POSITION PLAYERS: Jeff Baker-Utility-$1.75 million Alberto Callaspo-2B-$4.1 million Yoenis Cespedes-OF-$8.5 million Allen Craig-1B/DH-$1.7 million Josh Donaldson-3B-$492,000 Chris Denorfia-OF-$500,000 John Jaso-C-$1.8 million Jed Lowrie-SS-$2.4 million Brandon Moss-1B/DH-$1.6 million Buster Posey-C-$8 million Hunter Pence-OF-$10.4 million Alex Rios-OF-$12.5 Alfonso Soriano-OF-$18 million
STARTING PITCHERS: Bartolo Colon-$3 million Ryan Cook-$505,000 Sonny Gray-$492,000 Matt Harvey-$500,000 Felix Hernandez-$19 million
RELIEF PITCHERS: Grant Balfour-$4.5 million Antonio Bastardo-$1.4 million Jerry Blevins-$1.1 million Sean Doolittle-$492,000 Jim Johnson-$6.5 million Dan Otero-$480,000 Craig Stammen-$875,000
4 Man Rotation Matt Harvey Bartolo Colon Felix Hernandez Sonny Gray
Series Synopsis-Oakland A’s vs. St. Louis Cardinals In the first game of this series, the Cardinals put their ace, Homer Bailey, on the mound, while the A’s started 2013 All-Star Matt Harvey. It was clear which pitcher was more talented and therefore dominant; Harvey threw straight cheddar and went 9 innings for the complete game shutout, making the entire Cardinals roster look like they belonged in Single-A ball. On the other side of the ball, the A’s were very productive, getting home runs from Chris Denorfia and Jed Lowrie. Harvey, obviously, got the win, while Homer Bailey got the loss.
The second game of the series proved to be more interesting than the first, going 14 innings. The A’s put another star pitcher on the mound, Bartolo Colon, who in every way lived up to the preseason hype. Colon allowed no runs in 12 innings pitched. Mat Latos, for the Cardinals, was equally dominant, allowing only one run in 14 innings. However, it was this one run in the bottom of the 14th that decided the game. The Cardinals lost on a walk-off single by Jed Lowrie, ending the longest game of the season so far. Latos got the loss, relief pitcher Ryan Cook got the win, and the A’s cruised to a 2-0 record.
In game one of the two game series versus the Detroit Tigers, the Oakland A’s, led by a strong pitching staff and the powerful offense of Allen Craig and Josh Donaldson, won 6-2. Felix Hernandez started this game and went a strong 8 innings allowing no runs. After giving up a base runner in the 9th, the idiot managers of the A’s decided to pull Hernandez and bring in Ryan Cook who ended up giving up a double and a two run homer which gave the Tigers a little glimpse of hope going into the second game of the series.
That hope was still alive as the score was 0-0 after the first inning. The A’s then began to pile on the runs having 3 separate five run innings and scoring a total of 22 runs. “It’s safe to say that all hope was lost for the Tigers after the fourth inning or so. I mean yeah I was pumping cheese and painting corners on every single pitch but they didn’t even look like they were trying,” said Sonny Gray, the A’s starting pitcher. The A’s now move into their third series at 4-0 with the best record in the league.
A's vs. the Rays-- Game One Winning Pitcher--Matt Harvey Losing Pitcher--AJ Burnett
With both teams coming into the game undefeated and with the best records in the league at 4-0, this game was important for seeding and bragging rights. As one could a predicted, it was a close, game, with both pitchers playing well, Matt Harvey for the A's especially. Says Harvey, who finished the game with 14 strikeouts: "I mean, they kinda suck." Well put. The obnoxious "Tickle Fingers"--a gimmick by the Rays' managers and players before potentially big plays for "luck"--got on the nerves of many of the fans as well as the players for the A's, who were playing at home. Luck proved not to be enough for the Rays, as the sheer talent and strength of the A's overwhelmed them in the bottom of the ninth with a walk off error hit by Alberto Callaspo, who is hitting over .400 on the year.
