That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: The Tale of the Fire Sale–Chapman looks very close to leaving for Philadelphia or New York

Oakland A’s Matt Chapman (26) will not be forearm bashing anymore with former teammate Matt Olson (right) seen here Mar 5, 2021 against the Los Angeles Angels in spring training at Hohokam Park in Mesa. Olson now with the Atlanta Braves and Chapman on the trade block (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary:

#1 Amaury, it comes as no surprise that once the lockout was lifted the Oakland A’s would have an early season fire sale and pitcher Chris Bassitt who left for the New York Mets was one of the first followed by A’s first baseman Matt Olson.

#2 And while it’s no surprise of their departure it’s still hard to grasp for anyone who follows the A’s that it’s a hard pill to swallow to have to say good bye to Bassitt, Olson and soon to be Matt Chapman.

#3 Olson led in many categories for the A’s at different times with on base percentage .371, 101 runs, 153 hits, 35 doubles, RBIs, home runs and walks with 88, 74 base hits, and four stolen bases.

#4 The in picking for players from the Atlanta Braves in the Olson deal two right handed pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes, catcher Shea Langeliers and outfielder Cristian Pache. Langeliers could be the key player in the deal a number one draft choice for the Braves. A’s team vice president Billy Beane might have some of that Money Ball magic going again and have himself a core of players in the works.

#5 Amaury talk about Matt Chapman being on the trade block bubble he’s the All Star third baseman the guy that A’s fans sought in their pack of baseball cards he’s very close to being no more and the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies are shopping Chapman hard core he might get a crazy Bryce Harper type contract.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzaelz at the mic for Oakland A’s Spanish radio beisbol all season long on flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Snydergaard to wear a Halos hat for 1 yr at $21 million; Kyrie won’t take the shot Nets could make him trade bait; plus more

Former New York Met Noah Snydergaard will be winding up for the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 season he’s signed onto a one year deal which was completed on Mon Nov 15, 2021 with the Angels (AP News file photo)

On Headline Sports with Jessica:

#1 Former New York Met pitcher Noah Syndergaard has signed onto a one year $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Snydergaard pitched for seven years for the New York Mets Snydergaard joins an Angels team that is struggling with starting pitching and hopes to shore that up joining forces with the face of baseball and new teammate Shohei Ohtani.

#2 Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving on Sunday sent out two tweets one showing a picture of the matrix and the other saying “God never fails.” The City of New York has a full vaccine protocol for employees, players, and fans and Irving can’t come into Barclay Center until he’s fully vaccinated.

#3 From all indications from his responses and convictions he will not take the vaccine. Kyrie is allowed to travel with the Nets but the Nets have elected to have him sit out for road trips until he is fully vaccinated which does not look likely.

#4 Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan had some heavy criticism for Jets head coach Robert Saleh saying he has philosophical differences in his coaching abilities and Ryan added that he’s insulted when he’s compared to Saleh regarding defensive strategies. Saleh said if Ryan feels that personal about it he knows where to find me.

#5 Jessica the New York Yankees and Mets are looking to make some moves to acquire free agents Starling Marte and the Yankees have express interest in Matt Chapman both who were teammates on the Oakland A’s last season. Marte last season played with the Miami Marlins before being dealt to Oakland mid season and hit .310, 145 hits, 12 HRs, and 55 RBIs, Chapman hit .210, 111 hits, 27 home runs, 72 RBIs.

Join Jessica every other Wednesday for Headline Sports podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kemp, Blackburn, Chapman key group effort in A’s critical, 3-1 win over the Yankees in series finale

By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–The A’s hope Sunday’s rousing finish signals the beginning of a fourth chapter of what has been a very, complicated story to their season.

If so, the dramatic elements were present, and the timing couldn’t be any be better for an Oakland bunch that simply has been hard to figure out.

The A’s got a two-run homer from Tony Kemp in the eighth inning to break up a 1-1 tie and propel them to a series split with the Wild Card-leading Yankees with a 3-1 win. The A’s avoided a 2-7 finish to their homestand, which would have been their worst showing since 2001. Instead, they gained ground on the Yankees, Red Sox in the wild card hunt and moved to within 5 1/2 games of the Astros in the race for the AL West.

In a game dominated by pitching and defense–both scintillating and head-scratchingly poor–Kemp’s home run was only the second extra-base hit of the evening, and came one pitch after the first, a scalding double by Mark Canha that set the stage for Kemp’s heroics.

“The last thing I was trying to do was hit a home run right there,” Kemp said. “I saw a good pitch and put my best swing on it, and I think I was as surprised as everybody else was in the stands.”

After opening the season 0-6, the A’s soared to a stretch of 44 wins in 65 games, including a 13-game win streak. Since then they’re 28-32 and were a season-worst 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot entering Sunday’s contest. To put it mildly, Sunday’s stand against the Yankees, just off their own 13-game win streak, was put up or shut up.

Both starting pitchers were outstanding. New York’s Jordan Montgomery went six innings, allowing six hits and a run on Matt Chapman’s RBI fielder’s choice ground out. Paul Blackburn put up five, scoreless innings allowing five hits and a walk while departing with a 1-0 lead.

The A’s bullpen appeared equal to the task of backing up Blackburn, but were burned by consecutive errors in the seventh. Catcher Yan Gomes dropped a foul pop between third and home that extended Anthony Rizzo’s at-bat, and allowed him to deliver a ground ball that Chapman misplayed between his legs for an error that allowed Gary Sanchez to score from second and tie the game.

The back-to-back errors came during a streak in which the A’s committed just three miscues in their last 14 games.

In the eighth, the A’s took advantage of Chad Green, the third New York reliever who gave up Canha’s double and Kemp’s home run. Reliever Deolis Guerra pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win for the A’s.

The A’s back-to-back wins follow a stretch of six, consecutive losses and losses in 10 of 12 games. On a positive note, the stretch precedes a three-game series in Detroit that starts Tuesday, followed by a trip to Toronto and home games against the White Sox. The A’s have had success this season against AL Central opponents, which they hope continues against the Tigers and Sox.

On Tuesday, Cole Irvin is scheduled to get the start for Oakland in a matchup with Hayward-native Tarik Skubal, who has a 8-11 record on the season.

A’s prove resilient, bounce back from heartbreaker with 6-2 win over the Giants

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Cole Irvin’s answer to four hours of frustrating, fruitless baseball on Saturday night was eight, scoreless innings on Sunday.

For the needy A’s, it turned out to be a pretty good answer.

“The mindset was pound the zone with fastballs and get ahead, and everything seemed to be working,” Irvin said in his post game interview with NBC Sports Bay Area.

Irvin was gifted a 2-0, first inning lead before his first pitch, then he cruised through eight innings, allowing just one Giants’ baserunner to reach second base (in the eighth) on his watch. While the Giants played their usual patient game at the plate, they did so without a payoff this time–Irvin didn’t allow any extra-base hits among the three hits and two walks he surrendered.

“It’s all about getting ahead,” manager Bob Melvin said, well aware of the pressure relieved by Irvin after the A’s dropped a 6-5, extra-inning heartbreaker the day before. “You get ahead, now you force them to swing a little bit more. When you have some sink and you can keep the ball in the strike zone and move both sides, it’s tough to get the barrel on it.”

The Giants–and their sellout crowd–did all they could to loosen Irvin’s grip on the afternoon, but to no affect. The A’s nursed their 2-0 lead into the sixth, then broke the game open with three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh. The Giants, despite having baseball’s best record, and being the first team to 50 wins, have had some issues with shutouts. They avoided their third shutout in the last 15 games by pushing across a pair of runs in the ninth against reliever Deolis Guerra.

The A’s have surged in June with a 16-8 record, but watching the first place Astros rip off 11 straight wins to surpass them in the division, then run into the hot Giants and have to avoid a sweep may have played a role in their psyche on Sunday. Melvin sensed it, but with a half season still to play, the manager was careful not to overplay it.

“I’m not saying it was the most important game in the world but our guys came out with some fire,” Melvin said. “They were a little upset last night that we lost that game.”

Matt Chapman extended his MLB-best 15-game hit streak with a two-run single in the first. Then with the Giants issuing free passes via two hit batsmen and a walk, the A’s fashioned a three-run rally with just one base hit in the sixth. Aramis Garcia, who did his best work on Sunday behind the plate in support of Irvin, added an RBI single in the seventh to close the books on Oakland’s scoring.

A day off Monday and home games against Texas and Boston are next for the A’s, and the leadup to their next meeting with the Astros at Minute Maid Park a week from Tuesday.

A’s not letting early season struggles define them

By Morris Phillips

Among the encouraging things happening with the A’s the last couple of games?

Seth Brown may finally be ready to bring his big fly game to the Major League level.

The 28-year old is well-known in minor league circles as an unrepentant slugger, the author of 92 home runs since his debut in 2015, including 37 in just 112 games for AAA Las Vegas in 2019.

That last line had the A’s hopeful Brown could elevate his game in Oakland, but in his first 36 games with the A’s over the last three seasons, Brown didn’t clear any fences…

Until Saturday night. With the A’s 6-0 lead cut in half, Brown took reliever Ryan Stanek into the upper deck, a not-high-enough fastball turned into a memory of a lifetime. So majestic was Brown’s homer, the flight of the ball on television revealed the entire Minute Maid Park scoreboard showing Brown’s numbers without a home run for the last time.

“The only thing he doesn’t have on his resume is a homer for a guy who really is a home run hitter,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I know that takes a lot of pressure off him now that he finally has a home run.”

Pressure off Brown? More succinctly, pressure off the entire Oakland roster. Brown’s shot put the finishing touches on a 7-3 win, the A’s third in four games after an 0-6 start. Not wanting to get buried in the competitive AL West two weeks in, the A’s are fighting back, and giving their 2021 season a healthier look.

In the last four games, the A’s have out-manuvered the Dodgers late, come up with some more late game magic in Houston on Friday, and set up a couple of wins with nearly identical, exemplary starts by Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.

The key? When you don’t fall behind early–as the A’s did repeatedly in their winless start–you can pick your spots and pounce on the opposition in the later innings.

“We grind it out a little bit and stay in the game until we do something nice late,” said Mark Olson, who came up big in Friday’s win. “I think we can take this momentum and ride it out.”

A few key presences must be reclaimed from the injury list with Chad Pinder (knee), Mike Fiers (hips), Burch Smith (strained groin) and A.J. Puk (strained biceps) on the 10-day injured list, and Trevor Rosenthal on the 60-day list after surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome on Thursday.

Matt Chapman and Sean Murphy remain mired in awful slumps, but both have expressed optimism in recent days–not just for themselves, but for the team as a whole.

We’re always rotating guys and new faces, so for us, it always takes a little bit to get going,” Chapman said. “But once we get going, we’re able to really bond and really pick up steam.”

The A’s open a two-game set with the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Monday. Familiar face Madison Bumgarner squares off against Chris Bassitt in the opener at 6:40pm.

Faulty Replays and Seering Heat: A’s suffer setbacks in 5-3 series deciding loss to San Diego

OAKLAND–With the heat on like never before at the Coliseum, the A’s wilted on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game with the Padres.

Tied 2-2 in the third, a video replay of a bang-bang tag play on baserunner Rex Grossman figured to be reversed, allowing the A’s to regain the lead.

Despite replays from four angles–all revealing but not completely transparent–the league office review crew upheld umpire Nick Mahrley’s call of out.

In an empty stadium, the groans emanating from the A’s dugout spoke volumes. The replays seemed to support the A’s contention that Grossman’s foot crossed the plate before pitcher Garrett Richards’ sweeping tag was applied.

“When you think you have a run and you don’t have a run, that’s tough to swallow,” A’s starter Mike Fiers said.

The momentum shift was all the Padres–winners of five of their last seven games in the midst of their trade deadline talent upgrade–would need. Jake Cronenworth’s RBI double allowed San Diego to regain the lead in the fourth, and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s league-leading 15th home run finished the A’s in a 5-3 decision.

The loss capped a week of vulnerability for Oakland starting with four consecutive COVID-19 cancellations attributed to Daniel Mengden’s positive test, then an injury to Marcus Semien took the always available shortstop out of the lineup and on to the 10-day injured list.

On Sunday, the temperature shot up to 94 degrees at first pitch resulting in the hottest home game in Oakland A’s history. If all that wasn’t enough struggling Matt Chapman was removed in the fifth inning because of a hip injury.

