Tag: Oakland A’s

Reality Sets In: A’s drub Mariners, 10-3 as reminder their path to the post-season isn’t completed

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By Morris Phillips

For the Mariners, Friday’s celebratory release has ended. On Sunday, the A’s pre-empted the hosts’ post-season party and staged one of their own.

Shea Langeliers, Cristian Pache and Nick Allen homered off Seattle starter Robbie Ray and the A’s built a 10-0 lead on the way to a 10-3 win at T-Mobile Park.

The A’s interrupted a six-game losing skid with the win, and moved closer to insuring that the Washington Nationals will finish with the Majors’ worst won-loss record, not Oakland.

The Mariners lost ground to the Blue Jays with the loss in their race to determine the host of their likely, three-game Wild Card series beginning on Friday. The Jays beat Boston on Sunday and can insure that they’ll host the series with any combination of Toronto wins and Seattle losses that adds up to two.

Manager Scott Servais characterized his club’s low-energy performance Sunday while likely attempting to calculate how fiercely they should approach their final four games against the Tigers, which are shoe-horned into a three-day span.

“There’s been a lot of emotion around our team here in the last four or five days and I think you saw a little bit of the wind out of our sails today,” Servais said.

With the new-playoff format, the Mariners could go from the high of ending their unprecedented 21-year post-season drought to the reality that the renewed love affair between themselves and their fans could end Wednesday. The visitor in the opening series faces the reality that they could be eliminated without hosting any playoff games.

“We’re at the point where you almost got to win out,” Servais noted.

The A’s took control on two fronts Sunday. James Kaprelian pitched no-hit baseball into the sixth inning before allowing a single to Ty France. At that point, the A’s led 6-0. Kaprelian walked two, struck out seven and departed after retiring Eugenio Suarez to end the sixth. His win-loss record (5-9) may not reflect it, but Kaprelian’s growth as a starter is apparent.

After a two-week pause beginning August 31, Kaprelian has made four starts and equaled or surpassed his innings pitched and the pitch count reached in his initial 23 starts of the season. Translated, he’s establishing himself as someone the A’s can count on to get deep in games going forward.

“It was a good finish for James in terms of his bounce back from some struggles in the middle of the season to ending this month and really performing well,” manager Mark Kotsay said.

Conversely, Ray left too many pitches in the strike zone and the A’s didn’t miss them. His three home runs allowed tied a season-high, and he walked three batters in the second inning as a precursor to falling into serious trouble in the fourth and fifth.

“This is one that just, flush it and move on. I’m not going to let it take away from what I’ve been able to do this year,” Ray said.

Ernie Clement, in just his third start for the A’s, and Allen both came up with terrific defensive plays, throwing runners out after cat-quick diving stops. Langeliers homered in the fourth, and again in the ninth, a three-run shot off Penn Murfee.

The A’s conclude the season at the Coliseum against Anaheim. Adrian Martinez gets the start in Monday’s opener opposite Patrick Sandoval for the Angels.

Headline Sports podcast with Bruce MacGowan: Black pioneers in Bay Area broadcasting; Giants and A’s winding down 2022; plus more

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Former KRON 4 Sportscaster Jan Hutchins is part of the discussion on Headline Sports with Bruce MacGowan on today’s podcast. Here Hutchins is in a publicity shot for the San Jose Rotary Club where he spoke in 2013 (Rotary Club of San Jose file photo)

On the podcast with Bruce:

#1 Bruce last regular home game for the San Francisco Giants hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Winding it down what changes do you see the Giants needing to improve in the off season.

#2 The Oakland A’s lost their 100th game on Friday it’s something a big league hates to have hanging over their season and go into the record books.

#3 San Francisco 49ers have some pressure after losing to the Denver Broncos last week. The 49ers really need to go after the Rams early on Monday Night Football.

#4 The Oakland A’s host the Los Angeles Angels starting this Monday night. The Angels and Shohei Ohtani will be on hand at Coliseum after Ohtani had signed a one year contract that takes him through 2023 for $30 million.