Game two- winning pitcher-- Bartolo Colon losing pitcher-AJ Burnett
Game two was just as exciting. Both teams came out swinging, as the aces for each team had dominated. The A's wanted to improve to 6-0 and capture the best record in the majors, while the Rays wanted to stay in playoff contention. However, it was the A's on top again through the offense of Allen Craig.
Game One: Athletics 0 - 7 Red Sox Winning Pitcher: Jose Fernandez Losing Pitcher: Matt Harvey
Game Two Athletics 2 - 1 Red Sox Winning Pitcher: Bartolo Colon Losing Pitcher: Clay Bucholtz Home Runs: Craig (3)
In this lopsided victory for the Red Sox there were only 5 base runners for the Athletics and only 2 hits. You gotta tip your cap to Jose Fernandez, he pitched a gem. He had 14 strikeouts in his 2 hit complete game shutout. However, game two was a little more exciting for the Athletics. Allen Craig hit his 3rd home run keeping his average at .302, which is leading the team. The other run scored in the game for the A's came off of some classic Oakland small ball. Hunter pence singled to start the inning, he was bunted over and Brandon Moss clutched up for the first RBI of the game. The A's won this game and took the lead back in the AL.
Indians vs. A;s Game One- Winning Pitcher--Ryan Cook Losing Pitcher--Allen
Game two- Winning Pitcher-Cook Losing Pitcher--Thielbar
This was a very heated series, as both teams came out competitive looking for wins. The Indians needed to win the series to stay in the AL playoff race, while the A's looked to separate themselves from the Red Sox in the race for the #1 seed. The first game did not disappoint: both starting pitchers dominated in an extra innings showdown. The A's came out on top with a game winning sacrifice fly, playing their style of small ball. The second game was not as close; The game was close, tied at 3-3, through the first three innings before Josh Donaldson hit a three run home run to cap off a two inning, five run stretch by the A's.
Game One: Athletics 2 - 3 Rangers Winning Pitcher: Joe Nathan Losing Pitcher: Matt Harvey
Game Two Athletics 4 - 0 Rangers Winning Pitcher: Bartolo Colon Losing Pitcher: Andrew Cashner
The first game of the series was a hard fought battle between the two most obnoxious teams in the league. The Rangers won 3-2 however there was a controversial play in the third inning as the Rangers hadn't put their pitcher on the mound when the Athletics rolled an 11, a home run. This may or may not have changed the game but we will never know thanks to Langdon Vance being a little slower than average. Game two was a whole different story. The A's came out hot from the start and Bartolo Colon pitched a gem. The Rangers happened to not be as obnoxious this time around because their two managers are in terrible physical shape and can't keep up the energy for more than one game. With the A's winning this game they are tied for first place in an extremely close race with the Red Sox.
Game One Athletics 2 - 3 Pirates Winning Pitcher: Parnell Losing Pitcher: Otero
Game Two Winning Pitcher: Liriano Losing Pitcher: Cook Home Run: Alex Rios (3)
Game one of this series came down to the end. The 6-0 A's started hot scoring 2 runs in the first but not scoring again. The Pirates squeezed out a run in the fifth and then in the bottom of the ninth gave the undefeated A's their first loss with a walkoff triple by Starling Marte with two out in the bottom of the ninth. The A's still have the best record but are now 6-1. Game Two was even worse for the Athletics. After Alex Rios' home run in the first, the A's could barely buy a hit for the rest of the game as the Pirates scored 3 easy runs in their victory. Manager John DuBose was asked about his Athletics ball club after the game and he said, "we have a great group of guys who can really play the game well but we need to stick to our game plan, which is small ball. When we get away from that we really suck."
Game One Athletics 0 -1 Red Sox Winning Pitcher: Fernandez Losing Pitcher: Harvey
Game Two Winning Pitcher: Breslow Losing Pitcher: Otero Home Runs: Chris Denorfia (4)
In the first game of the series to "pretty much decide first place" both teams came out very flat and it was a pitchers duel between Harvey and Fernandez. Neither team scored and both had very few base runners except for Bautista's home run in the 4th inning. This allowed the Red Sox to yet again tie the A's for first place in the AL. Game Two was another pitchers duel as the teams combined for 3 runs total. Chris Denorfia hit his fourth home run to start off the game but the A's fell flat after that. Mike Trout tied the game in the bottom of the 8th with a homer and then Molina hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the tenth to win the game and give the Red Sox first place with one game left in the regular season.
