Tag: Seattle Mariners

Mariners rally late to edge A’s 3-2 in 10 innings

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Photo credit: @Mariners

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s, returning home after a successful 7-3 road trip to New York, Boston and Toronto, wasted another excellent outing bt the veteran Trevor Cahill as they lost the opener of the three-game series to the Seattle Mariners 3-2 at Safeco Field Tuesday night.

The Mariners’ Mike Leake and the A’s Trevor Cahill both pitched well. Each pitcher received a no-decision for their effort, but each could have won with a little more run support from their respective teammates. The A’s scored an unearned run in the fourth. Leake did not help his cause as he was the player that committed the error. He gave up an earned run in the fifth. With two out, he hit Mark Canha with a pitch. Matt Joyce singled to send Canha to third and Canha scored when Marcus Semien singled.

The Mariners tied the game in the seventh. With one out, Cahill walked the M’s designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach. The next hitter, catcher Mike Zunino, took Cahill deep to tie the score at two apiece.

Neither team could score in regulation, and the game went into extra-innings. In the top of the 10th. The Mariners took the lead. Shortstop Jean Segura singled to right. Guillermo Heredia doubled to center. Segura was sent home on the throw by third base coach Scott Brosius. Segura’s hand touched home plate before A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy could apply the tag.

The Mariners brought in Edwin Diaz to close out the game. Diaz retired the first two hitters. Marcus Semien nearly tied the game when he sent a Diaz fastball over the fence in left field. There was just one problem. The ball was about three feet foul. Diaz then struck out Semien to end the game.

Game notes and stats: With the win, the M’s are now 28-17 and remain just two games behind the first-place Houston Astros. The A’s drop to 25-23.

The A’s Trevor Cahill went seven innings and allowed just four hits and two runs.

The line of M’s Mike Leake was 6 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed six hits and two runs, one of which was unearned.

The A’s Yusmeiro Petit was charged with the loss, and Edwin Dian recorded his 16th save of the season.

The M’s announced that they placed Dee Gordon on the 10-day DL with a fractured toe.

The M’s designated hitter Nelson Cruz was not in the lineup Tuesday night.

The M’s manager, Scott Servais, was ejected late in the game for disputing calls on ball and strikes.

Up Next: The A’s will send Daniel Fossett to the mound to pitch on Wednesday. Gossett was recalled from Nashville to make a start. Marco Gonzalez will hurl for Seattle. Game time will be at 7:05 pm PST at the Oakland Coliseum.

A’s and Mariners start a three-game series Tuesday night in Oakland

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Photo credit: @KPOD1240AM

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, perhaps the surprise team of the American League, return home for a 10-game homestand. The A’s finished a 10-game road trip to New York, Boston, and Toronto with a record of 7-3. They split the first six games with New York and Boston and then won all four against Toronto. The A’s hit 19 home runs on the trip, and people around the league are starting to pay attention to what’s happening in Oakland.

There was a downside as two starting pitchers were placed on the 10-day DL. Andrew Triggs is out due to nerve irritation in his right arm, and Brett Anderson injured his left shoulder. Josh Lucas did well filling in for Anderson, and he may be called on to start a game. The A’s are now 25-22 and are 4 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for the lead in the AL West Division.

The A’s start the homestand against their division rival, the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners own a 4-2 record against Oakland so far this year. All six games were played in Seattle, and this will be the first meeting of the teams in Oakland. The Mariners are currently in second place in the AL West with a record of 27-19. They trail the first-place Astros by two games. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and are on a three-game winning streak.

The Mariners, however, seem to be in a bit of turmoil. Their All-Star second baseman, Robinson Cano, was hit with a double whammy last week. Cano suffered a broken thumb or wrist when he was hit by a pitch and would miss about six weeks of playing time. The second whammy that hit was an 80-game suspension for using a banned substance. The substance was Lasix or Furosemide, which is a drug used as a diuretic to remove excess water from the body. The drug is used to mask the use of steroids. Cano apologized to his teammates for his transgression. Cano can probably return in August, but he will not be eligible for postseason play.

