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Tag: athletics alert

  • L.A. Dodgers beat A’s in their final game ever in Oakland

    L.A. Dodgers beat A’s in their final game ever in Oakland

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    OAKLAND — Despite another Brent Rooker home run, the Oakland A’s saw their impressive streak of not losing a series end at five on Sunday after the Los Angeles Dodgers escaped with a 3-2 victory in their last-ever trip to the Oakland Coliseum.

    Kiké Hernandez had two doubles and two RBIs and Cavan Biggio added a run-scoring single as the Dodgers won two of the three games in the series, snapping a streak of six road series losses for L.A.

    Rooker hit his 28th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning, for Oakland, which had won five of its last eight games going into Sunday. It was Rooker’s third home run in his last five games.

    “He just continues to keep impressing and I think the focus for him right now is just to help the team win, which is awesome,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said.

    “We did our job offensively, we just couldn’t get to the bullpen.”

    Oakland’s series loss snapped a run of 4-0-1 in its previous five series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Los Angeles Angels (twice) and Houston Astros, with a split of a two-game set with the Giants.

    Dodgers rookie starter River Ryan allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander did not figure in the decision and remained unbeaten through three career starts.

    “Just trying to do my part,” Hernandez said. “We’ve been struggling as a team, and I believe that if I’m anywhere close to the hitter that I’m capable of being we’ll be in a better shape.

    “I’ve been in somewhat of a better stretch the last week or two and I’m just trying to stay there and be consistent. … Glad we won this game and this series, we’re going back home to play a really good team, and hopefully we can get the ball rolling.”

    Former Cal State East Bay star pitcher Alex Vesia (2-3) struck out two batters in the seventh inning and earned the Dodgers’ last win ever in Oakland.

    The left-hander was one of five Los Angeles relievers who combined for six strikeouts and no walks in 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball. Anthony Banda pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save in his second opportunity.

    Demoted Dodgers closer Evan Phillips entered in relief of Ryan and inherited a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the fifth inning. He struck out Rooker looking, ending the threat.

    “It was a big moment for Evan,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s a guy that I certainly believe in, that he can manage success, he can manage some, some hard times, and still find a way to kind of mentally, you know, reset, and I thought the last two were really good outings.”

    Oakland starter Osvaldo Bido (2-3) allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings with six strikeouts and three walks.

    Hernandez’s two-out, two-run double in the top of the first inning scored Gavin Lux and Teoscar Hernandez and gave Los Angeles an early lead. He added a double in the sixth inning.

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    Jon Becker

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  • Luis Medina has dazzling season debut in Oakland A’s 3-1 loss to Atlanta Braves

    Luis Medina has dazzling season debut in Oakland A’s 3-1 loss to Atlanta Braves

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    By Bill Trocchi
    The Associated Press

    ATLANTA — Right-hander Luis Medina was stellar for the A’s in his first start of the season, but it went for naught Sunday as Oakland’s offense generated just two hits during a 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

    Former A’s catcher Sean Murphy drove in the go-ahead run for the Braves with a bloop double in the seventh inning. Murphy’s double down the right-field line knocked in Adam Duval for what proved to be the winning run and allowed the Braves to take the series 2-1.

    Atlanta’s Charlie Morton allowed one hit in six scoreless innings, but he ended up with a no-decision when the A’s tied the game in the top of the seventh inning on a home-run by Zack Gelof.

    Despite the loss, A’s manager Mark Kotsay came away encouraged by what he saw of Medina, who lasted 5 2/3 innings and surrendered two hits – including an Austin Riley bloop double that hit the chalk on the right field line — and just one unearned run. He had six strikeouts and two walks.

    “It was a great outing for Medina,” Kotsay said. “Really going out for the first time, and to be able to command his pitches, he looked great out there. He looked comfortable. We thought he would go four innings or so, but for him to get into the sixth and execute the game plan, it was really nice to see.”

    Medina started the season on the injured list with a sprained right knee. He made three minor league appearances before starting Sunday.

    Braves manager Brian Snitker was encouraged afterward, despite his team finishing the homestand 3-4.

    “I look at it individually and see some positives offensively with guys, which is what we’ve been trying to do,” said Snitker. “We’ve been playing good baseball. We just haven’t hit, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel for a bunch of guys.”

    Morton had his best start of the season, walking five, striking out six and hitting a batter. No A’s batter reached third base during his outing.

    “I had really good command of the zone for the most part,” Morton said. “If you are not giving up a ton of hard hit balls, you can afford to try to make pitches. That’s basically what we did today.”

    Marcell Ozuna went 1-for-3 with a double and reached base for the 26th consecutive game.

    Dylan Lee allowed a long home run to Gelof in the seventh, but Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias each pitched a scoreless inning. Lee (2-1) picked up the win and Iglesias earned his 15th save of the season.

    Murphy’s shallow fly ball in the seventh landed just fair between right fielder Seth Brown, first baseman J.D. Davis and second baseman Gelof. Duvall scored from third on the play. Murphy had been 2-for-18 entering that at-bat since returning from the injured list.

    Atlanta added an insurance run in the eighth when Ozzie Albies knocked in pinch runner J.P. Martinez with an RBI single.

    The Braves were 13-14 in May and split their first two games of June.

    “We don’t feel like everything is clicking,” Morton said. “I’ve been on teams where I’ve sensed we were in trouble. I don’t feel like that’s a room that’s going to allow that to happen. The quality of people in there is just too good.”

    Gelof crushed his fourth home run of the season off Lee to lead off the seventh inning. It was the first batter Lee faced after replacing Morton.

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    The Associated Press

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  • A’s starting pitcher reveals injury after loss to Seattle Mariners

    A’s starting pitcher reveals injury after loss to Seattle Mariners

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    SEATTLE — The Oakland A’s became one of the bigger surprises in baseball last weekend when, after six straight wins, they improved to .500 for the season and moved to within 1 1/2 games of first place in the American League West.

    It’s been a bit of a struggle for the A’s ever since. Sunday, they lost 8-4 to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park, marking their sixth loss in the last eight games.

    The A’s trailed 5-0 after two innings, but a Max Schuemann error paved the way to a four-run second for the division-leading Mariners, who took two of three in the series.

    After losing three of four to the Texas Rangers early last week, the A’s (19-23) are now 3 1/2 games back of first place in the division going into their four-game series against the Houston Astros. The series starts Monday.

    A’s starting pitcher Alex Wood allowed four hits, including a two-run home run to Julio Rodríguez, in two innings before he left the game with a shoulder injury, which he said had been bothering him for a while. A’s manager Mark Kotsay said the team would likely have an announcement on Wood on Monday.

    “He’s been grinding,” Kotsay said of Wood. “He hasn’t felt great. He’s been able to make every start, but today, you saw his velo dropping; his slider wasn’t as sharp. He gave us everything he had for two innings. Obviously, he’s disappointed that he had to come out of the game.”

    Asked if he might have to land on the injured list, Wood said, “We’ll see how the next few days go. I’ve been throwing with it for a little bit now. Just getting treatment and managing the workload.”

    For the Mariners, Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Garver both hit two-run home runs, and Luis Castillo allowed two runs over six strong innings.

    “Our offense showed up today. Put good pressure on them early, got some big hits, home runs,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

    Rodríguez’s homer was just his second of the season and his first at T-Mobile Park in Seattle’s 22nd home game. Rodríguez hit a 2-2 pitch from Wood out to straightaway center field in the second inning for a two-run shot that gave Seattle a 5-0 lead.

    The homer had an exit velocity of 109 mph and traveled an estimated 409 feet.

    “You’ve got to stay patient and let the results come and I feel like today was the day and I’m really happy about that, that I was able to help the team win,” Rodríguez said.

    Rodríguez nearly homered in his next at-bat in the fifth inning, doubling off the top of the wall, but jogged home when Garver hit his fifth of the season to give Seattle a 7-1 lead. Garver also had a two-out RBI single in the first inning.

    Seby Zavala added his first home run of the season for the Mariners, a solo shot in the sixth.

    Following a sluggish start to the season, Luis Castillo (4-5) has now gone six straight starts allowing two earned runs or fewer each time. Castillo needed 100 pitches to get through six innings, but closed his outing with strikeouts of Shea Langeliers and J.D. Davis with runners on base.

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    Staff and wire reports

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  • A’s lose to Yankees; Kotsay not happy with umpire’s wide strike zone

    A’s lose to Yankees; Kotsay not happy with umpire’s wide strike zone

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    NEW YORK — Right-hander Paul Blackburn and the Athletics could not overcome a tough first inning on Tuesday in a 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

    Blackburn struggled early on as he gave up a two-run home run to Anthony Rizzo that capped a four-run first inning for the Yankees, who held on and handed the A’s their fourth loss in the last five games.

    Seth Brown hit an RBI double in the first off Marcus Stroman (2-1) to give the A’s a 1-0 lead. Giancarlo Stanton had a go-ahead double against Blackburn (2-1) in the bottom half before Rizzo hit his second homer of the season and his first since April 7.

    Rizzo had just one extra-base hit in 54 at-bats between homers.

    Blackburn had not allowed a home run in four previous starts this season.
    Stroman (2-1) struck out nine — his most since he fanned nine for the New York Mets against the Giants on Aug. 17, 2021.

    Shea Langeliers homered in the second and Lawrence Butler in the fourth. But the A’s also went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.

    Yankees relievers Ron Marinaccio, Caleb Ferguson, Dennis Santana, and Clay Holmes combined for 3 2/3 hitless innings against the A’s, with Holmes striking out two in a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances.

