The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Oakland Athletics – INSIDE PITCH
The Athletics set all kinds of Oakland records in their 19-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, including longest game in Oakland history at 6 hours and 32 minutes.
It was a long haul, but getting the victory made the evening — and into the next morning — worth it for the A’s. It did come at a price, with two outfielders and one pitcher leaving with injuries and an infielder also unavailable Tuesday as a result.
Coco Crisp came out in extra innings with a left hamstring strain, Chris Young with a left quadriceps strain and pitcher Brett Anderson — who had been scratched from starting that game but who wound up working 5 1/3 innings in relief — exited with more ankle discomfort.
That right ankle, injured two starts before that outing, was enough for Oakland to call up Dan Straily to make Monday’s start, but in the 13 innings, the A’s were nearly out of pitching and Anderson said he could go.
On Tuesday, the A’s considered Anderson questionable for his next start because of the ankle sprain. With Thursday’s day off, he’ll get an extra day of rest.
Crisp, Young and shortstop Jed Lowrie were out of the A’s lineup Tuesday, and the A’s are still evaluating the two outfielders. Young is believed to be the player most likely to go on the disabled list, should Oakland need to make a move for depth. Lowrie, who missed Sunday’s game with neck stiffness, had more of the same Tuesday after the 19 inning game.
Nate Freiman was the only healthy player available on Oakland’s bench Tuesday, a 10-6 Oakland win, and the team sent out Straily and brought up right-hander Evan Scribner for pitching depth after the 19-inning affair.
The Angels did rebound with a 5-4 win Wednesday to avoid the sweep.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – Oakland Athletics – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 16-13
STREAK: Lost one
PAST 10 GAMES: 4-6
NEXT: Athletics (A.J. Griffin, 2-2, 4.65) at Yankees (CC Sabathia, 4-2, 3.35)
PLAYER NOTES:
–CF Coco Crisp (strained left hamstring) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. Crisp, who is batting .283 with five home runs and 12 RBIs as the A’s leadoff hitter, was injured Monday night during the A’s 19-inning, 10-8 win over the Angels. “He came in yesterday, there was some discoloration,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of Crisp’s injured hamstring. “Certainly wasn’t in a mode where he could run. He was having a little trouble walking, and a guy that uses his legs so much, and hamstrings can be tricky deals, we put him on the DL. He’s a guy that in the past has not needed a rehab assignment, so hopefully that’s the case and hopefully we have him on the 15th day, but for a guy like that that uses his legs that much, that’s the prudent thing to do.”
–LHP Brett Anderson (sprained right ankle) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. He re-tweaked his ankle Monday night when he pitched 5 1/3 innings in his first career relief appearance. Anderson had his scheduled start skipped Monday in hopes of giving his ankle more rest, but he was needed in the 19-inning game. “I kind of needed to step up for the bullpen’s sake the other day, do a job there, but now it’s time to let this thing heal up once and for all and get ready to make a run where hopefully I can stay healthy and pitch good,” Anderson said.
–RHP A.J. Griffin will make his sixth start of the season Friday night when the Athletics open a three-game series against the New York Yankees in New York. Griffin has struggled in his past two starts, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA and a .277 opponent’s batting average. He went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and .222 opponent’s batting average in his first three starts. Against the Yankees, Griffin is 1-0 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts, both last season as a rookie.
–RHP Dan Straily was recalled Wednesday from Triple-A Sacramento and will take injured LHP Brett Anderson’s spot in the rotation. Anderson (sprained right ankle) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. Straily, who started in place of Anderson on Monday night against the Angels, is 1-0 with a 6.35 ERA in two starts with the A’s this season. He’s gone 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA at Sacramento. He started last season at Double-A Midland, jumped to Triple-A Sacramento and wound up starting seven games for the A’s, going 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA.
–C/1B Luke Montz was called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday and started against the Angels as the designated hitter. Montz went 1-for-4 with an RBI double. It was Montz’ first major-league game since Sept. 28, 2008, with Washington against Philadelphia. He hit .143 in 10 games in 2008, his only major league action. He hit .283 with five home runs and 12 RBIs in 15 games with Sacramento this year. The A’s signed him to a minor-league contract Nov. 9, 2012. A’s manager Bob Melvin said Montz has been hitting left-handers well at Triple-A and will be used in that role as the A’s face a heavy dose of lefties in the next dozen games.
–RF Josh Reddick went 1-for-2 with a single in second inning Wednesday against the Angels, snapping an 0-for-15 skid. He walked three times for the first time in his major-league career. Reddick also threw out Josh Hamilton at third base with two outs in the eighth inning when he tried to go from first to third on a single. Hamilton was tagged out before Mark Trumbo reached home plate from second.
–LHP Tommy Milone tied his career high with 10 strikeouts Wednesday against the Angels but took his third straight loss. He allowed four runs on seven hits over a season-high seven innings and gave up three home runs, tying his career high. Milone did not walk a batter and has just six walks this season in his six starts and 39 innings. He has 39 strikeouts and a strikeout to walk ratio of six to one.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I wanted to go as deep into the game as I could. The bullpen has been out there a lot the last few days. I needed to go out and throw strikes. I felt good throughout the game. It was just a few bad pitches.” — LHP Tommy Milone on taking a loss Wednesday.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – Oakland Athletics – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–LHP Brett Anderson (sore right ankle) skipped his April 29 start, but he pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief and re-injured the ankle. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 1.
–CF Coco Crisp (strained left hamstring) left the April 29 game. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 1.
–OF Chris Young (strained left quad) left the April 29 game. He’s day-to-day. He was out of the lineup April 30. A’s manager Bob Melvin said Young likely would have been available to pinch hit if needed.
–SS/2B Hiro Nakajima (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He played in extended spring training games April 25-29. After another extended spring game April 30, he might be ready to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento.
–2B Scott Sizemore (torn left anterior cruciate ligament) went on the 15-day disabled list April 10, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 22. He had season-ending surgery April 16.
–RHP Fernando Rodriguez (torn ulnar collateral ligament in right elbow) went on the 60-day disabled list March 23. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery March 25.
–RHP Andrew Carignan (Tommy John surgery in July 2012) began a throwing program in the fall. The non-roster reliever could be pitching again by midseason if his recovery continues to go well.
ROTATION:
RHP Jarrod Parker
LHP Tommy Milone
RHP A.J. Griffin
RHP Bartolo Colon
RHP Dan Straily
BULLPEN:
RHP Grant Balfour (closer)
RHP Ryan Cook
LHP Sean Doolittle
LHP Jerry Blevins
RHP Chris Resop
RHP Pat Neshek
RHP Evan Scribner
CATCHERS:
John Jaso
Derek Norris
INFIELDERS:
1B Brandon Moss
2B Eric Sogard
SS Jed Lowrie
3B Josh Donaldson
INF Adam Rosales
INF Nate Freiman
INF Luke Montz
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Yoenis Cespedes
RF Josh Reddick
DH Seth Smith
OF Chris Young
———————————————–