The Mariners, as mentioned earlier, have beaten the A’s four times and lost just twice so far this year. The Mariners brought up Gordon Beckham to fill in for Cano at second. The M’s have a lot of power in their lineup. Ryon Healy, playing first base for the Mariners, came to Seattle in the deal that netted Emilio Pagan for Oakland. They have quality players such as Jean Segura at shortstop and Kyle Seager at third base. Ben Gamel, Dee Gordon, and Mitch Haniger handle the chores in the outfield. Gordon is an awesome leadoff hitter, and he plays as if he were Rickey Henderson. Haniger and Gamel have caused A’ pitchers a lot of distress and have to be shut down if the A’s want to come out with wins. Mike Zunino does most of the catching.

The Mariners’ designated hitter, Nelson Cruz, is having a tough time with injuries this year. Cruz missed two weeks when he was on the DL. After returning to action, he got sick in Toronto and then was hurt when he was hit in the foot by a pitch in a game against the Texas Rangers.

The A’s will be facing Mike Leake Tuesday night, Marco Gonzalez on Wednesday night, and their nemesis, Felix Hernandez, Thursday afternoon. Leake is 4-3, but his record is deceptive as the M’s have given him an abundance of run support. Gonzalez faced the A’s in April and went 3 1/3rd innings and gave up four runs and five hits and he was rewarded with a no-decision. On Thursday, it will be King Felix. Hernandez has a lifetime record of 26-10 against Oakland. His eyes light up when he sees the Green and Gold.

Hopefully, the A’s can turn the tables on Hernandez. The M’s lefty James Paxton will not see action in the series. Paxton’s last two outings have been outstanding. The Canadian-born Paxton threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays for his first career complete game and then had his second complete game in his last start.

The M’s bullpen has performed well. The bullpen is staffed by setup men such as Juan Nicasio, Nick Vincent, Marc Rzepczynski, and dynamite closer Edwin Diaz. There is a new face in the M’s pen, and he is former A’s reliever, Ryan Cook. Cook, who was an All-Star with the A’s in 2012 and pitched for them until 2015, was recalled from the minors last week. Cook missed all of the 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery. Cook last pitched in the Majors in 2015, and it will be interesting to see if he has regained the form that made him an All-Star.

The A’s have shown that they have a very potent lineup. Everyone can hit the ball out of the park. Jed Lowrie, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Matt Joyce, Chad Pinder, Mark Canha, Stephen Piscotty,  Dustin Fowler, and Jonathan Lucroy are all dangerous hitters.

However, the A’s most-feared hitter, Khris Davis, strained his right groin in Sunday’s game in Toronto. The injury usually takes a while to heal, and Davis is currently day-to-day, but there is a possibility that he will be placed on the 10-day DL. Chad Pinder would probably fill in for Davis as the DH.

As mentioned above, the A’s rotation is in dire straits due to injuries. Sean Manea and Daniel Mengden pitched in Toronto and are not available under the series with Arizona. Cahill is pitching on Tuesday, and the starters for Wednesday and Thursday are to be determined. The A’s may call up Kendall Graveman from Nashville to fill in.

In other news, the A’s reinstated catcher Bruce Maxwell from the ineligible list on Monday and sent Josh Phegley back to Nashville.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Diuretics Taint Robinson Cano’s Hall of Fame-Worthy Career

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Photo credit: @mlbtraderumors

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND, Calif. — A future Hall of Fame player’s career was recently tainted when Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Canó was suspended for 80 games for using a diuretic. Here is the description of what caused his suspension. He tested positive for the diuretic furosemide, violating MLB’s joint drug agreement. Furosemide is a diuretic, commonly known as Lasix, that is used to treat horses.The Mariners open a three-game series this Tuesday at the Oakland Coliseum against their western division rivals, Oakland Athletics.

There is a good chance Canó will make his return against the A’s when they visit Oakland again in the middle of August. Born in the Dominican Republic, the veteran Canó has been one of the best second basemen in the game since he arrived and played with the New York Yankees in 2005. A stylish-fielding veteran of 14 seasons, 2005-13 with the Yankees and since 2014 with Seattle. He is on his fifth year of a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. 24 million per year. And he will be sitting for a while under suspension. His friend, who played with him in New York, Alex Rodríguez said: “It will be a long road back for Robinson,” but he believed he will land on his feet. He knows about the situation, Rodríguez is no novice to the word “suspension” as he also was suspended for the use of PEDs.