Game One Winning pitcher--Felix Hernandez Losing Pitcher-Alex Cobb
Game Two--Winning Pitcher--Yu Darvish Losing Pitcher--Sonny Gray
This series was an anticipated match up, as both teams needed wins to stay in the playoff race. The second series between these two squads did not disappoint.Game one was very close, as Hernandez and Cobb both pitched well. Run support came early, as both teams scored before the fifth inning. The Rays had two, and the A's had three. Fortunately for the A's, these were the only runs scored the whole game.
Game Two was just as exciting, and almost a duplicate to game one. Both pitchers came out hot, throwing cheese and grazing corners of the plate with high 90 fastballs. Run support for these pitchers, Gray and Darvish, came early, but this time it was the Rays on top, 3-2.
Last Game of the season Rangers-A's Winning Pitcher--Felix Hernandez Losing Pitcher--Wood
This game was huge for both teams. It was win or go home for the Rangers, and it determined the second or third seed for the A's. Oakland, who had been slumping offensively of late, came through in the clutch, overpowering a Giancarlo Stanton home run with home runs from Brandon Moss and Chris Denorfia. Hernandez went for the complete game gem with double digit strikeouts.
This game was between two hated rivals, with the winner going to play a stacked Red Sox team in the AL pennant. Both sides caused multiple game delays with taunts and verbal jabs from mangers, coaches, players and ball boys. Trash talk from the Rays was not backed up, as they failed to score any runs the whole game as Gray went for the complete game shutout. It seemed like the A's always had runners on base every inning; however, they failed to capitalize on those opportunities until Brandon Moss hit a three run bomb, taking Yu Darvish for a ride he's never forget. That was the only play of the day that mattered, as the A's won 3-0.
WORLD SERIES Athletics 8 - 0 Reds Winning Pitcher: Matt Harvey Losing Pitcher: Homer Bailey Home Runs: Hunter Pence (3)
The one game World Series was won by a mixture of the 3-hit and 11 strikeout performance by Matt Harvey in addition to the 7 run explosion in the 4th inning. Hunter Pence led the offensive charge for the A's going 3-3 with 3 RBI's and a home run. The Reds were just never able to get a run across to get momentum going. The A's took this victory, along with the title of World Series champions, pretty easily.
OAKLAND, CA— The Oakland A’s 2014 season came to a close last Friday with a World Series victory. However, the road to that World Series was not the smoothest. After a 6-0 start to the season, the A’s hit a rough patch and went less that .500, 5-7, for the remaining part of the season. The strong fighting spirit and the will to win was what led the A’s through that time of Adversity to make the playoffs and World Series and then to go on to win it all. Chris Denorfia, the A’s all-star right fielder was asked about his season and the A’s season right after the World Series finish and he responded, “We’re the best team in this league. When you give us a sorry team like the Reds, that’s what happens. Don’t you ever talk about me like that. Ever.” Although it was not clear who was talking about him, Chris displayed the kind of fight that the A’s had all year. It is also safe to say that despite having the most talented team in the league, the A’s certainly was one of the two most obnoxious teams. The general manager of the Rays was asked about this after one of their games against the A’s and he said, “I can only think of one team that is more obnoxious than the A’s and that’s the Rangers. Every player in the A’s is in your face the whole game and they are always ready to start a benches clearing brawl. Although, I guess since they win a lot they have the right to be cocky and full of themselves. After all, confidence is the key to winning sports game.” The Athletics were able to do everything they did this year because of their incredible pitching staff. Yes, the A’s did have a few games where the offense exploded but the reason they won games was due to the pitching of Matt Harvey, Bartolo Colon, Felix Hernandez and Sonny Gray. As a staff, they recorded 209 strikeouts and Matt Harvey had 86 of those. The pitching staff also had a combined 1.225 ERA and a .935 WHIP. The A’s, by far, had the best pitching staff in the league and they have a World Series title to prove it. They also had two pitchers nominated for the Cy Young award which almost never occurs. Along with the pitching staff a few players were able to get a spark going offensively. Chris Denorfia, the late round draft pick for the A’s, was able to lead the team in almost every offensive category including hits, home runs and average. He was not the only one with a great offensive season but he was the best. General Manager John DuBose was interviewed about his pitching staff and said, “To have one ace on your staff who has 86 strikeouts would make any team happy but we had two aces this year in Harvey and Colon and that’s how you win a championship, plain and simple.” He was then asked about his most memorable game of the year, “Well that’s a tough question,” he said, “I have two in my mind that are tied. The 22-2 blowout against the tigers early in the year and obviously the 8-0 World Series victory.” The 22-2 blowout against the Tigers that he’s referring to was the most runs ever scored in one game by one team in the history of the game and will certainly go down in the history books. “Honestly, it could have been 42-2 but eventually I just felt bad for those guys,” said General Manager Ben Siegel.
