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A’s Clinch AL West – Win Series Over Giants
Olson homer in the 2nd opener of the Bay Bridge Series
Oakland Athletics’ Matt Olson (28) is greeted by Marcus Semien (10) and Mark Canha (20) after hitting a three-run home run off San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
UPDATE: 2020.09.21 – The Oakland Athletics clinched their first AL West title since 2013 on Monday night with an assist from the rival Houston Astros.
Houston lost 6-1 to the Seattle Mariners, ending its three-year reign as division champion and making the A’s the first team in the majors to lock up a division crown in this pandemic-shortened season. They will be home for a best-of-three playoff series beginning Sept. 29.
Oakland was off Monday before opening an inter-league series at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
Since last season ended, the slugging A’s have emphasized the need to win the division given they won 97 games each of the last two years and lost the AL wild-card game.
Oakland is in the playoffs for a third straight year and the sixth time in nine seasons.
A’s right-hander Mike Fiers was the whistleblower in the Astros’ off-season sign-stealing scandal when he publicly called out his former club for cheating in an article published by The Athletic in November.
Houston won a major league-best 107 games last season but lost to Washington in the World Series. The Astros brought in veteran manager Dusty Baker to lead the way in 2020.
2020.09.18 – The Oakland Athletics clinched their 2020 playoff berth with Seattle’s loss to San Diego and a 6-0 win against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, highlighted by Matt Olson’s three-run homer.
An AL West title will mean a lot more than simply clinching a playoff berth given how the past two seasons have gone for the Athletics. Then, the A’s might let loose and celebrate a little.
“Clinching the playoffs is the goal every single year. Exciting, but winning the division I think is going to be a lot better for us,” winning pitcher Chris Bassitt said. “It was literally another win. We have a lot bigger goals.”
The A’s scoreboard read “POSTSEASON BOUND” high above the cutouts.
Oakland is in the playoffs for the sixth time in nine seasons and now shifts its attention to the division title, which could be locked up Saturday. The A’s haven’t captured the West since 2013, winning 97 games each of the past two seasons to finish in second place behind Houston and before losing the AL Wild Card Game both years.
The A’s scoreboard read “POSTSEASON BOUND” high above the cardboard cutouts of fans filling the Oakland Coliseum.
Olson connected in the third inning of a balanced offensive attack for the A’s in the opener of the second round of the 2020 Bay Bridge Series.
Jake Lamb’s RBI single in the first staked Bassitt (4-2) to a quick lead. The right-hander struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings to win his third straight start.
“He’s been absolutely terrific,” manager Bob Melvin said, “probably as consistent as we’ve had all year.”
Tommy La Stella and Marcus Semien also singled in runs for the A’s, who finally got a day off Thursday following a grueling stretch with 16 games in 13 days with three doubleheaders.
2020.09.18 (Oakland Athletics vs. SF Giants) See video
2020.09.18 (Oakland Athletics vs. SF Giants) See video
San Francisco hardly had to travel far to continue its road trip. The Giants were scheduled for games in Seattle earlier this week but smoke from all the West Coast wildfires created dangerous air quality and the clubs instead played at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wednesday and Thursday.
“It’s nice that everybody got to sleep in their own beds last night,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said, noting he and some players drove themselves to the Coliseum rather than riding a team bus. “Considering that these are road games and we did just get to play two road games in our ballpark, there have been a lot of challenges throughout this season and so those are two things that we can point to as positives and pluses.”
The A’s played a Monday doubleheader in Seattle, and players expressed concern about the air.
“The air quality is much better than we last saw it here, it certainly is better than Seattle, too,” Melvin said.
Logan Webb (2-4) was done after 3 1/3 innings and saw his winless stretch reach five starts. He is 0-2 since beating Arizona on Aug. 21.
“Not a good performance from our offense. I think all of our players will tell you that,” Kapler said. “We have to play better baseball than that down the stretch if we’re going to get into the postseason.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RF Mike Yastrzemski, who left Thursday’s win against Seattle in the third with tightness in his right calf, had an MRI exam Friday that showed a mild calf strain. He is listed day to day. The Giants aren’t using the injured list for him. “Yaz is important enough to this club where we really don’t know how long it’s going to be, whether it’s one, two, three days or more and we want to ensure that we have (options) there,” Kapler said.
Athletics: RF Stephen Piscotty missed his fourth straight game with a sprained right knee. The A’s were going to put him through batting practice to determine his status for Saturday. … LHP rookie A.J. Puk underwent debridement shoulder surgery — removing debris from around the labrum and rotator cuff — and a cleanup from bursitis Wednesday by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Puk, who didn’t pitch this year and missed most of last season following Tommy John surgery in April 2018, has begun physical therapy and will remain in Southern California to get the stitches removed Monday and begin throwing in about 12 weeks. Oakland is hopeful he’ll be ready by the start of spring training.
MENGDEN COVID UPDATE
A’s RHP Daniel Mengden has been medically cleared from a positive COVID-19 test Aug. 28. He has been asymptomatic throughout and resumed throwing off the mound at the club’s San Jose alternate site Friday. He is slated for a simulated game Saturday.