Dee Gordon has been playing second base for the Mariners since Canó’s suspension last week. The absence of Canó could be costly for this Mariners team who has been playing very well recently, just like the A’s, and this will be a very interesting first series of the season between these two divisional rivals.

The A’s return home after a triumphal road-trip that took them to New York, Boston and Toronto, winning seven and losing three and now have a 14-13 record on the road and 11-9 at home. The A’S will open this 10-game homestand tomorrow, three vs. Seattle, three vs. Arizona and four vs. Tampa Bay.

Currently,the A’s hold a 25-22 record and are in fourth place with 4.5 games from first place Houston, while Seattle is in second place 27-19 just two games behind the World Champion Astros and have been playing well on the road with a 15-9 record outside Safeco Field.

Tuesday’s game will match a pair of veteran right-handers: For Seattle, Mike Leake 4-3  6.00 ERA, who had a no decision against the A’s on April 13 in Seattle. For the A’s Trevor Cahill will make his sixth start of the season with 1-2 and 2.79 ERA. The Golden State Warriors will also be playing next door at the Oracle Arena as they have a 2-to-1 game advantage over the Houston Rockets in the Western Finals. I recommend you take BART to avoid the traffic jams.

Listen to the Atléticos in Spanish on KIQI 1010AM/990AM covering the Bay Area and Sacramento/Stockton.

Mariners win rubber match 4-1 over the A’s on same night Ichiro Suzuki shifts from field to front office

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Photo credit: @Mariners

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Seattle Mariners removed future Hall of Fame player Ichiro Suzuki from the active roster and moved him into a front office job with the club. The 44-year old Ichiro has amassed almost 3,100 hits in his MLB career and well over 4,000 when his hits in the Japanese League are added to the total. It was a very emotional night for Ichiro, the Seattle players and the entire city of Seattle.

Now for the Oakland A’s story of the game: The A’s ace, Sean Manaea, who was named as the American League Pitcher of the Month, had his worst outing of the year as the Mariners won the game 4-1. Manaea was done in by the Mariners’ Dee Gordon, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz. Gordon was channeling his inner Rickey Henderson Thursday night as he finished the night 3-for-4, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Gordon led off the bottom of the first with an infield single. Gordon promptly stole second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Jean Segura. Second baseman Robinson Cano singled to drive in Gordon.

The Mariners’ believed that history repeats itself as Gordon double down the right-field line. Stephen Piscotty made a valiant effort to get to the ball. He could not get to the ball in time as it landed near the foul line and Gordon, who is very speedy, made it into second base handily. Segura laid down another sacrifice bunt to move Gordon to third. Cano singled to make it 2-0. Manaea now had to deal with Mariners’ slugger Nelson Cruz. Cruz, who has tormented the A’s over the years, sent Manaea’s pitch over the left-centerfield wall to put the Mariners ahead 4-0.

The A’s Stephen Piscotty hit his second homer of the year off reliever Chason Bradford in the top of the fifth to make it 4-1.

The Mariners did not score after the third, and the A’s were done after the fifth. Manaea’s line was six innings pitched, six hits, and four runs. Lou Trivino pitched one inning and gave up a hit. Casilla also went an inning and did not allow a hit. The Mariners’ starter, lefty Wade LeBlanc who was filling in for the injured Erasmo Ramirez, was lifted after four innings of work. LeBlanc allowed just three hits and no runs. Chason Bradford went 2 1/3 innings and picked up his third win of the year. James Pazos, Juan Nicasio, and Edwin Diaz closed out the game for Seattle.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Mariners improved to 18-12 and find themselves just a 1/2 game behind the Los Angeles Angels (19-12) and the Houston Astros (20-13) for first place in the AL West. The A’s are 15-16 and are four games back of the Angels and Astros. The Angels moved into the first-place tie with Houston after sweeping the three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, and the Astros had their problems with the New York Yankees, who beat the Astros three out of four.

Up Next: The A’s return home Friday night to face the woeful Baltimore Orioles for three games. The Orioles’ record is 8-23, and the team has been floundering. Hopefully, the A’s can make some hay this weekend as they have to face four top teams in the next two weeks. The schedule has them playing the Astros for three at home then they are off to New York, Boston, and Toronto.  Not an easy task.

