Athletics lead atop the American League West
Tatís hits 15th home run, Padres win series with A’s
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr hits a solo home run against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
2020.09.06 – Fernando Tatís Jr. matched Angels slugger Mike Trout for the majors’ home run lead with his 15th, a two-run drive in the seventh inning of the San Diego Padres’ back-and-forth 5-3 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.
Sean Murphy homered on another scorching-hot September day in the Bay Area and Matt Olson hit a pair of RBI singles for the A’s, who lost two of three to the Padres and have dropped four of five overall. They are still trying to find an offensive groove following the postponement of four games last week because of pitcher Daniel Mengden’s positive coronavirus test.
Garrett Richards (2-2) struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter over seven sharp innings to end a four-start winless stretch. He allowed three runs on three hits.
“I thought he was great. I thought he got stronger as the game went on, and I think it showed the way he was kind of mowing them down,” manager Jayce Tingler said.
Trevor Rosenthal gave up Robbie Grossman’s leadoff double in the ninth before finishing for his first save with San Diego after joining the Padres in a trade from Kansas City, where he earned seven saves.
Jake Cronenworth hit an RBI double in the fourth for a balanced San Diego lineup. Eric Hosmer had an RBI single in the third and Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly put the Padres ahead moments later. Olson tied it again in the bottom half.
2020.09.06 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres) See video
2020.09.06 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres) See video
Oakland right-hander Mike Fiers (4-2) had his three-start winning streak snapped and again won’t line up against his former Astros club this coming week in Oakland. Fiers was the whistleblower in Houston’s sign-stealing scam when he revealed the scheme to The Athletic last November.
Olson hit an RBI single in the first and the A’s lost a replay review to end the second when Grossman was called out at home and the call upheld.
“When you think you have a run and you don’t have a run, that’s tough to swallow, even with replay,” Fiers said.
The Padres (25-17) have scored 46 runs over their last seven games.
CHAPMAN’S Ks
Oakland’s Matt Chapman struck out two more times before Chad Pinder replaced him. Manager Bob Melvin said Chapman has a right hip strain and will undergo an MRI exam.
The star third baseman struck out 10 times in the three-game series. He was fanned five times Saturday and three Friday following Oakland’s extended time off.
“To lose a guy like Chappy would hurt if it was an extended period,” Melvin said.
INTERLEAGUE MARKS
The A’s are 6-6 against the National League and 17-8 facing AL opponents.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Rookie Luis Campusano went on the injured list with a sprained left wrist. He had been set to start at catcher Saturday but felt something during batting practice swings in his left hand. “His pain level is down a little bit but I don’t think we would expect him to be able to play today,” manager Jayce Tingler said before the move was official. Campusano was undergoing treatment on the wrist. … New right-hander Taylor Williams, acquired last week in a trade with the Mariners, was added from the club’s alternate training site to fill the roster spot.
Athletics: LHP A.J. Puk was scheduled to throw again Sunday at the club’s San Jose alternate site as he recovers from a strained pitching shoulder that required injections and landed him on the injured list to start the 60-game season.
UP NEXT
A’s RHP Frankie Montas (2-3, 6.06 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the series opener Monday night against the Astros.
Dinelson Lamet (2-1, 2.62) pitches for the Padres as they return home to host Colorado.
RELATED: See below – 2020.09.05 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres)
Read more at: Oakland Athletics Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Oakland Athletics, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Laureano homers as A’s get back on track to beat Padres 8-4
Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano (right) celebrates with Athletics catcher Jonah Heim (37) after Laureano’s homer the San Diego Padres during a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2020.09.05 – Ramón Laureano homered to help Sean Manaea win his third straight start, and Oakland snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the San Diego Padres 8-4 on Saturday.
Matt Olson hit a two-run triple and new addition Tommy La Stella had an RBI double.
Manager Bob Melvin figured the slugging Athletics might need a few games to regain their offensive swagger following an unplanned layoff this past week.
The A’s were pounded 7-0 on Friday night as they returned to the field following four postponed games because of Daniel Mengden’s positive coronavirus test.
