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Athletics overcome 14 year AL playoff drought
Pinder’s hit delivers, A’s beat White Sox and advance in wild-card series
Oakland Athletics’ Chad Pinder (18) hits a two-run single in front of Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal during the fifth inning of Game 3 of an American League wild-card baseball series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
2020.10.01 – The Oakland Athletics finally ended 14 years of postseason drought and rally past the Chicago White Sox 6-4 on Thursday to win the decisive third game of their AL wild-card round series.
Chad Pinder’s go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning and repeated costly walks by Chicago’s relievers was sufficient to rally past the White Sox.
Most of these young Athletics’ players might barely remember some of the gut-wrenching October losses over the past two decades. But, two recent defeats were plenty and fresh enough to motivate manager Bob Melvin’s slugging, happy-go-lucky Athletics.
“Not everybody’s been part of all that,” Melvin said. “We’ve had a couple of tough ones in the last two years.”
The AL West champions lost the opener, then won on consecutive days at home and advanced to a Division Series against the rival Houston Astros starting Monday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The winner of that matchup faces the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay for a spot in the World Series.
Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer in the fourth against Codi Heuer as A’s wives and families cheered from suites high above the diamond.
Players held a subdued celebration afterward. No Champagne showers.
“We’re doing what we did all year, and that’s following the protocols,” Melvin said.
Oakland stopped a nine-game losing streak in winner-take-all postseason games, a major league record that dated to the 1973 World Series. The A’s had lost six straight playoff series since sweeping Minnesota in the 2006 Division Series, starting with when Detroit swept Oakland in that year’s Championship Series.
And what a humongous relief for a club that won 97 games each of the past two seasons only to lose the division to Houston and then the AL wild card game both years.
This one was never comfortable — even after Chicago lost designated hitter Eloy Jiménez and reliever Garrett Crochet to early injuries.
“I woke up this morning feeling like this was going to be a hard game and it was a hard game,” Melvin said. “… It took everybody today.”
2020.10.01 (Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox) See video
2020.10.01 (Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox) See video
Athletics pitcher Lou Trivino allowed the first two batters to reach in the seventh, hitting James McCann with a pitch. First baseman Matt Olson ran 98 feet to make a magnificent catch in foul territory for the second out, then Jake Diekman relieved and loaded the bases with a walk to Nomar Mazara before getting Adam Engel’s groundout.
Opening day starter in July, Frankie Montas, pitched two innings for the win. Liam Hendriks gave up McCann’s leadoff single in the ninth and closed out the game, a day after failing to do so.
Hendriks retired Mazara on a called third strike to end it. The A’s closer let out a howl of celebration and pumped his arms before receiving congratulatory hugs.
The low-budget A’s had not captured a winner-take-all postseason game since beating Hall of Famer Willie Mays and the New York Mets. in Game 7 of the 1973 World Series. Oakland had gone 1-15 in potential clinchers since 2000.
“Rinetti, it happened!” A’s President Dave Kaval hollered to 40th-year stadium operations chief David Rinetti from the field up into the stands afterward.
“1973, baby!” Rinetti yelled.
Two relievers after Murphy’s homer, Matt Foster walked Mark Canha with the bases-loaded to tie it, then Olson’s walk forced in another run that gave Oakland a 4-3 lead. Mazara hit a tying single in the fifth.
Led by top MVP candidate José Abreu, the White Sox ended a string of seven consecutive losing seasons to reach the postseason for the first time since 2008. They won the AL Central that year before losing 3-1 to Tampa Bay in the Division Series.
Loser Evan Marshall walked the bases loaded with a second straight free pass with two outs in the fifth to Marcus Semien before Pinder singled.
“I was grateful for the opportunity,” Pinder said. “Those are the kind of moments you want to be in.”
Melvin insisted Pinder’s bat would help the A’s in the playoffs, even after the infielder spent a stint on the injured list down the stretch with a strained right hamstring.
Melvin also turned to right-hander Mike Fiers to take the ball over lefty starter Sean Manaea. The decision made perfect sense: The White Sox went 14-0 in the regular season against left-handed starters and beat southpaw Jesús Luzardo in Game 1 on Tuesday. That prompted White Sox star Tim Anderson to say, “I guess they haven’t done their homework.”
“It’s a tough one to swallow but we’ve got to keep going,” Anderson said. “It’s just the start of something that could be great.”
A year ago, Melvin picked Manaea over Fiers to start the wild-card game Oakland lost to Tampa Bay after Fiers pitched his second career no-hitter against the Reds in May 2019 and went on to finish 15-4. Fiers wanted the start that night but understood Melvin made a tough choice.
“It was a fun call for me to finally reward him,” said Melvin, who hated to remove Fiers early Thursday.
While Fiers was done after 1 2/3 innings having surrendered a run and five hits, he might get to leave his mark on the Astros series after not facing his former club all of 2020.
It was Fiers in November who made public his former Houston club’s sign-stealing scam in an article with The Athletic.
The A’s haven’t forgotten.
“We’re in the middle of it. There’s a little bit of kind of that going on there that we want to make sure they know what they’ve done and we can prove it to them and make sure we’re also the top team in the AL West,” Hendriks said. “But there’s also not being petty and not letting our emotions get the better of us by trying to be over the top and vengeful.”
SUCH DISTANCE
Luis Robert’s 487-foot home run to left-center in the second inning was the second-longest of the postseason and furthest by a White Sox player since 2015, according to MLB StatCast. Robert emphatically threw down his twirling bat before rounding the bases as teammates roared from the dugout.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox manager Rick Renteria was late writing his lineup waiting to see whether Jiménez could play.
Jiménez started as DH then came out with further discomfort in his sprained right foot following a leadoff double in the third.
He missed the first two games of the series and the final three of the regular season.
Renteria watched his regular left fielder’s pregame work first Thursday.
“We’ve got to get a win today. We’ve got to buy him some time,” Anderson said. “That’s another big bat that we’re missing right now.”
Crochet, who relieved fellow rookie starter Dane Dunning in the first, exited in the second with tightness in his left forearm — his throwing side.
HURLING IT
The 17 pitchers, nine by Chicago, were the most in a nine-inning postseason game.
UP NEXT
The A’s will enter the best-of-five-games American League Division Series with their past sins washed away.
And they’ll be looking to punish the Astros for their past sins, for which they are yet to repent. The Astros, you may recall, were found to be using an elaborate sign-stealing operation that helped them win the World Series in 2017 and the American League West over the A’s in 2018 and 2019.
Some Houston executives and the team’s manager – former Stanford star A.J. Hinch – lost their jobs. The Astros players, in exchange for their testimony, were not punished for doing the actual cheating.
They are reviled around the game, and they are using that as motivation.
“I know a lot of people are mad,” Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said after the Astros won their firstround series. “I know a lot of people don’t want to see us here. But what are they going to say now?” Yeah, these guys need to be taken down a peg or two.
And the A’s, who have not shied away from openly disdaining the Astros, now have the opportunity to do it.
RELATED: See below- 2020.09.30 (Oakland A’s vs. Chicago White Sox)
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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A’s hold off White Sox force AL playoff elimination Game 3
Semien and Davis homered early to beat Chicago 5-3
Oakland Athletics’ Marcus Semien (10) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run that scored Sean Murphy (12) against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball series Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
2020.09.30 – Marcus Semien and Khris Davis homered early and the Oakland Athletics held off José Abreu and the Chicago White Sox in the late innings for a 5-3 win Wednesday that sent their AL playoff series to a deciding Game 3.
Oakland’s long-reliable regulars Marcus Semien and Khris Davis powered a couple of home runs, Mark Canha made a game-saving catch against the wall and red-hot right-hander Chris Bassitt delivered the start of his life.
Now, the slugging A’s are right back in a familiar fall position: one winner-take-all postseason game with the season on the line.
The A’s lost in the AL wild-card game each of the past two seasons, providing added motivation to win the division and earn a longer series.
Game 3 is Thursday at the Coliseum.
“It feels good. We’re hungry for more wins,” Semien said. “Tomorrow, anything can happen. It’s just like Game 7.”
A’s reliever Jake Diekman walked home a run in the ninth, then retired the big-hitting Abreu on a sharp grounder to end it and even the best-of-three wild-card matchup at 1-all.
The White Sox went 14-0 in the regular season against left-handed starters and beat southpaw Jesús Luzardo in the playoff opener. A’s manager Bob Melvin acknowledged it might make him reconsider who to start with the season on the line — perhaps righty Mike Fiers over lefty Sean Manaea.
202009.30 (Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox) See video
202009.30 (Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox) See video
“I’m pretty sure we’re pretty dang confident in anyone we throw against the White Sox,” Bassitt said. “The numbers don’t mean anything. It’s the postseason. I thought they put absurd at-bats against me, and I’m a righty.”
Bassitt allowed one run on six hits in seven-plus innings during an impressive postseason debut as the AL West champion A’s snapped a six-game postseason losing streak dating to 2013.
The right-hander, drafted by the White Sox before being traded to Oakland in December 2014, came in on a nice roll with an 0.34 ERA in September.
Things got interesting when Bassitt gave way to Liam Hendriks after a leadoff single to Tim Anderson in the eighth with a 5-0 lead. Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer one out later.
Hendriks surrendered a pair of two-out singles in the ninth and walked Yoán Moncada to load the bases. Diekman relieved and walked Grandal to bring home a run.
Abreu, a leading candidate for AL MVP, hit a hard grounder to second base as Diekman earned a tough save.
Oakland hit three consecutive one-out singles in the first against Dallas Keuchel, and rookie second baseman Nick Madrigal’s fielding error allowed two runs to score.
Keuchel exited after 3 1/3 innings having allowed five runs — three earned — and six hits.
He couldn’t hold down the slugging A’s as Lucas Giolito did a day earlier taking a perfect game into the seventh inning of Chicago’s 4-1 Game 1 victory.
The White Sox haven’t won back-to-back road playoff games since getting six straight in 2005.
“The biggest thing is carry that momentum from the last inning into tomorrow’s game,” Madrigal said. “Even going into today’s game everyone felt good. We had some good innings just didn’t cash in. No one’s really worried, we know what we can do. We don’t have to overthink it, just go out there and play our game.”
BACK ON TRACK
The A’s had dropped five straight postseason games when facing elimination.
Oakland’s six-game playoff skid matched the longest in A’s history — also done from Oct. 10, 2006-Oct. 7, 2012. This marked the club’s first postseason win since Game 3 of the 2013 AL Division Series, a 6-3 victory against Detroit at Comerica Park.
The A’s lost the wild card game to the Yankees in 2018 then Tampa Bay last year after winning 97 games both seasons but finishing second to the rival Houston Astros.
“Hopefully that experience helps a little,” said Canha, whose leaping catch in the fifth robbed Anderson.
DAVIS DELIVERS
Davis, who led the majors with 48 home runs in 2018, cleared the fences for only the second time since Sept. 4 after playing in only 11 games down the stretch.
He went just 3 for 18 against the White Sox last season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: LF Eloy Jiménez was out for a second straight playoff game as he nurses a sprained right foot that kept him out of the final three games of the regular season. Jiménez went through extensive baseball work Monday and still experienced soreness.
Jiménez was still receiving treatment to determine his status, with manager Rick Renteria noting he wasn’t available as designated hitter because “you need to be able to run.”
“Right now he’s about the same, no worse,” Renteria said. “Hopefully that can calm down a little bit more.”
ROUTINE
With another noon start, some of the A’s chose to hit on the field after not doing so Tuesday — which was treated more like a day game after a night game. Melvin said many of his players didn’t want to go two straight days without batting practice.
UP NEXT
Both managers planned meetings with their staffs to determine who would take the mound.
Oakland kept six starting pitchers on the roster to have options for a deciding game.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Renteria said, not providing specifics on who he might start. “TBA.”
RELATED: See below- 2020.09.29 (Oakland A’s vs. Chicago White Sox)
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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Giolito, White Sox beat A’s 4-1 in wild-card round opener
Chicago White Sox’s Lucas Giolito pitches against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of Game 1 of an American League wild-card baseball series Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
2020.09.29 – Lucas Giolito dazzled in his postseason debut, stymieing the Oakland Athletics through six perfect innings and sending the Chicago White Sox to a 4-1 victory in the opener of their best-of-three wild-card series Tuesday.
“Unreal. Unreal to watch. Unreal to be behind him,” shortstop Tim Anderson said. “He put the work in. When you set yourself apart to put the work in and want to be a superstar, you want to be that dominant. The work is showing. Happy for him and hopefully he can keep it up and continue to grow as a player and as a person. He’s our guy. I expect nothing but that from him.”