Oakland A’s Season Review John DuBose—Staff Writer
OAKLAND, CA—The Oakland A’s ditched their “Moneyball” reputation this year. Although it was an exciting year, it was anything but consistent. After starting 6-0 with the best record in the league, it was clear that the A’s could play with anyone. A lack of focus and several incidents of alleged clubhouse drug overdose led to a 5-7 record over the remaining games. “We weren’t really concentrating,” said star pitcher Matt Harvey of the subpar record during that span. “We had guys going for highlight plays, trying to hit bombs. It wasn’t working. It didn’t help that Soriano was lighting up in the dugout bathroom every other inning.” Fair enough. The A’s seemed to snap out of their funk just in time from the playoffs. They battled the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALcS, shutting out the most hated team in the league and putting an end to “Tickle Fingers” once and for all. Then, to win the World Series, they basically ran batting practice on the Red Sox and beat them 8-0 to win the title. What was interesting about the season is that the A’s shed the platoon, small ball style of play that had been their reputation for so many years. True, they hit-and-ran in key scenarios, but overall relied on the long ball and clutch hitting. Every player in the starting lineup had a batting average of below .300. However, with RISP, (runners in scoring position) 6 of those same 9 players hit above .300 on the year. This stat basically describes the year for the A’s. Indeed, there were highs and lows. Often times it was either feast or famine. For example, they scored 22 runs on the Detroit Tigers and, according to Josh Donaldson, “weren’t even really trying that hard. When you try a squad like us who drops tanks against a sorry team like the Tigers, that’s the result you’re going to get.” The one constant for the A’s was undoubtedly starting pitching. The A’s lured free agent Matt Harvey away from the Mets, and after the first game he firmly established his place as the best pitcher on planet earth. Bartolo Colon threw cheese, using his fly ball and ground-out strategy to perfection to compensate for his low strikeouts. Pretty impressive for a 40 year old former steroid user. Felix Hernandez absolutely mowed through batters in the three spot, proving the low expectations to be false. Sonny Gray, the cheapest of the four pitchers, could’ve been an ace on any other team, but chose to stay with Oakland to get his first ring. The A’s battled many good teams throughout this season. Many times, they could’ve lost their way because of poor hitting or drug abuse. However, never underestimate the heart of a true champion. The A’s showed that they were the most talented team in the league. The team that nobody wanted to play. Critics will say they were too inconsistent to be remembered as anything more than a good team that got hot at the right time. But they’re wrong. The 2014 Oakland A’s is the greatest baseball team of all time.