TRADE COMPLETE
Oakland completed its trade with Texas that brought lefty Mike Minor to the A’s on Aug. 31 by sending minor league infielder Dustin Harris and minor league outfielder Marcus Smith to the Rangers as the players to be named later.
ROSTER MOVE
The Giants optioned RHP Rico Garcia and LHP Wandy Peralta, who pitched a career-high three innings Thursday, to their Sacramento alternate site and recalled RHP Shaun Anderson and LHP Andrew Suarez from Sacramento.
UP NEXT
RHP Kevin Gausman (3-2, 4.05 ERA), scratched last Sunday because of elbow soreness, will pitch for the Giants on Saturday afternoon. A’s LHP Jesús Luzardo (2-2, 4.32) looks to end a four-start winless stretch in which he is 0-2.
RELATED: See below- 2020.09.19 (Oakland A’s vs. SF Giants)
Read more at: Oakland Athletics Media Services / More AP MLB
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Oakland Athletics, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Lamb homers, A’s move closer to AL West title, beat Giants
Oakland Athletics’ Jake Lamb (4) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run that scored Stephen Piscotty (25) during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Also pictured at left is Giants catcher Joey Bart. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2020.0919 – Jake Lamb hit a two-run homer once the Oakland Athletics finally got to San Francisco Giants’ bullpen, and the playoff-bound A’s beat the Giants by the same 6-0 score for a second straight game Saturday.
The A’s were more than fine waiting to celebrate a potential AL West title. They haven’t won a division crown since 2013, so no rush from this happy-go-lucky group of sluggers.
Lefty starter Jesús Luzardo (3-2) gave up five hits over six innings, striking out seven without a walk. He ended a four-start winless stretch.
The A’s clinched their third straight postseason berth with a 6-0 win Friday night and were closing in on the club’s first AL West crown in seven years. Oakland would’ve clinched if Houston had lost hours later — the Astros wound up beating Arizona, meaning the Athletics can wrap it up Sunday.
“We want to come in tomorrow and get the win and celebrate,” first baseman Matt Olson said. “We want to continue to take care of our business.”
Kevin Gausman (3-3) struck out six in six innings and stymied the slugging A’s after missing his last turn because of elbow soreness. He didn’t allow a baserunner until Mark Canha’s two-out walk in the fourth, and Olson’s RBI single moments later got Oakland on the board.
“Guys are playing loose, they’re playing at a high level, they know what’s at stake,” manager Bob Melvin said.
2020.09.19 (Oakland Athletics vs. SF Giants) See video
2020.09.19 (Oakland Athletics vs. SF Giants) See video
The Giants, dealing with an injury-plagued outfield, gave up a triple to Tommy La Stella in a five-run seventh when a backpedaling Maricio Dubon couldn’t make a catch on the warning track in center field. Marcus Semien followed with an RBI double.
Lamb homered for the second time in five games since signing with the A’s after being released by Arizona.
Right fielder Stephen Piscotty had a hit in his return to the Oakland lineup after missing four games with a sprained right knee.
HONORING RBG
A moment of silence was held before first pitch to pay tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday at age 87.
QUIET BATS
The Giants lost for the fifth time in seven games while being held to one or fewer runs in each of those defeats.
San Francisco — 9-17 on the road — has dropped all five games to the A’s so far in the interleague series, outscored 42-16.
“We’re going through a little stretch here, we’re fouling our pitch off, we’re not squaring it up,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’re chasing just a little bit more than we normally do. That’s leading to inability to keep rallies going and we really haven’t many huge threats.”
BEST TWO OF THREE
How do the A’s feel about a short, best-of-three playoff series to start?
Melvin made one thing clear: “We’d like to play at home.”
“It’s better than one,” said Melvin, whose club lost the AL wild-card game each of the past two years after 97-win regular seasons. “At least it’s a three-game series, which is more like baseball. I certainly understand the wild-card dynamic. It’s winner-take-all, it’s great theater. There have been a lot of really good games, too. I don’t know that winning your division gives you that big of an advantage like maybe it has in the past yet if you do you get all three games at home, which is an advantage. This is just a different season. I don’t critique good or bad.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RF Mike Yastrzemski, who left Thursday’s win against Seattle in the third with tightness in his right calf, missed a second straight game but remains day to day and not an injured list candidate at this stage. … RHP Jeff Samardzija, sidelined by an inflamed pitching shoulder, and RHP Reyes Moronta (right shoulder surgery) continue to progress with throwing programs at Sacramento as the season nears its end. They haven’t been ruled out to return. “Everything is on the table. This is a stretch of games that’s going to determine our ability to get into the postseason,” Kapler said. “We want to preserve as many options as possible. We’re going to keep pushing until they’re no longer options. I still see both Samardzija and Moronta as options for us.”
Athletics: INF Chad Pinder, on the injured list with a strained right hamstring, is yet to resume baseball activity but could do so when the team comes back from its upcoming road trip. … Melvin will look to get at-bats for Khris Davis while resting some regulars when he can down the stretch. … RHP Frankie Montas is back from the paternity list and will pitch again during the upcoming visit to Dodger Stadium beginning Tuesday.
