Tag Archives: MLB

Oakland Athletics

Langeliers right at home with Texas-sized 3-HR night

April 9th, 2024

By: Dave Sessions (MLB.com)

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ARLINGTON — Before Tuesday’s game at Globe Life Field was an impromptu college reunion, with three former Baylor University baseball teammates taking pictures together in their big league uniforms. On the field — roughly 100 miles north of their alma mater — were A’s catcher Shea Langeliers, Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford and Rangers third baseman Davis Wendzel, who would make his Major League debut hours later.

Among the three, there was no doubting who the big man on campus was, at least on this night. Langeliers homered three times and drove in all four of the Athletics’ runs in their 4-3 victory over the Rangers.

All three of Langeliers’ dingers were tape-measure shots at critical moments in the game. The first, a Statcast-projected 404 feet into the left-field seats, tied the game in the second inning. Langeliers’ second solo shot cleared the fence in front of the center-field batter’s eye, 427 feet from the plate. And his ninth-inning, two-run blast off Rangers closer José Leclerc sailed into the Oakland bullpen, 405 feet from home.

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Shea Langeliers’ solo home run (2)

“It always feels good to get something like that, when you’re seeing the ball that good,” Langeliers said. “It’s one of those nights — I was seeing the ball really well, putting good swings on pitches in the zone, guys [were] grinding out at-bats and luckily, I came through for the team tonight.”

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Shea Langeliers’ second solo home run (3)

With his first career three-homer game, Langeliers propelled the A’s to their first three-game winning streak of 2024. During its 2023 campaign, Oakland didn’t win three consecutive games until June.

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Shea Langeliers’ two-run go-ahead homer (4)

Langeliers became the second player in Athletics franchise history to hit three homers as the starting catcher, joining Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane (May 21, 1925, at St. Louis Browns). Langeliers continues to improve at the plate; last year, his first as Oakland’s everyday catcher, he got better as the year went on, with an OPS of .752 in the second half following a .633 mark in the first half.

“He grinded through a year where he really worked hard at the defensive side but also finished up his offensive side pretty well in September,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “For him to start April out the way he has, it’s a really good sign.”

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Field View: Shea Langeliers’ third homer vs. Rangers

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In a battle of Opening Day starting pitchers Tuesday, Oakland’s Alex Wood stood toe to toe with Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi until Wood’s calf cramps led to his early departure from the game. Wood was generally effective, allowing two runs in four innings, but after he recorded the first out of the fourth, A’s athletic trainers and coaches jogged out to speak with him and Wood threw a few warmup tosses to determine if he could continue. He did, but only for two more batters, as Mitch Spence relieved him to start the fifth.

“I felt it [on] my second-to-last hitter, probably like my last seven pitches, every time I went to push off the rubber, it kept grabbing,” Wood said of the cramp.

Other than Langeliers, few in the Athletics’ lineup had much to offer offensively. Oakland hitters struck out 13 times against Eovaldi and three Rangers relievers, and the A’s mustered only five hits total. But relievers Spence and Michael Kelly kept the Athletics close and rookie fireballer Mason Miller earned his first career save with a scoreless ninth.

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Mason Miller seals the win with his first career save

Miller didn’t have any sense he was headed in to try and slam the door shut on a win until Langeliers’ game-winning homer zeroed in on the A’s bullpen.

“I’m proud of it, for sure,” Miller said of the save. “We’ve been waiting for a save opportunity to come through. It took a little bit — but going out there tonight, getting ready quick, obviously Shea coming up huge … I didn’t have a lot of time to think. So it was good.

“We were joking down there [in the bullpen], ‘Just get Shea up one more time.’ And we did, so coming into a moment like that was exciting, and I was glad to come through for the guys.”

San Francisco Giants

Conforto’s 3rd homer in 5 games not enough to spark Giants

By : Maria Guardado

@mi_guardado

LOS ANGELES — Michael Conforto was one of the San Francisco Giants‘ biggest free-agent additions last season, but he’s flown more under the radar following the arrival of several newcomers like Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler this year.