POSITION PLAYERS:
ReplyDeleteJeff Baker-Utility-$1.75 million
Alberto Callaspo-2B-$4.1 million
Yoenis Cespedes-OF-$8.5 million
Allen Craig-1B/DH-$1.7 million
Josh Donaldson-3B-$492,000
Chris Denorfia-OF-$500,000
John Jaso-C-$1.8 million
Jed Lowrie-SS-$2.4 million
Brandon Moss-1B/DH-$1.6 million
Buster Posey-C-$8 million
Hunter Pence-OF-$10.4 million
Alex Rios-OF-$12.5
Alfonso Soriano-OF-$18 million
STARTING PITCHERS:
Bartolo Colon-$3 million
Ryan Cook-$505,000
Sonny Gray-$492,000
Matt Harvey-$500,000
Felix Hernandez-$19 million
RELIEF PITCHERS:
Grant Balfour-$4.5 million
Antonio Bastardo-$1.4 million
Jerry Blevins-$1.1 million
Sean Doolittle-$492,000
Jim Johnson-$6.5 million
Dan Otero-$480,000
Craig Stammen-$875,000
4 Man Rotation
Matt Harvey
Bartolo Colon
Felix Hernandez
Sonny Gray
CLOSER
Dan Otero
ReplyDeleteSeries Synopsis-Oakland A’s vs. St. Louis Cardinals
In the first game of this series, the Cardinals put their ace, Homer Bailey, on the mound, while the A’s started 2013 All-Star Matt Harvey. It was clear which pitcher was more talented and therefore dominant; Harvey threw straight cheddar and went 9 innings for the complete game shutout, making the entire Cardinals roster look like they belonged in Single-A ball. On the other side of the ball, the A’s were very productive, getting home runs from Chris Denorfia and Jed Lowrie. Harvey, obviously, got the win, while Homer Bailey got the loss.
The second game of the series proved to be more interesting than the first, going 14 innings. The A’s put another star pitcher on the mound, Bartolo Colon, who in every way lived up to the preseason hype. Colon allowed no runs in 12 innings pitched. Mat Latos, for the Cardinals, was equally dominant, allowing only one run in 14 innings. However, it was this one run in the bottom of the 14th that decided the game. The Cardinals lost on a walk-off single by Jed Lowrie, ending the longest game of the season so far. Latos got the loss, relief pitcher Ryan Cook got the win, and the A’s cruised to a 2-0 record.
Game One:
ReplyDeleteA’s 6 – 2 Tigers
Winning Pitcher: Felix Hernandez
Losing Pitcher: Doug Fister
Game Two:
A’s 22- 2 Tigers
Winning Pitcher: Sonny Gray
Losing Pitcher: Justin Verlander
In game one of the two game series versus the Detroit Tigers, the Oakland A’s, led by a strong pitching staff and the powerful offense of Allen Craig and Josh Donaldson, won 6-2. Felix Hernandez started this game and went a strong 8 innings allowing no runs. After giving up a base runner in the 9th, the idiot managers of the A’s decided to pull Hernandez and bring in Ryan Cook who ended up giving up a double and a two run homer which gave the Tigers a little glimpse of hope going into the second game of the series.
That hope was still alive as the score was 0-0 after the first inning. The A’s then began to pile on the runs having 3 separate five run innings and scoring a total of 22 runs. “It’s safe to say that all hope was lost for the Tigers after the fourth inning or so. I mean yeah I was pumping cheese and painting corners on every single pitch but they didn’t even look like they were trying,” said Sonny Gray, the A’s starting pitcher. The A’s now move into their third series at 4-0 with the best record in the league.
Game One Home Runs:
DeleteChis Denorfia (2)
Game Two Home Runs:
Brandon Moss (2)
Alex Rios (1)
A's vs. the Rays-- Game One
ReplyDeleteWinning Pitcher--Matt Harvey
Losing Pitcher--AJ Burnett
With both teams coming into the game undefeated and with the best records in the league at 4-0, this game was important for seeding and bragging rights. As one could a predicted, it was a close, game, with both pitchers playing well, Matt Harvey for the A's especially. Says Harvey, who finished the game with 14 strikeouts: "I mean, they kinda suck." Well put. The obnoxious "Tickle Fingers"--a gimmick by the Rays' managers and players before potentially big plays for "luck"--got on the nerves of many of the fans as well as the players for the A's, who were playing at home. Luck proved not to be enough for the Rays, as the sheer talent and strength of the A's overwhelmed them in the bottom of the ninth with a walk off error hit by Alberto Callaspo, who is hitting over .400 on the year.
