Tag: texas rangers

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, right, tags out Oakland Athletics’ Shea Langeliers on a steal attempt during the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu May 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel the Oakland A’s just couldn’t figure out Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi who sat down A’s hitters with 12 strikeouts.

#2 Eovaldi is putting up some Cy Young numbers he now has a scoreless streak at 28 2/3 innings pitched improving to 5-2 ERA 2.70.

#3 Former Oakland A’s infielder Marcus Semien haunted his old club slugging a home run his seventh of the season and improving his average to .289.

#4 Daniel, Thursday night’s crowd was Oakland second smallest crowd of the season with only 2,949 in attendance. The news that the A’s will be locating at the Tropicana hotel and casino site in Las Vegas has turned off a few more fans and some fans even had a whole section to themselves on Thursday night.

#5 Daniel, the Port Commission hearing regarding the Oakland A’s Howard Terminal project and that proposal has expired today. During the hearing members of the public some expressed objections to building at the port mainly because of loses of port jobs and an A’s land grab and those in favor say that the idea of building there would mean jobs and the A’s would profit there and would not impact jobs at the port.

#6 The Texas Rangers (23-14) who at the top of the AL West and led by manager Bruce Bochy will match up against the A’s just underway at the Oakland Coliseum. Starting pitcher for Texas Martin Perez (4-1 ERA 3.66) and for the A’s left hander Ken Waldichuk (4-1 ERA 4.66)

Join Daniel for the A’s podcasts each Friday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Texas Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi pitches against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning at Oakland Coliseum on Thu May 11, 2023 (AP News photo)  

Texas (23-14). 000 012 100. – 4. 7. 0

Oakland (8-31). 000 000 000 – 0. 3 0

Time: 2:16

Attendance: 2,949

Thursday, May 11, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–After snapping their season high two game winning last Sunday, your Oakland Athletics lost four straight games and came home today with a record of 8-30, .211, in hot pursuit of the 1899 Cleveland Spiders’ 20-134 (.130), the worst record in major league history.

Sarcasm aside, the major news about the A’s concerns their wheeling and dealing on the Las Vegas real estate market. Speaking of Vegas, Oakland added a couple of Aviators to their roster today. One of them was Luis Medina, who had pitched one big league game before he took the mound as the Athletics’ s starter this evening, That was on April 25, when he gave up eights hit and five runs in a 5-3 loss to the Angels. (The other Vegas call up was fellow right handed starter Zach Neal).

Thursday night, Medina began brilliantly and faded into mediocrity after four innings of work. The first hit he allowed was a triple to Nathaniel Lowe with two out in the top of the fourth. It would have been a single had it not been for JJ Bleday’s ill advised attempt at a diving watch.

That play resulted in an earned, but undeserved, run. When he left after the sixth inning, the youngster had been charged with three runs, all earned, on five hits. He didn’t walk anybody but threw two wild pitches. He had three strike outs to his credit, and 50 of his 87 pitches were counted as strikes. He brought his ERA down to 8.18. He also took the loss in the Athletics’ 4-0 defeat by the Rangers

The Rangers’ starter was more experienced than Medina. Evan Eovaldi is a 33 year old veteran now in his 13th season of MLB ball. His best season came in 2021, when he was named to the AL all star team as a Red Sox and fiinished fourth in the voting for the Cy Young award. He brought a career record of 71-70, 4.13 and a season’s mark of 4-2, 3.22 in his duffle bag with him to the decaying monument to seasons past on the banks of the River Nimitz.

Eovaldi was in fine form tonight. He came as close as you can to throwing a complete game , 8-2/3 innings.

The rookie and the veteran put kept each other’s team off board until the top of the fifth when, with Josh Jung on first with a lead off single and one down, Medina unleashed a wild pitch to Jonah Heim, allowing Jung to reach second. Medina almost dodged the Rangers’ bullet by striking out Ezequiel Durán, but Leody Tavares smacked a clean single to center to put the possee from the Lone Star State in the saddle, 1-0.

