Blown Saves

I don't have accurate numbers but Oakland relievers have roughly at least 16 losses across 19 blown saves this season.  Definitely an area to improve upon for next season.

Team Photo!

Oakland Athletics 2015

5-0!

The Bassitt hound shuts down the O's as A's cruise to victory!

Acquired: Felix Doubront

from Toronto for cash.  Great move, Doubront is one of the few lefties that has been able to survive the Fenway Green Monster.  That's what the great Whitey Herzog used to say: Show me a lefty that can deliver in Fenway and I will show you a good pitcher.

2-0!

A's win behind another Sonny Gray shut out!

Swept by the Giants

The Athletics are officially rebuilding for the future with the trade of Kazmir and Clippard. The white flag has been raised on 2015.

See you at Spring Training 2016 everybody.

14-1!

Athletics hammer the Twinkies with multiple homers and Chavez cruises 6 innings for the A's blowout victory!

lines

Twins +125
A's -135

Former Athletic Tommy Malone takes the mound for the Twins to face Chavez in the rubber match of this series.   Oddmakers like the A's again, but beware as they have struggled versus the soft toss crafty lefties all season long.

Minnesota Twins @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

The offense has been transformed as Vogt gets a well deserved rest.  Canha is moved up to the 2 slot, which should be great as it seems Burns as learned to handle the high and tight fastball which had been giving him fits.   Smolinski gets a try in the 5 slot.  Reddick moves to the 7 hole as he has struggled versus lefties this season.

3-2! (10 innings)

About time this team showed some fight! They lose the lead in the 8th, come back and tie it and then win it in the 10th!

lines

Twins +135
Athletics -145

A's try to grab the second of the 3 game set tonight with Kazmir , who has moved up to number 2 in the rotation on the mound.

Minnesota Twins @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

Reddick moves up, Canha gets a start. Not much else though except Zobrist back at 2B.

0-5 (loss)

Shut down! Athletics offense rendered by Santana.

lines

Twins +160

A's -180

Wow A's are a huge favorite to avenge their early season catastrophe when they visited Minnesota.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, as they say. Go Oakland!

Minnesota Twins @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

Bob Melvin really likes this lineup. We've seen it often over the past 2 weeks.   Hopefully Burns breaks out of his mini-slump and Semien picks up the hitting again.

2-0!

Sonny Gray was masterful as the A's cruise into the All-star break with a 2 game winning streak and the AL West leading Astros collapsing.

lines

Oakland +125
Cleveland -135

Even with Gray on the mound A's are a moderate dog.  Value pick right here as it seems Vegas has definitely downgraded the Athletics for the time being.

Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians lineup discussion

Kind of back to the standard lineup. Missing is Billy Butler.  Fuld and Sogard get the starts as Melvin goes for defense over offense.

5-4!

It looked like it was going to be yet another low scoring game for the A's as the Indians kept tying it up until Billy Butler defeated the shift by goin the other way with the ball on a clutch 2 out bases loaded hit that cleared the bases which put the A's up 5-2.  Mujica almost blew it surrendering a 2 run homer. Clippard saved the day with his trademark 2 inning save.

lines

Oakland +150
Cleveland -160

Well the good news is that the Athletics have now moved into value territory as they have been steadily been downgraded by the oddsmakers after losing 3 in a row.  Bassitt has been solid this year although he will only give about 5 innings, then it is a reliance on the bullpen who has already blown 2 wins for him.

Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians lineup discussion

I had a dream that Sogard would be back in the lineup, but not at third base!   Why Bob? The middle infield defense has lost a lot of games in between Semien's errors and Zobrist's lack of range.  Why not put Zobrist at third or in Left Field, and get Sogard back at second for now.  Good Luck Bassitt.

1-5 (loss)

Scrawny early lead collapses yet again. This A's season is almost defined by the previous sentence. I'm not sure why but the runs have been non-existent or coming in bunches all season long.

lines

Athletics +140
Indians -155

A's travel to Cleveland to play the Indians who have been ok this season and especially hot as of late winning 7 of their last 10 and 3 in a row.  A's have been placed as a dog appropriately and would actually be a smart move to take them being that they seem to play extra spirited as a dog.

Oakland Athletics @ Cleveland Indians lineup discussion

This lineup is very reflective of the early season lineups we saw that would be explosive.  It is especially nice to have Burns as the solid lead off man to start things out in this variant.

2-6 (loss)

An early Athletics lead was squandered on a few questionable calls by an umpire and then by an errant throw by Semien late in the game.  The Athletics have now dropped 2 games in a row going into the series before the all star break.

lines

Athletics +135
Yankees -150

Yanks ace Tanaka takes the mound in this early game.   I still like the A's chances as they have as played well as an underdog against opposing ace pitchers.