Game two-
Deletewinning pitcher-- Bartolo Colon
losing pitcher-AJ Burnett
Game two was just as exciting. Both teams came out swinging, as the aces for each team had dominated. The A's wanted to improve to 6-0 and capture the best record in the majors, while the Rays wanted to stay in playoff contention. However, it was the A's on top again through the offense of Allen Craig.
Game One:
ReplyDeleteAthletics 0 - 7 Red Sox
Winning Pitcher: Jose Fernandez
Losing Pitcher: Matt Harvey
Game Two
Athletics 2 - 1 Red Sox
Winning Pitcher: Bartolo Colon
Losing Pitcher: Clay Bucholtz
Home Runs: Craig (3)
In this lopsided victory for the Red Sox there were only 5 base runners for the Athletics and only 2 hits. You gotta tip your cap to Jose Fernandez, he pitched a gem. He had 14 strikeouts in his 2 hit complete game shutout.
However, game two was a little more exciting for the Athletics. Allen Craig hit his 3rd home run keeping his average at .302, which is leading the team. The other run scored in the game for the A's came off of some classic Oakland small ball. Hunter pence singled to start the inning, he was bunted over and Brandon Moss clutched up for the first RBI of the game. The A's won this game and took the lead back in the AL.
Indians vs. A;s
ReplyDeleteGame One- Winning Pitcher--Ryan Cook
Losing Pitcher--Allen
Game two- Winning Pitcher-Cook
Losing Pitcher--Thielbar
This was a very heated series, as both teams came out competitive looking for wins. The Indians needed to win the series to stay in the AL playoff race, while the A's looked to separate themselves from the Red Sox in the race for the #1 seed. The first game did not disappoint: both starting pitchers dominated in an extra innings showdown. The A's came out on top with a game winning sacrifice fly, playing their style of small ball. The second game was not as close; The game was close, tied at 3-3, through the first three innings before Josh Donaldson hit a three run home run to cap off a two inning, five run stretch by the A's.
Game One:
ReplyDeleteAthletics 2 - 3 Rangers
Winning Pitcher: Joe Nathan
Losing Pitcher: Matt Harvey
Game Two
Athletics 4 - 0 Rangers
Winning Pitcher: Bartolo Colon
Losing Pitcher: Andrew Cashner
The first game of the series was a hard fought battle between the two most obnoxious teams in the league. The Rangers won 3-2 however there was a controversial play in the third inning as the Rangers hadn't put their pitcher on the mound when the Athletics rolled an 11, a home run. This may or may not have changed the game but we will never know thanks to Langdon Vance being a little slower than average.
Game two was a whole different story. The A's came out hot from the start and Bartolo Colon pitched a gem. The Rangers happened to not be as obnoxious this time around because their two managers are in terrible physical shape and can't keep up the energy for more than one game. With the A's winning this game they are tied for first place in an extremely close race with the Red Sox.
Game One
ReplyDeleteAthletics 2 - 3 Pirates
Winning Pitcher: Parnell
Losing Pitcher: Otero
Game Two
Winning Pitcher: Liriano
Losing Pitcher: Cook
Home Run: Alex Rios (3)
Game one of this series came down to the end. The 6-0 A's started hot scoring 2 runs in the first but not scoring again. The Pirates squeezed out a run in the fifth and then in the bottom of the ninth gave the undefeated A's their first loss with a walkoff triple by Starling Marte with two out in the bottom of the ninth. The A's still have the best record but are now 6-1.
Game Two was even worse for the Athletics. After Alex Rios' home run in the first, the A's could barely buy a hit for the rest of the game as the Pirates scored 3 easy runs in their victory. Manager John DuBose was asked about his Athletics ball club after the game and he said, "we have a great group of guys who can really play the game well but we need to stick to our game plan, which is small ball. When we get away from that we really suck."
Game One
ReplyDeleteAthletics 0 -1 Red Sox
Winning Pitcher: Fernandez
Losing Pitcher: Harvey
Game Two
Winning Pitcher: Breslow
Losing Pitcher: Otero
Home Runs: Chris Denorfia (4)
In the first game of the series to "pretty much decide first place" both teams came out very flat and it was a pitchers duel between Harvey and Fernandez. Neither team scored and both had very few base runners except for Bautista's home run in the 4th inning. This allowed the Red Sox to yet again tie the A's for first place in the AL.
