Opening Night, 3/31/14 VS. Cleveland

Here is the first of what hopes to be many blog posts on the Oakland A's this season.

Sonny Gray VS. Justin Masterson on the hill, A's in the gold jerseys, Indians in visitor gray

1st inning: Sonny Gray looks shaky to start. His fastball isn't locating, but the change and curve are keeping things close. Mike Winters has a small zone behind the plate. One strikeout along the way, stranding runners at 1st and 3rd. In the home half, Masterson works quickly and efficiently, throwing just nine pitches. -- 0-0 after one
2nd inning: Great play by Eric Sogard to snag a grounder up the middle to start the top of the second. Another good stop up the middle by Sogard, diving, but cannot make the throw. Low strike three call -- we'll take it! Swing and a miss strike three -- two Ks in the inning for Gray. In the bottom half, Yoenis Cespedes strikes out swinging, looking bad on a slider high and outside. John Jaso laces a double just inside the first base line, but is stranded when Josh Reddick flies out to left center. -- 0-0 after two
3rd inning: Efficient third inning for Gray, getting a ground out, pop out, and ending it with a strikeout as the top of the lineup goes down 1-2-3. 59 pitches through three. Another slow start to the bottom of the inning, but Coco Crisp ropes a single to center with two outs. Donaldson hits an easy grounder to short to force Coco at second and end the inning. -- 0-0 after three
4th inning: Carlos Santana walks and Michael Brantley doubles down the right field line, runners at 2nd and 3rd. Big strikeout with runners on, followed by a comebacker that gets Santana caught in a doggie -- two outs with runners and 1st and 3rd. Ground out to second to end the threat. Nothing doing in the A's half, as Masterson is through four with just 49 pitches to Gray's 79.-- 0-0 after four
5th inning: After a Yan Gomes single and a Nyjer Morgan sacrifice, Gray gets Nick Swisher looking on a slow curve. Jason Kipnis grounds it hard down the first base line, but a nice play and flip by Daric Barton to Gray ends the half inning. Gray has 6 Ks through five. Another 1-2-3 inning for Masterson, as he has now retired seven in a row. Pitch counts: Gray - 90, Masterson 64. -- 0-0 after five
6th inning: Dan Otero has begun throwing in the Oakland pen. Santana battles an eight-pitch at-bat before the vast foul ground at O.co Coliseum results in a pop-out to Barton. Brantley ropes the first pitch to the wall in center. Thankfully Reddick backs up Coco, limiting Brantley to a double. Ryan Raburn hits a single to right, but Brantley knows better than to test the arm of Reddick, resulting in runners at 1st and 3rd, one out. Asdrubal Cabrera hits a comebacker off Gray's leg, throw made to the plate and Brantley is called out. Discussion is had about Jaso blocking the plate and Winters initiated the challenge - first umpire to do so -- first challenge ever for the Indians and A's. The call is confirmed -- two outs with runners on 1st and 2nd. Gray gets David Murphy swinging to end another threat. For the A's, Sogard walks and Coco lays down a sacrifice bunt to put Sogard at 2nd with one out. Donaldson singles up the middle, but Sogard has to hold to make sure it drops -- runners at 1st and 3rd, one out. Wild pitch advances Donaldson to second. Lowrie hit one back to Masterson and is thrown out. Brandon Moss hits one to left center, but is caught, ending the scoring chance. Pitch counts: Gray 105, Masterson 80. -- 0-0 after six
7th inning: Luke Gregerson makes his Oakland debut with a three-pitch strikeout to start the seventh. Gray's night ends with 6 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 7 K, 3 BB. Gregerson strikes out Swisher to end the top half of the inning. Cespedes leads off the home half of the seventh with a looping out to left on the first pitch. Jaso and Reddick both go down swinging. Pitch counts: Gregerson 9, Masterson 92. -- 0-0 after seven
8th inning: Sean Doolittle is in for the A's. Kipnis singles to right. Doolittle strikes out Brantley and Raburn, both swinging, to end the top half of the inning. Marc Rzepczynski is in or the Tribe. Barton singles to center to start things off for Oakland. Nick Punto hits for Sogard and flies out. Cody Allen now in to pitch for Cleveland and throws a wild pitch, advancing Barton. Coco works a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with one out. Donaldson hits one off the very top of the center field fence, forcing runners to stay, loading the bases with one out. Jed Lowrie goes down swinging - two outs. Moss gets a good piece and hits it to first, but it is snagged by Swisher to end the threat. Pitch counts: Doolittle 20, Allen 20 -- 0-0 after eight
9th inning: Jim Johnson makes his A's debut to start the ninth. Cabrera walks on five pitches and Murphy singles to right, putting runners at 1st and 3rd, no outs. Johnson hits Gomes on the left elbow, loading the bases with no one out. Morgan hits a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Cabrera and moving runners to 1st and 3rd, one out. Cleveland leads 1-0. John Axford warms up for the Indians. Swisher singles to center, scoring Murphy, making it 2-0 Cleveland with runners on 1st and 2nd, one out. Fernando Abad in to pitch for the Athletics. Abad strikes out Kipnis and then induces a grounder to end the top of the ninth - 2-0 Indians. John Axford is in for Cleveland. Cespedes flies to center for out number one in the bottom of the ninth. Jaso takes a walk. Reddick goes down swinging. Jaso takes 2nd on defensive indifference. Barton walks on five pitches - runners at 1st and 2nd, two outs. Punto strikes out swinging to win the game. Indians 2-0.

