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Kazmir, A’s Even The Series Despite Delay

Published

12 years ago

June 15, 2014

Oakland, CA – To compound more problems for O.co would be useless at this point. However, the A’s certainly make a good case for a new ball park after a bank of lights in left field went out delaying the game for thirty-eight minutes. Earlier in the year a water-sewer problem delayed a game as well.

Apparently the circuit breaker went out and had to be reset manually. But that didn’t stop Oakland from maintaining their lead when the game resumed after being suspended bottom of the fourth. The A’s evened the series after defeating the Yankees 5-1. The night before Oakland was shutout but tonight their offense came alive.

“Mentally, you’ve got to stay with it,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s tough when you’re sitting around that long, and it’s cold. You go back out there and have to find that adrenaline again. It was very impressive.”

“That’s the Coliseum for you,” said Sogard smiling. “That’s kind of what we expect but, it’s why we love this place. You never know what you’re going to get.”

After a scoreless inning in the first, Hiroki Kuroda walked Yoenis Cespedes, gave up a single to Stephen Vogt and walked Andy Parrino to load the bases with two outs in the second. Eric Sogard whose been battling an ankle issue after being hit in the ankle in the Anaheim series gave the A’s a 2-0 lead after hitting a two-run single.

He snapped a scoreless tie and Oakland’s 10-inning scoreless streak while only hitting .197. New York cut the lead in half in the third when shortstop Andy Parrino over threw first base giving Derek Jeter a RBI single with two outs. Kazmir walked Jacoby Ellsbury to load the bases and then forced Alfonso Soriano to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning leaving runners stranded.

“After that first at-bat I was able to get a good pitch to hit and lined it in the outfield,” Sogard explained. “So I got the game going, that was my opportunity tonight. My teammates got me in that position, and I was able to come through there. They’ve been picking me up all year and it’s nice to pitch in and do my part.”

A great defensive play by Sogard prevented the Yankees from tying the game in the fifth. With a runner on third base, Jeter grounded out to second baseman, Sogard who threw to home plate for the out. Kazmir forced Ellsbury to pop out to Josh Donaldson to end the inning.

The A’s continued to open up their offense bottom of the fifth. Sogard lead off the frame with a walk, Coco Crisp hit an infield single and a pass ball advanced both runners with no outs. John Jaso grounded out to first base scoring in Sogard. Another pass ball by Kuroda scored in Crisp making it a 4-1 game.

“The two runs I gave up in the fifth, that turned out to be big for tonight’s game,” said Kuroda through an interpreter. “The fact that I couldn’t protect it is really frustrating.”

Kuroda’s night ended after tossing 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, four runs, three walks and three strikeouts. The Yankees bullpen came in and surrendered a run to pinch-hitter Craig Gentry who extended Oakland’s lead 5-1 with a RBI single on a bunt ground ball to second baseman Yangervis Solarte.

Kazmir on the other hand pitched a stellar game, tossing six innings, giving up three hits, one run (unearned), walked three and struck out two. He’s allowed one run or fewer in five of his last seven starts. After tonights win, Kazmir is ranked fourth in the Majors with a ERA 2.05. In his past 32 starts, he has allowed no more than one run in 16 of them.

“I had to go up there and stay warm,” Kazmir said when asked how he stay loose during the delay. “Once it hit the 30-minute mark, I ended up throwing a simulated inning in the bullpen. That helped me out a lot. As soon as I was done with the last pitche in that simulated bullpen, the lights came on. It worked out perfect.”

“Just looking at some of the numbers over the last couple of years, the consistency has been incredible for Kazmir,” said Melvin. “He’s been one of the better pitchers in the American League and has really done it almost every time out.”

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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

36 minutes ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

3 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.