San Francisco Giants day off report: Giants prepare for Bay Bridge Series vs. A’s

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants took a much-needed day off after winning three of four games against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park and seven out of nine at home. Here’s what you need to know.

A Crosstown Rivalry
The Giants (61-49, 2nd NL West) are preparing for the upcoming Bay Bridge Series with the Oakland Athletics (30-80, 5th AL West) at the Oakland Coliseum this weekend. The first game will be on Saturday at 4:07 pm Pacific, while the second will be on Sunday at 1:07 pm Pacific. The starting pitchers for both games are TBD.

Notes
Giants right-handed pitcher Camilo Doval (3-3, 2.47 ERA) made his MLB-leading 33rd save in Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks.

Giants fans can retweet this tweet to win an Alaska Airlines trip for two as part of the Giants’ Happy Flight Sweepstakes. More information can be found here.

History Matters
The Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will play a regular-season game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Rickwood Field, the former home of the Negro League’s Birmingham Black Barons, where former Giants star Willie Mays once played, will host these two historic teams on June 20, 2024, at 4:00 pm Pacific on FOX. Rickwood Field’s the oldest professional ballpark in the United States.

The Giants-Cardinals was scheduled around Juneteenth and will include a tribute to Mays, a Birmingham, Ala. native and the oldest living Hall of Famer at 92, and the Negro Leagues. Mays, better known as the Say Hey Kid, played for the Black Barons in 1948 before his professional career with the New York/San Francisco Giants from 1951-52 and 1954-72 and the New York Mets from 1972-73.

Giants Lose to Tigers 5-1 in Sixth Straight Loss

San Francisco Giants second baseman David Villar takes a leap of faith to take a stab at Detroit Tigers Jake Rogers hit at Comerica Park in Detroit on Mon Jul 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants visited the Detroit Tigers on Monday at Comerica Park. The Giants lost to the Tigers 5-1 for their sixth straight loss. San Francisco fell to 54-47, while Detroit improved to 46-54.

In case you didn’t know, the initial Giants at Tigers game on April 16th was postponed and rescheduled for July 24th.

The Giants’ starting lineup featured Austin Slater, Wilmer Flores, J.D. Davis, Patrick Bailey, Luis Matos, Michael Conforto, David Villar, Casey Schmitt, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Ross Stripling. Stripling (0-4, 5.77 ERA) took the loss after pitching six innings and giving up ten hits, three earned runs, and three strikeouts.

After two scoreless innings, Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Kerry Carpenter singled on a ground ball to Michael Conforto. Jake Rogers scored as Riley Greene went to third base.

The Tigers made it a 3-0 game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kerry Carpenter singled on a sharp line drive to Michael Conforto. Riley Greene scored as Spencer Torkelson went to third base.

The Giants finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning and cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-1. Wilmer Flores homered on a fly ball to left field.

The Tigers sealed the scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. Zack Short homered on a fly ball to left field. Andy Ibanez scored.

Notes
Former Giants outfielder Barry Bonds turned 59 today.

Up Next
The Giants will return to San Francisco to host the Oakland Athletics in the Bay Bridge series on Tuesday at 6:45 pm Pacific. The A’s will be starting Ken Waldichuk (2-6 ERA 6.75) and for the Giants Alex Cobb (6-3 ERA 3.15).

MLB All-Star Game: National League wins 3-2 for first time in 11 years

Photo credit: @MLB

By: Mary Anne

The wait was finally over as the 2023 MLB All-Star Game was underway at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday.
The National League defeated the American League 3-2 for the first time since 2012. Elías Díaz delivered the game-winning home run in the eighth inning. Díaz earned the All-Star Game MVP.

The NL’s starting lineup featured Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Nolan Arenado, Luis Arráez, Sean Murphy, Corbin Carroll, and Orlando Arcia.

The AL’s starting lineup featured Marcus Semien, Shohei Ohtani, Randy Arozarena, Corey Seager, Yandy Díaz, Adolis García, Austin Hays, Josh Jung, and Jonah Heim.

After a scoreless first inning, Yandy Díaz hit a solo home run to give the AL a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

J.D. Martinez helped the NL tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Martinez scored on a Luis Arráez RBI single.

The AL regained their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Salvador Pérez singled for a 2-1 lead. Pérez now has three All-Star Game hits — the second-most by a Kansas City Royals player.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a game-tying home run, and the NL tied the game 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning. However, Gurriel Jr.’s home run was overturned and called foul. The score remained 2-1 AL.

