Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: The return of Manaea could be the difference in A’s run at the postseason

nbcsports.com photo file: The Oakland A’s are more than glad to see the return of pitcher Sean Manaea who has dominated in his first two outings of the season so far.

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

It makes a world of difference for the Oakland A’s to have a front line pitcher like Sean Manaea return to the A’s rotation dropping into the rotation for the A’s at this point. As the A’s are fighting for that number one slot in the AL wild card race.

What a gift having Manaea back because he was on the injury list it’s not a issue for Manaea to be a roster player come playoff time. It’s a dream. It’s like making a trade when you don’t have trade deadline availability. Beyond that we know that Sean is one of the nicest guys in the world.

He was so devested when that injury came, he was very depressed because he was pitching so well and he turned that depression around so quickly with a determination to get healthy and he had set his goal and sites on being back exactly this time with the team.

Charlie has lots more A’s news on the podcast tune in and every Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Beane and Forst made the right decisions staying at the A’s

photo sfgate.com

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Boston Red Sox fired their general manager David Dombrowski citing reasons why the Oakland A’s Billy Beane and David Forst declined to work for the Sox.

#2 Dombrowski led the Sox to a World Series last year. The Sox beat the Dodgers. Dombrowski will have no problem getting another front office job.

#3 A’s pitcher Sean Manaea has had such a great comeback his last outing. He beat Detroit with ten strikeouts for a 3-1 win. Manaea will be a huge plus for the A’s rotation.

#4 The A’s are close to calling up Jesus Luzardo from Las Vegas. Luzardo is ranked #3 as a left-handed pitching prospect.

#5 The A’s are in Houston facing their toughest American League opponent and the road to the World Series goes through Houston in the postseason.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish radio play-by-play talent on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: A’s looking to put frosting on the Tigers and the series Sunday

sfgate.com photo: Detroit Tigers’ Willi Castro is hit by a pitch from Oakland Athletics starter Chris Bassitt during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 in Oakland, Calif.

On the A’s podcast with Joey Friedman:

#1 The A’s have won four of their last five games all on this current homestand. A little home cooking could cure some ills especially when you’re trying to put last week’s Yankees series in the rearview mirror.

#2 The A’s are having a time in this current series with the Detroit Tigers, who are at the Coliseum today. With an A’s win, they would have taken three out of four in this series, which includes a makeup game from Friday.

#3 The A’s need to keep winning and they have four games left against a team with a winning record like the Houston Astros, who the A’s visit on Monday night at Minute Maid Field. They could be baseball’s toughest customer.

#4 The A’s also have 16 games left with teams who have below .500 records. The A’s need all the wins they could get in order to keep pace in the AL wild card race.

#5 A pair of left-handers to start today’s contest at the Coliseum. For the Tigers, Daniel Norris (3-11, 4.76 ERA). For the A’s, Sean Manaea (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Second start of the season for Manaea.

Joey does the A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Manaea threw well enough to pitch a complete game, but that wasn’t going to happen

Photo credit: nbcsports.com

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 A’s pitcher Sean Manaea had all his stuff working in New York on Sunday after taking more than a year off he looked sharp in his first start back.

#2 Although it would not be permitted because of the pitch count, did Manaea have enough in the tank to pitch a complete game?

#3 The bullpen faltered in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees came back from being down 4-0 and won it 5-4.

#4 Going into the postseason and the wild card, you’ve seen the A’s in the past struggle with the one-game wild card. Do you see that happening to this team again?

#5 The A’s open a three-game series with the Angels on Tuesday night. The Angels will start Jamie Barria (4-7, 6.10 ERA) against the A’s Mike Fiers (13-3, 3.40 ERA).

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: Home sweet Home Run as Yanks edge A’s 4-3 in the Bronx

sfgate.com photo: New York Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu hits the game-winning walk-off home run in the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in New York.

On the A’s podcast with Joey:

#1 A’s almost pulled off another win at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, but the Yankees were on a mission. After getting swept in the Yankees last meeting with the A’s and dropping the first game of the series the Bronx Bombers were not allowing it to happen in game two of the series as they pulled off a 4-3 11th inning win to tie the series.

