OAKLAND (CBS/AP) — A sewage problem at the Coliseum forced the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners to use the same locker room after Sunday's game.

During Oakland's 10-2 victory, pipes in the stadium's lower levels burst, causing a stench and puddles of water in the clubhouses used by both teams and the referees.

The A's and Mariners moved to a higher floor and cleaned up after the game in the locker room used by the Oakland Raiders during NFL games.

Coliseum officials said the six-day homestand, which drew 171,756 fans, overwhelmed the 47-year-old stadium's plumbing system.

“Make sure everyone knows about this sewage thing,” Oakland starter AJ Griffin said. “We need a new stadium.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that leaking pipes and clogged drains are common, even on days when the Coliseum is empty. The playing field is 22 feet below sea level and the elevation of the clubhouse is 3 feet below sea level.

A's team president Michael Crowley told the Chronicle: “It's clear, right? This is not the first time something like this has happened.”

Several Mariners left without showering. Towels were used to prevent wastewater from entering the general players' changing area.

There was about a foot of liquid in Seattle manager Eric Wedge's office, forcing him to hold his postgame press conference in the hallway.

The A's, who begin a road trip to Texas on Monday night, will likely have new carpet when they return. The extent of the damage is not yet known.

There were visible wet spots around every drain on the ground floor, but the main damage was to the changing rooms and storage areas.

Coliseum sewage problem forces A's and Mariners into same locker room

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KCBS, SF Chronicle and KPIX Insider Phil Matier said there were more than 37,000 fans in the stadium for Sunday's Father's Day game.

“The A's are enjoying a major sellout stadium revival, tickets are sold out, the team is hot and owner Lew Wolff would like a new stadium, the problem is he would like it in San Jose and the Giants aren't above that happy.” “So for the last three years there's been a bit of a stalemate about where to build a new stadium,” Matier said.

Matier noted how much “sports construction” is currently taking place in the Bay Area, noting that the 49ers are building a billion-dollar stadium in Santa Clara, right next door to the A's' destination. The Warriors plan to build a $1 billion arena on the San Francisco waterfront.

“This takes advantage of a lot of the loose money that people have for sporting events, corporate sponsorships, skyboxes and all of these things that help fund stadiums,” he said.

“The big question is whether you can afford to build a completely new house instead of calling a plumber. I think in the short term they will have to call a plumber.”

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — This time of year, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is usually starting to think about getting some rest for his everyday players and putting together pitching plans for the playoffs.

Not yet this season in what is shaping up for a wild West finish in the American League.

The reigning World Series champion Astros will go into the final 10 days of the regular season with only a half-game lead in the AL West over both Seattle and Texas after all were off Thursday. The Mariners play their final 10 games against those other two teams.

“These tight (races), they can build character. So, let’s see what kind of character we’ve got,” Baker said.

“It’s kind of cool to see three teams fighting for one spot, two spots with the wild card,” Mariners first baseman Ty France said. “It’s exactly how we wanted to finish, and hopefully we can take care of business.”

Seattle opens a three-game series at Texas on Friday night with those teams tied for the American League’s third and final wild-card spot, and Toronto right ahead of them. The Mariners then go home for three games against Houston and four more against the Rangers.

Houston has 85 wins after their walk-off victory Wednesday over AL-best Baltimore to stay in front and avoid being swept at home. That is one more win than the Mariners and Rangers — all three teams have 68 losses.

The Astros pretty comfortably won each of the last five AL West titles determined over full 162-game schedules, including by 16 games last season. They have been to the AL Championship Series six years in a row, even as a 29-31 wild card during the COVID-altered 2020 season. They went to the World Series four times in that span, winning two of them.

Only 39-39 at home, the Astros host 102-loss Kansas City this weekend before going to Seattle and NL wild-card contender Arizona.

“I don’t think it’s going be a problem for us to go out there and focus and win some games,” said Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, adding that their past success should help them.

Story continues

Texas, already ensured its first winning record since 2016, led the AL West for 148 of the season’s first 149 days through Aug. 26. But the Rangers had lost 20 of 30 games before back-to-back wins over Boston.

“It’s been a heck of a ride … some steep, steep hills, up and down. It’s unlike I’ve seen, to be honest, when you look at this roller-coaster ride,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, a three-time World Series champion with San Francisco before being out of the dugout the past three seasons.

”But I missed it. … If you told me I’d been in this situation last year when I wasn’t doing this, I would have done a cartwheel around this ballpark.”

The Rangers have two multiple Cy Young Award winners, but Jacob deGrom (elbow surgery) hasn’t pitched since April and trade-deadline acquisition Max Scherzer is on the injured list with a strained muscle in his shoulder. Five of their six All-Stars have been on the IL since that July 11 game, with slugger Adolis Garcia and rookie third baseman Josh Jung the last to return this week.

Seattle and Texas last met the first weekend in June, when the Rangers swept three games at home, including 16-6 and 12-3 wins. The Mariners, who last season made the playoffs for the first time since 2001, were then 29-30 and 9 1/2 games out of the division lead.

While only 1-5 against Texas so far, the Mariners have won eight of 10 against the Astros. Houston went 9-4 against the Rangers, hitting 16 homers and outscoring them 39-10 in a three-game road sweep just two weeks ago to take sole possession of the division lead for the first time all season.

The Mariners had a pair of eight-game winning streaks in August while led by their young star Julio Rodriguez, whose 176 hits are tied with Texas leadoff hitter Marcus Semien for most in the AL. But they lost at least three games in a row three times in September before they swept three games in Oakland this week.

Seattle does have experience with the emotions and swings of a playoff chase. The M’s won 90 games each of the last two seasons, just missing a postseason berth in 2021. They won in the wild-card round against Toronto last year before Houston swept them in the AL Division Series.

“You lose two games in a row and oh my god, the sky is falling. And then you win two games in a row and everybody’s, ‘Oh we’re a lock.’ It just comes and goes so quickly,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “After you’ve gone through it once or twice like we’ve done the last couple of years, you understand it’s just about today’s game first of all, then move on to the next day. You really can’t control anything else.”

No team controls its destiny as much as Seattle because of the schedule, though the Rangers will try to seize that same opportunity.

“We’ve got a seven-game set with the team that we need to beat the most,” Texas first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said. “It’s right in front of us. … It’s going to a week full of like just-about playoff baseball.”

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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press

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SEATTLE (AP) — Cedric Mullins robbed Ty France of a homer in the ninth inning and hit a two-run homer in the 10th, and the AL-best Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners in extra innings for the second straight day, 5-3 on Sunday.

Mullins, who entered in the sixth as a defensive replacement, leaped and reached over the wall in center field to snag France’s deep drive off Mike Baumann.

Two pitches later, Dominic Canzone hit a 96 mph fastball from Baumann 402 feet to right to tie the game at 3-all.

In the 10th, Mullins hit a long drive just outside the right-field foul pole on a 2-1 pitch from Trent Thornton (0-1) and then, two pitches later, sent a drive over the wall in right to score automatic runner Gunnar Henderson.

Nick Vespi (1-1) got the final out in the ninth and Shintaro Fujinami worked a scoreless 10th for his first save.

MARLINS 8, YANKEES 7

MIAMI (AP) — Jake Burger’s game-ending single capped a five-run, ninth-inning comeback against Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle, giving Miami the win over struggling New York.

The Yankees, who led 7-1 in the sixth inning behind ace Gerrit Cole, dropped five games back of the AL’s last wild card berth and are on track to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016. New York is 3-8-1 in its last 12 series and has lost six straight rubber games of three-game series.

Burger, who had three hits, cut the deficit to 7-2 with an RBI single in the sixth off Cole.

Holmes (4-3), who had given up three runs in 35 games since May 6, allowed Yuli Gurriel’s double leading off the ninth. Nick Fortes singled, Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked and Josh Bell hit a one-hopper that bounced off Holmes’ glove and went to the third-base side. The reliever gloved the ball and rushed a throw past first for an error as Gurriel and Fortes scored.

Luis Arraez’s triple made it 7-7. Kahnle relieved and walked Bryan De La Cruz. Burger then lined a single to left.

Jorge López (6-2) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win before 35,043, the Marlins’ season high at home.

Story continues

TWINS 3, PHILLIES 0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sonny Gray tossed two-hit ball over six shutout innings, reliever Caleb Thielbar pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and Jordan Luplow homered to lead Minnesota past Philadelphia.

The AL Central leaders bounced back from a 13-2 loss in the series opener to win the last two games. Gray (6-5) struck out seven and pitched into the sixth inning in his eighth straight start.

Emilio Pagán retired the last two batters in the eighth and Jhoan Durán worked the ninth for his 21st save.

The Phillies finished 6-4 on a 10-game homestand that kept them in first place in the NL wild-card standings. Ranger Suarez (2-6) allowed Ludlow’s two-out homer in the first and Jorge Polanco’s RBI single in the third.

ANGELS 2, ASTROS 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his AL-leading 41st homer and Los Angeles beat Houston to avoid a three-game sweep.

Ohtani’s first home run since Aug. 3 put the Angels up 2-0 in the sixth inning.

Chase Silseth (4-1) allowed four hits and struck out five in five scoreless innings. Carlos Estévez struck out two in the ninth for his 25th save.

Houston’s José Urquidy (2-3) yielded three hits and one run in five-plus innings in his second start since returning from the injured list.

GIANTS 3, RANGERS 2, 10 INNINGS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Patrick Bailey hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and San Francisco overcame a blown save by All-Star Camilo Doval, beating Texas to stop a four-game skid.

The Giants, who struck out a season-high 17 times, had lost six of seven. Texas had won 10 of 11.

Logan Webb was within one out of his second shutout this season when J.P. Martinez doubled on his 107th and final pitch. Martinez was running on Doval’s second pitch and scored from second when Ezequiel Duran grounded to shortstop and beat Brandon Crawford’s throw for an infield hit.

Duran started the 10th as the automatic runner, advanced on a bloop single by Josh Smith and scored on a balk by Doval (4-3), who blew a save for the fourth time in 37 chances.

With Wilmer Flores on second as the automatic runner in the bottom half, Bailey homered with two outs off Will Smith (1-4), who blew a save for the third time in 25 chances.

NATIONALS 8, ATHLETICS 7

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeter Downs capped a six-run ninth with an RBI single, and Washington rallied past Oakland to complete a three-game sweep.

Washington has won eight of 11 overall and 12 of its last 14 at home.

Rookie Zack Gelof homered twice for majors-worst Oakland, which fell 52 games under .500 (33-85) for the first time since going 54-108 in 1979. The A’s were swept for the 16th time this year.

Oakland closer Trevor May loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before allowing Stone Garrett’s RBI single and Ildemaro Vargas’ sacrifice fly. May exited after walking Riley Adams to reload the bases, and Kirby Snead (1-1) entered and walked pinch-hitter Dominic Smith to force in a run that made it 7-5.

Alex Call then hit a sharp grounder that shortstop Nick Allen booted for an error, allowing two runs to score. Downs floated a base hit to center to cap the unlikely comeback.

Joe La Sorsa (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for Washington for his first major league victory.

BLUE JAYS 11, CUBS 4

TORONTO (AP) — Daulton Varsho homered and had five RBIs, Hyun Jin Ryu pitched five innings to win for the first time since returning from elbow surgery, and Toronto beat Chicago to avoid a three-game sweep.

Whit Merrifield had four hits, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Brandon Belt reached base four times as the Blue Jays snapped a three-game skid.

The Cubs lost for the seventh time in 25 games.

Varsho hit a three-run home run off Jameson Taillon (7-7) in Toronto’s five-run second inning, then added a two-run single off righty Hayden Wesneski in the fourth.

Ryu (1-1) allowed two unearned runs and two hits.

DODGERS 8, ROCKIES 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Julio Urías matched his career high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings of four-hit ball, and Miguel Rojas homered and drove in four runs as Los Angeles won its season-high eighth straight and completed a four-game sweep of Colorado.

Mookie Betts broke it open with a two-run double in the sixth for the Dodgers, who have won 12 of 13 to surge 8 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco in the race for their 10th NL West title in 11 seasons. Rojas matched his season high in RBIs by driving in one run in each of his four plate appearances.

Urías (10-6) struck out seven consecutive Rockies and eight of nine during his final three innings of work.

Alan Trejo hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, who have lost five straight. Kyle Freeland (4-13) yielded six hits and four runs over five innings.

RED SOX 6, TIGERS 3

BOSTON (AP) — Adam Duvall had four RBIs that included a three-run homer, Justin Turner added a solo shot Boston beat Detroit.

Trevor Story went 4 for 4 with three doubles and two stolen bases for Boston. Connor Wong had an RBI triple and Duvall added a run-scoring single.

Boston scored six runs over five innings against former Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6).

Coming off the injured list, Garrett Whitlock (5-3) allowed an unearned run in two hitless innings and Kenley Jansen worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.

BREWERS 7, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer, Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings, and Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep of Chicago.

The Brewers pushed their NL Central lead to 3 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs.

Peralta (9-8) scattered four hits and struck out six while walking three for his third straight victory.

Dylan Cease (5-6) gave up two runs in seven innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, PADRES 4

PHOENIX (AP) — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tying, two-run homer in the seventh inning, Alek Thomas hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth against Robert Suarez (1-2), and Arizona rallied past sinking San Diego.

The D-backs (59-59) took two of three from the Padres (56-62) with both teams hanging around the fringe of the NL wild-card race. San Diego has lost six of seven.

Gurriel came in for Jose Herrera and hit a full-count changeup from Nick Martinez over the wall in left for the first pinch-hit homer of his career.

Kyle Nelson (6-3) got the last out of the eighth for Arizona. Paul Sewald worked the ninth for his second save in two days.

GUARDIANS 9, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tanner Bibee won his seventh consecutive decision and Cleveland beat Tampa Bay to avoid a three-game sweep.

Bibee (9-2) gave up two runs, seven hits and struck out five in seven innings.

Andrés Giménez and Gabriel Arias homered for the Guardians, who had 15 hits.

Rays starter Zach Eflin (12-7), seeking to become the AL’s first 13-game winner, allowed a season-high six runs and nine hits over three innings in an 82-pitch outing.

PIRATES 4, REDS 2, GAME 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jared Triolo hit his first major league home run, a three-run drive as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, and Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Pirates overcame a 2-0 deficit against the Reds, who lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

Liover Peguero walked against Lucas Sims starting the seventh and pinch-hitter Endy Rodriguez walked with one out against Alex Young (4-1). Triolo, in his 116th at-bat and 128th plate appearance, drove a full-count changeup to left.

Angel Perdomo (3-2) pitched a hitless seventh inning. David Bednar worked the ninth for his 24th save in 27 chances.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Associated Press

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SEATTLE — Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. is recognized as the man who perhaps more than anyone else has helped make the Home Run Derby a top event. Not only does he hold the records for most appearances (8) and most wins (3), but he also provided the folklore moment that made the derby a must-see spectacle when he scored from the warehouse Camden Yards beat behind right field in 1993.

But when it comes to mythical presences in the home run derby, the all-time champion could be another former Mariner founder — one who’s hit a total of 117 home runs over his 19-year career and, well, never actually competed in the derby .

I’m referring to Ichiro, the sultan of the slap, who mesmerized teammates and opponents alike with his daily display of strength in slap training. He hit home runs after home runs into right field pitches, a practice he says helped build his momentum for the night’s game. Throughout his career, baseball people swore that if Ichiro ever competed in the home run derby, this little one-hitter would dominate the giants.

“I would bet my entire year’s pay on him to win,” Mariners relief player JJ Putz told me during the 2007 All-Star game in San Francisco when Ichiro hit the only inside-the-park home run in the All-Star game. Story scored was named the game’s MVP. “You saw him hit 12 straight shots in batting practice. And not just when he scratched the wall, but seven or eight times in a row when he banged the hit It Here Café out of the windows. But he says he doesn’t want to disrespect the big power hitters.”

These big power hitters – with Julio Rodriguez as an encore – will converge on T-Mobile Park in less than two weeks for the 39th Home Run Derby, which has become as hyped as the All-Star Game itself – maybe even more more so.

“The Home Run Derby has in some ways perhaps taken on greater importance than the game itself,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said Friday. “The level of competition, there’s a certain strategy behind it, the biggest stars are out there. … Certainly they’ve been doing this for so many years, there’s a lot of history involved.”

And the Mariners have made their distinct mark on the Derby over the years, from Griffey’s escapades to Rodriguez’s breakthrough performance last year, who hit 81 total home runs at Dodger Stadium in an amazing display of strength. He didn’t win—Juan Soto beat Rodriguez in the final—but J-Rod became a household name among baseball fans

Looking back, back, back, back (to steal Chris Berman’s trademark at the derby), it wasn’t all glory for the Seattle thugs. In his very first Derby appearance in 1990, Griffey laid a goose egg at Wrigley Field: zero home runs, as hard as it is to imagine.

“The wind was pretty good (from right to left field),” Griffey, who was leading the competition, later told reporters. “I was a little nervous.”

Back then, players were given 10 “outs” — every swing that didn’t result in a home run. Once you reached 10, you were eliminated. That (and the fierce Wrigley Wind) explains why Ryne Sandberg won the 1990 Derby with just three homers. That’s a little taste of today’s world, where the shift to timed appearances instead of outs (and, some suspect, improved baseballs) saw home runs increase in 2015.

Bret Boone also scored a big fat zero in the 2003 derby in the White Sox’s US Cellular Field, much to his chagrin. He hit 35 home runs for the Mariners that year, but after teammate Ichiro ceremonially handed his bat with a bow, Boone failed to hit a single ten swing from his BP pitcher, former Marine player Dave Valle. In fact, Boone suffered utterly on his third cut.

“People look at you, you look at them. You have to go over to do an interview and you feel so stupid,” Boone said in retrospect this week 20 years later. “I can’t replace how it feels to be the player who actually shot to a clean sheet. I’ve only heard about every city I’ve been to in the second half of the season. I got annoyed by my teammates.”

Valle was popular as a derby pitcher – with left-handers, including this year’s winner Garret Anderson, who used Valle. So did Jason Giambi when he put on a spectacular show in 2001, the last time the game was played in Seattle. Right-hander Boone wanted to bring Mariners coach John McLaren to Chicago to pitch him, but McLaren had already booked a vacation. So Boone Valle alone asked about his reputation without ever getting along with him.

“Val threw a cutter, which comes into play for lefties. But the editor goes away for me,” Boone said. “So I made every pitch. I hit the doubles on the left field line. I think this is not the right game. It’s not a doubles derby. It’s definitely not a swing and miss derby.”

Boone, who two years earlier had put on a solid derby show with three home runs including an upper deck shot after receiving a standing ovation from the Safeco Field crowd, had a reciprocation ready for those who were grieving him.

“I said, ‘Listen, get invited to one before you have an opinion.'”

Ichiro was invited year after year, but he never accepted – except once. It was 2008 when the game was played at Yankee Stadium with its inviting right porch.

“That was the first time I was actually there,” Ichiro said through interpreter Allen Turner last week. “But before that, I kicked home plate in Oakland and hurt my finger. That’s why I didn’t take part in the end.”

When Ichiro’s near-derby moment was passed on to Boone, he immediately said, “I think he would have won it. He would have put on a show. We saw it every day in batting practice. If you had a pitcher who could put it.” Where he wanted, he was like a robot. He could meet her at will. So yeah, if Ichiro were there I’d definitely call him a favorite.”

I finally got the chance to ask Ichiro this question: Does he think he would have won?

“If it had been the rules from back then, I would have had a chance. But under today’s new rules, where you have to hit over 450 feet to get 30 seconds more, I wouldn’t have been good at it.”

Ichiro then casually mentioned that he once competed in a home run derby at the Peoria Sports Complex in 2002.

“Mike Cameron took me aside one day and said, ‘You have to come with me.’ Then he put me on a golf cart and we went to the field.”

As Ichiro recalled, he feuded with Padres catcher Wiki Gonzalez and hitter Pete Incaviglia, who was at the San Diego camp that spring as a non-squad player. A small article in the San Diego Union-Tribune I found online confirmed his memory – except that a third Padres player, Xavier Nady, also attended. The article also confirmed Ichiro’s proud statement that he won the derby.

“I still have a small trophy I won from that,” Ichiro said.

Just another artifact from the Mariners’ Home Run Derby pantheon.