#5 The Golden State Warriors opened up their pre season in Japan this week. Talk has been the can repeat this season.

Bruce MacGowan podcasted Headlines Sports during Sunday SF Giants home games in 2022 at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Howard Terminal-A’s lose legal challenge

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Issues of about the environment surrounding the Oakland A’s Howard Terminal location and project includes toxic waste and melted shredded metal amongst other environmental problems at Schnitzer Steel Plant in Oakland. (Mercury News file photo)

Howard Terminal: A’s Lose Legal Challenge

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–A lost season with over 100 games in the L column is coming to an end, as the Oakland A’s will play their last three games this season, a series against the LA Angels at the Oakland Coliseum, Monday through Wednesday.

The Oakland A’s also lost a legal challenge in a state appeals court against a metal shredder named Schnitzer which is near the site of the A’s planned new Howard Terminal ballpark.

For decades Schnitzer metals plant has been turning discarded cars, scrap metal, and cars into recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Millions of tons of metals and plastics and others such as lead, copper, and zinc at a potentially dangerous levels.

But this Friday, September 30, a state appeals court overturned a ruling in favor of the A’s, saying that Schnitzer metal shredding company near the proposed Howard Terminal site for the new baseball park need not classify its treated residue as hazardous waste, In a 3-0 decision after reviewing the research studies, Judge Alison Tucher said that “there is no threat to human health or the environment from managing treated metal shredder waste as non-hazardous”

Refreshing our memory – The A’s sued the state agency in August 2020 for refusing to classify the waste as hazardous, saying the plant releases 200,000 tons of metal waste annually that pollutes the air, water and soil.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Paul Herbert ruled in March 2021 that a state law passed seven years earlier required the department to classify metal waste as hazardous, prohibiting its disposal in landfills. But the A’s did not win this one.

The A’s could come back with the argument that they disagree with this decision and they will not build their new park next to a metal waste plant that could endanger the health of their fans.

Now, this ‘legal jujitsu’ might continue as the A’s can seek review in the state Supreme Court. However, so far the A’s and the company have not made any statements regarding this most recent legal decision.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Mariners Take Game Two Dominating Oakland 5-1

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Starter Adam Oller is surrounded by Oakland A’s teammates after giving up a top of the first inning run to the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Sat Oct 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

Mariners Take Game Two Dominating Oakland 5-1

By Barbara Mason

Saturday afternoon the Oakland A’s (56-102) played the playoff bound Seattle Mariners (87-70) in the second game of their three game series. Friday night with the win the Mariners clinched the sixth playoff spot.

Friday’s game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when the Mariners celebrated a walk-off win. The A’s remained in this game until the very end but came up short. Game Two did not get any better for the Green and Gold. The A’s dropped another one to the Mariners losing 5-1.

Saturday game recap: The A’s got up on the scoreboard early in the game. Jordan Diaz singled and Tony Kemp scored on an error for a 1-0 lead. That would be all that Oakland could manage in this game. They only had two hits in the game all in the first inning.

The rest of this game was all Mariners. Carlos Santana hit a single driving in Dylan Moore in the first inning to tie up the game 1-1. Sam Haggerty singled driving in two runs; Santana and Luis Torrens both scored to give Seattle a 3-1 lead.

Six scoreless innings followed for both teams. In the eighth inning the Mariners would pad their lead. Torrens doubled and Jesse Winker scored. Haggerty was next up at the plate and hit a sacrifice fly and Santana scored giving the Mariners the win 5-1.

The A’s have now lost six games in a row and will finish the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch at 1:10 PM PT. James Kaprielian (4-9, 4.43) will take the mound for Oakland and for Seattle Robbie Ray (12-11, 3.58) will get the nod. It has been a long and trying season for the A’s.

The season ended very early for Oakland this year, in fact it was probably June that it all came unraveled and spiraled out of control. The A’s just have four more games before they can escape into the off-season and re-group for 2023.

Mariners Clinch Playoff Spot In Walk-Off Win Over Oakland 2-1

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Seattle Mariners Ty France swings for a first inning double off Oakland A’s pitcher Ken Waldichuk at T Mobile Field in downtown Seattle on Fri Sep 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

Mariners Clinch Playoff Spot In Walk-Off Win Over Oakland 2-1

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Oakland A’s (56-100) took on the Seattle Mariners (85-70) in the first game of their three game series. The Mariners won it tonight to clinch a playoff spot so Seattle is in the post season with a 2-1 win over Oakland. They needed to win one of their final six games to play in the post season.

Friday game recap: Ty France doubled in the first inning driving in Dylan Moore giving Seattle the early 1-0 lead. The A’s Shea Langliers hit a solo homer in the second inning to tie up the game. That tie would stand going into the ninth inning.

This game ended in dramatic fashion with a walk off win for the Mariners giving them their sixth playoff spot. For the first time in 20 years the Mariners were headed to the postseason. With two outs, and a full count Cal Raleigh homered to right and that was the ball game 2-1. T-Mobile park was packed and 44,754 fans got to celebrate this incredible moment that was a long time coming.

Oakland pitcher Ken Waldichuk had a terrific game. He went five innings allowing three hits, one run and had eight strikeouts. Austin Pruitt took over in the sixth inning allowing no hits and no runs. A.J. Puk pitched the seventh inning. Domingo Acevedo was the closer in that ill-fated ninth inning.

The Mariners Logan Gilbert went eight innings for the first time in his career. He allowed three hits and one run with four strikeouts. There was some terrific pitching from both clubs.

The A’s will send JP Sears to the mound in the second game of this series. His ERA is 4.22 and his win/loss record is 6-3. Seattle will send Luis Castillo. He has a 3.06 ERA and a 7-6 win/loss record. First pitch will be at 1:10 PM PT.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s 2022; 1979 All Over Again

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Former Oakland A’s centerfielder Tony Armas was part of the 1979 A’s (photo from sportsmemorbilia.com)

A’s 2022: 1979 All Over Again

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

They say ‘history repeats itself’ and such is the case with this 2022 Oakland A’s team who lost their 100th game as they got swept in Anaheim by the Angels on Thursday night. However, with six games remaining in the season they will not match the 108 losses of the1979 A’s (the worst year since they play in Oakland in 1968).

I remember 1979 because I was broadcasting all weekend games and other selected games for Spanish radio, I covered them. And if you saw these guys play, you remember also; the outfield was Rickey Henderson (rookie) in left field, Dwayne Murphy in center, and Tony Armas in right, also Miguel Dilone, Mitchell (The Rage) Page, and Glenn Burke.

You might remember these guys also, Mike Heath and Jim Essian, Jeff Newman, sharing the catching position, and others around the infield like Mario Guerrero, Rob Picciolo, and Mickey Klutts. And let us not forget the pitching staff with Mike Norris, Matt Keough, Brian Kingman, Mike Morgan, Rick Langford, and others.

Jeff Newman led the A’s power in 1979 hitting .231 with 22 home runs and 71 runs batted in. Rick Langford was the work-horse of the rotation starting 29 games with a record of 12-16 and 4.28 ERA, pitched 218 2/3 innings struck out 101, and walked 57.

That 21-year rookie playing left field that made it to the Hall of Fame, after playing for 25 years, was Rickey Henderson who that season played 89 games, stole 33 bases and went on to steal a major league record 1,406 bases.

Unlike today where the A’s (as the majority of teams televise all their games) in ’79 the team only televised selected games. As a matter of fact owner Charlie O Finley didn’t even signed a regular radio station as their English flagship to broadcast the games. He sold the rights for $1 to the University of California (Berkeley) campus radio station, with just a few watts of power, the signal was “very limited”.