#2 DJ LeMahieu hit the game-winning blast and walked off with the game-winning hit. LeMahieu is one of many key players who have been heroic in some of the Yankees wins this season.

#3 The A’s came into New York and after sweeping the Yankees in three in Oakland, and you have to know after losing the first game to open this series, the Yankees were saying no more.

#4 The Yanks’ Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez each homered and Judge made a catch to rob the A’s Matt Chapman of a home run in the top of the 10th.

#5 Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manaea (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get a start his first appearance since last season. He’ll be matched up against New York Yankees starter J.A. Happ (11-8, 5.57 ERA) for the finale of the series at Yankee Stadium.

Join Joey for the A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Giants try to knot up series with Diamondbacks tonight; Gruden happy with quarterbacks in camp; plus more

Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

On Headline Sports with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants Bay Bridge Series was expected to be a real Battle of the Bay since both teams are vying for a wild card birth. The Giants ended up winning the two-game series with a 10-6 win on Saturday and a 5-4 win on Sunday took a loss on Monday night in San Francisco to Arizona 6-4.

#2 The A’s had a breakdown in their bullpen in each of the two games. Frustration took hold when A’s reliever Ryan Butcher threw high and inside to Giants catcher Stephen Vogt, who hit the dirt. No warnings were drawn. Vogt hit a grand slam home-run off Butcher on Saturday and Vogt said he had his suspicions about Butcher’s pitch since he’s noted to have decent control.

#3 The Oakland Raiders quarterbacks have the confidence of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden said starting quarterback Derek Carr, backups Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman all had good preseasons and the Raiders are expected to come out of the gate strong. The Raiders head to Century Link in Seattle for the final pre season game against the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

#4 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has a great outing in his last preseason game on Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs after having a tough preseason. Garoppolo threw for 14-20, 188 yards, and one touchdown. The 49ers host the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football.

#5 Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who announced his retirement from football over the weekend, said that it was not fun anymore waking up each day to pain, rehab, and more pain. It was repeat and repeat again. He at 29 year old said it’s unlikely he will return to the NFL.

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants’ two wins in Oakland puts SF four games back in NL wild card

sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants’ Kevin Pillar, right, slides into home to score a run next to Oakland Athletics catcher Chris Herrmann during the second inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif.

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 The Giants took two from the Oakland A’s. It was something that was not expected after the A’s had took three out of four from the Astros and swept the Yankees.

#2 With the wins, the Giants cut their games back number from six to four. Manager Bruce Bochy in the past has brought Giants teams back from the doldrums to get into postseason. Does this team have faith?

#3 Special day for San Francisco third baseman Evan Longoria, who got his 1000th career RBI — a two-run single in the top of the seventh at the Coliseum to cap the Giants’ win 5-4.

#4 Longoria was key. He hit his 17th home run of the season. The Giants won by a run and needed every bit of luck they could muster. Was it a series that showed that they’ve haven’t given up?

#5 The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the City for a three-game series with the Giants. It’s another crucial series in the Giants’ bid for the wild card. For the D-Backs, Alex Young (5-3, 4.04 ERA), and for the Giants, Tyler Beede (3-7, 5.82 ERA).

Morris is the podcast host for Giants baseball each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Longoria gets 1,000th RBI in Giants win 5-4

sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants’ Evan Longoria hits a two-run single against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday,

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND-After the game Evan Longoria wore a vintage Chris Mullin Golden State Warriors jersey from the 1980s, and it was a vintage day for the third baseman.

Longoria hit a two-run single in the top of the seventh, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Oakland As 5-4 before a crowd of 47,321 at the Coliseum.

It was a huge day for Longoria, who tied up the game in the top of the third inning, as he hit his 17th home run of the season and it was also the 1,000th RBI of his career.

Since returning from the injured list on August 4 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Longoria is 23-for-68 (.338) with two doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs in 17 games.

With the victory, the Giants swept the two-game series, giving them the Bay Bridge Trophy, as they won the season series three games to one.

