Featured

A’s Hold On For The Win

Published

10 years ago

August 9, 2014

Oakland, CA – The Twins rallied back in the seventh scoring five runs trimming the lead to one. It took the A’s bullpen to hold on for the 6-5 victory after Scott Kazmir unraveled after pitching six scoreless innings. He yielded five runs in the seventh, the most he’s allowed in an inning this season.

“They put some good swings on the ball,” Kazmir said. “But at the same time instead of making those quality pitches when I’m ahead of the count, I was just leaving it up and they were putting good swings to it.”

It started off as a pitchers duel, neither pitcher allowed a run through four frames. Kazmir almost went the distance by not allowing a batter on base through six innings. He tossed a no-hitter through four frames, while Kyle Gibson surrendered a double to Josh Donaldson in the first and a walked Coco Crisp in the third.

Jed Lowrie hit a triple in the fourth giving Oakland a chance to get on the board with two outs. But Josh Reddick grounded out to end the inning. Minnesota tried to rally after Kennys Vargas leadoff single broke up Kazmir’s no-hitter in the fifth. But the Twins next batter struck out and hit into a double play.

“We got behind early and we had the one bad inning out there,” said manager Ron Gardenhire. “We made a nice run but we came up short.”

The A’s got another opportunity in the fifth when Gibson issued a free pass to Stephen Vogt to leadoff the inning. Sam Fuld hit an infield bunt, tripped over first baseman, Chris Parmelee and advanced to second on a throwing error from third baseman Trevor Plouffe.

No outs with two on, Gibson walked Eric Sogard to load the bases. Coco Crisp’s three-run triple opened up Oakland’s offense. Crisp scored on a pass ball making it a 4-0 game. Gibson allowed three walks and two hits before forcing the last two batters to pop-out stranding one runner.

“It’s embarrassing to go out there and pitch five innings and walk that many guys,” Gibson said. “It’s unacceptable.”

It was obvious he didn’t learn from the last inning, Gibson walked Reddick to leadoff the sixth, Vogt followed with a single and chased him off the mound. The bullpen came in and forced Fuld to ground out advancing both runners. Sogard’s two-run triple extended the A’s lead 6-0.

“That’s my bad for putting him back out there,” said Gardenhire. “The reason why I did it was because he needed to go back out there after one bad inning, but that didn’t turn out too well either.”

Kazmir lost his command in the seventh when Danny Santana led off the frame with a single followed by a walk to Brain Dozier. Plouffe’s RBI single put a run on the board. Kazmir struck out the next batter but Oswaldo Arcia hit a RBI single giving Minnesota their second run scored.

Parmelee’s two-run double cleared the bases and he advanced to third on a throwing error by left-fielder Brandon Moss. The Twins rallied back by scoring five runs. Eduardo Nunez hit a RBI double cutting the lead to one. But it was Oakland’s bullpen that saved the game.

“They put some really good at-bats together consistently throughout that inning,” manager Bob Melvin said. “So when the inning’s over you know you’re in for a battle.”

Minnesota’s offense was shutdown for the next two innings and Sean Doolittle earned his 18th save, breaking the A’s record for saves by a lefty set by Alan Embree in 2007. The A’s bullpen has 28.2-inning scoreless streak over the last 14 games, an Oakland record.

“That’s one of the things that makes our bullpen so good is the amount of pride and how badly we want to be in situations like (Friday night),” said Doolittle. “When the momentum shifted toward their dugout we were able to come in and finish it out.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

City Workers Rank Dan Siegel First Choice for Mayor

Don't Miss

Kaplan Wins City Disparity Study

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

6 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Vivian Coit, 98

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

Published

6 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Vivian Coit

Celebrating A Life Well Lived

Sept. 15, 1925 ~ March 30, 2024

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

In her 98 years, she had various jobs – San Francisco Naval Shipyard, elevator operator, housekeeping, a salesclerk, and supervisor for the United States Postal Service. After 27 years of service with the United States Postal Service, she retired with numerous commendations. She was a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women. and a devoted member of the Washington/Lincoln Alumni Association of Dallas, Texas.

On April 20 at 10:00 a.m., a life well-lived will be celebrated at Beebe Memorial Cathedral CME Church, 3900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA under the leadership of Rev. Antoine Shyne.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Commentary

Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

Published

6 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!