It also brought back memories of Giolito’s no-hitter against Pittsburgh on Aug. 25.
“It was a different feel though because throwing a perfect game, no-hitter is a great personal accomplishment, but we’re in the playoffs, the goal is to win the game,” Giolito said. “For me it was all about I’m going to give the team the best possible chance to come out on top after nine innings.”
On Tuesday, he didn’t allow a baserunner to the AL West champions until Tommy La Stella’s single up the middle to start the seventh. Giolito gave up one run on two hits over seven innings, struck out eight and walked one before giving way to Evan Marshall after a stellar 100-pitch outing.
“Pretty cool,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It was neat to see.”
Giolito got plenty of support: José Abreu hit a two-run homer and Adam Engel also connected for Chicago. Yasmani Grandal homered in the eighth.
Alex Colome, Chicago’s third reliever, worked the ninth for a save to close out the 2-hour, 53-minute game.
Before the single by La Stella, Jake Lamb’s line drive to center in the fifth was the hardest-hit ball against Giolito by the powerful A’s, whose offense struggled down the stretch.
Now, Oakland must win Game 2 on Wednesday at home to avoid another early playoff exit.
The A’s are in the postseason for a third straight year. They lost in the AL wild card game each of the past two seasons after 97 wins both times.
Oakland advanced just once during 11 previous playoff trips since 2000, reaching the 2006 AL Championship Series before being swept by Detroit.
202009.29 (Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox) See video
202009.29 (Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox) See video
“We have no choice tomorrow. That’s the way we’ve been here for a while now. We wanted a series. We lost the first game of it. Now it’s time for us to respond tomorrow,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We’re going to have to do more offensively. We can’t score one run and think that we’re going to win tomorrow and put that much pressure on the starter.”
Ramón Laureano’s groundout in the eighth scored Oakland’s lone run.
Engel crushed an 0-2 fastball for a 1-0 lead in the second, and Abreu homered in the third against 22-year-old lefty Jesús Luzardo.
Chicago had put runners on first and third in the initial inning after Abreu’s two-out single but Luzardo struck out James McCann to get out of it.
Engel’s fourth-inning double chased Luzardo, who took the loss.
“They capitalized on those two mistakes,” Luzardo said. “I feel like my pitching was pretty good other than that.”
Chicago has thrived against lefty starters, going 14-0 during the regular season when facing a southpaw.
That prompted Anderson to say of Luzardo getting the ball in Game 1, “I guess they haven’t done their homework.” After the game, Anderson said, “We know what we do to lefties.”
Chicago was eager for a fresh start in the playoffs after losing seven of eight at the end of the regular season, two on walk-offs.
The White Sox snapped a string of seven consecutive losing seasons to reach the postseason for the first time since 2008, when they won the AL Central and lost to Tampa Bay 3-1 in the Division Series.
“This is something we’ve been waiting for for a while now,” Engel said.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The late Roy Halladay of the Phillies in 2010 threw a perfect game in the regular season and then tossed a no-hitter against the Reds in the playoffs — the only person to have a regular-season and postseason no-hitter in the same year.
Halladay and Don Larsen, who pitched a perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series against Brooklyn, have the only two postseason no-hitters.
EARLY STARTS
Wednesday will be another noon local time start. Melvin acknowledged not liking the early first pitch.
No big deal for the White Sox, apparently.
Wednesday starter Dallas Keuchel called his team “calm and collected” and said the White Sox “have a lot more fun at 9 a.m. than I ever thought we could.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: LF Eloy Jiménez wasn’t ready for Game 1 as he works back from a sprained right foot that kept him out of the final three games. Jiménez went through extensive baseball work Monday and still had some discomfort.
Renteria wasn’t ready to guess about Jiménez’s status for Wednesday.
UP NEXT
LHP Keuchel (6-2, 1.99 ERA) pitches Wednesday following a successful first season with Chicago.
RHP Chris Bassitt, drafted by the White Sox before being traded to Oakland in December 2014, takes the ball for the A’s with victories in his last three decisions. Oakland kept six starting pitchers on the roster.
RELATED: See – 2020.09.21 (Oakland A’s vs. SF Giants) Video
A’s Clinch AL West – Win Series Over 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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