This was the 4,000th career game for Bruce Bochy, who became the just eighth manager in major league history to join this exclusive club. All seven managers in front of Bochy are all in the Hall of Fame.

Donovan Solano went four-for-four on the afternoon, as he also reached base on a walk. It was the second four hit game of the season, as he also did it on July 17 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

The Giants final rally of the game began when Brandon Crawford reached on a Matt Olson fielding error to lead off the top of the seventh inning, Solano then reached for the fourth time in the game, as he walked on a 3-2 pitch. Mike Yastrzemski was then hit on the left hand to load the bases.

After an epic 11 pitch at-bat that Buster Posey strike out for the first out of the inning, Longoria singled thru the hole between second base and shortstop to score Crawford and Solano.

Unfortunately, the Giants ran themselves out of the inning, as Yastrzemski was caught stealing at third base.

Former As catcher Stephen Vogt, who hit a big three-run home run in Saturdays 10-5 victory gave the Giants a 1-0 lead, as he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Kevin Pillar from third base. Pillar led off the inning with a double high off the wall in left-center field.

After Brett Anderson was able to retire Austin Slater on a groundout to first base, and Pillar went to third. Vogt then hit a sacrifice fly to Mark Canha that scored Pillar from third base.

Brandon Belt then walked, then Crawford and then Solano made it 2-0, as he singled to score Belt.

Unfortunately for the Giants, that lead would not last long, as Canha took the first pitch he saw from Logan Webb over the fence for his 21st home run of the season.

Jurickson Profar then followed that up with a double, and then scored, as Corben Joseph made it three straight hits with a double of his own to tie up the game. Chad Pinder then gave the As the lead, as he was the fourth consecutive As batter to get a hit, when he singled to score Joseph.

Canha made it two home runs in as many at-bats, as he launched a solo home run over the left-center wall to give the As the lead for good.

It was a troublesome second career start for Webb, who grew up in Rocklin, as he went 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, two walks and two strikeouts.

Anderson went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking three and striking out two; however, he did not fare in the decision.

It looked like the Giants won the game on a great defensive play from Pillar to Solano, when Josh Phegley was tagged out at second base; however, the call was overturned and then Will Smith was able to get Marcus Semien to ground out to Crawford to end the game.

Smith picked up his 30th save of the season, as he faced the final four batters of the game.

NOTES: Posey struck out for the second time in his career, as the first came earlier this season, when it occurred on against the New York Mets on July 18 at Oracle Park in a game that the Giants won 3-2 in 16 innings.

This was the first time that the Giants won back-to-back games at the Coliseum since September 26 and 27, 2015.

It was the also first series sweep by the Giants over the As since they swept them in three straight from July 24-26, 2015 at what was then called AT&T Park.

Once again, the Giants won a game by one run and it was their 30th win by one run on the season and are now 30-13 (.697).

UP NEXT: Tyler Beede opens up the six-game home stand on Monday night, as he faces the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park, while the Diamondbacks will send Alex Young to the mound.

Pillar and Vogt come up huge in eighth to give Giants 10-5 win

photo from sfgate.com: San Francisco Giants’ Stephen Vogt, right, celebrates with Buster Posey (28) after hitting a three-run home run off Oakland Athletics’ Ryan Buchter during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — Kevin Pillar was a new addition to the San Francisco Giants earlier this season, and time and time, he comes with the biggest hit of the game.

Well, Pillar did it again, as he lashed a two-run double down the right field line in the top of the eighth inning, helping the Giants to a 10-5 victory over the Oakland As before a crowd of 53,367 at the Coliseum.

Stephen Vogt returned to the Coliseum, and put the game out of reach, as he smashed a three-run home run over the out-of-town scoreboard in left field.

In all, in that eighth inning, the Giants scored eight runs, sent 11 batters to the plate off of five different As relievers.

This was the first time that the Giants scored eight runs or more in an inning came on August 28, 2016 against the Atlanta Braves at what was then called AT&T Park, and it was the first time since August 17 ,2012 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park that they did it on the road.

The win by the Giants, stopped their four-game losing streak and they are 4-4 on their current nine-game road trip that ends on Sunday afternoon.