Daniel Mengden (2-3, 4.68) starts Friday night for the A’s. Mengden was pounded by the Astros last week in Houston, but he is 2-1 in his last three starts. Mengden has never faced the Orioles. Andrew Cashner will take the ball for the Orioles. Cashner is 1-4 with an ERA of 4.76. Cashner is 1-0 lifetime against Oakland, Game time is at 7:05 pm PT.

Mariners’ James Paxton dominates, but the A’s come back to win a thriller 3-2

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s evened the series with the Seattle Mariners at one apiece Wednesday night. The A’s Brett Anderson, who was making his first start since being recalled from the Nashville Sounds, gave the team a quality start as he went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs and five hits. Anderson struck out four and walked one.

Anderson’s opponent, James Paxton, was dominant. Paxton struck out 16 A’s hitters, which was a Major League-high so far this year, and the A’s could not touch him. Paxton went seven innings and allowed no runs and five hits. Paxton walked just one hitter and struck out 16. Paxton was taken out of the game as he reached the 100-pitch limit. Yet, neither pitcher figured in the decision as the Mariners’ bullpen blew the save and the A’s bats woke up to win a thriller 3-2 at Safeco Field.

The Mariners scored twice in the bottom of the third. Former A’s third baseman, Ryon Healy, led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season. Anderson walked the ageless Ichiro Suzuki. The next hitter, Dee Gordon, grounded out 1-3. Ichiro was running on the pitch and Anderson’s only play was to get Gordon at first. Mariners’ shortstop Jean Segura lined a ball to left to drive in Ichiro with the second run of the inning. Segura was out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Both Anderson and Paxton continued to pitch well. Anderson left the game in the top of the seventh with one out. Anderson had given up singles to Mitch Haniger and Kyle Seager. Bob Melvin had seen enough and brought in Ryan Dull to pitch. Dull did his job as he retired the next to hitters and the score remained 2-0 in favor of Seattle.

The Mariners brought in Juan Nicasio to pitch the eighth. Nicasio retired the first hitter. Melvin sent in Matt Joyce to pinch-hit for Chad Pinder. Joyce came through with a double to right-centerfield. Nicasio then had to pitch to Jed Lowrie. Lowrie, hitting from the left side, blasted his eighth big fly of the year to tie the game for Oakland. Lowrie now has 30 RBIs and leads the AL in that department.

A’s closer Blake Treinen was brought in to pitch the eighth and ninth. The Mariners loaded the bases with one out. Dee Gordon reached on an infield single. Segura lined a ball that hit the left-field wall on one bounce. Segura was called out at second, but the call was overturned. The A’s gave Robinson Cano an intentional walk to load the bases. Treinen reached back and struck out Nelson Cruz and Mitch Haniger to end the threat.

The A’s took the lead for good when Mark Canha slammed his fourth dinger of the season off Mariners’ closer, Edwin Diaz. Diaz retired the next three hitters. In the bottom of the ninth, Treinen had to walk the tightrope one more time. With one out, Mariners’ catcher Mike Zunino walked. Ryon Healy singled to put men on at first and second. Treinen struck out Ichiro for the second out.Dee Gordon reached on an infield single to load the bases. Gordon was called out but the Mariners challenged, and the call was overturned. Treinen had to find a way to retire Segura. His sinker was working, and he grounded out to end the game. The A’s win 3-2.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s evened their season record at 15-15. The Mariners dropped to 17-12, but did not lose ground as the Yankees beat the Houston Astros again 4-0. The Angels beat the Orioles and picked up a game on both the Astros and Mariners. The A’s remain in fourth place in the AL West.

Blake Treinen recorded the win and the Mariners’ closer Edwin Diaz took the loss. Nicasio was charged with a blown save.

The three-game series concluded Thursday night in Seattle. It will again be a battle of two left-handed pitchers. Sean Manaea, who was named AL pitcher of the month, will go for Oakland. Manaea is 4-2 with an ERA of just 1.03. His opponent will be Wade LeBlanc. LeBlanc is 0-0 with an ERA of 4.61. Erasmo Ramirez was supposed to start, but he is out with an injury.

Time of game was two hours and 25 minutes.

11,603 fans attended the game.

Up Next: Game 3 between these two teams will be at 7:10 pm PT.

Mariners start May right with 6-3 win over A’s, thanks to Hernandez and Cruz

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Photo credit: @Mariners

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s knew that they were in for a tussle Tuesday night as they had to face their nemesis, Felix “King Felix” Hernandez. The Seattle Mariners’ big righty has owned the A’s over the years as he entered the game with a lifetime record of 25-10 against them. The A’s beat Hernandez in Oakland on April 15th, but they did not have any pixie dust working for them in Seattle. Hernandez went six-plus innings and gave up three hits and three runs. The A’s Andrew Triggs took the loss as he gave up six hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. His record is now 2-1 for the year. The Mariners won the first game of the three-game series 6-3.

The A’s Jed Lowrie gave his team an early lead in the top of the first when he blasted his seventh home run of the year to right field. The Mariners tied the game in the bottom of the second. Kyle Seager doubled to start the rally. He tagged and went to third when Mitch Haniger flew out. Mariners’ catcher Mike Zunino followed with a double to drive in Seager.

The Mariners got to Triggs in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Dee Gordon singled. He went to second when Triggs uncorked a wild pitch. Triggs walked Mariners’ shortstop Jean Segura to put men on at first and second. Triggs retired the next hitter but could not get by designated hitter Nelson Cruz. Cruz hit the pitch 410 feet and ended Triggs’ night. The Mariners lead 4-1 after five.

The Mariners added a run in the sixth, and the A’s came back and put two on the board in the seventh. Hernandez started the seventh, but had to come out after he walked Khris Davis and gave up a double to Matt Olson to put men on at second and third with no out. M’s manager Scott Servais brought in Nick Vincent to pitch. Vincent struck out Matt Chapman for the first out. Mark Canha reached on an infield single to drive in Davis with the A’s second run of the night. Matt Olson went to third, and he scored when Chad Pinder grounded out. The Mariners finished the scoring in the bottom of the eighth when they added an insurance run. The Mariners win 6-3.

Game Notes and Stats: The A’s drop to 14-15, while the Mariners improve to 17-11. The Mariners have won three in a row and six of the last seven. The Mariners are now just 1 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. The Astros lost to the Yankees 4-0 earlier in the evening.

Dee Gordon had five hits in five trips to the plate. Nelson Cruz continued to pound Oakland as he hit his sixth big fly in the fifth to put the M’s in the lead for good.

The line score for Oakland was three runs on four hits and no errors. Seattle’s line was six runs, nine hits, and no errors. M’s closer Edwin Diaz picked his 12th save of the year. Diaz leads the majors in that department.

Up Next: Game 2 of the series will be played Wednesday night in Seattle. The A’s will send lefty Brett Anderson to the mound to handle the pitching chores. Anderson, who broke in with Oakland in 2009 at age 29, was recalled from Nashville where he had a record of 1-1 and an ERA of 1.89. Anderson pitched for the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays last year. Lefty James Paxton (1-1, ERA 5.12) will go for Seattle. Game time will be at 7:05 pm PT.

A’s to meet the Mariners in Seattle for a three-game series

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Photo credit: seattletimes.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Seattle Mariners will host the Oakland A’s for a three-game series starting Tuesday night in the Emerald City. The A’s and Mariners met earlier this year on Mid-April, and the Mariners won two of the three games. The A’s only win came when Sean Manaea pitched. Manaea beat the M’s and their ace Felix Hernandez by a score of 2-1.

The Mariners’ record so far is 16-11, and they are in second place in the AL West two games behind the first place Houston Astros. The Los Angels Angels fell into third place as they were swept at home by the rampaging New York Yankees who have now won nine straight games. The Mariners had a good weekend, too, as they won three out of four from the Cleveland Indians. The A’s are in fourth place in the division with a record of 14-14. The A’s are 3-3 on the current road trip and return home to play the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros.

