Rodriguez. Cal Raleigh and Dominic Canzone homered for Seattle. Canzone had a double and a home run and drove in four runs. 

Zack Gelof and Brent Rooker homered for the A’s. Rooker had two RBIs. 

The A’a are 0-6 on the ten-game homestand. Oakland will host the Detroit Tigers for four games starting Thursday night. Luis Medina (3-9 ERA 5.56) will pitch for Oakland. The Tigers will send lefty Tarik Skubal (6-3 ERA 3.25) to the mound to face the A’s. The game will start at 6:40 p.m at the Oakland Coliseum.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Home season almost over as A’s get swept again; Four game series with Tigers starts Thursday night at Coliseum

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Oakland Athletics pitcher Joey Estes, left, reacts after allowing a home run to Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh, right, during the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Sep 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 5602 fans came out to see the Seattle Mariners sweep the Oakland A’s in three games. Wednesday afternoon was no exception in the series as the M’s came out and just had another offensive afternoon with a 6-3 win

#2 The Mariners in the top of the second saw Dominic Canzone belt a two run home run to give Seattle a 2-0 off A’s rookie pitcher Joey Estes.

#3 In the bottom of the fourth the A’s Zack Gelof crushed his 13th home run of the season off M’s starter George Kirby to close the score to one run 2-1.

#4 It was the top of the sixth the M’s put some distance between them and A’s starter Estes. Julio Rodriquez hit a 389 foot home run to center right, Cal Raleigh followed up hitting a 398 foot home run to right field to make it 4-1 and the M’s Canzone hit a double to left field scoring Ty France and Eugenio Suarez making it 6-1.

#5 In the top of the sixth the A’s Brent Rooker hit his 27th home run of the season a 410 foot belt to deep center scoring Seth Brown and the A’s cut the lead in half 6-3.

#6 The A’s open a four game series on Thursday night against the Detroit Tigers. Starting for Detroit Tarik Skubal (6-3 ERA 3.25) and for Oakland right hander Luis Medina (3-9 ERA 5.56) first pitch at 6:40pm PT at the Oakland Coliseum.

Jerry Feitelberg is Oakland A’s reporter at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Crawford goes deep, Kelenic’s 2 RBIs gives M’s five run win over A’s 7-2

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Seattle Mariners’ Jarred Kelenic, left, celebrates next to first base coach Kristopher Negrón after hitting an RBI single against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Sep 19, 2023 (AP News photo)

Seattle (83-68). 010 100 401. – 7. 11. 0

Oakland (46-105). 000 000 200 – 2. 6. 1

Time: 2:52

Attendance: 6,294

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–After tonight’s 7-2 drubbing by the Mariners, the A’s probably don’t have even the bittersweet consolation of the also rans of baseball, the schadenfreude that comes from being a spoiler.. Neither the Detroit Tigers nor the Angels, two of Oakland’s rivals in their three remaining series this year, has a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs.

The third team they’ll face is the Twins, central division leaders, who already have clinched a playoff berth. Oakland might contribute to the bursting of their gonfalon bubble, but I wouldn’t bet on it, although you can be sure that someone in Las Vegas would be glad to take your money.

Paul Blackburn, the A’s starter, now in his seventh year with the club, didn’t begin his big league season until May 29, thanks to a right middle fingernail avulsion that kept him on the IL. He was an unimpressive 4-5 4.14 at game time after two straight starts in which he couldn’t pitch more than three innings.

Blackburn lasted longer tonight, five innings, in which he faced 20 batters and delivered 93 pitches, 60 for strikes. The Mariners scored two runs, both earned, off Blackburn on four hits and a walk. He struck out four. .He was the losing pitcher and now has a record of 4-6, 4.14.

The Mariners feel that Blackburn’s mound rival, Luis Castillo, is a valid Cy Young candidate.. His game time record of 13-7,308 backed by his nine (out of 30) starts of seven or more innings indicate that, even if he doesn’t earn the award, he’s certainly worthy of consideration.

Castillo went seven frames again tonight, keeping Oakland off the board for the first six of them. The two runs he allowed were earned. He threw 99 pitches in all, 68 for strikes, while improving his record to 14-7 3.06.

The Mariners went ahead in the top of the second on a one out double by Eugenio Súarez, followed by Jarred Kelenic’s RBI single. The Athletics might have drawn even in the bottom of the third, but they wasted singles by Esteury Ruiz and Tony Kemp when both of them got thrown out trying to steal second.

Kelenic batted in his second run of the night in the fourth on a single to left that scored Teoscar Hernández, who had been successful in his steal attempt after having drawn a walk. That put Seattle up, 2-0

Lucas Erceg relieved Blackburn in the sixth and shut out the M’s in that episode. Then he struck out Ty France in the seventh before yielding to Easton Lucas, who yielded four runs on an infield single by pinch hitter Sam Haggerty, a double by JP Crawford, an intentional walk to Julio Rodríguez, a Cal Raleigh single, and a wild pitch. At this point, Seattle now led, 6-0.

Oakland made a comeback of sorts in the home seventh. Aledmys Díaz led off with an uncursed double to left and scored on Shea Langeliers triple to center. Tyler Soderstrom’s sacrifice fly to center brought in Langeliers with the Athletics’ second tally.

Not unexpectedly, Lucas didn’t come out to pitch the eighth. Easton Sweet did and yielded nothing more damaging than a walk.

Matt Brash relieved Castillo for the home eighth. With Sweet still on the mound, Crawford’s 16th homer of the year led off the top of the ninth. Seattle didn’t score again, but the A’s had to call on. Francisco Pérez to get the final out.

Eduardo Bazardo made quick work of Oakland in a 1,2,3 bottom of the ninth.

The four game series concludes Wednesday, afternoon at 12:37pm PT, with Joey Estes making his major league debut for Oakland against Seattle’s George Kirby (10-10, 3.37)

M’s Woo blanks A’s 5-0 to open three game series at Coliseum

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Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo works against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Sep 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Seattle (82-68). 0101 201 001 – 5. 9. 0

Oakland (46-104). 000 000 000 – 0. 5 0

Time:2:41

Attendance: 4,972

Monday, September 18, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Oakland born Bryan Woo returned this evening to the town where his eyes first saw the light of day. The 26 year old righty, who was on the injured list from August 8 to 22 with an inflamed right forearm, started for the Seattle Mariners against the A’s, bringing a record of 3-4, 4.36 with him.

One of those victories came at the Athletics’ expense, when, on August 28, he shut them out for six innings on three hits in a game that the Mariners won, 5-0.

In spite of some difficulties in the first and fourth frames, Woo was pretty much lights out for the five innings he was in the game. He allowed three hits, all singles, struck out six, but issued four bases on balls. Still, he didn’t allow any runs. He threw 86 pitches, 53 for strikes and with the win improved his record to 3-4, 3.90.

Although the outcome of the game, a 5-0 whitewash of the hapless A’s, had no effect on the Athletics’ dismal place in the MLB standings, it was an important win for the visitors, who, once the final out was recorded, stood at 82-68, two games behind the Astros for first place in the AL West and a half a game out of the last wild card position.

The A’s sent sophomore southpaw JP Sears and his 5-11, 4.45 record against the M’s. In spite of his unsightly numbers Sears has shown signs of being a front line starter for some future team that the A’s will either trade him to or pack up and go to Las Vegas with. He toed the mound at 6:41 with a 2-0, 0.67 career mark against Seattle over five games, four as a starter.

Sears had problems with his control in the top of the first, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batter, but somehow managed to wiggle out of it unscathed. His control was better in the second, but Sam Haggerty led off with a single, advanced to second on José Caballero’s weak grounder to short, on which Nick Allen made a pretty pickup and throw, and then scored on a perfect piece of opposite field hitting, JP Crawford’s two single to right.

Sears managed to avoid serious damage in the second and third, but Seattle put another two runs on the board in the fourth on Dylan Moore’s solid single to center and José Caballero’s no doubt about it 437 foot blast into the left field seats, his eighth round tripper of the year.

Oakland’s starter recovered to pitch a perfect fifth, but a Caballero single and steal of second, followed by a double by Luis Torrens in the sixth brought in Seattle’s fourth run and sent Sears to the showers. Kyle Muller relieved him with two outs and ended the inning. He stayed on and shut out the M’s until faltering in the ninth and surrendering the visitors’ fifth and final tally.

Sears had lasted 5-2/3 frames, in which he threw 89 pitches, 53 for strikes. The four runs he allowed were earned and came on six hits, four balls, and a hit batter. The loss left him at 5-12, 4.52. Tayler Salcedo pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth in relief of Woo, and Justin Topa put the A’s down in order in the seventh and gave way to Trent Thornton.

The A’s couldn’t score on him either, but Esteury Ruiz, who had pinch hit for Seth Brown in the sixth, did manage to single and then steals of second and third, bringing his season’s pilferage total to 61.

Isaiah Campbell mopped up for Seattle with a scoreless ninth.

Tuesday, at 6:40pm PT the gang from the Puget Sound will start Luis Castillo (13-7, 3.08) against the East Bay’s Paul Blackburn (4-5 ERA 4.14).

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s just couldn’t stop Pads bats Sunday; Oakland hosts Seattle tonight at Coliseum

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The San Diego Padres Juan Soto helped the club pour it on the Oakland A’s. Here’s Soto taking a curtain call after hitting a grand slam in the top of the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Sep 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Oakland A’s (46-103) just completely got lit up on Sunday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum 10-1 by the San Diego Padres (72-78). The A’s dropped got swept by the Padres at home after going 3-3 on their last road trip.

#2 The Padres clubhouse was jubilant after the game with the win they captured their first four game win streak.

#3 The Padres Juan Soto hit two home runs in the nine run win. The Padres were noted to have been the only MLB team not to have over a three game win streak and were somewhat relieved to have picked up that fourth straight win.

#4 The A’s picked up their 103rd loss of the season the mark ties the 1979 A’s for 103 loses the most in A’s franchise history.

#5 The A’s open a three game series with the Seattle Mariners starting Monday night. Starting pitcher for Seattle Bryan Woo (3-4 ERA 4.16) he’ll be opposed by the A’s JP Sears (5-11 ERA 4.49) a 6:45pm PT at the Oakland Coliseum.

Barbara Mason does the Oakland A’s podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Soto has grand time with 2 HRs in Padres landslide win over A’s 10-1

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Oakland A’s catcher Shea Langeliers pegs out the San Diego Padres Jose Azocar at first base in the top of the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Sep 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

San Diego (NL) (72-78). 000 202 240. – 10 13. 0

Oakland (46-103) 000 000 010 – 1. 6. 0

Time: 2:50

Attendance: 8,680

Sunday, September 17, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND—The A’s thought enough of Joe Boyle to have sent Sam Moll and an undisclosed amount of cash to the Cincinnati Reds two weeks before the Notre Dame alumnus’s 24th birthday to pluck him from the roster of the AA Southern Association Chattanooga Lookouts and assign him to the AA Midland Rock Hounds of the Texas League.

Three weeks later he was with the AAA Las Vegas Aviators, where he went 0-2, 2.25 over 16 innings in three starts in the hitter friendly PCL. Today he opened for the Oakland Athletics. It was an impressive debut for the fireballing right hander, who has been working on reducing his velocity in order to improve his control.

The youngster hurled three innings of one hit shutout ball, striking out four and walking two. He threw 58 pitches to the 12 batters he faced; 35 of those offerings counted as strikes. He wasn’t involved in the decision, an overwhelming 10-1 triumph for the visitors.

San Diego came into the game with a record of 71-78, considerably better but no less disappointing than Oakland’s game time 40-102. The Padres were considered a legitimate threat to the Dodgers’ domination of the NL-West, but Bob Melvin’s crew took the field with an elimination number of seven with 13 games left to play.

So it was a day to enjoy the game and not think about its consequences in the standings. If you’re looking for a meaningful contest in the bay area, the Modesto Nut’s open the California League’s championship round at 7:30 tonight at John Thurman field.

The visitors also went the bullpen route, using Rick Martínez, whose two most frequently used pitches are the changeup and sinker, although he also employs the curve, cutter, and four seamer, as an opener. His last 11 appearances had been in relief.

He had started seven games before this one, which he began at 5-4, 3.84. He shut the A’s out on one hit, a broken bat single by Zack Gelof in the first, before departing after three frames, replaced by Pedro Avila.

Ken Waldichuk relieved Boyle to start the fourth inning and promptly gave up three consecutive hits, a lead off double to Manny Machado and singles to Xander Bogaerts and Luis Campsano. A late throw to first on a double play attempt and an infield single netted two runs for the visitors.

Avila also had trouble with the first batters he faced, issuing a base on balls to Gelof and allowing a single to Brent Rocker before settling down to retire Seth Brown, Shea Langeliers, and Lawrence Butler to preserve the Padres’ 2-0 lead.

Waldichuk set down San Diego in order in the fifth but yielded a sharp single to Bogaerts, leading off the sixth. Luis Camposano’s hard shot to short took an unexpected hop over Nick Allen’s head , and what looked like it would be a double play became a single that put two men on with no one out.

José Azocar laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved both of them up 90 feet, and Matthew Batten drove the two of them in to double the friar’s advantage.

Juan Soto’s 31st home run of the season with one on and no one down in the top of the seventh stretched the gap between the two teams to a half a dozen tallies. Soto’s blast sailed over the 388 foot marker in right center field travelled 411 feet and left his bat at 106.9mph, about 16mph faster than Waldichuk’s four seamer came in at.

Avila capped his three inning shutout performance by fanning all three batters he faced in the sixth. Tom Cosgrove, the first of two southhpaws to pitch for the Padres this afternoon, took over in the bottom of the seventh. The A’s touched him for a couple of singles by Seth Brown and Lawrence Butler, but that was all.

Devin Sweet, the rookie recently claimed off what used to be called the waiver wire from Seattle, got the nod to pitch the top of the eighth. He plunked Azocar, gave up a single to Batten and a walk to Profar but struck out Eguy Rosario and Tatis.

Oh, and by the way, after Tatis fanned, Soto blasted his second four bagger of the afternoon, his first career grand slam, a 407 foot wallop to left that gave Ray Kerr, the Pads’ other lefty to pitch today, a 10 run lead to protect in the bottom of the frame.

Geloff’s two out homer to left cut insignificantly into that lead. It was the rookie’s 13th dinger of the year, and Kerr went on to protect that nine run margin with a 1,2,3 ninth

Francisco Pérez, Oakland’s fourth pitcher of the afternoon, pitched a perfect ninth.

Avila earned the win. His record now is 2-1, 3.38. Waldichuk earned the loss. His record now is 3-8, 5.40.

The Seattle Mariners come to town to open a three game series with the A’s, starting tomorrow, Monday, evening at 6:40. The probable pitchers are Oakland’s JP Sears (5-11, 4.45) and Seattle’s Bryan Woo (3-4, 4.16).

Mason Miller struggles in second start back from 60-Day IL, as A’s fall to Padres for third-straight loss

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Sep 16, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Brett Sullivan (29) appeals to the third base umpire on a check swing by Oakland Athletics first baseman Ryan Noda (49) during the fifth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Noda was ruled out on the play. Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Oakland, California

San Diego Padres 5 (71-78)

Oakland Athletics 2 (46-102)

Win: Matt Waldron (1-3)

Loss: Mason Miller (0-3)

Save: Josh Hader (29)

Time: 3:15

Attendance: 14,376

By Stephen Ruderman

OAKLAND–The San Diego Padres beat the Oakland A’s, 5-2, in the second game of this three-game series on a partly cloudy Saturday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum to hand the A’s their third-straight loss.

The A’s sent the young right-hander, Mason Miller, to the mound. Miller, who was making his second start since coming off the 60-Day Injured List, struggled with his control.

Miller walked Ha-Seong Kim, following a 1-2 count, to start the game; and then Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled to put runners at second and third with nobody out for Juan Soto, who knocked Kim with a sacrifice fly to right. Xander Bogaerts then hit a donk single off the end of the bat into center for a base-hit to knock in Tatis and make it 2-0 Padres. Miller then issued a pair of two-out walks to load the bases, but he escaped further damage.

“Everytime [I’m] out there is a blessing and an opportunity,” said Miller. “I look to capitalize on things I’m struggling with, [and] make those adjustments week to week, outing to outing.” I don’t want to make any excuses for [my command].”

The knuckleballer, Matt Waldron, got the start for the Padres, and pitched scoreless innings in the bottom of the first and second. The A’s got to Waldron for a run to put the A’s on the board in the bottom of the third, as Nick Allen doubled to left with one out, and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Ryan Noda.

“I think that was my first time getting [a] hit off a knuckleball,” said Allen. “It was nice getting a double, [and] getting in scoring position for the guys.”