Chapman struck out in both of his at-bats on Sunday, and eight times in his previous nine at-bats going back to Friday night. In making a flawless scoop, spin and throw to retire Jurickson Profar in the fourth, Chapman apparently aggravated a previous flare-up in his hip. Under the watchful eye of the A’s training staff, the third baseman was replaced by Chad Pinder before the start of the fifth.

The A’s have dropped four of their last five, but maintain a 3 1/2 game lead on the Astros on the eve of a five games in four days set against Houston that could settle the division for Oakland or prepare the stage for a photo finish in the season’s final 15 games.

Given the importance of the upcoming series the absences of Houston’s Jose Altuve along with Semien and Chapman will be significant.

“It’s not great timing,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We have a lot of teams with injuries right now. We’ve been pretty fortunate.”

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Chapman and Olson win Gold Gloves; First dual winners for A’s since the ’80s

Photo credit: sfexaminer.com

On Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Oakland A’s third baseman Matt Chapman received the Gold Glove Award with first baseman Matt Olson. Chapman had a .981. fielding percentage and Olson had .993.

#2 Chapman saved 17 runs that led MLB third basemen in defense in runs saved.

#3 Olson saved 13 runs leading all first basemen in the show in defense.

#4 It’s the first time since 1980 and 1981 that the A’s had two players win the Gold Glove in back to back years. Who were they? Centerfielder Dwayne Murphy and pitcher Mike Norris.

#5 The A’s have developed some great defensive players who got nominated for Gold Gloves — infielder Marcus Semien and left fielder Robbie Grossman.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and listen to Amaury’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Chapman saves the A’s bacon with 2-run bomb; A’s stay 1/2 game up in wild card

Photo credit: halosheaven.com

On the A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 The A’s dropped two crucial games — one against Texas last Sunday at the Coliseum and another on Tuesday night in Anaheim. The A’s in never give up style, down 2-1 on Wednesday night in the top of the ninth, got a two-run jack from Matt Chapman his 34th to get the A’s a 3-2 one-run win.

#2 You look at that score last night in Anaheim 2-1 going to the ninth, manager Bob Melvin just had to have that bad feel in his stomach that the club was going to go down three in a row, but these never give up A’s have a hero every night when they win a game.

#3 Talk about A’s starter Frankie Montas’ return back in the rotation. He misses 60 games and he comes back pitches six innings and gives up four hits and an earned run, two walks and six strikeouts.

#4 Jerry talk about the relievers the A’s used four relief pitchers and they held it together to beat the Angels in the Big A. Everybody is up to beat the A’s in the wild card drive and the A’s are doing everything to stay at the top.

#5 A’s are headed for Seattle to open up a four-game series with the Mariners on Thursday, who can be tough customers in their own right. The Mariners, who got two hits and shutout 3-0 on Wednesday night by the Houston Astros, are not too happy and are looking to take things out on the A’s, but the A’s will scratch and claw to try to keep their heads above water in the AL wild card race.

Jerry does the A’s podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Thursday

Texas Tough: Homerin’ A’s finish sweep of the Rangers with 6-1 win

By Morris Phillips

Winning the final six games of a seven-game road trip was exactly what the playoff-hopeful A’s needed to move clear of the Indians and Rays in the hunt for the top wild card spot in the American League.

Except that it wasn’t. Now 30 games above .500 for the first time all season, the A’s are leading the race, but certainly not home free. Upon their return to Oakland for Monday’s home game against the Royals, their mission’s not complete.

So what’s next? Just keep it up for 12 more games.

“We have our eyes on hosting a wild-card game,” said Matt Chapman, who homered for the 34th time in the ninth inning, setting the franchise record for home runs in a season with 244.

“We know this time of year you have to win a lot of games and they’re doing it at the right time,” said manager Bob Melvin.

Sean Manaea turned in his third, straight fantastic start, limiting the Rangers to three hits and a walk in six innings. One day after Mike Fiers departed early due to numbness in his pitching hand, Manaea’s outing was exactly what Oakland needed, another indication that the big lefty could play a significant role in a postseason rotation.

Manaea hit the first batter he faced, then allowed a base hit, but settled in quickly after that, inducing Willie Calhoun to hit into a double play. Come the second inning, Manaea was cruising, on his way to retiring 16 of the last 18 batters he faced.

