Tag: Oakland A’s

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s after 2024, where do they Play?

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Las Vegas ballpark could be the home of the Oakland A’s for the 2024 season. The A’s minor team the Las Vegas Aviators and the A’s could end sharing the park starting 2024 until the A’s stadium is ready in 2027 (photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal file)

A’s after 2024, where do they Play?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A’s fans are very upset, after the announcement a few days ago by Dave Kaval that the A’s are buying land, have a binding agreement in Las Vegas to build their new ballpark. This is a wound that will take time to heal to all the people in the bay area, especially Oakland and the east bay.

On one hand many fans were under the impression the team was still working with the city of Oakland, as Kaval has said many times “we are working on parallel plans”, but on the other hand for anybody following this soap opera, the possibility of the team leaving was greater than 50%. Honestly, I was not surprised.

According to Kaval the plan is to inaugurate the new park in Las Vegas in 2027. But many are asking the question: where will the A’s play after 2024 when the lease with the Oakland Coliseum expires. Where will the A’s play in 2025 and 2026, while they are building the new park?

Oracle Park the home of the Giants could be one option, but it is unlikely. MLB will have to work on a big schedule modification. At the Oakland Coliseum. Extending the Coliseum (what happened to the Raiders) when they were waiting for their new park.

This is a possibility, if both sides agree to terminate the lease early. But this whole story has not been distinguished by people agreeing in much. At Aviators park in Las Vegas. Dave Kaval said the Aviators will remain in Las Vegas, the Aviators are their AAA affiliate and they could possibly play regular season games there while they build their new park close to the strip. Aviators Park is located in Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas with a capacity of 10,000.

If you think both teams, Aviators and A’s could not play close by, I remind you that currently the Minnesota Twins have their Triple A affiliate in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015, which is 10 minutes away from Target Field in Minneapolis home of the major league Twins.

Ex A’s and Hall of Fame player Reginaldo Martínez (Reggie) Jackson recently told the NY Post “what was the city of Oakland thinking?” And mentioned that they had already lost the Raiders and the Warriors and now the Oakland A’s. Two weeks ago Reggie predicted “they will not have a team in Oakland”.

Commissioner Fred Manfred wanted the A’s to leave Oakland and he knows the baseball owners are in agreement. The chances for Oakland to keep the A’s were never good. Baseball historians will have the task to record this moment in history. Once is all said and done, the A’s will become the first franchise in baseball to have played in four different cities; Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland and Las Vegas all keeping the same name of Athletics.

Perhaps the most famous move of major league teams happened on May 29, 1957, when National League owners voted unanimously to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers to relocate to Los Angeles and the New York Giants to San Francisco.

A’s Beat Texas Breaking Seven Game Losing Streak 5-4

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Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp rounds third past Texas Rangers’ Josh Jung on a solo home run during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Fri Apr 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

A’s Beat Texas Breaking Seven Game Losing Streak 5-4

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Oakland A’s (4-16) began a three game series in Arlington taking on the Texas Rangers (12-7). The A’s opened up this road trip and this series with a one run win 5-4 against the Rangers, snapping a seven game losing streak.

Among the plethora of problems Oakland has been facing, allowing home runs and walks has been a couple of glaring issues. Unfortunately the A’s demonstrated those in the first inning of this game. After walking Nathaniel Lowe, Jonah Heim came to the plate and hit a three-run home run giving the Rangers an early 4-0 lead. It was a tough start for the A’s but it was early in the game.

In the fourth inning Oakland made a move to get back into the game. Aledmys Diaz grounded into a fielder’s choice and Brent Rooker scored the first run of the game for the A’s.

There was more action for Oakland in the fifth inning. Tony Kemp homered to right center and the score was now 4-2 in favor of the Rangers. The A’s would continue to add more runs in the fifth. Kevin Smith scored on a Jon Gray wild pitch and just like that, the A’s trailed by a single run.

In the sixth inning Oakland tied up this game 4-4 when Conner Capel scored. After a rough first inning A’s pitcher JP Sears settled down and had a terrific game. He pitched through six innings allowing five hits, four runs and had 11 strikeouts.

In the bottom of the eighth inning the Rangers got a rally going. With no outs Texas had runners on first and second base. Oakland relief pitchers Zach Jackson got the A’s out of the inning and it was on to the ninth inning where we would see the top of the order for Oakland, Esteury Ruiz, Jordan Diaz hitting for Ryan Noda and Jace Peterson. The decision to put Diaz in was a good one as he knocked one out fo the park giving the A’s their first lead of the game 5-4.

The A’s closer Jeurys Familia would try to close out this game. Oakland turned a double play and was one out away from their fourth win of the season against a very tough Texas squad. The A’s got that third out after fighting back; got the win after losing seven games in a row and breaking the Rangers five game winning streak. We had seen a great game from the A’s bullpen.

This series will continue tomorrow with Shintaro Fujinami (0-3 ERA 11.37) taking the mound for Oakland. Andrew Heaney (1-1 ERA 4.07) will get the nod for the Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM.

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum: Thao expresses city of Oakland was betrayed on A’s Vegas news; A’s Kaval says team is ready for next step

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao addressed the media at Oakland City Hall on Thu Apr 20, 2023 regarding the Oakland A’s saying they will be moving out of Oakland and building a new ballpark in Las Vegas which will be ready by 2027 (photo from the San Francisco Chronicle)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 One of the things that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao emphasized during her press conference on Thursday at Oakland City Hall that the city was in the middle of negotiations with the Oakland A’s when she got the phone call on Wednesday night at 6:00pm from Oakland A’s team president David Kaval that the A’s have reached a land deal with Las Vegas and the team plans to break ground in 2024 and have a stadium ready by 2027.

#2 Mayor Thao expressed how shocked she was to have gotten Kaval’s call on Wednesday evening. Thao said that she’s done talking to the A’s and is looking forward to developing Howard Terminal without a ball park however saying towards the end of her press conference that she would take that call from the A’s if for some unforeseen mishap their still interested in staying in Oakland.

#3 Daniel, there were many comments coming from Oakland A’s fans and reporters on the news of the A’s moving to Las Vegas and some shared their memories of coming the Coliseum and seeing some of the greatest players over the years who came out to see the A’s during some of their glory years in the 70s and late 80s.

#4 As tough of a stand that Mayor Thao made in Thursday’s press conference there was anger in not being informed of a land deal in the works in Las Vegas and her trust in the A’s negotiations and all the work and money that went towards trying to secure Howard Terminal.

#5 Going forward for the rest of the season what will it look like for the A’s players and manager Mark Kotsay going forward with this lame duck situation hanging over their heads?

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Rich Perez: Fisher will profit from the Vegas move for first few years

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher will benefit from the Real Estate, commercial retail, housings, entertainment, restaurant venues from a Las Vegas move at Tropicana and I 15 in Las Vegas (photo from the US Sun file)

On the A’s podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 Rich, what was the response in Las Vegas after finding out the Oakland A’s had a binding agreement to build at Tropicana and Interstate 15 near Allegiant Stadium.

#2 We knew that this was in the works for sometime but when A’s team president David Kaval made the announcement that the A’s would move to the parking lot at the Wild Wild West did that shock the people of Las Vegas in a good way much the way it shocked the people in Oakland in a bad way.

#3 Rich I know you’ve had a very close relationship in professional baseball coming up the ranks in minor league baseball and you make your home in Las Vegas how important is it for baseball to come to Vegas and will it be viable in the nation’s 40th sized TV market.

#4 Taxes played a big part into going to Vegas for owner John Fisher and his decision to move from Oakland the A’s practically will get a $500 million dollar tax exemption when they move to Tropicana and there are no state taxes in Nevada.

#5 On the other side of the coin had Mr. Fisher put his money into a winning team and the A’s were competitive fans would have turned out but fielding a minor league team of sorts and having a last place team on a pace to lose over 100 games fans simply will stay away.

Rich Perez is a Las Vegas Raiders beat writer and will be covering the move of the A’s to Las Vegas for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s day off report: A’s open weekend series with Rangers

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Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien is congratulated after scoring against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Wed Apr 19, 2023. Semien a former Oakland A will host his old team beginning Fri Apr 21, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, owners of the worst record in baseball, 3-16, open a three-game series against the AL West Division leader, the Texas Rangers, Friday night in Arlington, Texas.