Medina weakened considerably after that. Marcus Semien led off the sixth with a resounding home run, his seventh, to left. It came off a 2-2 four seamer and travelled 403 feet before landing beond the left center field fence.

Fellow ex-Athletic Robby Grossman followed with double to right and moved on to third on Nathaniel Lowe’s fly to the foot of the warning track in right field. He came hone onb a wild pitch to Adolis Garcia. Two outs later the A’s came to bat in the bottom of the sixth trailing 3-0.

It was 4-0 when they came up in the bottom of the seventh. Sam Long had relieved Medina and surrendered a lead off double Jonah Heim, who eventually scored from third on third on a failed 3-6-1 double play attempt on Josh Smith’s grounder to Noda. Long stayed in the game through the eighth, yielding to Austin Pruitt at the start of the ninth. He held Texas to an infield single.

Oakland kept fighting until the end. With two out in the bottom of the ninth Esteury Ruiz deposited a double in the left field corner, and Noda walked. That brought Will Smith in from the bullpen to strike out Rooker and earn earn his seventh save of the season.

The series continues tomorrow, Friday, at 6:40. The Rangers’ Martín Pérez (4-1, 3.86) will go against Oakand’s Ken Waldichuk (1-2, 7.25)

Oakland A’s pitching couldn’t keep the Texas Rangers hitting at bay, the Rangers scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning in a three run win 5-2 at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

Loses Continue to Mount For the Athletics Losing to Texas 5-2

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Oakland A’s (4-18) were back on the field in game three of their series with the Texas Rangers (14-7) the A’s dropped a three run decision to the Rangers 5-2 for their ninth loss in their last ten games. Oakland had a horrible loss on Saturday in game two in what was probably their worst game this season getting clobbered 18-3.

The A’s are on shaky ground and if things do not change they could wind up with the worst season record in modern baseball history surpassing the 1962 Mets who won only 40 games that season.

None of their starting pitchers have clocked a win yet this season. They are getting beaten in every way possible whether it be on the mound, hits in a game or defense. It has been an alarming start for the team this year. Last season they finished as the second worst team in baseball and they are on course to finish in last place this year.

It was a tough opening inning for Oakland pitcher Kyle Muller loading the bases. There was a bit of good news, however, when Muller got out of the inning unscathed. This was something he would not want to repeat especially against a team like the Rangers who have a slew of offensive giants.

In the second inning Muller threw a pitch down into Robbie Grossman’s comfort zone only to watch it sail out of the park, a three-run home run giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead.

Texas would score again in the fourth inning; Robbie Grossman sacrificed and Leody Taveras scored giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead.

Oakland would make an appearance on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Shea Langliers hit a two-run home run. They had cut the Rangers lead in half 4-2.

It was a quiet sixth and seventh inning but it got boisterous in the eighth inning when Texas would load the bases. Relief pitcher Sam Moll was one strike away from saving the inning but walked the batter to load the bases. He then through a wild pitch and the Rangers scored extending their lead 5-2.

The A’s have not won a series this year, their pitchers have not won a start and they now sport a miserable 4-18 season record. This game was a loss but it was competitive unlike yesterday’s game. Oakland did face ace Texas pitcher Jacob DeGrom. DeGrom struck out 11, with no walks and 3 hits. The A’s had 5 hits in this game.

Monday evening the A’s will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Angels. The A’s will start Ken Waldichuk (0-2 ERA 7.65) for the Angels Jose Saurez (0-1 ERA 9.26) First pitch is scheduled for 6:38 PM.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Shintaro Fujinami (11) reacts in the dugout after being relieved in the third inning. Fujinami pitched just over two innings and got lit up for seven hits and eight earned runs against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life in Arlington on Sat Apr 22, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday evening the Oakland A’s (4-17) took on the Texas Rangers (13-7) in game two of their three game series it was not the same winning result they had in game 1, in game 2 the A’s faced an avalanche of runs losing 18-3 . On Friday night the A’s had a great game with some outstanding pitching from JP Sears winning the game in the ninth inning. Pinch hitter Jordan Diaz hit his first big league homer in the ninth inning that broke the 4-4 tie handing the A’s a much needed win, breaking a seven-game losing streak.

Saturday game recap: The A’s took an early lead in the first inning of this game 1-0. Jordan Diaz hit a single driving in Esteury Ruiz for the first score of the game. Carlos Perez sacrificed flied and Diaz scored extending the A’s lead to 2-0. Oakland had the bases loaded in the inning but only came away with the two runs.

This was a tough break for the A’s. They had missed a huge opportunity in the opening inning and against the Rangers those opportunities do not come along very often. When they do you have to jump on them because missing them can totally change the direction of a game especially against a team with the offense that the Rangers have.

Texas sure did change the direction of this game from the first inning to game’s end. They tied up the game in the first 2-2 and it was then that the beat down began. Texas scored five runs in the second inning now leading 7-2. Adolis Garcia got the party started with a 2-run homer. Marcus Semien, Josh Jung and Leody Taveras all scored in the second inning.

The Rangers added four more runs in the third inning. Josh Smith, Semien scored and more from Garcia hitting a two-run home run to extend the Rangers lead to 11-2.

Garcia hit his third home run of the evening a two-run homer in the fifth and the A’s now trailed 13-2.

Oakland did score one more time in this game. Jesus Aguilar hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. By the eighth inning Texas had a strangle hold on Oakland 16-3. The final was 18-3. The Rangers had hit four homers in this game and had outhit the A’s 18 to 7.

I was rough start for Oakland pitcher Shintaro Fujinami. He is 0-4 with an ERA of 14.40 and only 12 strikeouts. He only went 2.1 innings in this game. The A’s went through four pitchers in the game and the relief pitchers that followed Fujinami did not fare much better.

Oakland will take on the Rangers tomorrow in game three of this series. After a loss like this, it will be tough to put this game behind them. Kyle Muller (0-1 ERA 7.23) will take the mound for the A’s. He has not won a game this year. The Rangers will counter Jacob deGrom (1-0 ERA 3.48) First pitch is scheduled for 11:35 AM.

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

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

By Barbara Mason

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Jerry Feitelberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Oakland A’s Stephen Vogt is excited over getting the go ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington on Wed Sep 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Oakland A’s hitter Stephen Vogt caught a huge break with the score tied at 7-7 in the top of the ninth inning he hit a grounder towards Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Segar that glanced off his glove for an error that allowed the go ahead run to score for the eventual A’s win 8-7.

#2 Earlier in the ninth Sheldon Neuse got a pinch hit single that scored Vimeal Machin who doubled earlier. Neuse’s hit tied the game up 7-7. Everything is timing if your going to mount a comeback in the ninth inning.

#3 A’s manager Mark Kotsay had nothing but high praise for Vogt and was grateful for his efforts on Wednesday night, “For him to come through for us, I believe in Stephen Vogt.” said Kotsay.

#4 Vogt said in a post game interview after the game that he got the ball between Segar and Marcus Semien and tried to will the ball to left center but it didn’t matter how it got there he was happy to help get the run across on an error.

#5 The A’s open up a four game series starting tonight at Minute Maid Field in Houston. The Astros are going for the gold and the A’s just want to satisfy themselves hoping to split or take the series. The A’s will start James Kaprielian (3-9, 4.79) for the Astros Lance McCullers Jr (3-1, 2.20) a 4:20 pm PDT first pitch.

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

Oakland A’s closer Domingo Acevedo shuts the door on the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the ninth for the win at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington on Wed Sep 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s faced the Texas Rangers for the final time in the 2022 season. Still smarting from the walk-off loss to Texas Tuesday night, the A’s turned the tables on the Rangers as Oakland returned from a 7-4 deficit to win 8-7.

For the second night in a row, each team had double-digit hits in the game. Each team homered three times. The only question was who would be the team that would come out on top. The A’s turned out to be the team that would be the winner.

For the second night in a row, the A’s scored first. In the top of the second, first baseman Dermis Garcia blasted his fourth home run. The ball traveled 395 feet over the wall in left field to give Oakland the lead 1-0.

