2015 Oakland Athletics - Week #1: The A's played a total of 7 games during the first week of the season, all of which were at home. The first 4 games were against the Texas Rangers in which the A's split the series 2-2. The Seattle Mariners came into town next, taking 2-3 from the Athletics, giving the A's a 3-4 record to start off the 2015 season. The A's will travel to Houston to take on the first place (tied) Astros.
Game #1 W 8-0 (Opening Night) - 4/6/15 (Mon):
Highlights:
Game #2 L 3-1 - 4/7/15 (Tue):
Highlights:
Concerns:
Game #3 W 10-0 - 4/8/15 (Wed):
Highlights:
Concerns:
Game #4 L 10-1 - 4/9/15 (Thur):
Highlights:
Concerns:
Game #5 W 12-0 - 4/10/15 (Fri):
Highlights:
Concerns:
Game #6 L 5-4 - 4/11/15 (Sat):
Highlights:
Concerns:
Game #7 L 8-7 - 4/12/15 (Sun):
Highlights:
Concerns:
Wrap-Up & Next Week:
In the very small sample size, the A's have scored the second-most runs in all of baseball (43), they have the most hits (79), second-most doubles (19), fourth-most walks (24), sixth-lowest strikeouts (43), fourth-best batting AVE (.304), third-best OBP (.365), 8th best ERA (2.59), the most IP (66.0), and second best WHIP (0.86). The A's are 3-4 thus far. We've seen some 'good', dominant performances from Gray and Pomeranz. We've seen some 'bad' performances from the pen - Otero, O'Flaherty, Abad, Clippard. And we've seen some 'ugly'. A's pitchers have given up a total of 8 home runs in the first 7 games, and have committed a league leading (9) errors within the first week. They've also lost two games in extra innings, both to the Mariners, both of which could have been won. This team is inexperienced, and they're still learning how to play together. The A's have three series on the road ahead - 3 with the 'Stros, 3 with the Royals, and 4 with the Halos, with a day off on the 16th between HOU and KC. Starting pitching, with the exception of Graveman, has been exceptional. Canha and the gang has proven that the A's have the ability to pound their opponents into the ground, which is obviously a good thing. We'll see how the Athletics do on the road in Week #2 of the 2015 season.
Game #1 W 8-0 (Opening Night) - 4/6/15 (Mon):
Highlights:
- Zobrist and Vogt both homered
- Sonny Gray had a no-hitter through 7 innings
- Shut out the Rangers 8-0, excellent way to start off the year
- None yet
Game #2 L 3-1 - 4/7/15 (Tue):
Highlights:
- Fuld looked good at the plate - 2-4 3B
- Hahn, decent first start - 6.0 IP 7 H 3 ER 0 BB 3 K
- Bullpen was solid - 3.0 IP 1 H 0 ER 0 BB 3 K (O'Flaherty, Chavez, Abad)
Concerns:
- Lawrie had a golden sombrero 0-4 with 4 K's
- Looked over matched (again) by starting pitcher, Colby Lewis - 9-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 23 appearances and 21 starts -- his most victories against any opponent
- Really couldn't get any offense going after such an impressive offensive performance
Game #3 W 10-0 - 4/8/15 (Wed):
Highlights:
- #CanhaCan!!! Wow. Mark Canha's MLB Debut went 3-5 2 2B, 4 RBI, inches away from a grand slam and inches away from hitting another home run, his swing reminds me of Troy Tulowitzki, extremely impressive
- Ladendorf solid MLB debut, RBI triple 1-3 2 R, 2 RBI
- Scott Kazmir was dominant, sharp, efficient, looked even better than the 2014 Kaz, 94-95 velocity, 7.0 IP 1 H 2 BB 10 K
- Lawrie - bounced back after his golden sombrero went 3-5 2B, hustle INF single, solid plays at third, more athletic and nimble than JD
- Phegley - solid job behind the plate, only 3 hits in the game from Texas, 1 solid hit, 2 weak hits
- Semien - 2-3 RBI R BB K
- Bullpen solid - 2.0 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 3 K (Otero, Alvarez)
Concerns:
- This game... none really, complete dominance
Game #4 L 10-1 - 4/9/15 (Thur):
Highlights:
- Sogard 1-2 R
- Semien 1-3 RBI
Concerns:
- Basically... everything went wrong this game
- Committed 3 errors, Graveman threw a ball into center field on an unnecessary pick off throw, Vogt had the ball pop out of his glove on a play at the plate, and Sogard, who is one of our most reliable and dependable fielders, made a routine fielding error
- Couldn't hit mediocre pitching of Nick Martinez: 7.0 IP 4 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K
- Graveman - first start with the A's trying to carry over his amazing Spring Training numbers, but failed to do so: 3.1 IP 7 H 7 ER 1 BB 1 K 2 HR (Moreland oppo, Choo)
- Pen wasn't sharp: 5.2 IP 5 H 2 ER 1 BB 4 K 2 HR (Scribner - Beltre, Alvarez - Odor)
- Very ugly game for the Athletics
Game #5 W 12-0 - 4/10/15 (Fri):
Highlights:
- Basically... everything went right this game!
- CANHA! Wow. 3-5 3 R 2 RBI first MLB HR
- Solid games from: Fuld, Zobrist, Ladendorf, Butler, Ike, Vogt, Semien
- Combined 16 hits off of Mariners pitching
- 6 XBH 5 doubles and a Canha bomb
- Drew Pomeranz was outstanding: 7.0 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 6 K
- Pen was solid: 2 IP 1 H 0 ER 2 BB 1 K (Abad, Alvarez)
Concerns:
- We can't win two games in a row...
Game #6 L 5-4 - 4/11/15 (Sat):
Highlights:
- Although this was a back-breaker of a game, the A's battled
- Sonny Gray Solid start: 7.1 IP 6 H 1 ER 1 BB 4 K 1 HR (Ackley)
- Great 7th inning: Butler singled, Ross singled, Sogard PR for Butler, Lawrie Sac Bunt, Phegley RBI single, Semien RBI single - Moving the train, everyone doing their jobs, good fundamentals and clutch hitting
- An even BETTER 8th inning: After Otero gave up a 3 run bomb to Nelson Cruz, the A's battled back: Canha single, WP, Zobrist double, Sogard sac bunt, Lawrie double - Two clutch doubles after surrendering 3 runs in the top of the inning
Concerns:
- Honestly, the A's didn't deserve to win this game
- Mental Mistakes: Eric O'Flaherty/Marcus Semien: Runner on first, one out, come-backer, O'Flaherty threw to the covering Semien, but his foot wasn't on the bag for the force, then Semien threw the ball in the dirt and Ike couldn't pick it. Everyone was safe, we would have been out of the inning
- Changed pitchers O'Flaherty out -> Otero in, Otero was supposed to pitch around Cruz because there was an empty base to work with, gave up the three-run bomb
- Missed Opportunities: 10th inning for the A's Zobrist leaadoff single, Sogard couldn't move him over, Ike doubled in the left center gap, Gallego waved Zobrist home, but was thrown out by a perfect relay by the Mariners, Melvin agreed with the call to send Zobrist
- Abad gave up the winning run - double to Miller in the 11th
- Lots of concerns on defense, simple PFP, bullpen issues (O'Flaherty, Otero, Abad)
Game #7 L 8-7 - 4/12/15 (Sun):
Highlights:
- Jesse Hahn was outstanding through 5 IP, extremely low pitch count, dealing, no hits
- The A's battered around King Felix: 5.0 IP 8 H 3 ER 3 BB 1 K Wow. Felix had to leave the game with tightness in his right quad tho.
- A's in the 4th: Butler lead off double (he was 3-3 against Felix today), Ike solid RBI single up the middle, Vogt, RBI triple down the line, Reddick RBI single to center
- A's in the bottom of the 9th: Trailing 7-3, again the A's showed a lot of heart, battle, and character against one of the toughest closers in the game, Fernando Rodney. Reddick (oppo) double, Semien drew a walk, Fuld huge double down the line, Canha INF single, Zobrist BB, Butler (coulda did more damage, but he had a great day already) GIDP run scored, PH, 2 out, soft single to left by Sogard to tie the game at 7 in the 9th.
Concerns:
- Ugh.
- Hahn's struggle in the 6th: Ackley doubled, Zunino singled (Ackley to third), Miller Sac Fly, Jackson BB (huge), Smith moved the runners up, 2 outs, Cano line drive to Reddick... he boofed it, 2 runs scored, Seager added on with an RBI single (Mariners lead 4-3)
- Seattle 7th: lead off single, single, bunt out, ground out, then a dagger to the heart, PH 3-run home run by Rickie Weeks (brother of Jemile Weeks former Athletic) 7-3 lead
- Clippard blew it in the 10th: Nelson Cruz, again, homered to left giving the Mariners a 8-7 lead
- A's bullpen sucked: 4.1 IP 4 ER 1 BB 4 K 2 HR (O'Flaherty - Weeks, Clippard - Cruz)
Wrap-Up & Next Week:
In the very small sample size, the A's have scored the second-most runs in all of baseball (43), they have the most hits (79), second-most doubles (19), fourth-most walks (24), sixth-lowest strikeouts (43), fourth-best batting AVE (.304), third-best OBP (.365), 8th best ERA (2.59), the most IP (66.0), and second best WHIP (0.86). The A's are 3-4 thus far. We've seen some 'good', dominant performances from Gray and Pomeranz. We've seen some 'bad' performances from the pen - Otero, O'Flaherty, Abad, Clippard. And we've seen some 'ugly'. A's pitchers have given up a total of 8 home runs in the first 7 games, and have committed a league leading (9) errors within the first week. They've also lost two games in extra innings, both to the Mariners, both of which could have been won. This team is inexperienced, and they're still learning how to play together. The A's have three series on the road ahead - 3 with the 'Stros, 3 with the Royals, and 4 with the Halos, with a day off on the 16th between HOU and KC. Starting pitching, with the exception of Graveman, has been exceptional. Canha and the gang has proven that the A's have the ability to pound their opponents into the ground, which is obviously a good thing. We'll see how the Athletics do on the road in Week #2 of the 2015 season.