Oakland

A’s closing the gap with win over Tribe

Published

13 years ago

August 17, 2013

Oakland, CA – Eric Sogard doubled in a run and the A’s regained the lead bottom of the seventh frame. No better way than to start the series and stay ahead four and a half games over the Cleveland Indians in the Wild Card race.

Oakland’s 3-2 victory over the Tribe also cut the Texas Rangers lead to a half a game ahead in the American League West. The Rangers remain atop the division. But no worries, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played.

A.J Griffin scattered four hits over five innings, surrendering one run, walked five and struck out three. Not his best work but the bullpen came in and backed him for the win. Griffin has allowed 11 free passes over his past two starts.

“I had a tough time getting in a groove there,” said A.J. “I was missing with my location just a little bit, referring to the walks. I just tried to battle through it and give us a chance to win. I feel like I did a good job of keeping us in the game and the bullpen did a great job coming in.”

“Seeing him throw 104 pitches after five innings is a little against the grain for him,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “The ball was up in the zone at times which you don’t normally see from him, either. He battles himself but still ended up getting the big out for us to end the fifth with the bases loaded.”

Cleveland finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, stranding 13 along the way. Oakland’s defense was excellent in backing good pitching. The Tribe scored one run unearned in the third when Carlos Santana singled to right fielder Josh Reddick who over thew third base for the error.

Nick Swisher delivered a one run single off Sean Doolittle in the seventh to tie the game 2-2. But once again with the bases loaded Cleveland failed to rally a comeback. Asdrubal Cabrera hit a flyout to left field to end the inning.

“We’ll, always grind,” said Indians manager Terry Francona. “They just have a talented bullpen. Normally, if you get to the starter, when you get that many pitches in the fifth, you feel pretty good about yourself. But they have some depth in that bullpen.”

Oakland got a great start when Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer to left field. His fifth home run in the last 16 games and 20th of the year. Cespedes hit five home runs earlier in batting practice. So, it was fitting to get those two runs early in the first.

Sogard’s play came up big in the seventh when he doubled on a line drive to Drew Stubbs and scored Stephen Vogt. Trying to advance an extra base, Eric was out at third on Stubbs throw from right field. Sogard’s batting .315 with 12 RBIs in 22 games since the All-Star break.

“Vogt got a good at-bat there,” Sogard said. “To get that single and get the inning going, that gave us a chance to score on them. I put one down the line and eased his wheels, he can run for catcher.”

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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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Advice

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