The Rangers tallied four in their half of the second. Rangers’ third baseman, Mark Mathias, who homered twice Tuesday night, homered again leading off the second. It was Mathias’ sixth, and the ball went 415 feet into left-field stands.

With one out, Jonah Heim singled. Sears hit Nick Solak with a pitch to put two men on with one out. Sears stuck out Leody Taveras for the second out. The next hitter was former A’s shortstop Marcus Semien. Semien had three doubles Tuesday night.

As a former Oakland Athletic, Marcus loves to torment his former team. Every time he is at the plate, Marcus wants to show what the A’s lost when Oakland let him leave as a free agent after the 2020 season. Semien blasted his 23rd dinger over the fence in left-center field to put the Rangers ahead 4-1.

In the third, the Rangers put another run on the board. Nate Lowe, a very dangerous and hot hitter, doubled. Sears gave up a single to Mark Mathias, and Lowe scored on the play. The Rangers led 5-1.

The A’s rallied to plate three runs in the fifth. With one out, Sean Murphy worked Dane Dunning for a walk. A’s right-fielder Seth Brown homered for the 22nd time to make it a 5-3 game. Back-to-back doubles by Ramon Laureano and Vimael Machin put the A’s down by one 5-4.

The Rangers answered with two runs in their half of the fifth. A’s manager Mark Kotsay brought in Collin Wiles to pitch. Adolis Garcia greeted Wiles by blasting a triple. Wiles retired Mathias and Josh Jung for the first two outs. Wiles had to face former A’s catcher Jonah Heim.

Heim went to Texas before the start of the 2021 season in the trade for Elvis Andrus. Heim, like Marcus Semien, loves to beat his former team. Heim hit his 14th big fly of the year to propel the Rangers into a 7-4 advantage. 

The A’s fought back. Oakland put two more runs on the board in the sixth. Nick Allen started the rally with a single. Tony Kemp, playing second base Wednesday night, homered to bring the A’s back to within one. Texas led 7-6. 

If the A’s had any hopes of winning the game, they knew the bullpen had to shut down the powerful Texas offense. Kotsay’s bullpen did the job. Kirby Snead, Tyler Cyr, and Sam Moll kept the Rangers off the board in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. Then came the fateful ninth.

In the ninth, Sean Murphy singled to get the rally going. Murphy went to second on Seth Brown’s ground out. Kotsay inserted Sheldon Neuse as a pinch-runner for Murphy. Vimael Machin doubled for the second time to drive in Neuse with the tying run. Machin scored the winning run on Ranger’s shortstop Corey Seager’s fielding error. The A’s led 8-7, with Texas coming up in the bottom half of the inning.

Lefty reliever Sam Moll was on the hill to close out the game. Things did not go well for Oakland to start the ninth. Seager reached on Machin’s error. Nate Lowe reached on a fielder’s choice. Seager was out at second.

Rangers’ skipper Toney Beasley sent in the speedy Bubba Thompson to run for Lowe. Bubba was picked off trying to steal second. The play went 1-3-6. All the A’s need was one more out. Moll walked Adolis Garcia. Kotsay brought in righty Domingo Garcia to face Mark Mathias. Mathias, who had a homer and two RBIs, struck out to end the game. The A’s win 8-7

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 52-91. The Rangers fell to 62-81. The Rangers won the season series eleven games to eight.

The A’s line was eight runs, ten hits, and one error. The line for Texas was seven runs, ten hits, and one error.

J.P.Sears had a second consecutive tough outing. Sears went four innings and allowed seven hits and four runs. He walked one, stuck out three, and allowed two home runs. Sears threw 80 pitches. Collin Wils worked one and 1/3rd inning. Willes allowed three hits and two runs. One of the hits was a gopher ball. Snead, Cyr, Moll, and acevedo did not allow a hit or a run.

The A’s travel to Houston to start a four-game series with the Houston Astros starting Thursday night. James Kaprielian (3-9, 4.79) will go for Oakland. Houston will counter with Lance McCullers, Jr. (3-1, 2.20) first pitch 4:20 pm PDT.