(c) 2023 The Seattle Times

Visit the Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Different day, same results in the Pacific Northwest.

The Miami Marlins lost their second straight game to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, with a 9-3 loss at T-Mobile Park a day after losing 8-1 in Monday’s series opener.

It’s the first time the Marlins have lost two straight games since losing three straight games (one game to the San Francisco Giants, two games to the Colorado Rockies) on May 21-23.

And the Marlins (37-31) followed a similar scenario in losing both days.

The starting pitcher had problems. Edward Cabrera gave up five runs on two homers Tuesday — a three-run shot in the second inning by Cal Raleigh (who was 0 at that hit in his last 21 shots) and a two-run shot in the fourth by Mike Ford — to throw Miami into an early crisis. He only threw four innings.

This came a day after Jesus Luzardo gave up six runs (five of them earned) while throwing just four innings.

The offensive could not convince against a pitcher who mainly throws fastballs. Bryce Miller threw fastballs on 65 of his 89 pitches Monday and kept the Marlins on a one-hit run (a Nick Fortes home run) for six innings.

George Kirby hit fastballs on 69 of his 92 pitches Tuesday and kept the Marlins on an unearned run with three hits while hitting 10 in six innings. Miami’s only run against Kirby came when Jorge Soler’s two-out single hit midway through Garrett Hampson, who grabbed with a one-out single and took second place with a pass.

Garrett Cooper hit a two-run home run against Seattle relief Chris Flexen in the eighth, bringing Miami 8-3.

The bullpen had to eat innings. The Marlins needed four innings from their bullpen both nights and required relievers to run multiple innings to prevent using their primary high-leverage players in situations that didn’t require them.

Huascar Brazoban and Bryan Hoeing both went through two innings Monday and each kept Seattle (33-33) ahead by just a solo home run.

Veteran Archie Bradley, whom the Marlins added to the active roster Tuesday, threw a scoreless fifth inning on Tuesday before allowing all four batters he faced in the sixth to reach base, topped by a three-run Treble by Jose Caballero. Steven Okert then threw two shutout innings before JT Chargois made the eighth pitch and conceded a solo home run to Ford.

Luis Arraez batting average update

Luis Arraez, the Marlins’ second baseman, went 0 for 5 and went without a hit in consecutive games.

It’s the first time since May 10 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and May 12 against the Cincinnati Reds that he has gone without a hit in back-to-back starts.

Arraez’s batting average, down from .403 on Wednesday, is now down to .382.

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SEATTLE (AP) — Jeremy Peña and the Houston Astros just kept going. Scoreless inning after scoreless inning, as day turned into night in front of a frenzied crowd in Seattle.

They eventually found a way. That’s how the Astros reached the AL Championship Series for the sixth straight year.

It’s just what they do.

Peña homered in the 18th inning, and the Astros beat the Mariners 1-0 on Saturday for a three-game sweep of their AL Division Series.

“These guys, they know not to panic,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “They don’t get too excited. They don’t get too down. It means a lot.”

Peña drove a slider from Penn Murfee deep to left-center for the rookie’s first playoff homer, providing the only run in an afternoon full of dominant pitching and empty trips to the plate.

The 18 innings matched the longest game in playoff history and the 6 hours, 22 minutes was the third-longest in time.

Exhausting for everyone? Absolutely. But exhilarating for the Astros.

“Man, that was a long game. But you still got to lock in, try to put together good at-bats,” Peña said. “I was just trying to stay inside the baseball, drove it in the gap.”

Spoiling Seattle’s first home playoff appearance since 2001, Houston continued its ALCS streak that began with its 2017 World Series title. Next up is the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Wednesday.

While Yordan Alvarez got the big hits in the first two games in Houston, it was Peña that set the table for Alvarez’s opportunities. As Game 3 made its way into its sixth hour, Peña delivered another painful blow to the Mariners that ended their short return to the postseason.

“We all know that we belong here now and we all know what it takes to get here and get beyond this point,” Seattle shortstop JP Crawford said.

After 21 years, Seattle fans welcomed playoff baseball back inside T-Mobile Park. They got their money’s worth, and then some.

Three previous playoff games reached the 18th inning, one involving Houston. The Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 in 18 innings in Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS on Chris Burke’s game-ending homer.

Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS between San Francisco and Washington and Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between Los Angeles and Boston also went 18 innings.

But those games had runs. This one failed to produce anything until Peña’s swing on a 3-2 pitch.

“I feel like in the playoffs you can’t try and do too much, especially the later the game goes,” Peña said.

Seattle’s best scoring chance was Julio Rodríguez’s line drive that thudded off the wall in the eighth. The Mariners had runners in scoring position in the 13th and 17th, but couldn’t get a key two-out hit against Houston’s superb bullpen.

Unlike baseball’s regular season, there is no automatic runner when playoff games go to extra innings.

“They pitched great. They played a great series. They beat us,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “In my mind, and I think our players’ mind, is a break here or there goes our way in this series, it could have been a lot different. But end of the day, they got the big hits in each of the games and they end up winning them.”

Luis Garcia worked five innings for the win. The Astros bullpen allowed five hits and struck out 15 following six innings from starter Lance McCullers Jr.

“Watching the whole thing the guys are doing a really good job and I’m really proud of them. … I was just trying to help,” Garcia said.

Seattle’s bullpen was nearly just as good. After rookie George Kirby threw seven innings, nine Mariners relievers combined for 11 innings of five-hit ball.

The teams combined to strike out 42 times, topping the postseason record of 39 set by the Guardians and Rays last week in their AL wild-card matchup that was scoreless for 15 innings before Oscar Gonzalez’s home run sent Cleveland to the ALDS.

“Their pitching was phenomenal today as well. We kept putting the zero up there and kept putting the zero up there and you think we’re going to be able to break through because we have so many times,” Servais said. “It’s kind of what we’re accustomed to playing — those tight games and finding a way but there were no errors made in that game today.”

Houston advanced despite a rough performance for Jose Altuve, who went 0 for 8 in Game 3 for the first time in his career and was hitless in 16 at-bats in the series.

Altuve joined Xander Bogaerts in Game 3 of 2018 World Series versus the Dodgers as only players to go 0 for 8 or worse in a postseason game. But Houston’s other pieces came through, none bigger than its young shortstop who took on a prominent role after Carlos Correa departed in free agency.

Peña’s homer was his only hit in eight at-bats. But it was his contributions in the first two games that helped Houston travel to Seattle with a 2-0 lead in the series.

“In a team like this, with the pitching we have, with the defense we have, we never give up,” Altuve said. “We went out and played every single inning like it was the last inning. Putting everything we have, until Jeremy came and hit the big homer.”

KING RETURNS

Felix Hernandez threw out a ceremonial first pitch to a deafening ovation. Hernandez spent 15 seasons with the Mariners but never had the opportunity of pitching in the postseason. He won 169 games and had a career 3.42 ERA, last pitching for Seattle in 2019.

HE SAID IT

“We’re not going to forget this and coming into next year it will fuel us even more,” Seattle outfielder Jarred Kelenic said.

SMOKEY AIR

Seattle’s return to the postseason was played with a smoky haze and terrible air quality engulfing the Puget Sound region. A shift in winds and wildfire still smoldering in the Cascade Mountains created a dingy haze above T-Mobile Park. The air quality index in Seattle at first pitch registered at 161.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The post Peña’s 18th-inning HR sends Astros previous Mariners for sweep – KGET 17 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Every week,​ we​ ask all​ of our baseball​ writers​ — both the​ local​ scribes​ and the national team,​ more​ than​​ 30 writers in all — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, the TA30.

Almost every team in baseball has made their way to the quarter mark of the season, which means we’re starting to see some narratives solidify themselves. Will the Yankees and Dodgers be able to keep up their hot pace for an entire season? Will the struggling Braves manage to put it back together? Can the Orioles, boosted by the newly called-up Adley Rutschman, find a groove and creep their way out of the basement?

Steve Berman will handle the American League teams and Fabian Ardaya will cover the National League squads this week.

There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, but here’s where we stand after 40ish games.

1. New York Yankees

Record: 29-12
Last Power Ranking: 1

The Yankees got hit with a wave of setbacks over the last week. Reliever Chad Green will require Tommy John surgery and is out for the season. Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka, already struggling this season, were sent to the COVID-19 IL prior to last weekend’s doubleheader against the White Sox. And Aroldis Chapman has had his fair share of struggles. And yet, here they are in our No. 1 spot, leading the AL East by five games, with a .707 winning percentage on the books.

This seems to be their first big test of adversity this season after a hot start. Winning at this rate while firing on all cylinders is one thing. Sustaining success through injuries and illness will be another.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 27-13
Last Power Ranking: 2

Starting with last Sunday’s wild comeback win all the way to Saturday, the Dodgers had found themselves with a deficit in six of those seven games. They’d won all seven. And on Sunday, they never trailed — until Max Muncy booted a ground ball in extra innings and allowed the tying and winning runs to score in a 4-3 loss.

The Dodgers’ talent level is still shining through. Freddie Freeman has been precisely the type of hitter the Dodgers imagined he’d be, and now he’s spreading his gospel to his new teammates. He, Mookie Betts and Trea Turner have formed quite the formidable trio — which will get even more lethal the more “dangerous” Turner feels in the batter’s box.

In the last two weeks, they’ve gotten starts out of two guys making their big-league debuts (Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove), along with a versatile swingman in Mitch White making just his fifth career start. And they still have the top ERA in baseball, even with their top reliever, Blake Treinen (who the club extended on Sunday), still a ways away from a return and their ace struggling to sort out what has been, to this point, his iconic pitch. This might be the best team in baseball. Just not this week.

3. New York Mets

Record: 28-15
Last Power Ranking: 3

Max Scherzer knows his body well. So when you see him making a slashing motion to his throat to signal to the Mets dugout, as he did on Wednesday, it is cause for concern. The Mets’ worries were validated hours later.

He will miss some time. Jacob deGrom is already missing time. So is the man who replaced him in the Opening Day rotation, Tylor Megill. As is their Opening Day catcher, James McCann.

Yet the Mets are not collapsing under their seemingly annual Metsiness. They’re thriving. Pete Alonso is sending lasers to the moon. Their hefty budget has paid off in their depth, allowing them to absorb significant blows and still sit comfortably in first place.