Despite the lack of fanfare, Conforto has quickly emerged as one of the club’s hottest hitters to start the year.

Conforto continued his early-season power surge by crushing his team-high third home run in five games, but it wasn’t enough in an 8-3 loss to the Dodgers in Monday night’s series opener at Dodger Stadium.

The Giants were held scoreless by left-hander James Paxton through the first five innings before Conforto put them on the board with a towering solo shot off reliever Ryan Brasier in the top of the sixth. Conforto fell behind 0-2, took a ball and fouled off two straight sliders before yanking the next one just inside the right-field foul pole for a 384-foot blast that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.

“I caught it pretty flush and there was pretty good spin on it, so not much hook,” Conforto said. “It was the third straight slider, so my third chance on it. I put a pretty good swing on it and kept it fair.”

Conforto’s homer provided a brief spark, but the Giants couldn’t cash in on multiple scoring opportunities, finishing 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 on base. San Francisco’s bullpen couldn’t keep it close after that, as Teoscar Hernández broke the game open with a three-run homer off submariner Tyler Rogers in the bottom of the sixth.

The Dodgers also tacked on a pair of insurance runs against right-hander Nick Avila, who gave up RBI knocks to Mookie Betts and Will Smith after coming in to make his Major League debut in the seventh.

San Francisco’s bullpen has now allowed 20 runs over 18 innings, resulting in a Major League-high 10.00 ERA over the first five games of the season. Every reliever aside from Landen Roupp has given up at least one run thus far, though the group is light on experience after introducing four rookies — Avila, Roupp, Erik Miller and Kai-Wei Teng — into the mix early this year.

“We can be better,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We also have some guys coming, and that’s going to be key for us. Whether it’s Blake [Snell], whether it’s Alex [Cobb]. Certainly Robbie Ray down the road. Closing games out is going to be key for us.”

The latest late-inning stumble overshadowed a solid season debut for rookie right-hander Keaton Winn, who gave up three runs over five innings in his 10th career Major League appearance (his sixth start). Winn struck out six and walked one while leaning on his trademark splitter, which he threw 42% of the time and used to induce seven of his 14 whiffs. He also topped out at 98.2 mph with his fastball and mixed in 20 sliders, one shy of his entire total from the 2023 campaign.

Winn missed time with mild right elbow inflammation at the beginning of Spring Training, but he managed to recover in time to earn a spot on the Giants’ Opening Day roster. He drew a tough assignment in his first appearance of the season, as he was tasked with taking on a Dodgers lineup that features perhaps the most vaunted top of the order in the Majors in Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freeman. The trio didn’t disappoint on Monday, combining to go 6-for-11 with three RBIs and six runs scored.

“That’s a lot of high-powered guys, for sure,” Winn said. “You’ve really got to focus up and make pitches, especially the first five guys.”

While the Giants’ lineup couldn’t break through against Paxton on Monday, Conforto’s hot start bodes well for their ability to put together better offensive showings in the future. The 31-year-old left fielder underwhelmed at the plate last season after missing the entire 2022 campaign due to right shoulder surgery, but he already looks like he’s in a better offensive rhythm after going through a rehab-free Spring Training this year.

“It’s a good start,” Conforto said. “There’s a lot of good things. There’s still some at-bats that I feel like I’m missing some pitches and could get some things going and get on base a little bit more. But overall, it’s nice to see the ball leave the ballpark. I’m just going to keep working and trying to put together great at-bats and help the team win.”

Conforto didn’t get a chance to start against many lefties toward the end of last season, but he’s already homered off one southpaw — Padres reliever Tom Cosgrove — and should have an opportunity to reestablish himself as an everyday player if he can sustain this level of productivity moving forward.

“It’s been great,” Melvin said. “He’s been in there basically every day. He had a big homer off a lefty, too. We talked about the year after you have that surgery. He looks like he’s playing really well and playing with a lot of confidence.”