The Mariners will send Felix Hernandez to the mound Tuesday night. Hernandez lost his last start against the A’s but is 25-10 lifetime against Oakland. Andrew Triggs will pitch for the Green and Gold. Triggs is 2-0 and has an ERA of 4.70. He allowed just one run and four hits in six innings of work in his last start against the Rangers. Triggs has not allowed no more than two runs in four of his five starts. On Wednesday, left James Paxton will pitch for Seattle. Paxton is 1-1 with an ERA of 5.71. Paxton has been so-so this season but he has had success against the A’s, and his  MLB career record is 31-21 and an ERA of 3.41. The A’s have not announced their starting pitcher for Wednesday due to the demotion of Kendall Graveman to Nashville. There is speculation that the A’s will recall lefty Brett Anderson from Nashville to make a start. Daniel Gossett may also be recalled. On Thursday, Erasmo Ramirez will go fo Seattle. Ramirez is 0-7 lifetime against Oakland. A’s manager Bob Melvin has not named a starter for Thursday, either. Sean Manaea would be likely as he pitched last Friday against Houston.

Whatever pitcher faces the Mariners will have to be on the top of his game as the Mariners are loaded. Dee Gordon, who came to Seattle from Miami over the winter, is filling the bill as the leadoff hitter. Gordon is hitting .309 and has an OBP of .339. Shortstop Jean Segura has been steady, and he is hitting .298. Hopefully, the A’s pitchers can keep these rabbits of the bases as they will have to face the big boppers who are Robison Cano, Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz, Mitch Haniger, and Ryon Healy. Cano has been an All-Star for most of his career, and he is off to a good start again. Cano is hitting .313 and has 3 homers and 14 RBIs. Cruz is getting warmed up, and he has done a lot of damage against Oakland over the years. Cruz has 5 dingers and 11 RBIs but he cannot and must not be taken lightly. The same goes for the veteran third baseman Kyle Seager. The leading power hitter in the Mariner lineup is right fielder Mitch Haniger. Haniger has sent 10 balls over the fences and has 27 RBIs to his credit. Haniger dealt the A’s some pain last season. The next fearsome power hitter will be former Athletic Ryon Healy. Healy was traded to Seattle for pitcher Emilio Pagan. Healy missed almost three weeks of the season due to a sprained ankle. He returned to action last Saturday and hit a home run in that game and two more on Sunday as the M’s beat the Indians 10-4. Ichiro Suzuki will be in left field as he fills in for Ben Gamel. Ichiro, who is his 40s, is no longer the hitter that he was when he started his career with Seattle in 2001, is still dangerous. The catching chores will be handled by Mike Zunino and David Freitas.

The Mariners’ bullpen is staffed by Juan Nicasio, Nick Vincent, Dan Altavilla, Marc Rzepczynski, James Pazos, Chason Bradford, Wade LeBlanc, and the closer Edwin Diaz.

The A’s will respond with an offense that has been quite productive. They have two players will an OPS(on-base percentage plus slugging) over 800 and three players with an OPS of over 950. Khris Davis leads the team with 7 homers. Matt Chapman and Jed Lowrie are second with six each. Mark Canha, Matt Olson, Chad Pinder, and Marcus Semien each have three. The A’s have been hitting well, and they have been getting excellent starting pitching from Manaea, Triggs, Trevor Cahill, and Daniel Mengden.

The A’s have made some adjustments to the bullpen. The A’s moved Chris Hatcher down from being the eighth-inning setup man. Hatcher has been struggling, and that role may go either Ryan Dull or rookie Lou Trivino or possible veterans Yusmeiro Petit or Santiago Casilla. Pett and Casilla have done well recently and have earned the confidence of manager Bob Melvin. The A’s have just one lefty, Daniel Coloumbe, in the bullpen and his performance this season has been shaky. Coloumbe was sent down to Nashville, but he was recalled due to the injury to Ryan Buchter. Blake Treinen remains the closer and Treinen has recorded three saves, the last coming on April 15th.

The A’s would like to win two of the three in Seattle and finish the road trip with a winning record. The Mariners have other thoughts as they know the Yankees are playing the Astros and will be able to gain ground if the Yankees take the series in Houston.

A’s lose slugfest in Seattle on Saturday night 10-8

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
10-8 Ms
Graphic: @athletics

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland A’s can score runs. On Saturday night in Seattle, they put eight runs up on the board which frankly should be enough to win any major league game. The problem is the A’s pitchers gave up 10 runs to the Mariners and Oakland lost their second game in a row 10-8.