They are doing things that good baseball teams do. They can hit. (You mean Brandon Nimmo can cut his strikeout rate by 5 percent while hitting the ball harder than ever?) They can pitch. They’ve held their own defensively. Buck Showalter has acclimated himself as well as expected, a good fit for both market and roster. Francisco Lindor is doing Francisco Lindor things.

Let’s look at their upcoming schedule and … oh. Time for a test.

@ Giants
vs. Phillies
vs. Nationals
@ Dodgers
@ Padres
@ Angels
vs. Brewers

Lastly, Starling Marte — who has endured significant tragedy over the past few years — made his return to the Mets lineup this weekend following the death of his grandmother and hit a home run on the first pitch he saw. Nick Groke told “Ponga’s” story beautifully.

4. Houston Astros

Record: 27-15
Last Power Ranking: 4

The Astros lost a series to the Red Sox last week, but things are still rosy in Houston. In the second game of the series in Boston. the Astros tied an MLB record with five home runs in an inning, all off starter Nathan Eovaldi, culminating in a 13-4 win. Plus, they were probably due for a series loss since they didn’t lose a game for nearly two weeks. Speaking of that streak, Jayson Stark had a plethora of fun facts about what the Astros accomplished earlier in May. This one stuck out above the rest:

When that Astros streak finally came to an end last Saturday with a 13-6 loss in Washington, it was more than just a loss. It was history because it meant …

Runs allowed by Astros during 11-game win streak: 12

Runs allowed by Astros in game that ended streak: 13

Which made this … the longest winning streak in history in which a team gave up fewer runs during the whole winning streak than it gave up in the game that ended that streak.

The Yankees and Astros are the only teams in the top three in fWAR for position players and pitchers, and the Astros arguably play the best defense in baseball (the metrics like them, anyway). The Astros have made the ALCS in each of the past five seasons, and at this point, it seems likely that they’ll keep that streak going in October.

5. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 26-15
Last Power Ranking: 5

This Brewers-Padres trade from 2019 is so fascinating to me:

Traded Zach Davies and Trent Grisham to the San Diego Padres. Received Eric Lauer, Luis Urías and player to be named.

Initially, this looked like a whopper for San Diego. Davies was quite good in 2020 and San Diego parlayed that into him being part of the Yu Darvish trade. Trent Grisham has been a stellar big leaguer, this year’s early struggles notwithstanding.

But Urías might be MLB’s next big star from Mexico (with some mentorship from Willy Adames). And Eric Lauer is downright shoving for a Brewers starting rotation that already has three former All-Stars (including reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes).

It’s a great challenge trade for two of the best teams in the National League this year.

Speaking of former top prospects, maybe this is the time for Keston Hiura to become the bat they hoped for. If he does, it’s an exclamation point for a Milwaukee team looking every bit the NL Central favorite they were projected to be this year. And what a treat Brewers fans have in their broadcast teams, including the ever-versatile Brian Anderson.

6. San Diego Padres

Record: 27-14
Last Power Ranking: 7

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s future at shortstop has felt like an open question for so long. His trial in the outfield last season as he dealt with a dislocated left shoulder seemed like the door creaking open. But for as well as Ha-Seong Kim is performing and how poor some of the Padres’ outfield is hitting, Dennis Lin doesn’t think that’s too likely this year. If one of your main concerns is where an MVP finalist will slot into the lineup, that’s a good problem to have.

Another good problem? Having too many solid starters. Joe Musgrove is pitching like someone ready for a heftier bank account. Having Mike Clevinger and Blake Snell back and healthy has pushed MacKenzie Gore (who looked like he’d truly arrived) to the bullpen, and that rotation now looks scary good.

This feels like the Padres team we were sold, even before Tatis comes back.

7. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 26-17
Last Power Ranking: 6

Some of the hype surrounding the Angels was quieted a bit when they got swept in Texas, but they responded by taking two of three from the A’s. This is a team with not one, not two, but three MVP candidates. Hopefully Taylor Ward, who missed both games over the weekend after colliding with the wall while making a great catch on Friday, will return soon.

The Angels aren’t perfect. Noah Syndergaard can’t hold runners on, Jo Adell didn’t hit enough to stay in the majors (especially with how he plays defense in left), and they aren’t getting much from the catching position. Anthony Rendon, so far, hasn’t been worth the money. But when you have Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and a guy who’s hitting .370 with power, and one of your most pressing issues is who should be the backup catcher, things are going fine.

8. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 24-17
Last Power Ranking: 9

All hail Brett Phillips, the most memorable outfielder who can’t really hit that this generation has produced. His lifetime slash line is .203/.287/.381 and his 2022 numbers almost mirror what he’s done in his eight-year career. But fixating on what he does at the plate is like going to an amazing taco truck and complaining about the lack of seating.

Phillips’ defense is what keeps him in the majors, but his entertainment value is off the charts. He’s made two pitching appearances this season, lobbing “fastballs” that wouldn’t be ticketed for speeding on rural country roads. His personality seems like one the Rays couldn’t bear to lose, just based on his mic’d-up segments and how he comports himself on the mound — even when Anthony Rendon takes him deep with a lefty beer-league swing. The Rays are known as one of the smartest franchises in the sport, and they keep rolling along toward yet another playoff berth, but Phillips’ presence shows that they might care about team chemistry more than you might think.

Another reason to think the Rays are more cuddly than their image as mathematical tacticians?

“We are not trying to ‘win’ trades,” Rays GM Peter Bendix told The Athletic in a recent interview. “We are trying to make our team better. If it makes the other team better at the same time, honestly, that’s great because that’s how both teams are going to win a trade, with coming away feeling happy and interested in making future trades.”

9. San Francisco Giants

Record: 22-18
Last Power Ranking: 7

It started mostly as a joke. I was covering the Angels in 2019, right after they’d acquired Tommy La Stella in a relatively minor deal that winter. He was a high contact rate kind of guy, someone to compete for the starting second-base job and hit a little, but definitely not for any thump.

Then the power came early that year. He was driving the ball. So I’d jokingly say it after each blast. “Tommy La Slugger.”

He wound up being an All-Star that year, all while still rarely striking out. He’s got some pop. But [wipes glasses] 464 feet? Even at Coors, I didn’t think he had that in him.

Turns out, swinging weighted bats and treating backspin like it’s adding juice to the dead baseballs helps. La Stella’s habits have certainly been influential on the Giants this year, from how he swings the bat to using his “Little Red Machine,” as Andrew Baggarly chronicled recently. Now the Giants seem like they really like Thairo Estrada, who they got on a waiver claim last April after all of 121 plate appearances with the Yankees.

Cue Jesse Pinkman screaming that they can’t keep getting away with this again.

10. Minnesota Twins

Record: 25-16
Last Power Ranking: 12

Carlos Correa, who was showing signs of a hot streak before he got injured, was activated off the IL last week. Great news, except that it meant another No. 1 pick got sent back to Triple A. Royce Lewis, whom the Twins took first in the 2017 draft, got demoted after hitting a homer and a double against the A’s.

When a team has the top free-agent shortstop and a shortstop who looks big-league ready, that’s a good thing. A superstar/potential star backlog at that position is rare.

Speaking of talented players, Byron Buxton isn’t hitting for average or walking much … but his isolated power (FanGraphs’ way of showing extra-base hits per at-bat) leads all of baseball. They even have the perfect hitter for the current dead-ball era. The Twins feel like a team with a very high ceiling.

11. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 22-19
Last Power Ranking: 10

Toronto had a pretty good week, taking series from the Mariners and Reds (yeah, sure, the Reds are the Reds, but the Blue Jays didn’t make the schedule). Pitching once again led the way. Starting pitching, specifically.

Their offense, which was billed as one of the best in the game heading into this season, has been middle-of-the-pack. The bullpen has performed similarly, but one of their relievers realized something important: After being prescribed glasses, it might help to actually wear them. It’s fair to expect the hitters and relievers to perform better as the season progresses.

Toronto has been buoyed by two starters who are in the top five among the betting favorites to win the AL Cy Young. I had doubts that Kevin Gausman, after a shaky end to his otherwise brilliant 2021 with the Giants, would be worth the contract he got in a more hitter-friendly park. He’s been fantastic, with a 2.52 ERA and a ridiculous 1.25 FIP, which is what happens when you only allow one homer and three walks in 50 innings.

Alek Manoah, a bro who didn’t worry about being iced before the 2019 draft, looks like a future ace for years to come, with a 1.62 ERA after eight very strong innings on Saturday. Toronto leads the league in starters’ WAR, according to FanGraphs, which is usually a good sign for teams that expect to contend.

12. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 23-18
Last Power Ranking: 11

Albert Pujols is having fun. He’s pitching. He’s stealing bases. He’s still crushing left-handed pitching. In his free time, he’s bonking teammates on the helmet (look around the 35-second mark on this clip). He’s even warming up Yadier Molina before his own pitching appearance as the Cardinals have seemingly turned to Old Timer’s Day on the mound the second they get into a blowout.

Last week: Albert Pujols pitching, Yadier Molina catching

This week: Yadier Molina pitching, Albert Pujols warming him up

@MLB pic.twitter.com/Gtll47TwCM

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) May 22, 2022

He’s also playing on a winning ball club and will get some exciting new teammates. It’s not every day that you see a club call up its top hitting and pitching prospects on the same day, but the Cardinals are proving their roster is about more than just heartwarming reunion tours and living life like it’s 2006.

The one cause for concern? Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore arrive just as Tyler O’Neill, the Cardinals’ top player in 2021 by Baseball-Reference WAR, hits the injured list with his OPS sitting at a measly .554. That’s lower than St. Louis’ winning percentage this year (.561).

13. Atlanta Braves

Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 14

It seems like the baseball world is collectively poking a stick at the Braves and saying, “C’mon, do something.”

They’re the defending World Series champions, after all, and made moves to have themselves back in the mix this summer. But it’s been a slow start, particularly for the offense.

Despite their losing record, there’s a reason they’re so high on this list. Maybe they’ve been unlucky — their BaseRuns record would have them as a winning club. And having Ronald Acuña Jr. healthy (and staying healthy) will be a boost. It could just be a matter of time.