Maria Guardado covers the Giants for MLB.com. She previously covered the Angels from 2017-18.

San Francisco Giants

Whisenhunt displays electric stuff in brief Triple-A season debut

https://www.mlb.com/giants/news/topic/mlb-pipeline-coverage

By: Jesús Cano

@jesus_cano88

The Giants are already loaded with a starting rotation consisting of Logan Webb, Blake Snell, Jordan Wicks and Kyle Harrison, but a young arm is strong-arming his way toward San Francisco.

In his 2024 debut, Carson Whisenhunt struck out six batters while allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings in Triple-A Sacramento River Cats 1-0 win over Salt Lake on Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park.

“It’d be really cool to get the opportunity to go up there and be with those guys,” Whisenhunt said. “I’m trying not to look that far ahead. Just trying to get back into the field and take care of things. And if I get the opportunity to go out there, I’ll take advantage of it.”

MLB Pipeline’s No. 80 overall prospect allowed just one hit — a single grounded to right field by Livan Soto, the second batter he faced — and racked up 12 swings-and-misses.

The 23-year-old’s arsenal is equipped with a sinker, a slider and a curveball. On Sunday, Whisenhunt generated five whiffs with his sinker, which topped at 95 mph. His changeup accounted for seven whiffs.

“I’ve been working on a bunch of different things through Spring Training and the offseason,” Whisenhunt said. “I feel like all of my pitches were really good today. There were a few misses that I can work on and get better at, but for just that first time back out there, an actual game felt really good.”

Whisenhunt put himself on the map last year. In 16 appearances, he posted a 2.45 ERA and held hitters to a .177 average-against in 58 2/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A. He ascended from the club’s No. 8 prospect slot to No. 3 this season.

“I’m not trying to do too much on the mound,” Whisenhunt said about last season’s success. “I’m trying not to overthink it or do anything out of the ordinary. Coming into this year, I’m trying to keep that same mindset, just trying to stay myself.”

His numbers are even more impressive when you consider that he was shut down late last July with a left elbow sprain. Remaining healthy was a key priority for Whisenhunt during the offseason.

Having already mastered his changeup and sinker, the East Carolina product also spent time working on command and developing his curveball. He only threw it twice for the River Cats in Sunday’s game, but already feels like progress has been made.

Sacramento River Cats

Wisely Walks Cats to Victory In 2024 Season Opener

Photos by Shawn Jonas

By: Jake Ward (River Cats Media Relations)

March 30, 2024

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It took a day longer than it was originally scheduled for, but the Sacramento River Cats celebrated their first win of the 2024 season in walk-off style thanks to a solo home run from Brett Wisely in the bottom of the ninth to give Sacramento a 3-2 win over the Salt Lake Bees. 

The game entered the ninth locked at 2-2 after the Bees (0-1) had scored twice in the away half of the eighth on their own home run, a two-run shot from Chad Wallach that came against left-hander Juan Sanchez.

Wisely Walks Cats to Victory In 2024 Season Opener

Wisely wasted no time in sending the crowd home happy, as he unloaded on the third pitch of his at-bat and sent a ball into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall for the first River Cats (1-0) homer of the season. In 2023 Sacramento was 8-6 in walk-off games, but only two were won by a home run (both came from Heliot Ramos on a Saturday).

Early on it seemed as if the River Cats might not need the late-game theatrics, as they plated a pair in the fourth inning and had held that lead until the eighth. After tallying the first hit of the 2024 campaign for the River Cats (1-0), Trenton Brooks was also responsible for the first RBI of the year. Catcher Blake Sabol set the table with a single into right field and then swiped second base, later scoring easily when Brooks sent a knock into right-center field.

To start the game, it was the Bees that nearly took the advantage out of the gate. Both of the game’s first two batters reached base, as Jordyn Adams smacked a leadoff double to left field and then was joined on the basepaths when Livan Soto’s bunt single put runners at the corners.

Settling into a groove after that was Sacramento starter Carson Seymour, who was making his Triple-A debut. Seymour immediately punched out the next two hitters, with the latter kicking off a double play to end the inning when Sabol threw out Soto trying to steal second.

Wisely Walks Cats to Victory In 2024 Season Opener

Sacramento also had its chances at breaking the game open but failed to score in the home half of the third despite loading the bases thanks to singles from Brooks and Chase Pinder, along with a walk drawn by Marco Luciano. The bags were full once again in the fourth behind Brooks’ RBI single, but Sacramento managed only one more run on a walk by Ismael Munguia. 

After Seymour’s exit, he flipped the ball to newcomer Tommy Romero, who shut the Bees down for three full innings. The right-hander allowed just a trio of hits and a walk while recording six of his nine outs via the punchout. As a squad, the River Cats ended the night with 14 strikeouts, which was their most in a season-opener since at least 2005.

There to collect the victory was last year’s Triple-A wins leader Nick Avila (1-0), who started the sequel to his undefeated 2023 campaign (14-0) by working a clean ninth with a pair of punchouts.

Brooks led the way at the dish, closing his night 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Wisely also collected a pair of knocks including his game-winning walk-off, while both Pinder and Sabol had a hit each.

Taking the loss for Salt Lake was Jimmy Herget (0-1), who allowed a home run to the only batter he faced. 

Both teams will have a busy day tomorrow, as last night’s postponement has turned Sunday into a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 1:05 p.m. 

San Francisco Giants

Giants agree to two-year contract with left-handed pitcher Blake Snell

March 19, 2024

Blake Snell

Scottsdale, Ariz. – The Giants and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner LHP Blake Snell agreed to terms on a two-year Major League contract worth $62 million, which includes an opt-out following the 2024 season. Snell will earn a $15 million salary in 2024 while also receiving a $17 million signing bonus, payable on January 15, 2026. Snell will earn $30 million in 2025, of which $15 million will be deferred and paid on July 1, 2027. Snell will also make an annual donation to the Giants Community Fund, which includes $160,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025. 

Snell, 31, posted a 14-9 record with a 2.25 ERA over 32 starts last season en route to his second Cy Young Award (first in the NL). Snell, who previously won the award in the American League with Tampa Bay in 2018, joined Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Max Scherzer, Gaylord Perry, and Roy Halladay as the only players in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. 

In addition to winning his second Cy Young, Snell also led the Majors in ERA for the first time in his career with his 2.25 figure in 2023 (he led the AL with his 1.89 ERA in his other Cy Young year in 2018). He also led the Majors last season in opposing batting average (.181), opponent slugging percentage (.286), opponent OPS (.579), and hits allowed per 9.0 innings (5.75). His 234 strikeouts were tied for third-most in the Majors behind ATL’s Spencer Strider (281) and TOR’s Kevin Gausman (237). 

Named The Sporting News 2023 National League Starter of the Year, Snell last year posted career-bests in starts, strikeouts, and opponents slugging percentage and came just two outs shy of matching a career-high in innings pitched (180.0). He also had the best bWAR among pitchers (6.0) in the NL. 

Snell was selected by Tampa Bay in the supplemental first round (52nd overall) of the 2011 Draft out of Shorewood High School in Shoreline, WA. The lefty made his MLB debut in 2016 and had a breakout season in 2018, when he earned his first Cy Young award after going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA across 31 starts. He finished ninth in the MVP voting that season and was named an American League All-Star. 

In 191 career starts, Snell has gone 71-55 with a 3.20 ERA and 1,223 strikeouts across his eight seasons with the Rays (2016-2020) and Padres (2021-2023). In 12 career Postseason games (10 starts), Snell is 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. 

With the addition of Snell, the Giants’ 40-man roster is currently at 40 players.

San Francisco Giants

GIANTS NAME DUSTY BAKER SPECIAL ADVISOR TO BASEBALL OPERATIONS

January 18, 2024

Photos By : Shawn Jonas

Dusty Baker is back with the Giants

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco Giants today announced that former manager Dusty Baker will return to the organization as a Special Advisor to Baseball Operations and will perform duties both on the baseball and business side.

      “We are so excited to welcome Dusty back into the Giants organization,” said Giants President and CEO Larry Baer. “Dusty’s experience, knowledge, and the success he’s had in his 50 years of baseball will be an invaluable piece to the success and continued development of our baseball operations efforts both on and off the field.” 

      “I was fortunate enough to get to know Dusty when we overlapped in the organization in 2019, and I’m excited to get to work with him again,” said Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi. “We’ve had a chance to meet in person and discuss our shared vision of bringing championship baseball back to San Francisco. I learn something new in every interaction with him and look forward to leaning on his experience and perspective on the game.”

Baker and Melvin chat.

      “I’m thrilled to be on the same team as Dusty again,” said Giants Manager Bob Melvin. “He’s been a great friend and mentor to me over the years. More than anything, I don’t have to manage against him anymore. Welcome home Bake.”

      “I’ve enjoyed my stops at various places but I’m happy to be back home,” said Baker. “I look forward to providing guidance to the organization and helping the Giants get back to the top in a very tough division.”

      Baker will join the Giants & KNBR FanFest Tour for the first stop in Sacramento this Saturday, January 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Sutter Health Park – Home of the Sacramento River Cats.

      The three-time National League Manager of the Year returns to the Giants organization after serving the previous four seasons as the manager of the Houston Astros, where he posted a combined record of 320-226 (.586), leading the Astros to two trips to the World Series, including his first championship as a manager in 2022. In four years with Houston, Baker reached the American League Championship Series four times, won three consecutive AL West division titles (2021-23), two AL pennants (2021-22), and one World Series, beating the Phillies in six games in 2022. He is the oldest manager to win a World Series.

      Before his stint with the Astros, Baker was a Special Advisor to the CEO for the Giants for two years (2018-19).

      Baker, 74, finished his 26-year managerial career as one of the most accomplished managers in history. His 2,183 wins in the regular season are the seventh-most in history and he’s the only manager to lead five different teams to the postseason. During his 26-year managerial career, he posted a 2,183-1,862 (.540) record with the San Francisco Giants (1993-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-06), Cincinnati Reds (2008-13), Washington Nationals (2016-17) and Houston Astros (2020-2023). Baker produced 13 Postseason teams, including 10 division championships (San Francisco, 1997 and 2000; Chicago, 2003; Cincinnati, 2010 and 2012; Washington, 2016 and 2017; Houston, 2021, 2022, 2023), and three wild card appearances (San Francisco, 2002; Cincinnati, 2013; Houston 2020).

      Baker’s coaching career started as a first base coach for the San Francisco Giants in 1988 and he then spent the following four years (1989–92) as the hitting coach before being named manager in 1993. In his very first year as Giants manager, he won the 1993 NL Manager of the Year award, leading the team to a 103–59 record, which was the second-best record in baseball that year. His Giants teams went on to win division titles in 1997 and 2000 and the National League pennant in 2002. His 840 wins with San Francisco rank third-most in team history behind Bruce Bochy (1,052) and Hall of Famer John McGraw (2,583).

      A career .278 hitter, Baker played 19 seasons in the big leagues and compiled 242 home runs, 320 doubles, 23 triples, and 1,013 RBI. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice (1980 and 1981), and from 1980-82 he hit .303, averaging 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and 78 RBI a year while earning two Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove, and two All-Star selections.

      Baker currently resides in Sacramento, CA with his wife, Melissa, and has two children, Natosha and Darren, and a pair of grandchildren. He is a 1967 graduate of Del Campo High School (Carmichael, CA) and attended American River College (Sacramento, CA). Baker was inducted into the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and the California Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2015, he was enshrined in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.