Tag: Seattle Mariners

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

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

By Jerry Feitelberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time: 2:52

Attendance: 6,294

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time:2:41

Attendance: 4,972

Monday, September 18, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah Campbell mopped up for Seattle with a scoreless ninth.

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

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

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

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time: 2:50

Attendance: 8,680

Sunday, September 17, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s open series with Ohtani and Angels tonight at Coliseum

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Shohei Ohtani returns with the Los Angeles Angels to face the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum beginning Fri Sep 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Oakland A’s returned home from a seven-game road trip to Chicago and Seattle. The A’s won three and lost four. 

#2 The A’s split the four-game set with a Chicago White Sox team in turmoil. The Sox fired their team’s president and general manager. There were two women who were shot on Friday when the A’s opened the series in Chicago, one got hit in the abdomen and the other shot in the leg neither suffered life threatening injuries.

#3 The A’s lost two games to the red-hot Seattle Mariners. Two of the games were very competitive. The A’s won 3-1 on Tuesday and lost 5-4 on Wednesday. The M’s took game three by a run it was a close contest but the M’s as they always do held off the A’s to take the series.

#4 Up next for the A’s is the visiting Los Angeles Angels tonight at the Oakland Coliseum. The Angels had high hopes at the start of the season. Their roster includes two superstars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Trout, a three-time AL MVP, has lost playing time the last couple of years due to injury. Trout, again his year, has been hit with another injury.

#5 The Angels will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound Friday night to face the A’s. Sandoval is 7-10 with a 3.95 ERA. The A’s will counter with J.P.Sears. Sears is having a tough season. His record is 2-11 and a 4.80 ERA a 6:40pm PT first pitch.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson each Friday for the Oakland A’s podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open series against Los Angeles Angels at Coliseum Friday night

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Oakland Athletics starting pitcher JP Sears will get the start against the Los Angeles Angels on Fri Sep 1, 2023 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s returned home from a seven-game road trip to Chicago and Seattle. The A’s won three and lost four. They split the four-game set with a Chicago White Sox team in turmoil. The Sox fired their team’s president and general manager.

The A’s lost two games to the red-hot Seattle Mariners. Two of the games were very competitive. The A’s won 3-1 on Tuesday and lost 5-4 on Wednesday. The A’s will host another troubled franchise, the Los Angeles Angels, for three games starting Friday night.

The Angels had high hopes at the start of the season. Their roster includes two superstars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Trout, a three-time AL MVP, has lost playing time the last couple of years due to injury. Trout, again his year, has been hit with another injury.

Trout suffered a broken hamate bone and has not fully recovered. He is due back on September 15th. Shohei Ohtani, the most remarkable player in baseball, also suffered an injury. Ohtani is both a pitcher and a designated hitter.

Ohtani is in line for another AL MVP and Cy Young awards. However, it is unlikely that Ohtani will win the Cy Young trophy as he suffered an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament, and he will not pitch again this year.

Ohtani, as a designated hitter, leads the American League with 44 home runs and has driven in 95. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery a few years ago, and no decision has been made regarding a second surgery.

The Angels made news yesterday as they placed six players on waivers. Two of the six came to the Angels at the trade deadline. It was clear that these moves were a salary dump. Five of the six players were claimed by other teams.

The Cleveland Guardians claimed pitchers Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore, and Reynaldo Lopez. Giolito came to the Angels from the White Sox at the trade deadline. The Cincinnati Reds claimed outfielder Hunter Renfroe. The other player placed on waivers, Randal Grichuk, was not selected by another team and remains with the Angels.

The A’s are 2-5 against the Angels this year. The A’s met the Angels in the opening series of the 2023 season. The teams have yet to meet since April 27th. A lot of things have happened to both teams in that interval.

The A’s are in the midst of a rebuild. Their starting rotation is a work in progress. The A’s have used Kyle Muller, Hohan Harris, and Mason Miller in the rotation. Muller has been with the A’s and the Tripe-A LAs Vegas Aviators this year.

The same goes for Harris. Miller was injured and may return to the club in September. The current rotation of Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk, J.P. Sears, Paul Blackburn, and Zach Neal is a study of mediocrity. Neal is the only pitcher with a winning record. 1-0. Hardly sensational.

The A’s bullpen is also a work in progress. A’s closer, Trevor May, has been reliable. Austin Pruitt did a good job but is out for the season with an injury.

There are some bright spots on the A’s roster. Rookie second baseman Zack Gelof has played well. Gelof has hit ten homers in his short time with the A’s. His average has dropped slightly, but he is a good hitter and has done well at second base.

Catcher Shea Langeliers does not hit for average, but he has hit four homers in his last six games. He is on track to finish the season with 20 or more home runs. First baseman Ryan Noda has a great eye at the plate. Noda is a leader in the league by drawing walks and has a good on-base percentage.

Outfielders Esteury Ruiz and Lawrence Butler have played well. Ruiz leads the AL in stolen bases. Ruiz stole two bases Wednesday against the Mariners. He has stolen 53 this season. Butler hit his second big league home run in the loss to Seattle on Wednesday.

Butler is 22 years -old and has a tremendous upside to his game. Third baseman Jordan Diaz is another player who looks to be with the A’s for a while. Outfielder Brent Rooker is having a career year, and the A’s will want to keep him on the roster.

The Angels will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound Friday night to face the A’s. Sandoval is 7-10 with a 3.95 ERA. The A’s will counter with J.P.Sears. Sears is having a tough season. His record is 2-11 and a 4.80 ERA. Sears has given up too many gopher balls this season. He is among the leaders in home runs allowed with 31. Sears pitches well for about three innings before the roof caves in on him.