14. Chicago White Sox

Record: 21-20
Last Power Ranking: 13

The White Sox won three of five against the Royals before sweeping Sunday’s doubleheader to take two of three against the Yankees, and Tony La Russa seems like he’s extremely confident in his team’s long-term prospects despite the team’s slightly disappointing record. It seems like he’s fully on the load management train, which isn’t one a team willingly hops on unless they think they have the firepower to make up ground during the summer months.

Michael Kopech is looking more and more like an ace with every start; he was mixing nasty breaking stuff with 100 mph fastballs on Sunday night and the Yankees had no chance. And during a tough early stretch full of injuries, a little dose of Johnny Cueto may be just what the White Sox needed.

Johnny Cueto’s Messing With Timing Windups/Overlay pic.twitter.com/RAnNiItCHp

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 17, 2022

We also recommend James Fegan’s Q&A with Tim Anderson, one of the last hitters who doesn’t seem obsessed with hitting for a high average but believes that’s how he’ll help his team the most.

15. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 15

Last week, it felt like the Phillies were the greatest lineup ever constructed. They went into Dodger Stadium and pushed around a pitching staff that entered the weekend with the best ERA in baseball. Bryce Harper looked unstoppable — except for his health.

He missed last Sunday’s finale at Dodger Stadium to receive a PRP injection in his throwing elbow, and didn’t play again until Saturday. The Phillies, coincidentally, managed just four runs in a span of four games at one point this week.

For a roster built around its ability to slug, that’s a problem.

The good news: They’ve managed to hang around even in this difficult stage of their schedule (two series each against the Mets and Dodgers along with the Mariners, Padres, Giants, Angels and Brewers) so far. If they can keep up until their schedule lightens, maybe they can make a run at it.

Speaking of: Roman Quinn might still be running from second base after his mad dash to end Sunday’s walk-off victory.

HE’S FAST, HE’S VERY FAST #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/0Sh7ND7Spw

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 22, 2022

16. Boston Red Sox

Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 21

What a difference a near-month makes. When I last handled these AL rankings, Trevor Story was a total disaster — a guy whose contract Red Sox fans were comparing to players like Pablo Sandoval.

Fast-forward to now, and Story is the guy helping the Red Sox turn the corner offensively, following up a three-homer performance on Thursday with a grand slam on Friday. It’s rare that a team has a productive week when one of the games features the team’s top starter giving up five homers in an inning, but the Red Sox won both of their series and seem like a team that’s seeing the clouds around them start to dissipate.

Another mood-lifter came from Rafael Devers, Boston’s best offensive player all season. Manager Alex Cora pumped his fist when Devers decided to do a postgame interview in English after Wednesday’s game. Though teams are generally very accepting of players wanting to conduct interviews in other languages — as they should be — the Red Sox seemed to appreciate one of their most charismatic players sharing another side of himself on Wednesday.

17. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 17-20
Last Power Ranking: 16

It was an uneventful week for the Guardians, mostly because they didn’t play much baseball. Due to scheduled off days and weather postponements, they only played four games. They won one of them and lost a little more ground in the AL Central.

COVID-19 also made things a little strange for the Guardians, who quietly have put together a strong lineup built almost completely with trades. Every week it seems like we write something about how Cleveland is a team that shows signs of making noise but will probably hang around .500 all season, and this past disjointed week didn’t change that. But they still have José Ramírez, who has finished in the top six in MVP voting in four of the past five seasons and looks primed to do so again.

T-18. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 21-22
Last Power Ranking: 17

Losing a baseball game stings, even when drawn out over the course of 162. Losing four games in a span of 42 hours while holding a lead in each game? That just seems brutal. That’s what happened when the Diamondbacks got to Dodger Stadium this week, a shock to the system after what has been a promising start.

They appear to be far better than the franchise that won just 52 games last year. They can pitch. Their lineup includes some intriguing young players, like Alek Thomas, Daulton Varsho and Pavin Smith, who are off to good starts in the big leagues. Christian Walker can certainly mash, too. Sitting at the bottom of the NL West at this point feels more like a testament to the division’s depth than it does to Arizona’s ability to compete.

What direction they go in July will be interesting. But in the meantime, they’re playing intriguing baseball.

T-18. Miami Marlins

Record: 18-22
Last Power Ranking: 18

Miami probably should have a better record than they do. They have a positive run differential. Their Pythagorean and BaseRuns records indicate they’re playing like a winning ballclub.

And it’s easy to talk yourself into that being the case. Pablo López has been one of the top starters in baseball this season, full stop. Sandy Alcántara is probably underrated among NL starters (and yes, he just tossed a complete game against the defending champs). They’re getting stellar performances out of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brian Anderson and others. Jesús Águilar, Jorge Soler and Garrett Cooper create a formidable middle of the order.

The problem? The lows on this team have been quite low. Miguel Rojas, Jacob Stallings and Avisaíl García are off to really sluggish starts. The bullpen has struggled to close out games. Get some turnarounds, and maybe the Marlins can get themselves in the NL East mix.

20. Colorado Rockies

Record: 19-21
Last Power Ranking: 20

The Rockies got Kris Bryant back this weekend. They’ll need his production to return with him (he had just a .689 OPS in 65 plate appearances before hitting the injured list). The rest of their lineup seems … fine? They’re hovering right around league average in terms of team-wide wRC+. But their homegrown pitching, a strength for them in recent years, has slipped lately. That’s how you score five or more runs in five of six games and only win one.

The Rockies have still never won a division title. At this point, I’d venture to say that every club in the division has a quicker path to winning the NL West in the coming years than Colorado has. A last-place finish this year feels extremely possible.

OK, in lighter news: Brian Serven has had one heck of a week. The Arizona State product made his big-league debut and fouled off the first pitch he saw … right to his family sitting in the ballpark.

Baseball is special

Brian Serven fouled off the 1st pitch of his 1st major league AB. Where did it end up? In the hands of his family watching him play! pic.twitter.com/Bnadf9AcRC

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 18, 2022

And then, a few nights later, he slugged a pair of home runs. I couldn’t even do that in Road To The Show.

21. Texas Rangers

Record: 18-22
Last Power Ranking: 23

Trevor Story’s disappointing start got a lot of coverage, but Marcus Semien has been far worse: .180/.243/.234 with no home runs. It’s probably not worth worrying about too much; I saw him up close when he struggled throughout the shortened 2020 season and he bounced back with 45 homers for the Blue Jays.

The Rangers have had differing degrees of success with their slumping hitters this season. They helped get Adolis García back on track by urging him to forget the adjustments he made during the offseason and go back to doing what made him dynamic in 2021. They made a similar recommendation to Kole Calhoun. Semien seems to be a more difficult nut to crack, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward isn’t worried.

“It’ll happen,” Woodward said. “There’ll be a game where everything clicks — he’ll jump on some fastballs, he’ll get back to being Marcus Semien.”

Baseball is funny. The Rangers spent a half-billion dollars on Semien and Corey Seager, and their most valuable player has been Martín Pérez, a free agent they signed for $4 million.

22. Seattle Mariners

Record: 17-25
Last Power Ranking: 19

An entertaining series win against the Mets got the Mariners off to a nice start on their East Coast road trip. Then things went from bad (they lost two of three in Toronto) to worse (they got swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox).

Hopes were high in Seattle going into this season after they signed Robbie Ray, in part because Jarred Kelenic was expected to take a step forward. But after hitting .140 and striking out in 37.5 percent of his plate appearances, Kelenic was sent to Triple A.

It’s still early — for him and the Mariners — and Seattle went on a bit of a run late in the 2021 season. But things look bad right now. How bleak? One of the questions sent to Corey Brock’s mailbag simply read, “Why am I a Mariners fan?”

23. Oakland Athletics

Record: 17-26
Last Power Ranking: 22

It seems like the first thing that comes up whenever people talk about the A’s is home attendance. It’s to the point now where TV anchors are making jokes about it. Jay Leno would probably talk about it every night if he was still on. It’s not even low-hanging fruit anymore. It’s fruit that’s been stepped on.

Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal dove into why people aren’t going to the Coliseum, touching on just about all of the important points. I’ll add one more: The A’s can’t hit.

The A’s have the worst team average (.199), on-base percentage (.268) and slugging percentage (.306) in all of Major League Baseball.

— Steve Berman (@BASportsGuy) May 17, 2022

They’ve improved slightly since then (.205/.272/.313 after Sunday), but they’re still at the bottom of the league in each category. It’s a shame for a team that has a solid pitching staff. Paul Blackburn has been great, the rest of the starters have been solid, and if last year’s team had the same bullpen depth as this squad, they would’ve made the postseason in 2021.

Fans knew this team would be subpar during this rebuilding phase. But when you’re likely to see your team do next to nothing offensively — the A’s have scored two or fewer runs in 12 of their 20 home games — it’s even harder to get jazzed about coming to the Coliseum. Unless you’re a possum.

In happier A’s news, they signed an Australian free agent who they hope to develop as an infielder and a pitcher.

24. Chicago Cubs

Record: 16-24
Last Power Ranking: 24

Arizona’s Josh Rojas entered Wrigley Field with zero home runs on the year. He left Friday with three to his name. Daulton Varsho got the Little League home run treatment the next day, too.

When the Diamondbacks are running roughshod on you at home, it’s not a great sign.

Naturally, the Cubs and their fans are already looking to better days, past and future. They honored a franchise great in Fergie Jenkins on Friday, the type of rotation workhorse we may not see again.

Conversations are already starting up around the trade deadline, where a bloodletting last season included shipping off the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Báez. Will Willson Contreras be part of it this year? Moving past that era means developing several players they’ve gotten through those trades and the draft. Caleb Killian might be a good start once he breaks through to the big club. But Ed Howard missing the rest of the season’s worth of development due to a hip injury is cause for some concern.

25. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 17-25
Last Power Ranking: 27

The past week pretty much told the story of the 2022 Orioles. They’re showing signs that they aren’t among the two or three worst teams in MLB but will probably end up in the AL East cellar again. They lost more games than they won, but one of the victories was really fun — a wild 13-inning affair in which the Rays scored two runs in the 10th and another run in the 11th and still lost 8-6. They capped the week with a 7-6 win to take two of three from Tampa Bay, too.

But we’re burying the lede here, which is … Adley Rutschman (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap), who hit a triple and walked in his major-league debut Saturday. 

26. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 16-24
Last Power Ranking: 25

When you’re engaged in the years-long project the Pirates have been in, you’re looking for bright spots. Maybe it’s a set of young prospects, like the reigning No. 1 overall pick. Maybe it’s the latest mock draft, seeing who will be next to join Henry Davis in Pittsburgh’s system.

Even the big-league club has some interesting things going on. José Quintana has been the prototypical “sign a veteran starter, hope he pans out and gets you something in July” guy through his first few starts. Ben Gamel is having a promising start to the year while getting some everyday runs. Ke’Bryan Hayes is doing Ke’Bryan Hayes things and is a true delight to watch. Bryan Reynolds helped beef up his home run totals with a ball that didn’t even leave the ballpark on Saturday night. David Bednar has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball.

Eventually, they’ll need actual results. But it’s OK to take the little slivers as they come.

27. Detroit Tigers

Record: 14-26
Last Power Ranking: 28

It seems like every team has had a load of injuries and illnesses this season, but Cody Stavenhagen’s story on Friday makes a case that the Tigers have had more than their fair share:

• A.J. Hinch, who’s trying to find the right path forward, missed a game due to a non-COVID illness.
• Austin Meadows got an inner-ear infection that caused a vertigo-induced trip to the injured list.
• One of their best relievers, Will Vest, went on the COVID-19 list.
• Eduardo Rogríguez left Wednesday’s start in the first inning with pain in his left side.

There were six more injury-related notes in the story that had nothing to do with the players just mentioned. Pray for Tarik Skubal, the only member of the Tigers’ Opening Day rotation who’s still healthy.

“Dude, let’s get some bubble wrap,” said catcher Tucker Barnhart on a recent flight. “We gotta get you away from everyone.”

28. Kansas City Royals

Record: 14-26
Last Power Ranking: 26

Does anyone else feel like there’s something unsavory about Zack Greinke getting mentioned in every story about starting pitchers who could get traded at the deadline? It feels like he should be off-limits after re-signing with Kansas City after 11 seasons with other teams.

But that’s what happens when the Royals are toiling in the bottom five of the power rankings every week and Greinke did everything to make himself better this season, as our Alec Lewis described in a story that included a gem of a quote from Gil Meche: “Dude, I’m telling you, he’s a competitive little shit.”

It’s not all gloom-and-doom in Kansas City, however. Bobby Witt Jr. seems like he’s on the cusp of a breakout. That wasn’t enough to save the hitting coach’s job, however.

29. Washington Nationals

Record: 14-28
Last Power Ranking: 29

How are you doing, Nationals fans?

The team’s defense has been the stuff of lowlight reels at multiple points this season, which is a problem (though they did turn a triple play on Friday). Their baserunning is keeping up with the defense, step for step, apparently:

Lane Thomas just got thrown out trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park homer. Dave Martinez wants to review it and they may be telling him he was too late?

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) May 21, 2022

Mind you, this was in a two-run game.

Juan Soto is in the news, which is usually good except when he’s listed in trade rumors. For a franchise that saw Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon walk out the door and traded away Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, it’s enough to bring up bad feelings, even if he’s not going anywhere just yet.

Speaking of superstars of the recent past, Turner is coming into town this week with the Dodgers. Washington’s primary return in that deal, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz, will likely be the starting battery on Tuesday, a status check on the state of this Nationals retooling.

Then there are the other lingering questions for the franchise, from ownership to front office and even the manager.

Everyone good?

30. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 12-28
Last Power Ranking: 30

[deep, extended sigh]

This is a depressing bit of history C. Trent Rosecrans dropped on us last week:

A Reds starter didn’t complete six innings in any of their first 31 games of the season, the longest such streak since 1893, when the mound was moved to 60 feet, 6 inches.

The good news is, the Reds are starting to get healthy. Joey Votto was activated off the injured list just as the club got to Toronto and he slugged his first homer of the year on Sunday in front of his hometown crowd. Luis Castillo has taken his stead back in the rotation, at least until a juicy enough offer rolls around.

Also, Hunter Greene is making some strides. First, it was the no-hit outing against the Pirates. He followed it up by pitching well on Saturday night, too. Turns out, even guys capable of throwing well over 100 mph could still benefit from amped-up usage of his breaking ball. Greene has found his slider, and he’s throwing the heck out of it.

Of course, the Reds lost that game, too. They’ve lost a lot of those this year.

(Photo: Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox via Getty Images)

The post MLB Energy Rankings: Pink Sox and Orioles are shifting up, Mariners hold sinking appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SEATTLE (dpa) John Means warf den dritten No-Hitter der Major Leagues in dieser Saison und kam bei einem dritten Treffer eines perfekten Spiels auf einen wilden Platz, als er am Mittwoch die Baltimore Orioles gegen die Seattle Mariners mit 6: 0 setzte.

Means (4-0) schlug aus 12. Seattles Sam Haggerty raste auf den ersten Platz, nachdem er auf einem Curveball im Dreck bei einem 1-2 Count mit einem Outs im dritten Inning, das von Fänger Pedro Severino wegprallte, geschlagen hatte.

Haggerty war nicht lange auf der Basis und wurde rausgeworfen, als er versuchte, den zweiten zu stehlen.

Means warf 79 Strikes auf 113 Pitches, darunter First-Pitch-Strikes auf 26 von 27 Battern. Als Seattle gegen den 28-jährigen Linkshänder Kontakt hatte, war dieser schwach und es gab keine Drohungen für einen Treffer.

Mittel senkte seinen ERA auf 1,37 und wurde der erste einzelne Orioles-Krug, der seit Jim Palmer gegen Oakland am August einen No-Hitter warf. 13, 1969. Es war der zehnte No-Hitter in der Geschichte des Franchise – sechs in Baltimore nach vier als St. Louis Browns.

Means trat einem No-Hit-Club bei, zu dem am 9. April in Texas der Rechtshänder Joe Musgrove aus San Diego und am 14. April der Linkshänder Carlos Rodon der Chicago White Sox gegen Cleveland Edelsteine ​​​​enthalten Sieben-Inning-No-Hitter gegen Atlanta am 25. April, aber das wird nicht als offizieller No-Hitter anerkannt, da das Spiel nicht mindestens neun Innings dauerte, die nach den geltenden Pandemieregeln für eine zweite Saison in Folge verkürzt wurden.

Baltimores vorheriger No-Hitter kam am 13. Juli 1991, als Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson und Gregg Olson zusammen einen 2:0-Sieg in Oakland erzielten.

Mittel hatte viel offensive Unterstützung. DJ Stewart und Ramon Urias hatten beide im dritten Inning RBI-Singles gegen Yusei Kikuchi. Pat Valaika erzielte im sechsten Inning einen Solo-Homerun gegen Kikuchi (1-2) und Trey Mancini lieferte im achten Inning einen Drei-Run-Shot gegen den Reliever Aaron Fletcher.

ROT 1, WHITE SOX 0, 10 INNNGS

CINCINNATI (dpa) – Joey Votto von Cincinnati hat sich beim Sieg der Reds über Chicago den linken Daumen gebrochen.

Votto wurde im vierten Inning von Dallas Keuchel getroffen. Votto blieb im Spiel, wurde aber in der sechsten auf der ersten Basis durch Kyle Farmer ersetzt. Es wird nicht erwartet, dass Votto operiert werden muss, aber es könnte bis zu einem Monat fehlen.

Jesse Winker erzielte im 10. Inning eine gewinnende Single, nachdem Leury Garcia aus Chicago in der oberen Hälfte beim Stehlen erwischt wurde.

Cincinnatis Sonny Gray und Keuchel werfen beide einen Shutout-Ball auf, der in sieben Innings jeweils zwei Treffer ermöglicht.

Liam Hendriks (1:1) verlor zum ersten Mal seit der Unterzeichnung eines Vierjahresvertrags über 54 Millionen US-Dollar bei den White Sox als Free Agent. Lucas Sims (1:1) holte sich den Sieg.

YANKEES 6, ASTROS 3

NEW YORK (dpa) – Giancarlo Stanton homered erneut und klopfte in vier Läufen, Aaron Hicks traf im achten Inning eine Tiebreak-Single und New York schlug Houston zum fünften Sieg in Folge.

Mit Fans in der Bronx, die Jose Altuve und mehrere andere Astros zum zweiten Mal in Folge verfluchten, erhielten die Yankees (16-14) drei Innings torloser Erleichterung von ihrem besten Bullpen der Major League und gewannen zum 10. Mal in 13 Spielen zum ersten Mal in dieser Saison zwei Spiele über .500 bewegen.

New York wird am Donnerstagnachmittag einen Drei-Spiele-Sweep versuchen, wobei Ass Gerrit Cole zum ersten Mal seit seinem Verlassen der Astros für einen 9-Jahres-Vertrag mit den Yankees über 324 Millionen US-Dollar gegen Houston vor der Saison 2020 antritt.

Jonathan Loaisiga (3:1) erzielte einen Hitless-Achten und Aroldis Chapman erzielte einen perfekten Neunten für seine siebte Parade. Brooks Raley (0-2) war der Verlierer.

CUBS 6, DODGERS 5, 11 INNINGS

CHICAGO (dpa) – Anthony Rizzo krönte Chicagos elftes Inning mit einer RBI-Single, und die Cubs schlugen das kämpfende Los Angeles, um einen Drei-Spiele-Sweep zu absolvieren.

Chicagos Matt Duffy glich es aus, als er in Willson Contreras mit einem Two-Out-Single gegen Garrett Cleavinger (0-3) fuhr. Duffy stahl den dritten und Pinch-Hitter Tony Wolters ging, bevor Rizzo einen scharfen Grounder nach links setzte.

Er wurde von Teamkollegen gemobbt, als er nach dem zweiten Treffer der Cubs in ebenso vielen Tagen vom Feld rannte. David Bote hat am Vortag in der neunten Single beim Schlummertrunk eines Doubleheaders eine gewinnende Single erzielt.

Alec Mills (2:0) gewann den Sieg, obwohl er in zwei Innings zwei Läufe aufgab. Jake Marisnick homered, und die Cubs fegten zum ersten Mal seit 2008 drei von den Dodgers im Wrigley Field.

Die Dodgers verloren zum 13. Mal in 17 Spielen.

BLUE JAYS 9, Leichtathletik 4

OAKLAND, Kalifornien (AP) – Teoscar Hernandez erzielte während Torontos fünftem achten Inning eine unentschiedene RBI-Single, und die Blue Jays schlugen Oakland.

Hernandez hatte auch eine frühere Run-Scoring-Single, bevor er gegen Lou Trivino (1:1) durchkam, der für fünf verdiente Runs markiert wurde, nachdem er in seinen ersten 15 Einsätzen in diesem Jahr insgesamt drei zugelassen hatte.

Ramon Laureano und Matt Chapman homered für Oakland und Sean Murphy hatte zwei Hits und zwei RBIs.

Die A’s (19-13) haben nach Beginn der Saison 0-6 immer noch die beste Gewinnquote in den Majors.

Jordan Romano (3-1) erkämpfte sich den Sieg mit einem perfekten siebten Platz.

KARDINÄLE 4, METS 1, 1. SPIEL

METS 7, Cardials 2, 2. SPIEL

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Tomas Nido traf einen zweifachen Homer und Jonathan Villar fügte einen Solo-Shot und eine RBI-Single hinzu, wodurch New York über St. Louis für einen Doubleheader-Split an die Macht kam.

Die Niederlage beendete eine Siegesserie von sechs Spielen für die NL Central-führenden Cardinals (19-13).

St. Louis gewann den Auftakt mit 4-1, als Paul DeJong einen Two-Run-Homer traf und Paul Goldschmidt einen Solo-Homer gegen Marcus Stroman (3-3). Kwang Hyun Kim legte vier Innings auf und kombinierte mit Ryan Hemsley (3:0), Giovanny Gallegos und Alex Reyes (neunter Save in neun Chancen) bei einem Two-Hitter.

Während die Mets früher am Tag erhebende Nachrichten erhielten, als Manager Luis Rojas sagte, dass das Ass Jacob deGrom am Sonntag in die Rotation zurückkehren könnte, hat das Schleudern von New York in seinem ersten Spiel wenig an der Platte getan, nachdem der Trainer Chili Davis gefeuert und durch Hugh Quattlebaum ersetzt wurde .

Nidos Homer hob einen Drei-Run-Zweiten gegen Johan Oviedo (0-1) hervor, einen 6-Fuß-5, 255-Pfund-Neuling, der in vier Innings vier Runs und fünf Hits zuließ.

Jordan Yamamoto (1:0) war der Verlierer.

BRAVES 5, NATIONALS 3

WASHINGTON (dpa) – Marcell Ozuna erzielte Atlantas dritten Grand Slam in vier Spielen, Max Fried schlug bei seiner Rückkehr von der Verletztenliste fünf starke Innings und die Braves schlugen Washington.

Fried (1-1) erlaubte einen Lauf und vier Treffer, schlug sechs und ging einen, wodurch er seinen ERA von 11.45 auf 8.44 senkte. Er war seit dem 14. April mit einer angespannten rechten Achillessehne pausiert.

Rookie William Contreras erzielte in seinem dritten Start seinen ersten Karriere-Homer für die Braves und ersetzte den verletzten Travis d’Arnaud beim Catcher.

Washingtons Trea Turner traf seinen Team-führenden siebten Homer, einen Drive mit zwei Durchläufen im achten Inning vor Josh Tomlin. AJ Minter lud die Bases mit zwei Outs, brachte aber Victor Robles zum Pop-out und Will Smith arbeitete den neunten für seinen sechsten Save in sechs Gelegenheiten.

Erick Fedde (2-3) war der Verlierer.

ROCKIES 6, GIANTS 5

DENVER (AP) – Jon Gray warf sechs starke Innings und half sich mit einer RBI-Single beim Sieg von Colorado über San Francisco.

Grey (4-2) erlaubte zwei Runs und vier Hits. Der Rechtshänder schlug acht und ging zwei, während er sich in fünf Heimspielen auf 4:0 verbesserte. Daniel Bard schaffte für seine dritte Parade einen wackeligen Neunten.

Brandon Crawford setzte seinen heißen Schlag gegen die Rockies mit einem zweifachen Homer im zweiten Inning fort. Crawford ist 10 für 23 mit vier Homers, sechs Walks und 10 RBIs in acht Spielen gegen Colorado in dieser Saison.

Giants-Starter Logan Webb (1-3) war der Verlierer.

Darin Ruf traf einen Two-Run-Homer für San Francisco.

PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 4

PHILADELPHIA (dpa) – Didi Gregorius erzielte seinen achten Grand Slam in seiner Karriere und Philadelphia besiegte Milwaukee zum dritten Sieg in Folge.

Die Phillies gewannen zum ersten Mal seit der Eröffnung mit 4:0 drei Spiele in Folge.

Enyel De Los Santos ließ zwei Läufer gestrandet, um den achten Platz zu beenden. Jose Alvarado kehrte von einer zwei-Spiele-Sperre zurück, weil er einen Bank-Clearing-Vorfall ausgelöst hatte, und schaffte einen torlosen neunten für seine zweite Parade.

Brandon Kintzler (2-1) warf 1 1/3 torlose Innings für den Sieg.

Gregorius’ Slam von Freddy Peralta (3-1) hob ein erstes Inning mit fünf Durchläufen hervor, und sechs Krüge bewahrten den Sieg. Gregorius hat in 86 Karrierespielen mit den Phillies drei Grand Slams erzielt.

STRAHLEN 3, ENGEL 1

ANAHEIM, Kalifornien (AP) – Brandon Lowe traf einen dreifachen Homer und Tampa Bay besiegte fünf torlose Innings von Shohei Ohtani aus Los Angeles, um die Angels zu besiegen.

Lowe ging tief, um Junior Guerra (2-1) im siebten Platz zu zentrieren, nachdem Brett Phillips das Inning mit einem Walk anführte und Willy Adames einen Single nach links abfeuerte.

Ryan Yarbrough (2-3) erlaubte einen Run auf fünf Hits in mehr als vier Innings, um den Rays zu helfen, ihren vierten Sieg in Folge zu gewinnen. Die Angels haben vier in Folge und 10 der letzten 14 verloren.

TIGERS 6, RED SOX 5, 10 INNINGS

BOSTON (AP) – Jeimer Candelario erzielte im 10. Inning einen unentschiedenen Drei-Run-Homer, und Detroit hielt Boston ab.

Robbie Grossman begann das Detroit 10. auf dem zweiten Platz und rückte mit Jonathan Schoops Leadoff-Single auf den dritten vor. Candelario ging dann tief gegen Garrett Whitlock (0-1) und schickte einen Drive nach rechts für seinen dritten Homer.

Boston hat in der unteren Hälfte zwei zurück. Marwin Gonzalez spielte in Xander Bogaerts einzeln und kam schließlich aufgrund eines Fehlers gegen den zweiten Basisspieler Willi Castro zum Tor. Aber Michael Fulmer zog Bobby Dalbec und Kike Hernandez für seine erste Karriereparade zurück.

Gregory Soto (2-1) stellte 1 1/3 Innings für den Sieg auf und ließ zwei Runs und drei Hits zu.

MARLINS 8, DIAMANTBACKS 0

MIAMI (AP) – Adam Duvall erzielte seinen fünften Homerun und beendete ihn mit vier RBIs, Miguel Rojas erzielte dreimal und fünf Miami Pitcher verstreuten fünf Treffer, um die Marlins über Arizona zu führen.

Duvall verbunden für einen Drei-Run-Homer in einem Vier-Run-Zweiten von Luke Weaver (1-3), Duvalls erster Home-Run in 19 Spielen.

Rojas war 2 für 3 und fuhr in zwei Läufen für Miami, das mit 13-16 unter 0,500 blieb, aber das einzige Team in der NL East ist, das Gegner übertroffen hat. Von dem Plus-18-Differenzial der Marlins waren 14 in den beiden Spielen dieser Serie, die mit einem 9-3 Sieg begann.

Jordan Holloway (1:0), der zweite Marlins-Pitcher in einem Bullpen-Spiel, ließ zwei Treffer zu und strich drei in drei Innings.

INDIANER 5, KÖNIGLICHE 4

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) – Josh Naylor homered im neunten Inning und schickte Cleveland an Kansas City vorbei.

Naylor begrüßte Wade Davis (0-1) mit einem Leadoff Drive nach rechts für seinen zweiten Homer. Nick Wittgren (2:1) schlug die Mannschaft im achten Achter zum Sieg, und James Karinchak arbeitete den neunten für seine dritte Parade.

Cleveland lag nach fünf Innings mit 4:0 zurück. Es hat sich gesammelt, um in den ersten drei Spielen des Vier-Spiele-Sets zu gewinnen.

Das indische Ass Shane Bieber erlaubte vier Runs, drei verdiente und neun Hits in sechs Innings. Er schlug neun, um seinen Rekord in der Major League auf 19 Spiele in Folge mit mindestens acht Spielen zu erweitern.

PADRES 4, PIRATEN 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Jake Cronenworth traf im sechsten Inning eine grüne Single mit zwei Durchläufen und San Diego schlug Pittsburgh.

Mark Melancon erzielte den neunten Platz für seine elfte Parade in der Big League in elf Chancen. Craig Stammen (2-1) holte das Finale aus dem Sechsten für den Sieg, um Yu Darvish zu entlasten.

Cronenworths grünes Licht kam ein halbes Inning, nachdem Darvish eine Führung mit zwei Durchläufen aufgegeben hatte und mit einem Punktestand von 2 verfolgt wurde. Darvish berücksichtigte die Entscheidung nicht, sondern schlug acht in 5 2/3 Innings, während er sechs Treffer zuließ und ein Spaziergang.

Duane Underwood Jr. (1-1) nahm den Verlust hin.

RANGERS 3, ZWILLINGE 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Hyeon-Jong Yang machte seinen ersten Start in der Major League nach 14 Jahren in der Korea Baseball Organization und brachte Texas bei einem Sieg über Minnesota zu einem starken Start.

Yang, der ehemalige KBO-MVP, schlug sieben der ersten neun Schläge, denen er gegenüberstand, und acht insgesamt in 3 1/3 Innings. Nachdem Yang zu Beginn dieser Saison nach zwei Entlastungseinsätzen einen Punktstart gemacht hatte, gab er vier Treffer auf.

John King (3-1) holte sich den Sieg zu Gunsten von Yang und gab in 2 2/3 Innings nur zwei Hits auf. Ian Kennedy erzielte seine neunte Parade.

Lewis Thorpe (0-1) nahm den Verlust hin.

—

Mehr AP-MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB und https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Schließen

Eine Korrektur vorschlagen Correct

Eine Korrektur vorschlagen Correct

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The west coast wildfires have created all sorts of unusual sights, including baseball, which was played last week in San Francisco and Oakland amid an orange sky and falling ash. (The Giants later postponed two weekend games, but that was a COVID-19 test that turned out to be false positive.) Although the landscape there was threatening, the air quality in the Bay Area was reportedly safe point (it’s been worse since then and is now “one of the worst in the world”) so the games went on. But Monday brought with it what was perhaps a more worrying situation in Seattle when the Mariners double-headed the A’s, despite clouds of haze and numerous air quality warnings:

Quite hazy in T-Mobile Park, but the game as double header with A starts as planned at 2:10 p.m. PT. pic.twitter.com/9kpFe48pRg

– Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) September 14, 2020

Air quality measurements in the early morning. Most of the places are very unhealthy or dangerous. No publication of the latest smoke model run with a model that underestimates current smoke in the region. System offshore weakening today. Less chance of showers and lighter winds = little improvement in smoke. #wawx pic.twitter.com/1s6OPmozaa

– NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) September 14, 2020

Some players wore masks during the game, including A’s midfielder Ramón Laureano. He made a great catch while holding his mask on:

We wouldn’t believe it either if it wasn’t Ramón #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/albQjN8yTv

– Oakland A’s (@Athletics) September 14, 2020

Meanwhile, many Seattle businesses (which have not yet closed due to COVID-19) closed on Monday, and local officials have given encouragement to stay indoors (via Capitol Hill Seattle):

Air quality is going to be unhealthy, very unhealthy and dangerous in most parts of West Washington today due to the abundance of smoke near the surface. Very unhealthy to dangerous air quality means everyone should stay indoors. Avoid all strenuous activities. If it’s not too hot, close windows and doors, set the air conditioner to recirculation, and use a HEPA air filter if possible. People with heart or lung disease, or people who have had a stroke, should consult their doctor to get out of the area and wear a properly fitted breathing mask if they need to go outdoors. Obey fire bans and evacuation orders.

Here are some more quotes from Dr. Phil Swartzendruber of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency on local radio site MyNorthwest.com:

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency recommends staying indoors as much as possible with the windows closed.

Dr. Phil Swartzendruber of the agency told CBS that people are essentially inhaling microscopic tar and creosote, similar to what could build up in your chimney.

“That’s exactly what the smoke is,” said Swartzendruber. “So it goes deep into the lungs and goes into the lungs. This can make the system worse and place stress on the heart and lungs. “

According to the National Weather Service, the current air quality alert for the region has been extended to Thursday. That could mean that the Giants’ scheduled games against the Mariners on Tuesday and Wednesday do not go particularly well.

It is fairly understandable why everything is being done to play these games. The shortened season this year and the adjustments made thanks to COVID-19 postponements have created quite a schedule crisis for many teams. This includes the A’s, who currently play four games in 57 hours in three cities. They lost to the Texas Rangers at Arlington on Sunday in a game that started at 2:40 p.m. Eastern. Then they flew to Seattle for a makeup double-header from games that were postponed September 1-2, and then flew to Denver (8:40 p.m. East) for an evening game against the Rockies tomorrow . So there is no easy way for them to invent these games if they were moved again, and there is no indication that the air in Seattle is getting better anytime soon. And on Monday afternoon, the air in Seattle has improved slightly thanks to some rain showers, so it’s not quite as bad as it was earlier in the day.

At the same time, there are definitely some concerns about playing games with such poor air quality. As Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle wrote on Monday, A manager Bob Melvin mentioned that team and league officials are concerned when the air quality index is above 200 (“very unhealthy”), as indicated by the NWS Seattle tweet above , the AQI was over 300 (“dangerous”) in much of Seattle early Monday. So there are certainly some potential problems there. And these problems can continue this week.

[The San Francisco Chronicle; photo via Joe Nicholson of USA Today Sports]

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]]> https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/regardless-of-keep-indoors-smoke-recommendation-the-mariners-and-as-are-nonetheless-taking-part-in/feed/ 0 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/pamplin-media-group-diamond-beat-mariners-take-two-of-three-from-giants/ https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/pamplin-media-group-diamond-beat-mariners-take-two-of-three-from-giants/#respond Tue, 04 May 2021 09:06:08 +0000 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/?p=4583 April 1-4: Seattle beat SF 4-0 on Saturday; Ducks win softball tilt at Corvallis; Beaver baseball falls on Utes. Diamond Beat is the place to find results and updates on baseball and softball action in the area, including coverage of the Seattle Mariners, as well as college baseball and softball. SATURDAY 3TH APRIL Pro baseball …

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April 1-4: Seattle beat SF 4-0 on Saturday; Ducks win softball tilt at Corvallis; Beaver baseball falls on Utes.

Diamond Beat is the place to find results and updates on baseball and softball action in the area, including coverage of the Seattle Mariners, as well as college baseball and softball.

SATURDAY 3TH APRIL

Pro baseball

Mariners 4, Giants 0 – Five pitchers combined with six hits in a shutout when Seattle won the season opening series rubber match with three games at T-Mobile Park. Mitch Hanniger and Ty France hit solo homer and Hanniger also doubled up for Seattle, which had six extra base hits and two singles. The Mariners starting pitcher Chris Flexen hit six, went two, and allowed four hits over five innings to claim the win.

Sunday: No game.

Play on Monday: White Sox at Mariners, 7:05 p.m.

College baseball

Utah 5, Oregon State 3 – In Corvallis, Jake Dukart doubled up twice and drove for the Beavers in two runs, but the Utes won the last game of a three-game Pac-12 series in the fifth inning thanks to four inexperienced runs.

Oregon 2-6, New Mexico State 1-1 – At PK Park, Cullen Kafka (12 strikeouts) and Brett Walker (13 strikeouts) ducks took off in the non-conference, double-headed sweep of a four-game game beaten sweeping the aggies. Oregon pitchers hit 33:20 in the second game that day.

Portland 3, Saint Mary’s 0 – Left-handed Brad McVay threw seven innings with eight strikeouts and five hits. Newcomer Sam Brown went 3 to 4 with a home run for the pilots (13-13, 6-3, WCC).

College softball

Oregon 4, Oregon State 3 – The ducks held the beavers back to play three out of four games at Corvallis, including two out of three that count in the Pac-12 standings.

Oregon’s Brooke Yanez hit 12 over 5.1 innings and Makenna Kliethermes pulled the last five Beavers back in sequence. The Ducks (26-2, 5-1 Pac-12) got a home run from Rachel Cid, who had two of their eight hits. Mya Felder delivered a single for Oregon with two outs and two runs in the top third. OSU received solo home runs from Frankie Hammoude and Missy Nunes in the sixth inning to draw within 4-3. Bailey McLaughlin also faced the Beavers (14-14, 3-6).

# 3 Oregon is expected to host the UCLA # 2 for four games starting Friday, April 9th.

FRIDAY APRIL 2nd

Pro baseball

Giants 6, Mariners 3 – The Mariners had a solid start from Yusei Kikuchi (six innings, 10 strikeouts, three runs earned), but the Giants scored three runs with two outs on seventh off-reliever Drew Steckenrider to help build the lead revolt. Donovan Solano went 3: 5 with the starting double in San Francisco in seventh place.

After four seasons with the LA Angels, Portland native (and Milwaukie High Grad) Keynan Middleton threw 1 1/3 goalless innings on his Mariners debut.

Game on Saturday: Giants at Mariners, 6:10 p.m.

College baseball

Oregon State 17, Utah 3 – Jacob Melton hit three of Oregon State’s five home runs, including a grand slam in the seventh inning in the Beavers’ win at Corvallis.

Oregon 8, State of New Mexico 2 – Robert Ahlstrom threw six solid innings and didn’t allow a deserved run. The Ducks scored three hits in the third and fourth innings of the Nonleague win at Eugene.

St. Mary’s 14, Portland 2 – The Pilots fell 12-13, 5-3 in the WCC game, losing in Moraga, California.

College softball

Oregon State 8, Oregon 1 – At the Pac-12 competition in Corvallis, Beavers’ pitcher Mariah Mazon limited the ducks to three hits and hit seven. She also had three hits and three RBIs.

Oregon 4, Oregon State 0 – In Friday’s second game that didn’t count in the Pac-12 game, Oregon’s Brooke Yanez threw a three-hit shutout with seven spikes for the Ducks.

THURSDAY APRIL 1st

Pro baseball

Mariners 8, Giants 7 – Seattle opened its season with a walk-off win. A real companion. The Mariners drew three runs from Giants’ pitcher Jose Alvarez at the end of the 10th to end a game they left 5-0 and 6-1. An eight-time, eight-time inning with three hits, three walks and one major SF mistake got Seattle going. The woman had only five hits – the largest a single with two runs in the eighth inning by Dylan Moore (three RBIs) – but benefited from nine walks and a batsman.

Friday game: Giants at Mariners, 7:10 p.m.

College baseball

Portland 4, Saint Mary’s 3 – Ty Saunders’ RBI single on top of the 13th won it for the visiting pilots.

Oregon State 4, Utah 3 – Jake Mulholland combined the Oregon State record with his 37th career rescue. Jake Dukart went 4 for 4 and the beavers used a fifth run to outperform the visiting utes.

Oregon 5, New Mexico State 0 – Four pitchers combined in a three-hit shutout for the No. 19 Ducks.

College softball

Oregon 2, Oregon State 0 – Brooke Yanez threw a three-hit shutout with 15 spikes as Oregon, ranked third, beat Oregon State 2-0 in a four-game run at Corvallis. Haley Cruse scored a leadoff home run and scored an insurance run for the Ducks in the seventh (24-1, 4-0 Pac-12). Mariah Mazon hit nine and had two of the hits for the Beavers (13-12, 2-5).

The series continues with two games on Friday, the first of which is a Pac-12 game that starts at 2 p.m. (Pac-12 Network).

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