Elías Díaz hit a two-run shot to give the NL a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning. Díaz’s two-run home run sealed the NL’s win over the AL.

Notes
Zach Gallen struck out Shohei Ohtani for his first All-Star Game shutout.

Up Next
The second half of the 2023 MLB season will start on Friday, July 14.

The San Francisco Giants will visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game series at PNC Park, while the Oakland Athletics will welcome the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series at Oakland Coliseum. The Giants’ series opener will start at 4:05 pm Pacific, while the A’s series opener will start at 6:40 pm Pacific.

A’s swept by Red Sox; Oakland loses 4-3 Sunday in Boston

Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics concluded their series against the Boston Red Sox with a series finale on Sunday. The A’s looked to avoid a sweep against the Red Sox but dropped a close game 4-3 at Fenway Park. Oakland (25-67) lost four games in a row, while Boston (48-43) won its fifth straight game.

The A’s starting lineup featured Tony Kemp, Ryan Noda, Seth Brown, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, Cody Thomas, Manny Piña, Jace Peterson, Tyler Wade, and JP Sears. Sears pitched five innings and gave up one hit, one run, three walks, and four strikeouts before leaving the mound.

The A’s got on the scoreboard first, thanks to a wild pitch by Tayler Scott off a throwing error by Jorge Alfaro. Noda scored for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

The Red Sox tied the ballgame in the bottom of the first inning. Adam Duvall was out on a sacrifice fly to Cody Thomas. Rob Refsnyder scored to make it a 1-1 tie with two outs.

The A’s took their first lead of the game in the top of the second inning. Noda walked, and Jace Peterson scored for a 2-1 lead. Wade went to third base, while Kemp went to second base.

The A’s extended their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Rooker homered on a fly ball to left field for a 3-1 lead.

The Red Sox got even in the bottom of the sixth inning. Duvall homered on a fly ball to left center field to make it a one-run game. Christian Arroyo doubled on a sharp line drive to Cody Thomas. Masataka Yoshida scored to tie the game 3-3.

The Red Sox took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Masataka Yoshida homered on a fly ball to left field for a 4-3 lead.

Notes
A’s prospect catcher Tyler Sodestrom singled up the middle in the bottom of the second inning of the 2023 All-Stars Futures Game at T-Mobile Park on Saturday.

Up Next
The A’s will return home to host the Minnesota Twins on Friday, July 14, at 6:40 pm Pacific. Starters for Friday for Minnesota at Oakland to be announced.

A’s Lose 10-3 to Red Sox; Boston gets an early jump on A’s in early going

Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox faced off in a middle game Saturday. The A’s looked to stop their three-game losing streak, but they didn’t because they lost 10-3 to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Oakland fell to 25-66, while Boston improved to 47-43.

The A’s starting lineup featured Nick Allen, Jordan Diaz, Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, Aledmys Díaz, JJ Bleday, Shea Langaliers, Manny Piña, Cody Thomas, and Austin Pruitt. Pruitt entered the game after Paul Blackburn was scratched due to an undisclosed illness but pitched just 1.2 innings and gave up four hits, four earned runs, and one home run. In addition, Pruitt (1-6) took the loss.

The Red Sox took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Justin Turner singled on a line drive to Rooker. Duran scored for a 1-0 lead. Alex Verdugo homered on a fly ball to left field. Turner scored for a 3-0 lead. The umpire reviewed Verdugo’s play for a home run, but the call on the field was upheld.

The Red Sox extended their lead in the bottom of the second inning. Duran homered on a fly ball to left center field. Connor Wong scored for a 5-0 lead.

The A’s finally got on the board in the top of the third inning. Manny Piña homered on a fly ball to left center field to cut the Red Sox’s lead to 5-1.

The Red Sox expanded their lead in the bottom of the third inning. Connor Wong was out on a sacrifice fly to Rooker. Triston Casas scored for a 6-1 lead with one out.

The Red Sox poured in the runs in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. Rafael Devers doubled on a sharp line drive to Rooker. Masataka Yoshida scored for a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Red Sox added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as Duran hit a ground-rule double on a line drive down the right-field line. Christian Arroyo scored for an 8-1 lead. Yoshida singled on a line drive to Bleday. Duran scored for a 9-1 lead.