The Athletics four pitchers gave 10 runs off 17 hits. They gave up four home runs in the game. The A’s pitchers gave up three 2-out RBI which breaks the back of team trying to get healthy on the road. Ironically, the Oakland pitchers issued only two walks.

The performance of A’s starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (0-3) has to be of real concern to the coaching staff and the front office. Graveman made his fourth start on Saturday night and lasted only four innings. He gave up five runs (all earned) on eight hits. Graveman – who was the losing pitcher – recorded five strikeouts and walked two hitters. He gave up one home run – a three-shot with two out in the bottom of the second to Jean Segura (1).

A’s television color analyst Ray Fosse believes Graveman needs to change his pitching style back to what he was doing last season. Graveman was pitching like a classic “sinker-baller” who was working to get a ground ball out and not a strikeout. This season, Graveman appears to have upped his velocity and is going after strikeouts which does not seem to be working out very well for the pitcher.

Oakland used three relievers on Saturday. Danny Coulombe came on in relief of Graveman and was hit hard by the M’s. He issued three runs (two earned) off four hits including one home run. Emilio Pagan worked 1.1 innings of relief and posted all deuces in the book. He allowed two runs (both earned) on two hits – both home runs.

The one positive out of the bullpen in the for the Athletics was the performance of Yusmeiro Petit. Petit came on in the seventh inning and stopped the Mariners in their tracks. He worked two innings allowing no runs on three hits while striking out two batters.

Seattle used seven pitchers in the contest. The M’s starter Marco Gonzales lasted just 3.1 innings giving up four runs (all earned) off five hits. Chasen Bradford relieved Gonzales and ultimately was awarded his first win of the season. Edwin Diaz came in for the top of the ninth inning to record his sixth save of the season. It is not very often you will see a team score 10 runs and need their closer to come into the game to record a save.

The seven Mariners pitchers gave up eight runs (all earned) on 10 hits. They walked three and combined for 11 strikeouts.

A’s with the bat

a-m's
Photo: @athletics
  • Mark Canha had a big game. He went 2-for-5 at the plate and hit his first home run of the season.
  • Jed Lowrie went 3-for-4 on the night with one RBI and a run scored.
  • Khris Davis hit his fifth home run of the season – a two-run shot in the seventh inning with two outs.
  • Stephen Piscotty also had a nice game with the bat. He hit his first home run of the season while going 2-for-4 in the game picking up two RBI.

Seattle was in power mode with their bats

vogelbach hr
Voglebach home run Photo: @mariners
  • Segura, Haniger, Seager, and Vogelbach all hit round-trippers off A’s pitchers in the Mariners win.
  • Seager and Vogelbach each recorded a double.
  • The M’s went 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Up next

The final game of the series and the road trip will take place on Sunday afternoon at 1:10 PM. The A’s will send lefty Sean Manaea (1-2, 1.74) to the hill to face the Mariners “King” Felix Hernandez (2-1, 6.00).

 

Seventh-Inning Rally Helps Mariners to a 7-4 Win Over A’s

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @710ESPNSeattle

By Matthew Harrington

The Seattle Mariners rallied in a five-run seventh inning to beat the Oakland A’s 7-4 and continue a three-game win streak. Matt Chapman hit a solo homer for the green and gold and Khris Davis had a pair of dingers, but Mitch Haniger’s four RBIs and Daniel Vogelbach’s first homer sunk the A’s.

Oakland took a 2-0 lead off Mike Leake after the first on Davis’ third homer of the year, but the M’s rallied in the bottom of the inning to tie the game off starter Andrew Triggs. Matt Chapman continued his Monstrous 2018 by taking Leake deep for his fifth long ball of the year in the top of the sixth inning for a 3-2 lead.

The Mariners broke the tie in the seventh inning after Yusmeiro Pettit picked up a quick two outs to start the frame. Jean Segura singled, chasing Petit in favor of Danny Coulombe. Coulombe walked Robinson Cano, leaving the game for Chris Hatcher. Hatcher coughed up a three-run homer to Mitch Haniger, adding to Haniger’s RBI base hit in the first for a 5-3 lead. Kyle Seager singled and Daniel Vogelbach, DHing for an injured Nelson Cruz, took Hatcher deep for the 7-3 edge.