The A's lose their 10th straight season opener, setting an MLB record.

Diamond City Park Renovations, Day 10

Monday, May 6, 2013

Today saw some repairs to the big wall in left field, work on the horseshoe pits, and some weeding and watering of Diamond City Park (DCP).

Mike Peck and his son Andy were able to help cut some wood up to make the frame for the horseshoe pits.  The wood piece were also attached to each other and will be installed in the ground tomorrow.

Matt Morgan helped to caulk the left field wall of DCP in preparation for painting tomorrow.

Weeds were pulled in the warning track and the grass was watered, too -- something that will occur regularly up through Friday evening.


Thanks to Matt Morgan, Mike Peck, and Andy Peck for the work, and for Tom Nahill for hooking us up with a great local charity that we hope to be working with in the future!

Diamond City Park Renovations, Day 9

Check back for this update in the next few days.

Diamond City Park Renovations, Day 8

Check back for this update in the next few days.

Diamond City Park Renovations, Day 7

Check back for this update in the next few days.

Diamond City Park Renovations, Day 6

Tuesday, April 25, 2013

Today was another day that resulted in sore muscles, but the effort proved to be worth it as field #3 was able to be completed!

For starters, the dirt was placed on the pitcher's mound and pounded down using our new tamp, as well as the roller.  The home plate circle was outlined and cut out, making way for the baseball dirt to be placed there, too.  Extra dirt was also added to all base areas, since they settled following yesterday's rain.

It feels good knowing that we have two fields prepared for Saturday, May 11th, but there is still one to go!  Next week should bring a completed field #2, as well as the possibility of digging and completing the horseshoe pits for the charity tournament, as well!

Thanks to Matt Morgan, Deidre Kling, and Kyle Fedor for the work today!

Diamond City Park Renovations, Day 5

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Digging was the name of the game today, and should be for several more work days to come.  In addition, some lawn care was done before the rain came later in the work day.

The pitcher's mound of field #3 was dug out and prepared for dirt tomorrow.  The mound is an eight-foot diameter circle which required a lot of muscle and sweat to clear out.  It was prepped entirely for dirt before the rain came.

A fertilizer/herbicide combo was used in conjunction with the hose to spray all of the grass within Diamond City Park to help rid the area of lots of dandelions, as well as to help the new grass seed develop more firmly.

Thanks to Matt Morgan, Kelly Chamberlain, and Deidre Kling for their hard work before the rains came!