The A’s added one home run in the top of the sixth inning. Rooker homered on a fly ball to left-center field to cut the Red Sox’s lead to 9-2.

The Red Sox reached a double-digit lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Christian Arroyo doubled on a line drive to Rooker. Triston Casas scored for a 10-2 lead.

The A’s added one single in the top of the eighth inning. Bleday singled on a ground ball to Casas. Ryan Noda scored to cut the Red Sox’s lead to 10-3 as Aledmys Díaz went to second base.

Notes
A’s left-handed pitcher Sammy Long turned 28 on Saturday.

A’s prospect outfielder Lawrence Butler will bat fifth and start in left field in the 2023 All-Stars Futures Game at 4:00 pm Pacific at T-Mobile Park on Saturday. Meanwhile, A’s prospect catcher Tyler Sodestrom will bat seventh and start at first base.

Up Next
The A’s and Red Sox will wrap up their series on Sunday at 10:35 am Pacific. Starting for Oakland JP Sears (1-6 ERA 4.09) Boston starter TBA.

A’s Lose 7-3 to Red Sox; Sox do most of the damage with 5 run second inning at Fenway

Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics’ last series of their road trip was at the Boston Red Sox. The A’s began a three-game series against the Red Sox on Friday night. The A’s lost 7-3 to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Oakland fell to 25-65, while Boston improved to 46-43.

The A’s starting lineup featured Tony Kemp, Jordan Diaz, Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, Jace Peterson, Shea Langaliers, Seth Brown, Tyler Wade, and Sam Long. Long pitched just one inning and gave up three hits, three earned runs, one walk, and two strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, Boston opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Yu Chang singled on a ground ball to JJ Bleday. Alex Verdugo and Enrique Hernandez scored for a 2-0 lead as Triston Casas went to second base. Jarren Duran singled on a ground ball to Tony Kemp.

Casas scored for a 3-0 lead as Chang went to third base. Justin Turner singled on a line drive to Seth Brown. Chang scored for a 4-0 lead as Duran went to third base. Rafael Devers grounded into a forceout fielded by Tyler Wade. Duran scored for a 5-0 lead as Turner was out at second base, while Devers went to first base with two outs.

The A’s finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. Tony Kemp singled on a ground ball to Rafael Devers. Seth Brown scored to cut the Red Sox’s lead to 5-1. Tyler Wade went to third base while Kemp went to second base. Devers committed a throwing error.

The A’s inched closer to the Red Sox in the top of the seventh inning. Seth Brown homered on a fly ball to right center field. Shea Langaliers scored to cut the Red Sox’s lead to 5-3.

The A’s chances of a comeback were short-lived as the Red Sox scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adam Duvall singled on a ground ball to Tyler Wade. Jarren Duran scored for a 6-3 lead as Rafael Devers went to third base. Alex Verdugo singled on a line drive to Brent Rooker. Devers scored for a 7-3 lead as Duvall went to second base.

Notes
A’s LHP Richard Lovelady turned 27 on July 7.

The A’s recalled RHP Angel Felipe from Triple-A Las Vegas.

The A’s selected OF Cody Thomas from Triple-A Las Vegas.

The A’s placed OF Esteury Ruiz on the ten-day injured list retroactive to July 6.

The A’s optioned and designated RHP Rico Garcia for assignment.

Up Next
The A’s and Red Sox will continue their series on Saturday at 1:10 pm Pacific. Starting for Oakland Paul Blackburn (1-1 ERA 4.50) for Boston James Paxton (4-1 ERA 2.70).

A’s Beat Blue Jays 5-4, Snap 8-Game Skid

Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics took on the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday to wrap up their six-game road trip. The A’s snapped an eight-game losing skid with a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Oakland improved to 20-58, while Toronto fell to 41-36.

Before the ballgame’s first pitch at 4:08 pm Pacific, Oakland made two roster moves by placing Ramón Laureano on the ten-day injured list with a hand fracture and recalling Conner Capel from Triple-A Las Vegas. Capel recorded a .297 average with three home runs, 22 runs, and eight stolen bases over 145 at-bats in 37 games with the Las Vegas Aviators.

The A’s starting lineup featured Tony Kemp, Ryan Noda, JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Aledmys Díaz, Jace Peterson, Shea Langaliers, Tyler Wade, Conner Capel, and James Kaprielian. Kaprielian pitched six innings and gave up six hits, four earned runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts.

The A’s wasted no time taking a quick lead in the top of the first inning. JJ Bleday homered on a fly ball to right field, and Tony Kemp scored for a 2-0 lead. Shea Langaliers singled on a ground ball to George Springer, and Aledsmy Díaz scored for a 3-0 lead as Jace Peterson went to third base.

The Blue Jays responded in the bottom of the third inning. Kevin Kiermaier doubled on a ground ball to JJ Bleday, and Danny Jansen scored to cut the A’s lead to 3-1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered on a fly ball to left-center field, and Kiermaier and Bo Bichette scored to take a 4-3 lead.

The A’s tied the ballgame in the top of the fifth inning. JJ Bleday was out on a sacrifice fly to George Springer, and Conner Capel scored to tie the game 4-4 with two outs.

The A’s regained the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Shea Langaliers homered on a fly ball to left field for a 5-4 lead that led to the A’s first win since Tuesday, June 13, when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s and Blue Jays will face each other in a middle game on Saturday, June 24, at 1:07 pm Pacific. Hogan Harris (2-1 ERA 4.45) going for Oakland and for Toronto Jose Berrios (7-5 ERA 3.64).

A’s Hold on for a 5-2 Win Over Brewers

Luis Medina pitched five strong innings to lead the Oakland A’s to a victory in Milwaukee against the NL Central-leading Brewers. It was Medina’s first major league victory. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. Photo from athleticsnation.com.

By Mary Anne

After a much-needed day off, the Oakland Athletics took on the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday night. The A’s looked to string three wins together, while the Brewers wanted to win their third straight series against the A’s. But the A’s prevailed and defeated the Brewers 5-2 in the series opener. Oakland improved to 15-50, and Milwaukee dropped to 34-30.

The A’s starting lineup in Milwaukee featured Esteury Ruiz, Ryan Noda, Seth Brown, Ramón Laureano, Jace Peterson, Jonah Bride, JJ Bleday, Shea Langaliers, Kevin Smith, and Sam Moll. Moll pitched just one inning and gave up one hit and three strikeouts for a 4.37 ERA.

The A’s overcame adversity in the top of the first inning. Ramón Laureano tripled on a fly ball to Blake Perkins, and Esteury Ruiz and Ryan Noda scored for a 2-0 lead. The Brewers challenged the A’s triple for a tag play, but the umpire upheld the call on the field. Jonah Bride singled on a ground ball to Christian Yelich, and Laureano scored for a 3-0 lead.

The A’s extended their lead in the top of the second inning. Esteury Ruiz singled on a ground ball to Christian Yelich, and Shea Langaliers scored for a 4-0 lead.

The Brewers got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Blake Perkins doubled on a fly ball to JJ Bleday, and Joey Wiemers scored to cut the A’s lead to 4-1. Luis Urias doubled on a fly ball to Ramón Laureano, and Perkins scored to cut the A’s lead in half 4-2 after a call on the field was upheld after the umpire reviewed a double from a home run.

The A’s added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Jonah Bride was out on a sacrifice fly that went to Joey Wiemer, and Seth Brown scored for a 5-2 lead as Ramón Laureano went to third base with one out.

The A’s and Brewers will square off in a middle game on Saturday, June 10, at 1:10 pm Pacific.

A’s Beat Pirates 9-5 for Second Straight Win

Oakland Athletics’ Jace Peterson doubles off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Roansy Contreras, driving in two runs, during the first inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Wed Jun 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics concluded a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday. The A’s looked to win two games in a row and hung on to beat the Pirates 9-5 in the series finale. With the win, Oakland improved to 14-50 and Pittsburgh dropped to 32-29.

The A’s starting lineup consisted of Ryan Noda, Seth Brown, Brent Rooker, Ramón Laureano, Jace Peterson, Jonah Bride, JJ Bleday, Shea Langeliers, Kevin Smith, and Hogan Harris. Harris pitched for five innings and gave up four hits, three earned runs, three walks, two strikeouts, and one home run before exiting the game.

The A’s jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Brent Rooker singled on a line drive to Ji-Hwan Bae, and Ryan Noda scored for a 1-0 lead as Seth Brown went to third base. Jace Peterson doubled on a ground ball to Connor Joe, and Brown scored for a 3-0 lead as Ramón Laureano went to third base.