In 1979 the Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum was a lonely place. Only 306,763 paid during the whole season to see the A’s, 3,984 fans at home, the worst attendance since leaving Philadelphia. Their attendance that year was doomed from the very beginning. On April 17, when they played the Seattle Mariners at the Coliseum 250 people showed up to see that game.

The 1979 Oakland A’s finished in 7th Place (cellar) with 54-108 and 34 games out of the first place California Angels.

A year later, 1980 Charlie O Finley agreed to sell the Oakland A’s to Walter A. Haas, Jr., president of Levi Strauss & Co, a local historic company with headquarters in the Bay Area. Finley sold the team for $12.7 million. The deal was finalized before the 1981 season.

The future of the Athletics hangs in the balance. In the next few months, this coming winter if they cannot come to a final agreement with the City of Oakland to build the proposed new ballpark at Howard Terminal, Oakland, chances are they are gone for good.

Regardless of the final decision, they will still have to play at the Oakland Coliseum in 2023 and maybe (maybe) 2024 when their lease expires. It is also possible the team could announce early next year, that they are leaving because they could not come to an agreement with the city. In that case, then 2024 could be played in another park, while the new park at location X, not in Oakland, is under construction.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Ohtani just flat out had the A’s off balance Tuesday; A’s and Angels close out series in the Big A tonight

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The Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani rubs up the baseball during the top of the eighth inning to face the Oakland A’s at the Big A in Anaheim on Thu Sep 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Was the Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani just on or were the A’s hitters just off on Thursday.

#2 Talk about how Ohtani’s pitches were just working against the A’s line up who by the way have been struggling.

#3 Ohtani picked up his 15th win of this season and has been lights out on both sides of the baseball with his pitching and hitting will he win the MVP again this season or will New York Yankees Aaron Judge who just tied Roger Maris for the AL all time home run leader get the MVP?

#4 After retiring 22 straight batters Ohtani in the eighth faced the A’s Conner Capel who broke up the no hitter with a hit that deflected off Angels shortstop Livan Soto’s glove and into leftfield in the top of the eighth.

#5 Tonight the A’s will head up to Seattle to take on the Mariners. Ken Waldichuk (1-2, 7.15) will take the mound for Oakland. Seattle will start Logan Gilbert (13-6, 3.29). First pitch will be at 6:40 PM PT.

Jeremiah did the A’s podcasts Thursdays for the 2022 season and will return next Thursday for the Sacramento Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Angels Sweep Oakland Winning 4-2 A’s 100th loss of the season

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Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers to the Oakland A’s lineup at the Big A in Anheim in the first inning on Thu Sep 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

Angels Sweep Oakland Winning 4-2 A’s 100th loss of the season

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Oakland A’s (56-100) faced Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels (70-86) in game three of their series. The A’s were trying to avoid a sweep but with Ohtani on the mound for the Halo’s it would turn out to be a tall order.

Los Angeles got on the scoreboard early in this game. Luis Rengifo homered and Ohtani singled driving in Mike Trout for a 2-0 lead.

In the third inning, Taylor Ward homered extending the Angels lead 3-0. The Halo’s knocked a third home run out of the park in the sixth inning off the bat of Max Stassi now leading 4-0. Los Angeles had 12 hits through six innings and the A’s were still looking for their first hit in this game. They were not even close to figuring Ohtani out who already had eight strikeouts.

Ohtani was looking for his 15th win of the year which looked more and more likely as this game wore on. Going into the seventh inning his pitch count was at 72 and still no hits for Oakland.

In the eighth inning the A’s Connor Capel got the A’s their first hit of the game. Next up at the plate was Dermis Garcia who got a second hit for Oakland. The A’s had put an end to Ohtani’s bid for a no-hitter.

The A’s loaded the bases in the ninth inning and Nick Allen scored off a Seth Brown ground out to second. Jonah Bride scored on a wild pitch but it was too little too late. The final was 4-2 and unfortunately this was loss number 100 for the A’s. They were swept but avoided getting shutout. This was the second time in A’s history that they lost 100 games in a season.