Former San Francisco skipper Bruce Bochy manages the Rangers. Bochy managed the San Francisco Giants to three World Series Championships and has his team at 12-6. They are 6-3 at home and 6-3 on the road. The Rangers beefed up their starting rotation by signing former New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom, and former Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi.

The Rangers are salivating to face the A’s starters this weekend. The A’s starting rotation has an abysmal 7.14 team ERA, the worst in all baseball. Nevertheless, A’s manager Mark Kotsay has named his starters for the series. Lefty JP Sears goes for Oakland Friday night. Sears is 0-1 and has an ERA of 4.60.

The Rangers will counter with Jon Gray (1-1, ERA 5.21). Saturday’s game will feature Oakland’s Shintaro Fujinami (0-3, ERA 11.37) facing off against Lefty Andrew Heaney (1-1. ERA 4.47). Fujinami’s first two starts were not good, but he did well in his last start. Lefty Kyle Muller (0-1, 7.23 ERA) will go for Oakland on Sunday. Muller pitched well in his first two starts but not well in his last outing. The Rangers have yet to announce their pitcher for Sunday’s game.

The A’s pitchers must be at the top of their game this weekend. The Rangers have players that can put runs on the board very quickly. The Rangers’ key players include three former A’s regulars. Catcher Jonah Heim has done a good job for the Rangers since coming over in the trade for Elvis Andrus.

Heim, a switch-hitter, loves to beat his old team. The Rangers’ second baseman is Marcus Semien. Semien left the A’s as a free agent at the end of the 2020 season. He starred for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 and set a record for home runs by a player in that position. He sent 46 big flies out of the park that year.

Texas signed Semien to a very lucrative contract last year. The third former A’s player on the Texas roster is outfielder Robbie Grossman. The Rangers’ first baseman Nathaniel Lowe had a monster 2022 season. Lowe won a Silver Slugger award, and his slash line for 2022 was .302/.358/.492. Rangers’ shortstop Corey Seager signed a free-agent contract before the start of the 2022 season.

Seager, a former All-Star, is on the 10-day IL with a grade two hamstring strain and will not play this weekend. Outfielders Adolis Garcia, Bubba Thompson, and Travis Jankowski all can do damage with their bats. The Rangers’ DH is Brad Miller.

The A’s offense produced just three runs in the series against the Chicago Cubs this week. The pitching gave up 27 runs. The A’s were swept by the Mets last weekend. Oakland has lost seven straight and 13 of the last 14 games. The A’s bullpen has yet to have the desired results the team hoped. The offense did well against the Baltimore Orioles last week. Although they lost three of the four games, the A’s scored eight runs in two games and seven in another.

The A’s are off to the worst start since the 1951 Philadelphia A’s squad. Oakland needs to turn things around soon. It is said that you cannot win the pennant in the first month of the season. However, a team can lose it by falling so far back it will not recover. A couple of wins will help Kotsay sleep better.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Adiós Atléticos – Oakland Lost in Sports World; Map shows where park would be on Vegas strip

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A map which outlines who and where businesses and where the Oakland A’s Tropicana ball park would be located on the Las Vegas Strip. The Oakland A’s have announced that they have a binding agreement with the state of Nevada to move to Vegas and their new ball park in 2027. (Las Vegas Review-Journal photo)

Adiós Atléticos – Oakland Lost in Sports World–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–While the Mayor of Oakland Sheng Thao was attending a film screening at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland to watch the new documentary “Stephen Curry: Underrated” on the opening night of the San Francisco Film Festival and Oakland police was investigating a number of car burglaries in that area, one of which was the car of Mayor Sheng Thao, about 560 miles east in Las Vegas, the Oakland A’s were closing in on a binding agreement to construct a $1 billion baseball stadium north of the Allegiant Stadium (home of the Raiders) with the support of Nevada Governor.

Nevada Gov Joe Lombardo and top lawmakers in a deal that will not involve new taxes, as it was reported by multiple sources. Stadium is planned to be ready for the 2027 season.

It remains how history will judge all protagonists, who are to blame, and all the details, but the fact remains that the city of Oakland has lost the Raiders to Las Vegas, the Warriors to San Francisco and now the Athletics to Las Vegas, completing the Trifecta in Sports (hard to do) and leaving the city of Oakland lost in Sports land.

Southern Nevada would be the fourth home for the franchise that started in Philadelphia in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics, later Kansas City A’s, and then since 1968 Oakland A’s that has captured nine World Series titles, leading the way in Bay Area baseball with four World Series titles in Oakland.

Although the move was expected, is sad news for Bay Area baseball fans, especially A’s fans who since they moved to Oakland in 1968 had supported the team. The City of Oakland was named the “City of Champions” during the 1970s as their three professional sports team, A’s, Raiders, and Warriors all captured titles during that period.

“We understand that it’s a difficult message for our fans in Oakland,” Kaval said. “We want to thank Oakland and express a tremendous amount of gratitude for all the years it has hosted us as a franchise. We’ve loved our time there. Incredible memories and championships.”

More to come.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s and Nevada have binding deal for new Las Vegas ball park; A’s could be in Vegas by 2027

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Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo seen here during his inauguration is on board with the new binding deal to bring the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas. The A’s have identified a 100 acre location north of Allegiant Stadium near Tropicana and Interstate 15 (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s have closed in on a $1 billion ball park located north of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and they have the support of Nevada governor Joe Lombardo. Sources said that there will be no new taxes. The A’s will put their own money into building the 30,000-35,000 retractable roof ball park near Tropicana and Interstate 15.

The site is 100 acres and the A’s will buy the land from Red Rock Resorts. An unnamed spokeswoman for the A’s said that the A’s have purchased 49 acres at the Tropicana site and that the A’s are prepared to develop retail, condos, and other forms of transportation.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred who is waving the relocation fee said that the Oakland Coliseum location is not viable and Howard Terminal needed to be settled but after the city of Oakland was rejected for the $185 million grant by the US Dept of Transportation that pretty much torpedoed the Jack London Square effort.

The State of Nevada said that they will have a special taxation bill that have sales proceeds that would allow them to invest in the area. Relocation tax credits is worth $500 million and Clark County would have to sign off a new taxing district. Lombardo was very open about the binding deal saying that it’s great news for Southern Nevada, that it would bring jobs, economic development and bring a historical franchise to Nevada.

Meanwhile the Oakland A’s played the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon and fans turned out almost double the usual 6,000 drawing 12,112. A reverse boycott was planned for Tue Jun 13th to fill up the Oakland Coliseum to show A’s owner John Fisher and MLB there are fans that still support the A’s and it would be an effort to show A’s leadership and MLB the fans can support the team.

With the recently binding deal between the state of Nevada and the Athletics the reverse boycott might be all for not. What miracles the city of Oakland and Mayor Sheng Thao can come up with looks unlikely. Thao was disappointed that the A’s didn’t speak with her before the binding agreement was made as she and city officials were still in the process in trying to secure Howard Terminal which now looks off the table with this new binding deal the A’s have announced on Wednesday night.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cubs rout A’s 12-2 sweep three-game series at Coliseum

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Chicago Cubs’ Nick Madrigal, right, is tagged out at second by Oakland Athletics shortstop Kevin Smith on a steal-attempt during the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Apr 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s woes continued as they lost again. The Chicago Cubs trounced the A’s 12-2 to sweep the three-game series. The Cubs scored 27 runs in the series, while the A’s offense produced only three. The A’s lost all six games on the homestand- three to the New York Mets and three to the Cubs.

The A’s have lost seven straight and 13 of the last 14. The A’s are tied with the 1951 Philadelphia A’s for the worst record in A’s history after 19 games. The A’s started the highly touted Mason Miller on Wednesday. The Six-foot five-inch righty impressed many people as he went four and 1/3rd innings allowing two runs and four hits.

He struck out five and walked one. 15 of his pitches were recorded AT 100 miles per hour or more. Miller had this to say after the game: “All morning, I couldn’t wait for it to get started,” Miller said. “My control was a little sporadic, but I chalk that up to nerves, and I think I settled in as the game went on. I’m happy with how my outing went today. There are some things I’d like to change, but I try not to be super critical of it today and just enjoy the moment.” Miller threw 81 pitches; 51 were strikes. As good as Miller was, the same could not be said for the bullpen. The Cubs pounded five A’s relievers for ten runs after the fifth inning. The A’s had one hit after the fifth inning.

In the top of the fourth, the leadoff hitter, Dansby Swanson, walked to get things started for the Cubs. Swanson advanced to second on Miller’s wild pitch. The Cubs’ left fielder, Ian Happ, doubled to drive in Swanson with Chicago’s first run of the game. The Cubs lead 1-0 midway through the fourth.

In the A’s half of the inning, manager Mark Kotsay was tossed after the home plate umpire, Adam Hamari, called a clock violation third strike on Aledmys Diaz. Diaz didn’t get back into the batter’s box in time. The next hitter Jesus Aguilar walked. Aguilar was out at second. Shortstop Dansby Swanson’s throw to Hosmer to complete the double play went past Hosmer. Langeliers was now at second. A’s DH Carlos Perez’s soft line drive went down the right field line for a double. Langeliers scored to tie the game.

Eric Hosmer reached on an infield single in the top of the fifth. Nick Madrigal singled Hosmer to third. Tyler Barnhart’s sacrifice fly to center drove in Hosmaer with the Cubs’ second run. The A’s answered in their half of the frame. Tyler Wade, playing in left field, walked. Second baseman Jordan Diaz doubled to right field to drive in Wade with the A’s second run. The game is tied 2-2 after five complete.

In the sixth, A’s reliever Chad Smith walked Swanson and Ian Happ to put two men on with no out. The A’s brought in lefty Sam Moll to pitch to Cody Bellinger. Moll threw a wild pitch, allowing the runners to advance to second and third. With the infield in, Bellinger hit a ground ball to A’s first baseman Jesus Aguilar.

Aguilar’s throw home was off the mark. Swanson scored the Cubs’ third run. Moll struck out Torrens for the first out. The next hitter was the hot-hitting Patrick Wisdom. Wisdom homered twice Monday night in the 10-1 win. On Wednesday, Wisdom tripled to deep right field to drive in Happ and Bellinger. Bellinger scored on Moll’s wild pitch. The Cubs lead 6-2.

The Cubs added another run in the eighth. With two out, first baseman, Eric Hosmer belted his first home run of the season over the fence in left field. Chicago leads 7-2.

The onslaught continued when the Cubs put five more runs on the board in the ninth to lead 12-2. The A’s went did not score in the ninth. The Cubs won 12-2 and swept the three-game series.

Game Notes: The A’s are now 3-16. The Cubs improved to 11-6. Chicago is in second place in the NL Central Division.

The line score for Chicago was 12 runs, 11 hits, and one error. The A’s line was two runs, five hits, and one error. Eric Hosmer’s blast in the fifth inning was the only home run hit in the game. The Cubs’ second baseman, Nico Hoerner, had three hits. Patrick Wisdom, who homered twice Monday night, had a triple and two ribbies on Wednesday. Nick Madrigal also drove in two runs. 

Oakland had five hits in the game-three of the five were doubles.

The winning pitcher was lefty Justin Steele. Steele is now 3-0 for 2023. A’s reliever Chad Smith took the loss. 

The time of game was two hours and 53 minutes. The A’s had 12,122 fans on hand to see the game. 

The A’s are off on Thursday. On Friday, they are on their way to Arlington, Texas, to play three games against the AL Western Division leader, the Texas Rangers. The game will start at 5:05 pm. The A’s will start JP Sears (0-1 ERA 4.60) the Rangers are going with Jon Gray (1-1 ERA 3.21)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg and Troy Ewers: A’s get clobbered in 12-2 laugher by Cubs; Oakland rookie starter had good outing

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller was the highlight of the game for the A’s pitching four plus innings giving up two runs before being lifted in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Apr 19, 2023 (@Athletics image)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg and Troy Ewers:

The Oakland A’s starter Mason Miller making his rookie start pitched a decent outing against the visiting Chicago Cubs going 4.1 innings, four hits, two earned runs, five strike outs one walk and was replaced in the fifth inning. After that the Cubs went to work on the A’s releivers with four in runs in the top of the sixth and five runs in the top of the ninth coming away with a three game sweep of the A’s and a 12-2 win at the Oakland Coliseum. The Cubs averaged nine runs a game during the three game series.

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

Cubs rally in eighth caps 4-0 win against A’s; Oakland drops it’s sixth straight game

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Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger hits an RBI single against the Oakland Athletics during the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Apr 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Chicago (NL) 000 000 040. -4 8 1

Oakland. 000 000 000 -0 2 1

Time: 2:54

Attendance: 5,196

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Your Oakland Athletics reported for work today dragging a five game losing streak and a won-lost record of 3-14 behind them. That record, incidentally gave them a winning percentage of .176. If that were a batting average it would be 12 percent below the Mendoza line. Their starting pitchers had an ERA of 9.39; the bullpen, one of 5.97. The team’s fielding percentage over its initial 17 contests was .981, third worst in the American League and only four percentage points over the league worst Boston Red Sox.

So it came as a surprise that the A’s battled the Cubs through seven innings tonight before succumbing to a four run eighth inning Chicago outburst in the episode that doomed the host to their sixth consecutive loss 4-0.

Before game time, the A’s announced that they had placed Dany Jiménez on the 15 day injured list, effective yesterday and in his place recalled pitcher Adam Oller from their Las Vegas Aviators affiiliate in the PCL. Before being optioned to Vegas, he had an ERA of 9.00 and an opponents’ BA of .320 with Oakland.

Oakland’s starting pitcher, Ken Waldichuk woke up this morning with an 0-2, 10.20 record.. He was in trouble early, loading bases with only one down in the first but escaping unscathed. He held the Cubs at bay for the next nine hitters and exited after having throw five shutout innings, in which he allowed five hits, including the dreaded curse of the leadoff double and three walks.

He notched five Ks and threw 102 pitches, 60 for strikes. He reduced his ERA to 7.65 but, leaving with the score tied at zero, was deprived of any chance of being credited with the win. Sam Moll replaced him on the mound to open the sixth and held Chicago scoreless before turning the ball over to James Kaprielian, the erstwhile starter.

The North Siders’ starting pitcher, Starboard Sider Marcus Stroman, pitched excellently in two of his previous starts and had what is called a “quality start” in the other, giving him a record of 2-1, 1.00 so far this season. He tossed six scoreless innings of two hit, two walk ball, striking out five. He threw an even 100 pitches, 63 counting for strikes. Mark Leioter, Jr, relieved him for the seventh frame and preserved the scoreless tie.

It was Trevor May on the mound for the green and gold inthe top of the eighth. And it was May who proved to be the weak link in the chain of Athletics hurlers. He walked Seiya Suzuki on four pitches. Patrick Wisdom followed that with a double to left that moved Wisdom to third.

Yan Gomes sent a liner off Mays’ glove over to shortstop Kevin Smith, who threw Wisdom out at first, allowing Wisdom to score. That brought Richard Lovelady in from the bullpen. After Eric Hosmer grounded out to first, moving Bellinger to third. Nick Madrigal, who had run for Luis Torrens in the seventh, singled to enter, plating Bellinger and upping the Cubs’ lead to 3-0.

Conner Capel then dropped Hoerner’s fly ball to right for a two base error, and it was 4-0. That was it for Lovelady. The newly recalled Adam Oller stopped the bleeding, getting Swanson to fly out to Capel. This time he held on to the ball.

Leiter was the pitcher of record when Michael Fulmer relieved hin for the home eigth , allowing nothing but a walk to Noda. That made Leiter the winning pitcher. He now stands at 1-0, 0.00.

Oller stayed on too pitch the top of the ninth for Oakland and held A’s deficit to a seemingly insurmountable four runs.

Michael Rucker showed it was insurmountable, earning his first save.

May took the loss. His record now stands at an ugly 2-3, 12.00.

The series will continue tomorrow, Wednesday, at 12:37. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Justin Steele (2-0,1.42) will face the Athletics’ Mason Miller (0-0 ERA 0.00)