Oakland

A’s tied for 1st with Rangers in AL West

Published

13 years ago

September 2, 2013

Oakland, CA – After further review, it was ruled a home run. Coco Crisp will tell you that home runs mean nothing to him, however he’s hit three home runs in three straight games.

In fact, Crisp’s two-run homer was the play that led to the A’s a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in game one of a three-game series. Oakland has homered in a season-high 15 consecutive contests and they’re averaging more than five home runs over the last 25 games.

“I got lucky,” Coco said. “It stayed fair and he pitched to me well. I didn’t think it was going to stay fair, usually the balls heading down the line going into foul territory. I’m glad mine stayed fair.”

Yoenis Cespedes also went deep in the second inning to give the A’s a 1-0 lead. Alberto Callaspo followed with a double to set up Chris Young’s RBI single up the middle for the 2-0. The Rangers tied the game in the fifth on David Murphy’s two-run homer.

“It was just a terrible performance… flat out,” said Derek Holland. “Five walks is not acceptable. There’s no reason for that, I didn’t execute my pitches. I fell behind and walked people. You can’t defend walks. It was all-around terrible. Today was on me.”

Michael Choice made his first MLB debut and got on base due to Adrian Beltre’s throwing error from third base to first base. That set up Crisp’s home run off Holland that was under review for hitting off the bottom of the left-field foul pole. It took only seconds before chief umpire Tom Hallion confirmed it was a home run.

That was the end of Holland’s time on the mound before Texas bullpen took over. The Rangers had nine baserunners on in four innings but failed to bring any home. They left 11 on and had a runner at third base twice with one out and failed to score.

“Both teams are fairly evenly matched,” Lance Berkman said. I don’t think either team is going to run away with it in the last 25 games. It’s going to go down to the wire and today they just beat us.”

“There’ plenty of baseball to go,” said closer Grant Balfour. “Today’s one game. It was big, no doubt but there are still 20-something games to go. So we’re not sitting here celebrating.”

Balfour who has struggled with his velocity and has been getting behind on his pitches has given fans heart attacks in the ninth. Despite recording his 36th save, he’s allowed two on with a walk and a single before getting his first out.

The next two batters, Ian Kinsler lined out to right-fielder Young and Adrian Beltre grounded to third base to end the game and secure the A’s victory. Grant admitted he was without his best stuff today, which has been a big concern lately.

“He’s had a nice run where there were quite a few easy runs,” Oakland’s manager Bob melvin said. “I think all closers except Mariano Rivera at times, do get themselves out of jams. He’s not the first guy that’s done that, I know he’s going through a period where he doesn’t have his best stuff but he’s only blown two saves this year and until that changes he’s our closer.”

With the win today, the A’s are now tied for first place in the American League West division. The Rangers have been strong competition for Oakland and both teams will meet again later this month in Texas for another three-game series. The A’s continue to take it game-by-game only focusing on winning.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2026

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC