Oakland A's

A’s Stay Strong In 2nd Half With Win Over Astros

Published

8 years ago

July 18, 2016

Oakland, CA – The A’s have kicked off the second half of the season strong. Oakland scored five runs in the fourth and two of those runs were walked in. The A’s have won three of their four games since the All-Star break and continued their winning ways by beating the Houston Astros 7-4.

 
Kendall Graveman gave a strong performance improving to 5-0 in his last nine starts. He allowed seven hits, three runs (two earned), a solo home run in the fifth, one walk and had five strikeouts while throwing a career-high 112 pitches. The five-game winning streak is an on-going career high.

“I’ve got confidence in the sinker,” said Graveman. “I think everybody can tell, ‘He’s going to throw the sinker. He’s going to throw it both sides of the plate,’ and confidence in it means that I’m locating it better. I think that’s been the biggest key right now. I’m locating the sinker, it has a little bit more velocity and still has good movement. I think that really has been able to get me deep in ballgames.”

Oakland has committed at least one error in five consecutive games (nine total) to snap an Athletics franchise record streak of 15 consecutive games without an error. Khris Davis is 6-for-15 with four home runs and six RBIs in fur games since the All-Star break.

Collectively Oakland has hit eight home runs in four games since the break and have homered 11 times in the last seven games after tallying just two home runs over the previous six contests. The A’s are currently 3-1 on this 10-game homestand against Toronto (2-1) and Houston (1-0).

The Astros got on board early in the second when Luis Valbuena tripled and scored on
Colby Rasmus sacrifice fly making it a 1-0 game. Oakland tied the game bottom of the
frame. Marcus Semien singled and Yonder Alonso followed with a double RBI to tie
the game 1-1.

Houston took advantage of Graveman in the fourth. Carlos Correa doubled and Valbuena was issued a free pass. With two on, Carlos Gomez grounded to third baseman, Ryon Healy who bounced throw to first. Correa scored on an error extending the Astros lead 2-1.

A’s manager Bob Melvin had every right to challenge the call on the play. He argued interference as Healy had to avoid Correa who ran in is path to third base before scoring at home plate. Correa blocked Healy’s path and caused him to make an error throw to first.

“Two outs and two strikes and I think they sent eight hitters to the plate after that and we got beat by a big inning,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s frustrating because we had four or five walks in that inning. They kept putting up quality at-bats, we couldn’t close the inning out and then they separated from us. It was tough to get back into it.”

Photo by Eric Taylor

By the third Stephen Vogt doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch which was Mike Fiers second wild pitch of the game. Semien walked and stole second. Alonso singled up the middle past second baseman Jose Altuve and scored in both Vogt and Semien to make it a 3-2 game. Healy then doubled and drove in Alonso to extend the Oakland’s lead 4-2.

After giving up a walk to Coco Crisp putting two on with two outs, Fiers night was done. Michael Feliz replaced him and issued a free pass to Jed Lowrie to load the bases. Feliz then walked Josh Reddick and Healy scored making it a 5-2 game. Healy has started each of the A’s four games at third base since being selected from Triple-A Nashville Friday.

“He really looks comfortable at a position that he has not played all that long,” said Melvin. “He looks like a fighter, whether it’s his at-bats or whether it’s going after ground balls. He isn’t afraid to go into the hole between short and third and try to get a ball. Few games in, looks like he’s got some tenacity to him.”

Danny Valencia was issued a free pass and Crisp scored extending Oakland’s lead 6-2. With the bases still loaded, Davis hit a fly ball to right field. What looked like a grand slam in the making was cut short by right fielder George Springer who robbed Davis of a home run by leaping off the wall to catch his ball.

The Asros scored two more runs, Martin Gonzalez took Graveman deep on a line drive to right field in the fifth. And Correa’s RBI double in the eighth was all of the offense the Astros could muster. Oakland added their insurance run in the seventh when Davis homered on a line drive to center field making it a 7-3 game. Davis recorded his 23rd home run of the season.

“I just touch the ball and it goes,” Davis said. “All I have to do is get ready on time and touch it.”

Notes – Tomorrow will be the A’s annual Root Beer Float Day, a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Floats are $3, with limited-edition Melvin-autographed mugs going for $25 and unsigned mugs with unlimited refills going for $15. The floats will be available for two hours starting at 5:05 p.m. in the Coliseum’s Eastside Club. A’s Manager Bob Melvin and players will be in attendance.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Reddick’s Walkoff Hit Lifts A’s Over Astros

Don't Miss

American League Earns Win At All-Star Game

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Bay Area

Oakland Welcomes a New Baseball Team to Compensate for Oakland A’s Departure

Before a City Council meeting in early November, Mayor Sheng Thao held a rally with fans to call on the A’s owners to vote to stay in the Bay Area. In a show of solidarity, the City Council voted to approve a resolution that asserted its support for the A’s and appealed to MLB owners to keep the team rooted in Oakland. Despite the appeals, the owners decided to go ahead with their plan to move to Las Vegas, making this Oakland’s second major sports team since the Raiders exited in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.

Published

5 months ago

December 10, 2023

Oakland Post

The Oakland Ballers, or Oakland B’s logo. Courtesy image.

By Magaly Muñoz, Post Staff

The city of Oakland is welcoming a new baseball team, the Oakland Ballers, only weeks after the Oakland A’s unanimously decided to relocate to Las Vegas.

The team’s owners, Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman, who refer to themselves as the Oakland B’s, held a press conference in late November to announce their new minor league team with the intention to “steal back Oakland’s baseball legacy.”

“In Oakland, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we always bring it,” Carmel said.

Despite the appeals, the owners decided to go ahead with their plan to move to Las Vegas, making this Oakland’s second major sports team since the Raiders exited in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.

Thao was present at the press conference, alongside others, including City Council President Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. There, she expressed her enthusiasm for the new sports team.

“The Ballers will be ambassadors for the town and demonstrate our spirit, hustle, and resilience to the world. Let’s play ball, Oakland!” said Thao.

The B’s will be a part of the Pioneer League, an independent baseball league that operates in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. The team will play at Laney College starting May 2024.

Tyler Peterson, assistant general manager for the B’s, said the team coming to Oakland brings opportunities for everyone involved.

Ball players who weren’t drafted straight out of college or who did get drafted but aren’t performing up to expectations have the opportunity to join the B’s and build up their skills with the team.

“We want to be able to offer them [players] high visibility, opportunities to get themselves in front of Major League scouts,” Peterson shared.

Peterson told the Post that nine players have already been signed onto the team, and over 60 inquiries have come through from players all over the country. The names of the players will ~~soon~~ be announced to the public soon.

The B’s will have one of the lowest contract buyouts for players in the league — $5,000 — making it more enticing for major league teams to scout players from their roster. Peterson revealed that the Ballers also intend to give back to the community by donating a portion of the buyout money to local charities.

Oakland sports has taken massive hits over the last decade, with major teams relocating one after the other. The Golden State Warriors moved in 2019 to Chase Stadium in San Francisco, the A’s are set to leave as early as 2025, and the Raiders left in 2020. Oakland was among several cities considered for a WNBA expansion team but was also passed up in favor of San Francisco.

Peterson said they reject the idea that Oakland isn’t a pro-sports town, and although they can never replicate the A’s impact, he affirmed that the B’s are here to stay for good.

“We aren’t going to dictate to the fans what we are because we’re supposed to be for Oakland by Oakland,” Peterson explained. “We want this to be something for Oakland to celebrate and something that we all need.”

Peterson revealed that the team has received an overwhelmingly positive response since their announcement, and they are excited to get started.

The B’s have secured $2 million in seed funding from investors, and fans will have the opportunity to become part owners of the team through a public crowdfunding campaign.

The Oakland Ballers‘ inaugural home game is scheduled for June 4, 2024.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Mayor Thao, Rebecca Kaplan Back Resolution Endorsing Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” Legislation

On June 28 the Oakland City Council will vote on Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s resolution in support of Congressmember Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” legislation at the 3:30 p.m. Special Council meeting. The Moneyball Act would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

Published

10 months ago

July 5, 2023

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (left) and Oakland Councilmember at-large Rebecca Kaplan. Post file photos.

The Moneyball Act would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

“The Moneyball Act will ensure that no city and community is left behind when billionaires decide that Lee. “The Oakland Athletics have been an institution of the East Bay for over half a century. I want to thank Mayor Thao and Councilmember Kaplan for supporting our federal efforts to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and for their commitment to our community.”

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities. However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

“I commend Congressmember Barbara Lee for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports. The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate, Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan states.

As the Councilmember who represents the entire city of Oakland and Chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more. This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect,” said Kaplan.

The relocation of clubs to new cities can sever the bonds established between franchises and their communities, leading to adverse economic effects and a loss of revenue, jobs, and commerce for the former host communities.

As demonstrated in the relocation of the Oakland Athletics (A’s), which was supported and encouraged by MLB, there are deep and inequitable impacts on the local community, especially the East Oakland community where the A’s have called their home for 50 years.

Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Oakland Mayor Thao, Councilmember Kaplan Announce Resolution in Support of Representatives Lee and DeSaulnier’s ‘Moneyball Act’ Legislation

Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan announced their resolution in support of Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark Desaulnier’s “Moneyball Act” legislation that would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

Published

10 months ago

June 26, 2023

Oakland Post

On Thursday day, the Rules and Legislation Committee approved the resolution to be scheduled for a vote at the June 28 City Council meeting.

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities.

However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan stated: “I commend Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark DeSaulnier for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports.

“The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate,” she said.

“As the Councilmember who represents the entire City of Oakland and chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more,” Kaplan said. “This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect.”

Mayor Sheng Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly. Once again, Congressmembers Lee and DeSaulnier are bringing plain common sense to the table, and we appreciate their steadfast support.”

From the media relations offices of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan.