San Francisco Chronicle Oct 16, 2017
Oakland A's, other MLB teams to donate baseball memorabilia to young fan who lost things in fire
A young Oakland Athletics fan named Loren Jade Smith whose possessions were destroyed by devastating fires in Santa Rosa last week will get some personalized swag from not just his favorite team, but also the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, the New York Mets, the Houston Astros, the San Diego Padres, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Seattle Mariners, and more.
San Francisco Chronicle Oct 15, 2017
Young A’s fan writes letter to team after losing possessions in fires
A 9-year-old Oakland A’s fan from Santa Rosa wrote a touching letter to the team after losing his prized baseball possessions in the North Bay wildfires. The letter was tweeted by Katie Utehs of ABC 7 in the Bay Area, and Dave Kaval, A’s president, responded by tweeting the A’s will “completely outfit the family” in new A’s gear. Here’s Loren Jade Smith’s letter: “To the Oakland A’s “I love watching your A's games. I want to be an A's player and I...
Washington Times Oct 1, 2017
Athletics end last-place season with 5-2 win over Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Daniel Mengden struck out eight, Khris Davis hit his career-best 43rd homer and the last-place Oakland Athletics ended the season with a 5-2 win at Texas on Sunday. The Athletics (75-87) finished at the bottom of the AL West for the third consecutive season, a franchise ...
San Francisco Chronicle Oct 1, 2017
Strong start for Daniel Mengden, Khris Davis’ 43rd homer power A’s win
ARLINGTON, Texas: Close the book on the A’s 2017 season, and while you’re at it, pencil Daniel Mengden in for a spot in Oakland’s rotation next spring. Mengden, back from a spate of injuries and minor-league time, had the best finish of any of Oakland’s starters and he punctuated that by going seven scoreless innings Sunday in the A’s 5-2 win at Texas. Khris Davis hit his 43rd homer in the eighth inning, establishing a career high, and Jed Lowrie upped his Oakland doubles record to 49 with a two-run liner to left in the third inning.
San Francisco Chronicle Oct 1, 2017
A’s go into final game with some goals in mind
ARLINGTON, Texas - In Oakland’s final game of the season Sunday, there are several A’s players gunning for some personal marks: *Jed Lowrie is two doubles short of 50, a number he’s mentioned he’d like to attain. *Khris Davis would set a personal best with his next homer, and he’d also reach 110 RBIs for the season. *Marcus Semien wants to get his average over .250. Often, managers are more likely to be trying to protect players’ numbers on the last day, sitting guys who are batting .300 or the like. Not so for...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 30, 2017
Short night for Daniel Gossett in A’s loss at Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas - With the A’s looking more at next year as the 2017 season dwindles down, every starting pitching performance, good or bad, could impact decisions the team makes this winter. Oakland will have a lot of question marks in the rotation next spring, and while some pitchers helped themselves enormously this month - such as Daniel Mengden, who will get the ball for the season finale against the Rangers on Sunday - others haven’t left quite as strong an impression. Count Saturday starter Daniel Gossett in the latter group. Gossett didn’t even...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 30, 2017
A’s starter Kendall Graveman pitches in as clubhouse attendant
ARLINGTON, Texas - Opening Night starter Kendall Graveman didn’t have any work to do in the A’s final four-game series at Texas - so he volunteered for some. Each of the past two days, Graveman served as one of the visiting clubhouse attendants - picking up laundry, cleaning cleats, finding lost items, providing food and a host of other jobs. “It’s so I don’t drive myself crazy,” said Graveman, whose last start was Wednesday. Lots of the players and coaches had fun with it, requesting that Graveman fetch different items for them or chiding him...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 29, 2017
Jed Lowrie sets Oakland doubles record in A’s loss at Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas - Jed Lowrie’s season was so strong, the A’s held onto him at the deadline and will pick up his option this winter, two outcomes that appeared far-fetched early in the season. Friday, during the A’s 5-3 loss at Texas, Lowrie set Oakland’s all-time single-season double record, whacking his 48th to move out of a tie with Jason Giambi (2001). Lowrie’s double to center in the fourth was one of just two hits the A’s recorded in the first five innings against Texas starter Martin Perez. In the seventh, Khris Davis walked, Ryon Healy...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 29, 2017
Reliever Liam Hendriks turning in great finish for A’s
ARLINGTON, Texas — Ups and downs are part of every reliever’s world, but for Liam Hendriks, the vacillations this season were especially notable. The first month, he had an ERA of 6.00. In May, his ERA was 1.46, but in June and July, his ERA was over 7.00. Since the start of August, Hendriks’ ERA is 2.75 and he’s been particularly excellent in the final month, allowing one earned run in 13 outings. He’s made a career-high 70 appearances and has 78 strikeouts, also a career best. “It’s great he’s worked through it and now he’s pitching as...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 28, 2017
Sean Manaea finishes season strong in A’s win at Texas
After missing his last start with upper-back tightness, Sean Manaea got a cortisone shot for the problem and manager Bob Melvin said Manaea was feeling as good as he had all year. It showed. In his final start of the season, Manaea worked into the seventh inning and allowed only an unearned run in Oakland’s 4-1 victory, Rookie third baseman Matt Chapman added his 14th homer, a solo shot in the fifth off Miguel Gonzalez as the A’s earned their seventh consecutive win over the Rangers. The A’s have won five road games in a row, their longest road winning...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 28, 2017
A’s Melvin makes the smart call with his extension
A’s manager Bob Melvin signed an extension on Thursday, expanding his contract through the 2019 season, and that sounds about right. He loves the organization and its players, but he has seen too much over the years to commit himself long-term. These are pretty good times for the A’s. They’ve settled on a ballpark site, although there’s a long list of complications that could skewer the deal. They have a sterling assemblage of young players with a future, including Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Ryon Healy, Franklin Barreto and Chad Pinder. And Melvin, always doing the...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 28, 2017
A’s give manager Bob Melvin an extension through 2019
The A’s core young group of players, the bunch the team is building around - Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Chad Pinder, Franklin Barreto, Bruce Maxwell et. al. - will have their manager in place at least through 2019. Oakland announced Thursday that manager Bob Melvin’s deal has been extended through 2019, which puts him on a par with vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst. Melvin, who won American League manager of the year honors in his first full season with Oakland in 2012, is 535-532 since becoming the A’s...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 26, 2017
A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie wins Catfish Hunter Award
On a team packed with young players - the A’s have used 20 rookies this year - 33-year-old second baseman Jed Lowrie won the Catfish Hunter Award as the most inspirational player. “From Day 1 of spring training, he’s shown great leadership qualities,” shortstop Marcus Semien said. “He helped not only me but a lot of these young guys transition from the minor leagues and teach what you have to do to stay in the big leagues.” The award is presented annually to the player whose performance and conduct best exemplify the spirit of Hunter, the late...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 25, 2017
A’s Sean Manaea expects to make his next start
After a throwing a full bullpen session Monday with no discomfort, Sean Manaea said he believes he’ll be ready to make his next scheduled start. The left-hander, whose turn comes Thursday at Texas, was scratched several hours before his last start because of upper-back tightness. “Normal bullpen, everything felt fine, nothing was sore,” Manaea said. “I think we’re scheduled for Thursday. It’s good. ... I can end the season on good terms and take that into the offseason.” Manager Bob Melvin said the team will make the final...
San Francisco Chronicle Sep 25, 2017
A’s Matt Olson might be done for the season
Matt Olson’s September surge might be the top development of the entire season for the A’s, but the team is likely to be without the rookie first baseman the rest of the way. Olson strained his left hamstring late in Sunday’s game against Texas and remained in for another inning before departing, and Monday, Olson said it felt even worse than it had the day before. “It’s still pretty tight,” he said. “Not that great. ... A little worse than yesterday.” “Any time you get a hamstring issue....those things aren’t going to...