Some Angel players who will perform this weekend were missing from the roster at the start of the season. Nolan Schanuel will be at first base. Schanuel has played ten games and is hitting. 324. Mike Moustakas will be at third base, filling in for the injured Anthony Rendon. Rendon, signed as a free agent after 2019, has been a disappointment.

It will be interesting to see if the A’s can win the series this weekend. The Angels are going to finish in fourth place in the AL West. The A’s will be in last place in the division. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay always has his team primed to play their best irrespective of the place in the standings. The Angels’ manager, Phil Nevin, also wants his players to give 100%. It will be interesting to see how the series goes this weekend.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: M’s hot August nights do in A’s in Seattle; A’s host Ohtani and Halos Friday at Coliseum

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Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler hits a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners to score Jordan Diaz during the second inning at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Wed Aug 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Sometimes there’s no stopping the Seattle Mariners and August 2023 just so happened to be the M’s hottest August they’ve had in their franchise history ending with a series 5-4 win at T Mobile Field on Wednesday afternoon.

#2 The Mariners have been going so well they ended up 21-6 and the A’s were fortunate to even win the second game from the M’s on Tuesday night 3-1.

#3 The A’s didn’t have a bad road trip going 3-4 taking two out four games against the Chicago White Sox and winning one game from the M’s. The A’s are competitive but they did run into a hot Mariners team.

#4 The Mariners starter Bryce Miller went six inning against the A’s giving up seven hits and three earned runs. The M’s used three relievers behind Miller for the one run win.

#5 A’s open up a three game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum starting pitcher for the Angels Patrick Sandoval (7-10) and for the Oakland A’s JP Sears (2-11 ERA 4.80) first pitch 6:40pm PT

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

Mariners’ two-run rally in seventh sends A’s down to another loss 4-3 at T Mobile

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Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run to score Jordan Diaz against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T Mobile Center in Seattle on Wed Aug 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s hoped to stop the powerful Seattle Mariner offense Wednesday afternoon. The A’s beat the M’s Tuesday night. The A’s pitchers held the Mariners to four hits. Could the A’s do it again? The Mariners did not have Julio Rodriguez in the lineup on Wednesday. The 22-year-old superstar was out with discomfort in his left foot.

The answer to the above question was no, and the A’s could not beat the M’s for a second straight game. Oakland tried hard as they went ahead 4-3 when they scored a run in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately for Oakland, the Mariners scored twice in their half of the seventh to go ahead 5-4. The Mariners bullpen held the A’s scoreless in the last two innings of the game to win 5-4.

The A’s plated three runs in the top of the second inning. A’s third baseman, Jordan Diaz, singled to get the rally going. Mariners’ starter, Bryce Miller, struck out catcher Carlos Perez for the first out. Miller was now pitching to centerfielder Lawrence Butler. Butler hit his second career home run.

There was no doubt about the ball going out of the park. The ball left the bat at 109 miles per hour and landed 431 feet away in the right-centerfield seats. The ninth hitter in the lineup, Esteury Ruiz singled. Ruiz stole his 52nd base of the season and went to third on M’s catcher Cal Raleigh’s throwing error. Ryan Noda doubled to drive in Ruiz with the A’s third run. Oakland leads 3-0 midway through the second inning.

The Mariners tied the game in the bottom of the third. A’s starter Zach Neal retired the first two hitters. Neal walked Eugenio Suarez. Cal Raleigh doubled to put men on at second and third. To get out of the jam, Neal would have to retire Teoscar Hernandez for the third out. That did not happen. With one swing of Hernandez’s bat, the game was tied. For Hernandez, it was his 23rd bomb of the season.

The A’s broke the tie in the top of the seventh. Justin Topa was now pitching for Seattle. With one out, back-to-back doubles by Aledmys Diaz and Esteury Ruiz produced Oakland’s fourth run. Ruiz stole third. Teoscar Hernandez caught Ryan Noda’s fly ball to shallow right field.

Ruiz tagged, and the play at home was close. The home plate umpire called Ruiz safe. The Mariners asked for a review, and the call was overturned. The A’s led 4-3 midway through the seventh.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay summoned lefty Kirby Snead to pitch the seventh. The first two Mariner hitters were left-handed hitters. The strategy failed. Dominic Canzone led off the inning with a double. M’s DH Mike Ford singled, sending Canzone to third.

Snead walked Dylan Moore to load the bases with no out. Snead struck out Josh Rojas for the first out. M’s shortstop J.P. Crawford singled to drive in Canzone and pinch-runner Jose Caballero to put Seattle ahead 5-4. Kotsay brought in Dany Jimenez to end the M’s rally. Seattle leads 5-4 after seven.

The Mariners’ Matt Brash held the A’s scoreless in the eighth, and closer Anders Munoz set the A’s down to secure the win for Seattle.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 39-95. The Mariners improved to 76-57. The Mariners record for August is 21-6. It is the first time in M’s franchise history that the team has won 21 games in a month. The Mariners needed the win as the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The teams are in a virtual tie for first place in the AL West. The Texas Rangers lost to the New York Mets to fall one game behind the leaders.

 292,47 fans were in the park to watch the game. The attendance for the three-game series was over 110,000. When teams win, people will show up. Put a good product on the field, and the fans will come.

The A’s are off on Thursday. Oakland will host the Los Angeles Angels for three games starting Friday night. Friday’s starting pitchers for the Angels Patrick Sandoval (7-4 ERA 3.95), starting for the A’s JP Sears (2-11 ERA 4.80) a 6:40pm PT first pitch at the Coliseum.