Game Two was another pitchers duel as the teams combined for 3 runs total. Chris Denorfia hit his fourth home run to start off the game but the A's fell flat after that. Mike Trout tied the game in the bottom of the 8th with a homer and then Molina hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the tenth to win the game and give the Red Sox first place with one game left in the regular season.
Rays-A's Series
ReplyDeleteGame One
Winning pitcher--Felix Hernandez
Losing Pitcher-Alex Cobb
Game Two--Winning Pitcher--Yu Darvish
Losing Pitcher--Sonny Gray
This series was an anticipated match up, as both teams needed wins to stay in the playoff race. The second series between these two squads did not disappoint.Game one was very close, as Hernandez and Cobb both pitched well. Run support came early, as both teams scored before the fifth inning. The Rays had two, and the A's had three. Fortunately for the A's, these were the only runs scored the whole game.
Game Two was just as exciting, and almost a duplicate to game one. Both pitchers came out hot, throwing cheese and grazing corners of the plate with high 90 fastballs. Run support for these pitchers, Gray and Darvish, came early, but this time it was the Rays on top, 3-2.
Last Game of the season
ReplyDeleteRangers-A's
Winning Pitcher--Felix Hernandez
Losing Pitcher--Wood
This game was huge for both teams. It was win or go home for the Rangers, and it determined the second or third seed for the A's. Oakland, who had been slumping offensively of late, came through in the clutch, overpowering a Giancarlo Stanton home run with home runs from Brandon Moss and Chris Denorfia. Hernandez went for the complete game gem with double digit strikeouts.
Wild Card Playoff
ReplyDeleteWinning Pitcher--Sonny Gray
Losing Pitcher--Yu Darvish
This game was between two hated rivals, with the winner going to play a stacked Red Sox team in the AL pennant. Both sides caused multiple game delays with taunts and verbal jabs from mangers, coaches, players and ball boys. Trash talk from the Rays was not backed up, as they failed to score any runs the whole game as Gray went for the complete game shutout. It seemed like the A's always had runners on base every inning; however, they failed to capitalize on those opportunities until Brandon Moss hit a three run bomb, taking Yu Darvish for a ride he's never forget. That was the only play of the day that mattered, as the A's won 3-0.
WORLD SERIES
ReplyDeleteAthletics 8 - 0 Reds
Winning Pitcher: Matt Harvey
Losing Pitcher: Homer Bailey
Home Runs: Hunter Pence (3)
The one game World Series was won by a mixture of the 3-hit and 11 strikeout performance by Matt Harvey in addition to the 7 run explosion in the 4th inning. Hunter Pence led the offensive charge for the A's going 3-3 with 3 RBI's and a home run. The Reds were just never able to get a run across to get momentum going. The A's took this victory, along with the title of World Series champions, pretty easily.
Shaky Season Ends Strong for Oakland
ReplyDeleteby Ben Siegel
Sports Editor
OAKLAND, CA— The Oakland A’s 2014 season came to a close last Friday with a World Series victory. However, the road to that World Series was not the smoothest. After a 6-0 start to the season, the A’s hit a rough patch and went less that .500, 5-7, for the remaining part of the season. The strong fighting spirit and the will to win was what led the A’s through that time of Adversity to make the playoffs and World Series and then to go on to win it all.
Chris Denorfia, the A’s all-star right fielder was asked about his season and the A’s season right after the World Series finish and he responded, “We’re the best team in this league. When you give us a sorry team like the Reds, that’s what happens. Don’t you ever talk about me like that. Ever.” Although it was not clear who was talking about him, Chris displayed the kind of fight that the A’s had all year.
It is also safe to say that despite having the most talented team in the league, the A’s certainly was one of the two most obnoxious teams. The general manager of the Rays was asked about this after one of their games against the A’s and he said, “I can only think of one team that is more obnoxious than the A’s and that’s the Rangers. Every player in the A’s is in your face the whole game and they are always ready to start a benches clearing brawl. Although, I guess since they win a lot they have the right to be cocky and full of themselves. After all, confidence is the key to winning sports game.”
The Athletics were able to do everything they did this year because of their incredible pitching staff. Yes, the A’s did have a few games where the offense exploded but the reason they won games was due to the pitching of Matt Harvey, Bartolo Colon, Felix Hernandez and Sonny Gray. As a staff, they recorded 209 strikeouts and Matt Harvey had 86 of those. The pitching staff also had a combined 1.225 ERA and a .935 WHIP. The A’s, by far, had the best pitching staff in the league and they have a World Series title to prove it. They also had two pitchers nominated for the Cy Young award which almost never occurs. Along with the pitching staff a few players were able to get a spark going offensively. Chris Denorfia, the late round draft pick for the A’s, was able to lead the team in almost every offensive category including hits, home runs and average. He was not the only one with a great offensive season but he was the best.
General Manager John DuBose was interviewed about his pitching staff and said, “To have one ace on your staff who has 86 strikeouts would make any team happy but we had two aces this year in Harvey and Colon and that’s how you win a championship, plain and simple.” He was then asked about his most memorable game of the year, “Well that’s a tough question,” he said, “I have two in my mind that are tied. The 22-2 blowout against the tigers early in the year and obviously the 8-0 World Series victory.”
The 22-2 blowout against the Tigers that he’s referring to was the most runs ever scored in one game by one team in the history of the game and will certainly go down in the history books. “Honestly, it could have been 42-2 but eventually I just felt bad for those guys,” said General Manager Ben Siegel.
Oakland A’s Season Review
ReplyDeleteJohn DuBose—Staff Writer
OAKLAND, CA—The Oakland A’s ditched their “Moneyball” reputation this year. Although it was an exciting year, it was anything but consistent. After starting 6-0 with the best record in the league, it was clear that the A’s could play with anyone. A lack of focus and several incidents of alleged clubhouse drug overdose led to a 5-7 record over the remaining games. “We weren’t really concentrating,” said star pitcher Matt Harvey of the subpar record during that span. “We had guys going for highlight plays, trying to hit bombs. It wasn’t working. It didn’t help that Soriano was lighting up in the dugout bathroom every other inning.” Fair enough. The A’s seemed to snap out of their funk just in time from the playoffs. They battled the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALcS, shutting out the most hated team in the league and putting an end to “Tickle Fingers” once and for all. Then, to win the World Series, they basically ran batting practice on the Red Sox and beat them 8-0 to win the title.
What was interesting about the season is that the A’s shed the platoon, small ball style of play that had been their reputation for so many years. True, they hit-and-ran in key scenarios, but overall relied on the long ball and clutch hitting. Every player in the starting lineup had a batting average of below .300. However, with RISP, (runners in scoring position) 6 of those same 9 players hit above .300 on the year. This stat basically describes the year for the A’s. Indeed, there were highs and lows. Often times it was either feast or famine. For example, they scored 22 runs on the Detroit Tigers and, according to Josh Donaldson, “weren’t even really trying that hard. When you try a squad like us who drops tanks against a sorry team like the Tigers, that’s the result you’re going to get.”
The one constant for the A’s was undoubtedly starting pitching. The A’s lured free agent Matt Harvey away from the Mets, and after the first game he firmly established his place as the best pitcher on planet earth. Bartolo Colon threw cheese, using his fly ball and ground-out strategy to perfection to compensate for his low strikeouts. Pretty impressive for a 40 year old former steroid user. Felix Hernandez absolutely mowed through batters in the three spot, proving the low expectations to be false. Sonny Gray, the cheapest of the four pitchers, could’ve been an ace on any other team, but chose to stay with Oakland to get his first ring.
The A’s battled many good teams throughout this season. Many times, they could’ve lost their way because of poor hitting or drug abuse. However, never underestimate the heart of a true champion. The A’s showed that they were the most talented team in the league. The team that nobody wanted to play. Critics will say they were too inconsistent to be remembered as anything more than a good team that got hot at the right time. But they’re wrong. The 2014 Oakland A’s is the greatest baseball team of all time.