Luis Medina succeeded Mason Miller on the mound for the A’s, and threw a 1-2-3 top of the second, as well as a scoreless third. Medina remained in a groove in the top of the fourth, as he struck Trent Grisham out swinging to start the inning, and he got Matthew Batten looking for the second out. However, Medina walked Brett Sullivan, and gave up a single to Kim, which put runners at first and third. Medina walked Tatis to load the bases, and then he walked Soto to give the Padres a run for free.

Waldron pitched a scoreless bottom of the fourth for the Padres, and Medina came back out for the A’s in the top of the fifth. Medina hit Luis Campusano with a pitch to start the inning. He got Ji Man Choi to strike out swinging for the first out; he walked Grisham with one out; and got Batten looking again for the second out.

A’s Manager Mark Kotsay then opted to pull Medina for the lefty, Easton Lucas to face the left-handed-hitting Brett Sullivan. Sullivan hit a chopper to first that was picked up by A’s first-baseman, Ryan Noda, who threw a bouncer that went all the way to the A’s dugout.

Campusano and Grisham both scored to open the Padres’ lead to 5-1. Sullivan was originally awarded second base, but the third base umpire and crew chief, Dan Iassogna, convened the crew, and awarded Sullivan third since he had reached first before Noda got his throw off.

Mark Kotsay wanted an explanation as to why Sullivan was awarded third, and Iassogna checked in with the replay center in New York for a rule’s check, but he was backed up by Approved Ruling of Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G), which states:

“If all runners, including the batter-runner, have advanced at least one base when an infielder makes a wild throw on the first play after the pitch, the award shall be governed by the position of the runners when the wild throw was made.”

Zack Gelof hit a home run to left off Waldron to start the bottom of the sixth to cut the Padres’ lead to 5-2. Seth Brown struck out swinging, but after Aledmys Diaz singled to center, Waldron’s day was done. Padres Manager Bob Melvin brought in Scott Barlow, who gave up an opposite-field single to Lawrence Butler, which brought the tying run to the plate. However, Carlos Perez grounded back to the mound for a 1-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Easton Lucas ended up pitching two innings in total, and with two outs in the top of the seventh, he was replaced by Lucas Erceg, who would’ve ended up pitching a perfect inning and a third had Tatis not reached on an error with two outs in the top of the eighth.

Barlow ended up pitching an inning and a third of scoreless ball for San Diego, as did Robert Surarez. Dany Jimenez pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for the A’s, and the Padres summoned their closer, Josh Hader, for the bottom of the ninth.

Carlos Perez singled to left to start the bottom of the ninth, but Brent Rooker flew out to left; Nick Allen grounded into a fielder’s choice; and Shea Langeliers pinch-hit for Tony Kemp and struck out swinging to end the game.

The A’s will try and salvage a game in this series tomorrow, as they will send the young 6’7” right-hander Joe Boyle to be the opener in his major league debut.

[Joe Boyle] will open tomorrow,” said A’s Manager Mark Kotsay. “We’re looking forward to this day tomorrow to see a young man that [has] earned this opportunity.” said A’s Manager Mark Kotsay.

Stephen Ruderman is a http://www.sportsradioservice.com contributor and podcaster

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Taking a look at the steps MLB will take to move A’s out of Oakland

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Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman is part of a three man MLB committee that will recommend relocating the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas. The committee will send their recommendation onto MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after doing the first step of the study. (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, MLB announced that there will be a relocation vote in mid November. There are several steps to the process beginning with a three man executive committee which consists of Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio, who is chairing the committee, Philadelphia Phillies CEO John Middleton and Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman. 

#2 The second step of the process is the recommendation gets passed along to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred who will look over the relocation application and no doubt put his stamp approval on it.

#3 After Manfred is finished with his approval it moves onto a eight man committee who will look it over for the renderings, the blue prints, how the move will benefit MLB, the topic of moving to the smallest MLB market will no doubt be part MLB considerations.

#4 Once the eight man committee has completed their study they will pass it onto the 30 MLB owners for the mid November vote which requires 75% approval to relocate the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas.

#5 You have to wonder if Oakland was going to get an expansion team out of this then why move out of Oakland in the first place. Also revisiting Howard Terminal could be tougher than it was the first time with John Fisher and the A’s.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com