    A’s batters struck out a combined 13 times in the game, including twice in the top of the ninth when both Lawrence Butler and Max Schuemann were called out looking by home plate umpire John Tumpane.

    A’s manager Mark Kotsay didn’t always appreciate Tumpane’s wide zone, especially with Yankees catcher Austin Wells noticeably setting up on the outside part of the plate.

    Monday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt in the top of the first inning. Boone did not say anything to Wendelstedt, but the veteran umpire said he heard someone from the Yankees dugout chirp him after Boone had already been warned.

    In the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game, after a wide pitch was called a strike, Tumpane shouted toward the A’s dugout after someone voiced their displeasure toward him.

    “I get that it’s really difficult to call balls and strikes,” Kotsay told reporters in New York. “When you have a catcher that sets up with his left shin guard on the outside corner of the plate, with half his body into the batter’s box on those getting pitches out there, it’s challenging.

    “It’s challenging to cover that, it’s challenging to know that outside edge, which guys work really hard at. … We had our chances. It’s tough when the strike zone’s that wide.”

    Blackburn, too, benefitted from the wide zone in an otherwise solid outing, as he gave up five hits in six innings, retiring 17 of his last 18 batters, including the last 13.

    “We did have our chances to get a big hit and Paul’s job tonight after the first inning — he put up zeroes and gave us a chance to get back in it,” Kotsay said. “Nice night after that first for Paul.”

    Yankees manager Aaron Boone, ejected by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt five pitches into Monday’s 2-0 loss to Oakland over a remark he and his players maintained was yelled by a fan behind the dugout, said he didn’t expect to be fined following multiple conversations with MLB senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill.

    “I feel good about where the league is on it,” Boone said,

    TRAINER’S ROOM: Athletics left-hander Scott Alexander (left rib), right-hander Luis Medina (right knee) and lefty Ken Waldichuk (elbow) all had successful bullpen sessions Tuesday. Infielder J.D. Davis (right adductor) and OF Miguel Andujar (right knee surgery) both began running.

    For the Yankees, third baseman DJ LeMahieu (right foot) was removed in the second inning of his first rehab game Tuesday for Double-A Somerset due to foot soreness. Right-hander Gerrit Cole (right elbow), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, said he felt good after throwing 50 times from 120 feet.

    UP NEXT: The four-game series continues today when Yankees righty Clarke Schmidt (1-0, 3.15 ERA) opposes A’s righty Joe Boyle (1-3, 7.23 ERA).

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    Staff and wire reports

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  • Bay Bridge series: Oakland A’s flop against SF Giants in return to Oakland

    Bay Bridge series: Oakland A’s flop against SF Giants in return to Oakland

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    OAKLAND –  The Oakland A’s fans who braved the blustery winds on Monday endured a dismal and all-too-familiar sight: their overmatched home team flailing at the plate and on the mound.

    In the team’s first, albeit preseason, game at the Coliseum of the year, the A’s were defeated by the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in the first of a two-game series between the Bay Area rivals. 

    A’s rookie outfielder Lawrence Butler broke up a no-hitter in the sixth inning with a single, and gave the fans something else to cheer about when he stole second on a flyball. 

    Abraham Toro’s RBI single drove in Butler and elicited the closest thing to a roar the Oakland portion of the reported 7,850 fans could muster during what could be the first home game of the team’s last season in Oakland. 

    Promising second-baseman Zack Gelof was 0-1 and drew a walk, while 2023 All-Star Brent Rooker struck out in two of his three at-bats. 

    Second-year righthander Mason Miller lit up the radar gun in the top of the ninth. The 25-year-old struck out the side using a fastball that touched 101 MPH.

    The A’s dropped to 13-14 in spring training, while the Giants improved to 14-11.

    The high-spending Giants are in many ways the anthesis of the A’s, and it was one of their high-profile additions that perplexed Oakland’s overmatched bunch of youngsters and low-cost veterans. 

    Ex-Cardinal Jordan Hicks, the recent recipient of a four-year, $44 million contract, struck out 10 A’s in five innings of hitless work. 

    JP Sears had a tougher time, allowing two home runs to Giants catcher Tom Wilson in 3.2 innings. The 28-year-old also walked and struck out three while throwing 70 pitches. 

    “I’m not super-thrilled with the results, but I feel good about my body and my workload, and how I feel going into Saturday,” Sears told media.

    Sears didn’t have his best stuff on Monday, but said he has both high standards and what he considered achievable goals going into the regular season. 

    “I’m going to keep it simple, which is trying to get to 30 starts and make it into the sixth or seventh inning every game,” Sears said. 

    After an Austin Slater sacrifice fly and Wilmer Flores belted a home run off A’s reliever Michael Kelly, the offense stayed dormant until Hicks exited in at the end of the sixth. 

    Oakland will take the trip across the Bay Bridge to Oracle Park for the San Francisco portion of the home-and-home series. 

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    Joseph Dycus

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