“We felt a lot better than yesterday, just knocked the rust off yesterday,” A’s catcher Jonah Heim said.
Manaea (3-2) allowed one run and four hits over five innings. The lefty is on a nice roll after going 0-2 over his initial five outings. Manaea went 4-0 in September last season after coming back from shoulder surgery, and then was the losing pitcher in the AL Wild Card Game against Tampa Bay.
“I struggled but at the same time, looking back, it was awesome. I definitely learned a lot about myself,” Manaea said of this year. “Just taking those lessons into each start. It’s great being able to see this hard work paying off a little bit at a time.”
2020.09.05 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres) See video
2020.09.05 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres) See video
Austin Nola homered and Eric Hosmer had a run-scoring groundout, but San Diego lacked the same potent offense of a night earlier when Fernando Tatís Jr. homered and drove in three runs.
Hosmer was ejected by plate umpire Quinn Wolcott in the eighth after arguing a called third strike.
“There was obviously a disagreement in the zone. It was hot out there today, that’s that,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler, who also came out to let Wolcott know he thought the ejection came fast. “He didn’t think it was there. That’s it.”
Tatís — who began the day tied with Mike Trout for the majors’ home run lead at 14 — finished 1 for 4 with a ninth-inning double and two strikeouts on a scorching September day amid another Bay Area heatwave, which typically causes the ball to carry even more.
The Padres, who at 24-17 are second in the NL West behind the major league-leading Dodgers, have scored 41 runs over their last six games.
“I feel like the boys are prepared, prepared for this. We have a really good team,” Tatís said. “We’re just glad everybody’s bringing it together and bringing it at the same time.”
San Diego righty Chris Paddack (3-4) was done after 4 2/3 innings. He is yet to win consecutive outings this year.
The A’s haven’t lost more than three straight since a five-game skid from May 28-June 2, 2019.
PROUD TEAMMATE
Tatís loved celebrating with Luis Campusano when the rookie connected for his first home run and major league hit Friday night after being promoted earlier in the day.
“It was great, it was a great moment. It reminded me of mine last year,” Tatís said. “We were in the minor leagues together and now we’re in the big leagues together. It’s great to see a guy coming up from the farm system and helping the team.”
CHAPMAN’S SWING
Oakland’s Matt Chapman struck out five times to give him eight Ks the past two games after the extended time off.
QUOTEABLE
Melvin on Tatís: “I know a little more about him now. Incredible talent. … We saw a lot of him yesterday, more than we wanted to. You got a pretty good handle after one game how talented he is.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Campusano had been set to start at catcher but felt something during batting practice, swings in his left hand that “didn’t feel right,” Tingler said. “Spirit-wise, he was crushed that he couldn’t go.”
Athletics: SS Marcus Semien took swings off a tee in the cage as he nurses a sore left side. He is optimistic of returning soon. “It looks like we’re gaining some ground,” Melvin said. … LHP A.J. Puk is scheduled to throw again Sunday at the club’s San Jose alternate site as he recovers from a strained pitching shoulder that required injections and landed him on the injured list to start the 60-game season. “He’s going to pitch Sunday then we’re going to decide where we are with him,” Melvin said. “I think he’s progressing to the point we feel good about his return pretty soon.”
UP NEXT
Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.63 ERA) looks to end a four-start winless stretch when he pitches for San Diego opposite Oakland right-hander Mike Fiers (4-1, 4.86 ERA), who has a three-start winning streak.
RELATED: See below – 2020.09.04 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres)
Read more at: Oakland Athletics Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Oakland Athletics, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Fernando Tatís Jr. and slugging Padres pound Athletics 7-0
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) is congratulated by third base coach Glenn Hoffman after hitting a solo home run against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2020.09.04 – Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning, and the San Diego Padres pounded the Oakland Athletics 7-0 on Friday night.
Padres were far too powerful and beat the Athletics at their own home run game with Oakland searching to rediscover its rhythm after an unplanned layoff.
the A’s returned to the field from a four-game postponement following a positive coronavirus test.
Tatís matched Mike Trout for the majors’ home run lead at 14 and finished with three RBIs.