It was a tough start for Oakland’s Cole Irvin. He went four innings and allowed nine hits, three runs with six strikeouts. Collin Wiles relieved him in the fifth inning. He got the job done allowing only one hit and no runs. Norge Ruiz relieved in the sixth and seventh innings allowing three hits and one run. Sam Selman would close for Oakland.

The A’s will finish the season against the Angels after their series with the Mariners. Those final three games will be played at the Coliseum. Will we see Shohei Ohtani in that series? We will have to wait on that one.

Friday night the A’s will head up to Seattle to take on the Mariners. Ken Waldichuk (1-2, 7.15) will take the mound for Oakland. Seattle will start Logan Gilbert (13-6, 3.29). First pitch will be at 6:40 PM PT.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Oakland tax payers worried about Howard Terminal costs; A’s look to try their luck against Angels Ohtani at the Big A tonight

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Artists rendition of proposed Howard Terminal ballpark in downtown Oakland. Oakland residents are concerned about taxes from the project. The Oakland City Council are also concerned about the infrastructure costs as well (Artists rendition from the San Francisco Chronicle)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Howard Terminal project still up in the air the A’s brass has been to Las Vegas twice visiting prospective sites.

#2 The main concern is the Oakland taxpayer has regarding the cost of paying for the Howard Terminal Project which is estimated at $12 billion.

#3 Jerry one of the other major concerns regarding Howard Terminal is the infrastructure concerns is public transit with Amtrak and Southern Pacific railroads around the ballpark and how public transit will get fans and employees to the ballpark.

#4 The A’s currently in Anaheim and will see the Angels for another three series at the Oakland Coliseum next week starting Monday night. That might be a positive thing in playing a team twice in a week.

#5 The A’s go at it again tonight against the Angels the A’s will start Cole Irvin (9-12, 4.11) and for the Angels Shohei Ohtani (14-8, 2.47) a 6:38 pm first pitch at the Big A.

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

A’s Drop Game Two To Angels 4-1; Halos rally for 3 runs in fourth inning

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The Oakland A’s Conner Capel swings for a first inning single to score Tony Kemp at Anaheim Stadium against the Los Angeles Angeles on Wed Sep 28, 2022 (AP News photo)

A’s Drop Game Two To Angels 4-1

By Barbara Mason

After losing a close game to the Los Angeles Angels (69-86) Tuesday night, the Oakland A’s (56-99) were looking to even the series Wednesday night. The A’s were tied with the Angels into the eighth inning Tuesday night but Los Angeles scored a single run in the eighth and that was the ball game 4-3.

Oakland scored in tonights game in the first inning taking a 1-0 lead. Connor Capel singled driving in Tony Kemp for the early lead.

The Angels started hitting in the fourth inning. After a quiet Tuesday night, Mike Trout, who is always a threat, hit a homer to center to tie up the game 1-1. Matt Thaiss would follow with a single and Shohei Otani scored to give Los Angeles the lead 2-1. They would extend that lead when Matt Duffy grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop and Taylor Ward scored.

Taylor Ward would strike again in the eighth inning knocking one out of Angel Stadium giving Los Angeles a 4-1 lead. That would be the final. Oakland’s starting pitcher Adrian Martinez only lasted 4.2 innings allowing five hits and three runs. He had four strikeouts.

The A’s relief pitching only allowed two hits through the remainder of the game sending in five pitchers, Sam Selman, Norge Ruiz, Kirby Snead, Austin Pruitt and Domingo Acevedo.

The Angels starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen went five innings and allowed three hits and one run with eight strikeouts.

In Game Three of this series we will get to see Shohei Ohtani on the mound for Los Angeles currently with a 2.47 ERA and a 14-8 win /loss record. This could possibly be Ohtani’s last start this season. Cole Irvin will start for the A’s. He has a 4.05 ERA and a 9-12 win/lloss record. First pitch is scheduled for 6:38 PM PT.