Khris Davis homered again off Juan Nicasio in the top of the eighth, but Edwin Diaz closed the game out for his fifth save of the year. Couloumbe (0-1, 2.57 ERA) was saddled with the loss, Hatcher with a blown save while Dan Altavilla (1-1, 1.50) picked up the win for his clean top of the seventh inning. Andrew Triggs didn’t factor into the decision, but exited the game in line for the win after the A’s scored in the top of the sixth. He threw five innings of five-hit, two-run ball.

Up Next: The A’s and Mariners meet again Saturday night at 6:10 pm PT.

Preview of the A’s weekend series against the Mariners

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @KPODFM

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s play the Seattle Mariners this weekend in Seattle. The A’s are 5-8 to start the season and have yet to win a series against an opponent. They went 1-3 against the LA Angels to start the season. They split a four-game series with the Texas Rangers and went 1-2 against the Angels last week in Anaheim. Angels’ rookie sensation Shosei Ohtani beat the A’s twice. The A’s then split a two-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers,

The Mariners are in third place in the AL West with a record of 6-4. So far, they have played the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas City Royals. The series against the A’s will be the first against an AL West opponent.

The teams have announced the pitching matchups for the weekend series. The A’s will send Andrew Triggs to the hill Friday night. Triggs will be making his third start of the young season. Triggs has a record of 1-0 with an ERA of 2.53. In his last start against the Angels, Triggs went 5 2/3rds innings and allowed just 2 runs and 4 hits as he was credited with his first win.

Mike Leake will go for the Mariners. Leake, the former St. Louis Cardinal and San Francisco Giant, owns a record of 2-0 and has a 3.00 ERA. Leake has pitched 12 innings so far and has beaten the Indians and the Twins.

On Friday night, Kendall Graveman will make his fourth start. Things have not gone well for Graveman as he is 0-2 and has an ERA of 9.45. In his three starts, he has pitched a total of 13 and 1/3rd innings and has allowed four runs in each of the starts. Seattle’s lefty Marco Gonzales will oppose Graveman. Gonzales beat the Giants in San Francisco but struggled in his last outing against the Twins. His record stands at 1-1, and his ERA is 7.27.

Sunday will see a matchup of two very good pitchers. The A’s Sean Manaea (1-2, ERA 1.74) has pitched well in all three of his starts. He took the loss Tuesday night against the Dodgers. He gave up home runs to the first two hitters he faced,, but settled down and left the game trailing 2-0. The A’s offense was impotent against the Dodgers and gave him no run support as the A’s fell 4-0.

The Mariners ace, Felix Hernandez will handle the pitching chores against. Hernandez must salivate when he sees the guys in Green and Gold. King Felix has a career record of 25-9 in 46 starts. Felix is 2-1 so far and has beat the Royals last Tuesday, despite giving up three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

The Mariners will be without the services of Nelson Cruz (sprained right ankle), former A’s player Ryon Healy (Grade 2 right ankle sprain), outfielder Ben Gamel ( Right oblique sprain), and catcher Mike Zunino (left oblique sprain.)

The Mariners still have a potent lineup. Robinson Cano will be at second, Jean Segura at short, Kyle Seager at third, and Daniel Vogelbach will be at first base. Dee Gordon, in his first season in Seattle, will be in center field, Mitch Haniger will handle right field, and either Guillermo Heredia or Ichiro Suzuki will play left. The catching chores will be handled by David Freitas or Mike Marjama.

The Mariners’ closer is Edwin Diaz, and the bullpen consists of Dan Altavilla, Chasen Bradford, Nick Vincent, our old friend Marc Rzepczynski, Casey Lawrence, Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos.

The A’s offense got going Wednesday night in Los Angeles when they put 16 runs on the board and recorded 21 hits. They have a powerful lineup with Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Jed Lowrie handling the infield tasks. Matt Joyce will be in left against right-handed pitchers, Trayce Thompson will be in center, and Stephen Piscotty will be in right. Jake Smolinski and Mark Canha will be the backups. Jonathan Lucroy will handle the catching, but Bruce Maxwell will probably play in one of the games.

This would be a good time for the A’s to win a series and get closer to the .500 mark. The A’s know they can hit with power. Hopefully, they will continue the heavy hitting and not play they way they did last Sunday and Tuesday when they scored just one run and nine hits in 18 innings of action.