Oakland Athletics visit the New York Yankees lineup discussion

Standard lineup once again with some parts flipping about in the bottom half.

4-5 (loss)

Kazmir exited the game on a similar injury to what he experienced earlier in the season.  The Yanks capitalized on the patchwork bullpen and pushed ahead enough to stave off the 9th inning Athletic mini-rally.

lines

Athletics -105

Yankees -105

I got on a little too late to analyze this with relevance but I imagine the equalish odds were a result of CC's poor season and that fact that is opposing Kazmir who has been great for the A's.

Oakland Athletics @ New York Yankees lineup discussion

Smolinski gets to play for the A's and batting relatively high in the order, otherwise this line up is pretty standard versus LHP fare.

4-3 (10 innings)

A see saw battle went into extra inning until a Lawrie line drive found the seats of Left Field in the house that Ruth built.   Clippard gave us A's fans a scare in the bottom of the inning but ultimately prevailed.

lines

Athletics -120
Yankees +110

Sonny finally returns from his illness to make the A's a surprising favorite over the home team Yanks.

Oakland Athletics @ New York Yankees lineup discussion

Another variant of what has come to be the "standard" lineup as the A's visit the Bronx tonight.

1-2 (loss)

This team's inconsistent offense sinks the team again as they lose and split the series with the equally inept on offense Mariners.

lines

Mariners +100
Athletics -110

A's are a very slim favorite for today's game as it's normal for a home team to get a small edge.  Not sure what will happen as the #6 Fill-in Starter Bassitt tries to win the 4th game of this series against the left-handed Montgomery.

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

Canha, Fuld and Phegley are shuttled back in the lineup to support Bassitt as it seems Gray is still recovering from his bout with Gastroenteritis due to Salmonella poisoning.

2-0

Graveman completely shuts down the Mariners in the third game of the series to defeat King Felix! A's don't score much this game but Burns supplies all the run product.

lines

Seattle -130
Oakland +120

Very rare that the A's are a home dog, but with King Felix on the mound, it's not much of a surprise.

Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

Bob Melvin is sticking to the big guns in support of Graveman for today's Independence Day game. Butler is shifted down to the 5 slot.

5-9 (loss)

Chavez and the bullpen were unable to hold on to a slim early lead and once it was lost, the Mariners added 5 more insurance runs in the 8th to lock down the A's into losing the game.

lines

Seattle +110
Oakland -120

Lines have come down to a more sensible level even though the Mariners starter is Happ.  I guess that dreadful losing A's record at home is too much juice for the dog.

Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

Bob Melvin has definitely learned his lesson and is staying consistent with his lineups now. It's especially good to see Phegley back again.

4-0!

A clutch 2 out hit by Phegley early in the game was really all the scoring that was needed as Kazmir completely dissected the Mariners in this game.  Kazmir rode the early lead almost all the way to the finish line only surrendering 2 hits in all.

lines

Mariners +140
Athletics -150

A's continue to be moderate to strong favorites on their long home stand. This time they try to leap frog Seattle to get ahold of 4th place in the division.

Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

It is good to see a similar lineup to yesterday's winner.

4-1!

A's peck out a win on the back of a brilliant performance by Hahn and a triple from each Billy! Billy Butler Triple

lines

Rockies +160
Athletics -180

Colorado Rockies @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

Sometimes I think Bob Melvin is overthinking things. This lineup is more of a back to basics approach and I like it, although I would have put either Sogard or Semien in the 2 slot and slid everybody else down.

1-2 (LOSS)

The inconsistency of this offense is just about the only thing that is consistent.  The Athletics seem to score huge or not at all. Lately it seems to be the latter.  Bassitt offered a pretty good start and unfortunately it was squandered with a total lack of ability to score.

A's run totals as of late and including last night: 2,2,3,7,2.
5 game total Runs Per Game Mean: 3.2
5 game total Runs Per Game Median: 2
Record over these last 5: 1-4.

lines

Rockies +135
A's -145

Bassitt is getting lots of respect from Vegas. Or possibly it's the A's who have the 2nd best MLB record going back to May 23.

Colorado Rockies @ Oakland A's lineup discussion

Lots of power in tonight's lineup.  Solid defense in Center and Right to back up Bassitt who is spot relieving for Sonny Gray tonight.  Reports are that Gray has the flu.

7-1!

I didn't personally observe this game I admit.  However, perusing through the boxscore looks like it was a fine day for Billy Butler, just when he was in doubt.  It's also nice to see Graveman continuing to pitch strong and is now only the second A's starter to possess a winning record.

lines

Rockies +150
A's -170

No comments for now and Roboter has been sidelined until further notice. Sorry to all faders.

I feel like the vultures will be appearing soon.

Colorado Rockies @ Oakland Athletics lineup discussion

I'll still post the lineup, but my hopes are so down right now on this team.  

3-5 (loss)

Another small lead was blown on what else? An error and then a 2 out hit. It's becoming really aggravating for me to watch these things. Today I shut the game off when the score was 2-3 Royals. My thoughts of resigning from this blog are strong.

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• COL	3
  SF	6

  FINAL

• KC	5
  OAK	3

  FINAL

• ARI	6
  SD	4

  FINAL

• WRAP
• BOX
• PLAY-BY-PLAY

(44-28)

Royals 5, Athletics 3

Sunday, June 28, 2015

KC
OAK

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
0	0	0	0	0	3	0	2	0
0	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0

R	H	E
5	8	0
3	11	2

W: Guthrie (6-5)

 

L: Chavez (4-7)

 

SV: Davis (9)

View Highlights

(34-44)

Box Score

• ROYALS
• ATHLETICS

Royals

Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Escobar, A, SS	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	.281
Colon, C, SS	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.253
Moustakas, 3B	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	.322
Morales, K, 1B	5	1	1	0	0	1	4	.291
Hosmer, DH	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	.290
a-Cain, L, PH-DH	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.293
Perez, S, C	4	2	1	3	0	0	1	.271
Gordon, A, LF	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.271
Rios, RF	3	0	0	1	0	1	0	.211
Infante, 2B	4	0	1	1	0	1	0	.237
Dyson, J, CF	4	0	2	0	0	1	2	.267
Totals	36	5	8	5	2	7	10

a-Singled for Hosmer in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Moustakas (16, Chavez).
HR: Perez, S (12, 8th inning off Mujica, 1 on, 0 out).
TB: Dyson, J 2; Perez, S 4; Cain, L; Moustakas 2; Infante; Escobar, A; Morales, K.
RBI: Perez, S 3 (33), Rios (11), Infante (23).
2-out RBI: Infante.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Morales, K 2; Dyson, J.
SF: Rios.
Team RISP: 2-for-6.
Team LOB: 7.

Athletics

Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Burns, CF	5	0	2	0	0	0	1	.324
Sogard, SS	3	1	1	0	0	0	1	.255
a-Semien, PH-SS	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	.262
Vogt, C	5	1	2	0	0	2	3	.300
Zobrist, 2B	3	1	2	1	0	0	1	.256
Reddick, RF	4	0	1	1	0	1	4	.287
Butler, B, DH	3	0	1	0	1	1	1	.246
Davis, I, 1B	3	0	0	1	0	2	1	.264
Muncy, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.203
Fuld, LF	4	0	1	0	0	2	1	.213
Totals	36	3	11	3	1	10	16

a-Grounded out for Sogard in the 7th.

BATTING
2B: Burns (8, Morales, F), Butler, B (12, Herrera, K), Semien (15, Davis, W).
TB: Butler, B 2; Vogt 2; Sogard; Zobrist 2; Reddick; Fuld; Burns 3; Semien 2.
RBI: Zobrist (29), Reddick (46), Davis, I (14).
2-out RBI: Reddick.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Reddick; Vogt 2; Muncy.
SF: Zobrist; Davis, I.
Team RISP: 1-for-6.
Team LOB: 9.

FIELDING
E: Muncy (6, throw), Semien (23, fielding).

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Guthrie(W, 6-5)	6.0	7	2	2	1	7	0	5.68
Morales, F(H, 4)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.97
Herrera, K(H, 12)	1.0	2	1	1	0	1	0	2.10
Davis, W(S, 9)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.27
Totals		11	3	3	1	10	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Chavez(L, 4-7)	5.2	6	3	3	2	4	0	3.02
Rodriguez, Fe	1.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4.12
Mujica	1.0	2	2	2	0	1	1	4.09
Abad	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	4.66
Totals		8	5	5	2	7	1

Game Info

Game Scores: Guthrie 56, Chavez 47.
WP: Morales, F.
IBB: Gordon, A (by Chavez).
Pitches-strikes: Guthrie 103-64, Morales, F 13-9, Herrera, K 17-11, Davis, W 23-13, Chavez 108-62, Rodriguez, Fe 19-11, Mujica 22-12, Abad 17-13.
Groundouts-flyouts: Guthrie 6-2, Morales, F 3-0, Herrera, K 0-0, Davis, W 0-0, Chavez 4-6, Rodriguez, Fe 2-2, Mujica 0-0, Abad 1-1.
Batters faced: Guthrie 26, Morales, F 4, Herrera, K 5, Davis, W 4, Chavez 26, Rodriguez, Fe 4, Mujica 5, Abad 4.
Inherited runners-scored: Rodriguez, Fe 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Jim Reynolds. 1B: Manny Gonzalez. 2B: Paul Schrieber. 3B: Fieldin Culbreth. 
Weather: 69 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 13 mph, Out to RF.
T: 2:58.
Att: 22,477.
Venue: O.co Coliseum.
June 28, 2015