With the loss, the As saw their modest three-game winning streak come to a crashing halt at the hands of their Bay Area rivals.

Things did not start out well, as Mark Canha led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run into the left field bleachers to give the As a 1-0 lead.

Matt Chapman gave the As a 2-0 cushion in the bottom of the third inning, as his double went off the left field wall to score Jurickson Profar, who walked to lead off the inning. Following the Profar walk, Phegley singled and Semien flew out for the first out of the inning, then Chapman put the As on top with the double.

Chris Bassitt pitched a great game, as he went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on scattering four hits, walking no one and striking out five.

His counterpart on the mound, Madison Bumgarner went five innings, allowing two runs, while giving up four hits, walking one and striking out five.

Both Bassitt and Bumgarner did not factor into the decision in the game.

Brandon Crawford got the Giants on the board in the top of the fifth, as his laser to left field cleared the wall for his 10th home run of the season.

Evan Longoria tied up the game in the game in the top of the sixth inning, as he singled to left field that scored Alex Dickerson from second base. Dickerson doubled to left field to setup the Longoria at-bat.

Overall, since June 30, Longoria is hitting .347 (34-for-98) with 21 runs scored, nine home runs and 27 runs batted in.

Longoria went 2-for-4 with a hit by pitch and a RBI on the night.

The game was not tied for long, as Marcus Semien singled to left field off of Jandel Gustave that gave the As 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Jurickson Profar doubled to lead off the inning against Gustave, then advanced an additional 90 feet when Josh Phegley dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt and then Semien came through his second hit of the night that gave the As the lead for the time being.

Profar doubled to lead off the inning against Gustave, then advanced an additional 90 feet when Josh Phegley dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt and then Semien came through his second hit of the night that gave the As the lead for good.

Matt Olson gave the As a two-run lead, as he smoked a single to right field that scored Semien with what looked like the decisive fourth run; however, that eight-run inning put an end to that.

Profar reached base again in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he walked with two outs and then Phegley doubled in Profar. Reyes Moronta came on to face Semien, but he was unable to get that final out and Semien walked; however, Moronta was able to get Chapman to pop up to Longoria to end the inning.

Shaun Anderson came into the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, and gave up a walk to Chad Pinder; however, he was able to Khris Davis to ground into a double play.

Despite the fact that it was a save situation, Will Smith came into the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was the first game pitched for Smith since August 16 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

NOTES: Pablo Sandoval was evaluated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Wednesday, and he recommends that Sandoval UCL (Tommy John) reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. Sandoval will have the operation during the first week of September.

Anderson was reinstated from the 10-day injured list, as his rehab stint in Sacramento came to a close. To make room for Anderson on the roster, Andrew Suarez was optioned to Sacramento.

Both the Giants wore their players weekend jersey, as the Giants wore all black jerseys and the As wore all white jerseys and caps. Bassitt wore a black cap on the mound instead of the white caps like the rest of his teammates.

UP NEXT: Logan Webb makes his second career start on Sunday afternoon for the Giants, while veteran Brett Anderson will take the mound for the As.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants get swept by Cubs, head to Oakland for two-game weekend series

Photo credit: @SFGiants

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Giants were swept in three games in Chicago two of them were loses by just one run. Do you view the Giants as a formidable opponent in their wild card chances seeing how they played against a competitive team like the Cubs? Dropping 14 of their last 17 games at Wrigley.

#2 Thursday’s game at Wrigley proved to be one for the books. Despite the loss, the Giants and Cubs played to a 1-0 final and former Cub starter Jeff Samardjiza went seven innings with two hits and one run.

#3 For Samardjiza, was this an advantage pitching in a park where he played part of career and that he was familiar with?

#4 The Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks got the call as the starter and didn’t disappoint going seven innings pitching a three hit shutout. He had good movement on his pitches on Thursday.

#5 The Giants have a rare Friday off before playing at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Going for the Giants, Madison Bumgarner (8-8, 3.72 ERA), and for the A’s, Chris Bassitt (9-5, 3.61 ERA).

Michael does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com