Jonah Bride singled on a line drive to Bae, and Laureano scored for a 4-0 lead as Peterson went to third base. JJ Bleday singled on a line drive to Bryan Reynolds, and Peterson scored for a 5-0 lead as Bride went to second base. Noda walked, and Bride scored for a 6-0 lead as Bleday went to third base and Kevin Smith went to second base. Brown walked, and Bleday scored for a 7-0 lead as Smith went to third base and Noda went to second base.

The Pirates avoided being shutout by the A’s in the bottom of the second inning. Rodolfo Castro homered on a fly ball to center field to cut the A’s lead to 7-1.

The Pirates added two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rodolfo Castro doubled on a fly ball to JJ Bleday, and Carlos Santana and Ke’Bryan Hayes scored to cut the A’s lead to 7-3.

The A’s extended their lead in the top of the seventh inning. Ryan Noda homered on a fly ball to left field for an 8-3 lead. Brent Rooker doubled on a sharp line drive to Bryan Reynolds, and Seth Brown scored for a 9-3 lead.

The Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Connor Joe walked, and Jason Delay scored to cut the A’s lead to 9-4 as Andrew McCutchen went to third base and Bryan Reynolds went to second base.

The Pirates inched closer to the A’s in the bottom of the ninth inning, but that’s all she wrote. Bryan Reynolds singled on a line drive to Ramón Laureano, and Ji-Hwan Bae scored to cut the A’s lead to 9-5 as Andrew McCutchen went to second base.

The A’s will take on the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday, June 9 at 5:10 pm Pacific.

A’s Blow Lead in 5-4 Loss to Pirates

The Oakland A’s Nick Allen turns on the jets to run out a ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Mon Jun 5, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics opened a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. The A’s fell short against the Pirates 5-4 in a back-and-forth series opener at PNC Park. Entering play, Oakland looked to end their four-game losing streak, but they couldn’t get in the win column as they dropped to 12-50, while Pittsburgh improved to 32-27.

The A’s Pitt stop wasn’t complete without their starting lineup of Esteury Ruiz, Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, Seth Brown, Carlos Pérez, JJ Bleday, Jonah Bride, Jace Peterson, Nick Allen, and JP Sears. Sears pitched for 4 2/3 innings and gave up two hits, one run, one earned run, five walks, and six strikeouts before exiting the game. And, although Manny Piña wasn’t in the A’s starting lineup, the Venezuelan catcher celebrated his 36th birthday today.

The A’s wasted no time taking a quick lead in the top of the first inning. Ryan Noda singled on a line drive to Ji-Hwan Bae, and Esteury Ruiz scored for a 1-0 lead.

The A’s added to their lead in the top of the third inning. Seth Brown doubled on a line drive to Ji-Hwan Bae, and Ryan Noda scored for a 2-0 lead. Brent Rooker went to third base. Carlos Perez was out on a sacrifice fly to Connor Joe, and Rooker scored for a 3-0 lead. Brown went to third base with one out.

The Pirates avoided a shutout in the bottom of the fifth inning. Connor Joe doubled on a fly ball to Seth Brown deflected by Jace Peterson, and Mark Mathias scored to cut the A’s lead to 3-1. Andrew McCutchen went to third base.

The Pirates snatched a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Andrew McCutchen walked, and Ke’Bryan Hayes scored to cut the A’s lead to 3-2. Mark Mathias went to third base, and Austin Hedges went to second base.

Bryan Reynolds walked, and Mathias scored to tie the game 3-3. Hedges went to third base, and McCutchen went to second base. Jack Suwinski flew into a sacrifice fly double play, Seth Brown went to Jonah Bride, and Hedges scored for a 4-3 lead. McCutchen was out at third base with three outs.

The A’s tied the game 4-4 in the top of the eighth inning. Aledmys Diaz doubled on a sharp line drive to Bryan Reynolds, and Brent Rooker scored for a 4-4 tie.

The Pirates regained their lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Andrew McCutchen was out on a sacrifice fly to Ryan Noda, and Ji-Hwan Bae scored for a 5-4 lead with two outs.

The A’s and Pirates will meet again on Tuesday, June 6, at 4:05 pm Pacific. A’s starter for Tuesday right hander James Kaprielian (0-6 ERA 8.12) he’ll be opposed by the Pirates right hander Mitch Keller (7-1 ERA 3.25) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.