“Without looking at the entire league I can’t imagine anyone else being as productive,” manager Jayce Tingler said. “But I will say there’s other guys on our team that are tremendously productive. … Tatís, the thing I’m most excited about for him is the continued growth.”
Padres catching prospect Luis Campusano homered in the eighth for his first major league hit after the 21-year-old was called up before the game.
Tatís returned to the leadoff spot and hit a two-run double moments after Trent Grisham’s double put the Padres on the board in the decisive fifth. Eric Hosmer added an RBI single that inning, chasing A’s starter Jesús Luzardo (2-2).
2020.09.04 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres) See video
2020.09.04 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres) See video
Right-hander Zach Davies (6-2) struck out five over seven scoreless innings to win his fourth straight start.
“It’s been a few days since the live at-bats and Davies is a guy, he nibbles around the zone,” Oakland’s Matt Olson said. “He’s not a guy out there throwing upper 90s. He’s out there doing what he has to do to get outs. He’s a big location guy. He just stayed off the barrel a little bit today.”
The Padres won a challenge in the bottom of the fourth when Olson initially was ruled safe at the plate on Robbie Grossman’s double — beating a tag by Austin Nola — that would have put Oakland ahead 1-0. Both sides considered that a key momentum swing.
“I think that was kind of the moment of the game,” Davies said.
Lefty Mike Minor made his A’s debut in the seventh and gave up the two homers after being acquired in a trade Monday from the Rangers.
Oakland lost its third straight game dating to last Saturday’s doubleheader defeat at Houston. The A’s then had their next four postponed following right-hander Daniel Mengden’s positive test for COVID-19 at Houston — the final game with the Astros last Sunday and a three-game series in Seattle. Mengden is asymptomatic and remained at home in Houston under quarantine.
The A’s will face three doubleheaders in a seven-day span starting next Tuesday against the Astros.
Manager Bob Melvin expected his offense might be more sluggish than slugging after the long layoff.
“You’re probably going to be a little rusty based on not seeing live pitching,” Melvin said. “Once you get into the game you don’t feel that way, you just react and you just play. It probably takes a little while to come back.”
HENDRIKS PONDERS
A’s closer Liam Hendriks said had there been a coronavirus outbreak among the bullpen members he might have considered not pitching the rest of the season given he is high risk with an autoimmune liver disorder.
“Stressful, to put it very lightly,” he said. “It’s been stressful, it’s been daunting, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. I’m just happy that we have gotten through that little stage as a team, that we were following protocol. Not only did Mengden follow protocol but also the fact that we as a team showed that we have been doing the right things on the field. That was a big one for me. If there was a rash of positive cases it would have definitely made me consider moving forward the season.”
HENDRIKS QUOTABLE
“I’m really excited about the fact that we just had a week off and we get to face the Padres, Slam Diego or whatever people are calling them now,” Hendriks quipped. ”… I still don’t know how I feel about their uniforms though, still unsure. They kind of look like silken pajamas.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Placed RHP Luis Perdomo on the injured list with right forearm inflammation.
Athletics: SS Marcus Semien, scratched from last Saturday’s second game in a doubleheader at Houston, took swings off a tee in the cage as he nurses a sore left side. He is optimistic of returning soon. “It looks like we’re gaining some ground,” Melvin said. … LHP A.J. Puk threw 1 1/3 innings in a rehab outing at the club’s San Jose alternate site and is slated to pitch again Sunday with the hope of activating him next week. Puk hasn’t pitched at all this season because of a strained pitching shoulder that required injections. General manager David Forst said the team plans to use Puk as a multi-inning reliever when he returns.
UP NEXT
San Diego RHP Chris Paddack (3-3, 4.43 ERA) tries to win consecutive starts for the first time this year. A’s LHP Sean Manaea (2-2, 5.64) seeks his third straight winning start after going 0-2 over his initial five outings.
RELATED: 2020.08.16 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants)
Read more at: Oakland Athletics Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Oakland Athletics, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
EMI Sports Central – EMI Sports Bay Area: Join the conversation on sports news for SF Bay Area teams: Follow @EMIsports on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and sign up for our FREE email newsletters.