ROSTER MOVES
The Giants recalled INF Daniel Robertson and LHP Wandy Peralta from their Sacramento alternate site and placed OF Alex Dickerson placed on the paternity list. LHP Andrew Suarez was optioned to Sacramento.
UP NEXT
Kapler announced after the game Tyler Anderson (2-3, 5.06) — ejected in the third inning Thursday against the Mariners — would pitch Sunday instead of RHP Johnny Cueto (2-1, 4.78 ERA), who will be given one more day of rest. Cueto will now go Monday trying to snap a four-start winless stretch after losing his last time out at San Diego.
The A’s counter with LHP Mike Minor (1-5, 5.40), coming off a victory in his first start with Oakland.
RELATED: See below – 2020.09.20 (Oakland A’s vs. SF Giants)
Read more at: Oakland Athletics Media Services / More AP MLB
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Oakland Athletics, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Crawford hits a grand slam – Giants beat A’s 14-2
San Francisco Giants’ Chadwick Tromp, right, hits a two-run home run in front of Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy during the third inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2020.09.20 – Brandon Crawford hit a grand slam, Chadwick Tromp and Darin Ruf added two-run homers, and the San Francisco Giants prevented the Oakland Athletics from clinching the AL West title at home with a 14-2 victory Sunday.
The Giants earned their first win in six tries during this year’s Bay Bridge Series and go into the season’s final week chasing a playoff spot.
“Look, we seem to be a team that responds pretty well,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Of course we wanted to clinch today; we wanted to do it at home. We were on a roll the last couple games. It just didn’t happen.”
Oakland, already into the playoffs for a third straight season, needed a win or a loss by the rival Astros to secure its first division crown since 2013. Houston won at home against the Diamondbacks.
Jake Lamb hit a two-run single in the sixth for Oakland’s lone scoring on an uncharacteristically quiet day.
“It didn’t happen,” A’s starter Mike Minor said. “Guys are still positive.”
Tyler Anderson (3-3) — ejected in the third inning Thursday against the Mariners — struck out four over 5 2/3 innings pitching Sunday on short rest so Johnny Cueto could get an extra day.
This time, Anderson kept calm.
“It was just one game where I was probably running a little hot,” he said.
2020.09.20 (Oakland Athletics vs. SF Giants) See video
2020.09.20 (Oakland Athletics vs. SF Giants) See video
Tromp connected in the third for the Giants’ first runs of the series, then Ruf the next inning against Minor (1-6), who was coming off a victory in his first start with Oakland. Tromp, a rookie, also had an RBI single during his three-hit day as San Francisco produced 15 hits to five by the A’s.
“We’re going home with our spirits high. We have 100% confidence we’re going to make this happen,” Tromp said. “We can all taste it.”
Ruf added a two-run single in the eighth as the Giants snapped a three-game winning streak for Oakland (33-20) following consecutive 6-0 shutouts. Luis Basabe got his first career RBI with a single in a three-run ninth.
“I thought it was indicative of a club that just had a couple of bad days and got right back to the way we were swinging the bats prior to the first two games of this A’s series,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Kind of had a sense we were going to bounce back from that, and our guys came out ready today.”
AVOIDING A SWEEP
The Giants scored their second-most runs of the season behind a 23-5 win at Colorado on Sept. 1. They won for the third time in eight games after being held to fewer than one run in each of the five defeats during this stretch.
San Francisco, which is 10-17 on the road, was outscored 44-30 in the six games versus Oakland in 2020.
GOOD GUYS
A’s infielder Tony Kemp and his old college teammate at Vanderbilt, injured Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, received the Bill Rigney “Good Guy” awards from the local chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
MENGDEN UPDATE
A’s RHP Daniel Mengden was designated for assignment after being medically cleared and reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list following a positive test from Aug. 28. He has been asymptomatic throughout and resumed throwing off a mound at the club’s San Jose alternate site in recent days.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: Rookie C Joey Bart is getting a couple of days off to do more hitting work with the coaches, Kapler said. … Yastrzemski, who left Thursday’s win against Seattle with tightness in his right calf, missed a third straight game.
Athletics: C Sean Murphy took several backswings off the helmet during the series, one by Wilmer Flores on Sunday. … RHP Lou Trivino sustained a “pretty good-sized bruise” according to Melvin after being hit by a line drive on the upper leg Saturday. Trivino did some pregame throwing to test the injury. … INF Chad Pinder, on the injured list with a strained right hamstring, has begun baseball activities and took swings in the cage the past two days.
UP NEXT
Giants: Cueto (2-1, 4.78 ERA) pitches Monday trying to snap a four-start winless stretch after losing his last time out at San Diego.
Athletics: RHP Frankie Montas (3-4, 5.86) is back from the paternity list and will pitch Tuesday’s series opener at Dodger Stadium after an Oakland off day.
RELATED: See – 2020.09.21 (Oakland A’s vs. Colorado Rockies)
Read more at: Oakland Athletics Media Services / More AP MLB
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Oakland Athletics, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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