The A’s provided Manaea the working cushion he needed in the fourth when Marcus Semien hit a two-run homer and Seth Brown added a two-run double.

Sean Murphy knocked in a run, and Jesus Lazardo pitched the final, three innings as the A’s also got vital contributions from their youngsters, participating in their first playoff push.

Semien’s 30th homer gave the A’s a trio of 30-homer guys (Chapman, Matt Olson) for the first time since 2001. The A’s bashed 20 home runs in their six-game win streak, all coming after the club was embarrassed in a 15-0 loss to the Astros on Monday.

Now six games after they were shut out and humbled, the A’s have put themselves on the doorstep of a second, consecutive playoff appearance. The journey from last year’s humbling, lightning fast postseason to the possibility of a return all starts with the A’s losing to the Yankees in New York in October.

That one-game playoff at Yankee Stadium was unsatisfying, and maybe gives the A’s their biggest advantage in navigating the season’s final two weeks. Given last year’s experience, the A’s won’t want to go on the road in the one-game playoff.  They’ll be doing whatever they can to host the game and win it, which will allow them a real, postseason experience.

Winning six straight on the road after losing 15-0 may be the best illustration of how they will react.

On Monday, the A’s will turn to Tanner Roark in a matchup with Kansas City’s Glenn Sparkman at 7:05p.m.

 

 

 

A’s beat the Rangers 8-6 on Saturday night, but it might’ve been a costly win

Graphic: @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics won their fifth consecutive game on Saturday night in Texas as they downed the Rangers 8-6. The victory keeps the A’s in sole possession of the AL Wild Card Slot #1 by 1/2 game over the Tampa Bay Rays. The other Wild Card contender — the Cleveland Indians — have dropped back 2.5-games in the standings.

The A’s will go for the sweep in Arlington on Sunday.

It may have been a costly win

Mike Fiers started the game for Oakland Saturday night. Fiers set the Rangers down in order in the bottom of the first inning, but things changed in the bottom of the second inning.

Nomar Mazara led off for Texas by flying out to center fielder Mark Canha. Danny Santana then singled to left-center field. Fiers committed a balk that moved Santana to second base.

Fiers then threw a wild pitch to Odor and Santana advanced to third base. Odor then hit a two-run home run to center field. Fiers then issued a walk to Delino DeShields.

Bob Melvin and the medical staff came out to check on Fiers and removed him from the game.

After the game, Fiers explained that he felt a shot of numbness and pain in pitching hand after throwing a “cutter” to Odor. He went on to explain that he was trying to avoid feeling that again, but he did not want to alter his pitching motion.

Fiers went on to say that he will undergo more medical examinations on Monday in the Bay Area.

The loss of Fiers for any time as the A’s are in this stretch run would be devastating

Oakland used six pitchers in the game

Paul Blackburn relieved Fiers working 2.0-innings and gave up two runs off four hits. Ryan Buchter worked 1.1-innings giving up no runs on two hits. Buchter earned the win.

Lou Trivino, Yusmeiro Petit, Jake Diekman, and Liam Hendriks also pitched for the A’s. Hendriks was credited with his 22nd save of the season.

The A’s used their power again on Saturday night

Matt Chapman hit his 33rd home run of the season — a three-run shot — in the third inning off Mike Minor. Chapman’s 33 home runs are a franchise record for third basemen.

Josh Phegley hit his 12th round-tripper off Minor the fourth inning. Mark Canha put his 24th HR over the wall in the fifth inning — again off Minor. Matt Olson hit his 34th home run of the year in the sixth inning — a solo shot — but this time it was off reliever Luke Farrell.

Minor took the loss

Mike Minor was a trade target for many contending clubs at the trade deadline, but the Rangers decided to hold on to their star pitcher. He was charged with the loss on Saturday night, and his record is now 13-9 for 2019. His ERA stands at 3.33.

Up next

The A’s will send LHP Sean Manaea to the mound for the third time this season on Sunday afternoon. Manaea is 1-0 with 0.75 ERA and is coming off a win over the Tigers on September 8th.

The Rangers will start RHP Jonathan Hernandez (1-0, 1.93 ERA). Hernandez will be “the opener” in what will be a “bullpen game” for the Rangers.