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officialsbaseball  
#1 Posted : Wednesday, November 14, 2018 11:34:17 AM(UTC)
officialsbaseball

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Mike Fiers has been nothing short of spectacular since the Oakland Athletics acquired him from the Detroit Tigers in a waiver deal Aug. 6.On Sunday http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-panik-jersey , the veteran right-hander tries to put a stop to Oakland’s mini-skid when he goes against the Tampa Bay Rays in the finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.By losing Saturday night, the A’s dropped their second tight decision in the last three games, which qualifies as a slump for one of the hottest teams in baseball.Article continues below ...They lost to the Rays, another hot team, meaning the series is on the line Sunday. But there’s more — a LOT more — at stake than just the series in this finale.Saturday’s loss kept the A’s from getting back to within a half-game of the losing New York Yankees for home-field advantage in the wild-card game. It also dropped Oakland 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West.In a game that featured the first matchup of “openers,” or relievers starting games worked by the bullpen, Oakland rallied for two runs in the seventh inning to pull into a 4-4 tie but then lost 7-5 – their fourth setback in six games against the Rays this season. Jake Bauers’ three-run homer was the winner.Diego Castillo will again be the “opener” for the Rays on Sunday — after Saturday’s game saw Tampa Bay improve to 27-19 when starting a reliever.The Rays, 19-5 in their last 24 games and 13-3 in their last 16 home games, kept their slight chances of catching the A’s for the second wild card as they are eight games out.Fiers is 5-0 with a 2.72 ERA, has 42 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings and has the opposition batting .208 against him in seven starts with the Athletics. He is 12-6 with a 3.29 ERA overall on the season, and comes in 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in four career starts against the Rays.He has a 7.31 ERA in three starts at the Trop and has not worked against Tampa Bay this season.The A’s went to the “opener” because of Trevor Cahill’s back issue and may have to use the new system again Tuesday or Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels.They rallied to tie and had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth inning before a strike-three call on Marcus Semien kept the score tied. The rally went nowhere and manager Bob Melvin was ejected by umpire Larry Vanover after the inning.“Obviously, I thought it was outside or I wouldn’t have been arguing like I did,” Melvin said. “It is what it is. … He’s trying to grind through that at-bat (nine pitches) and drive in a run, you get a call that’s not a strike and now you don’t have the advantage where we were.”Bauers snapped a 5-for-63 slump with three hits and four RBIs.Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash talked before the game about the use of the reliever in the first inning and said it has helped Castillo and Ryne Stanek.“I don’t think going into it we put the greatest emphasis on the actual opener Willie McCovey Jersey ,” he said. “I think we’ve learned as the season has kind of evolved that that’s just as important, and it’s helped those guys’ psyche when they get on the mound. And hopefully it helps their psyche when they get on the mound in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning. Ryne and Diego both, they’ve gotten big outs in different roles.”‘The San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday that the A’s will not be welcomed back in Nashville, with speculation on a move of their Triple-A club to Las Vegas, soon to also be the home of the Raiders. Las Vegas finished an agreement with the New York Mets this month. TORONTO (AP) — In one productive inning, Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez snapped the longest homer drought of his career and boosted his season RBI total by 50 percent.Perez hit his first home run since April 10 and drove in a career-high four, Michael Brantley had a two-run shot and the Indians outslugged the Toronto Blue Jays 9-8 on Saturday, helping Cleveland inch closer to clinching a playoff berth.The Indians dropped their magic number to five for a third straight AL Central title.All of Perez’s RBIs came in Cleveland’s seven-run fifth inning. He began the outburst with a leadoff drive off right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, snapping a 50-game drought. Three batters later, Brantley connected, his 15th. Blue Jays pitchers issued five walks in the inning, including four straight at one stretch, the last of which was a bases-loaded walk to Jason Kipnis. Perez followed with a three-run double.“It feels good http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-mel-ott-jersey ,” Perez said. “I’ve been working hard every day, coming in and doing my routine, and it’s paying off. It was just a matter of time. It’s been a long season. Hopefully I turn it on from now on.”Perez raised his average from .148 to .157 and increased his RBI total from eight to 12.“He put together one heck of a day,” Indians right-hander Adam Plutko said. “Even behind the dish, he stopped a few balls late in the game. He did a great job today.”Brantley returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games because of a sore left foot and went 2 for 4 with two walks.“We knew he was OK but it’s always nice to have him,” manager Terry Francona said.Josh Tomlin (1-5) got two outs for the win and Cody Allen, Cleveland’s seventh pitcher of the game, pitched around a one-out double in the ninth to earn his 26th save.Randal Grichuk homered twice for the Blue Jays, his fourth career multihomer game, and Rowdy Tellez hit his first career homer. The Blue Jays lost despite outhitting the Indians 18-11.“A little bit of a crazy game,” Francona said.Reid-Foley (1-3) made his fourth career start and allowed six runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked a season-high five and struck out three.“If I have to trip on a couple of curbs and learn from it, I still have to keep my head up and have fun,” Reid-Foley said.Justin Shafer relieved and threw 10 consecutive balls. Perez’s bases-clearing double came on Shafer’s 12th pitch.Grichuk connected off Adam Plutko in the third, and he and Tellez chased Plutko by going back-to-back in the fifth. Grichuk’s homers were his 20th and 21st.The home run was Tellez’s seventh extra-base hit Hunter Pence Jersey , the most by any player over his first four games since 1913.“It’s one of those surreal moments that you just dream about,” Tellez said. “It was pretty cool to do it here in front of the home fans.”Plutko matched his career worst by allowing five runs and gave up a career-high nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.Aledmys Diaz had four hits for Toronto, including three doubles.18 ISN’T ENOUGHThe Blue Jays lost a game in which they had 18 or more hits for the first time since a 10-inning road defeat to the Yankees on Sept. 22, 2007. The Indians won when allowing 18 or more hits for the first time since Aug. 23, 2006.SEVEN UPCleveland has had six seven-run innings this season, including three against Toronto.CRAZY EIGHTTellez is the first Blue Jays player with eight hits in his first four games. Danny Ainge, Aaron Hill, Lloyd Moseby and Travis Snider each had seven.TRAINER’S ROOMIndians: Josh Donaldson (left calf) made his second straight start at third base for Double-A Akron and went 1 for 3 in five innings. Donaldson will work out with the Indians in Tampa Bay on Monday and could be activated off the disabled list Tuesday.UP NEXTIndians RHP Mike Clevinger (10-7, 3.17) faces Blue Jays LHP Thomas Pannone (1-1, 4.58) in Sunday’s series finale. Clevinger has won four straight decisions and is unbeaten since July 28 at Detroit. Pannone, a former Indians minor leaguer, will make his third major league start in place of injured RHP Marcus Stroman (blister).
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