10-09-2018, 02:02 AM
Five home runs. Back-to-back twice.
The Oakland Athletics put on quite the power display in beating the San Diego Padres 12-4 on Wednesday.
Light-hitting Franklin Barreto got the barrage started when he connected for a 424-foot http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/sean-lee-jersey , three-run home run in the second inning off rookie lefty Joey Lucchesi, who was returning from more than a month on the disabled list. Josh Phegley, Mark Canha, Matt Olson and Jed Lowrie also went deep for Oakland.
”This team’s got a lot of power,” Lowrie said. ”Continue to put quality at-bats together, that’s when this game starts to get fun.”
The A’s hit seven homers in sweeping the two-game series. Stephen Piscotty tied Tuesday night’s game with a homer with two outs in the ninth off Brad Hand and Lowie hit a two-run shot with two outs in the 10th for a 4-2 victory.
”We have it in us, that’s for sure,” manager Bob Melvin said. ”The ball carries a little better in day games here, similar to our place. After last night, other than the last couple of innings, hits were hard to come by. We started out early, led by Frankie, which was good to see.”
Barreto and Phegley went back-to-back with their first homers of the season in the second inning off left-hander Joey Lucchesi (3-3), who had been on the disabled list for more than a month. Barreto, hitting .071 coming in and batting seventh, homered into Oakland’s bullpen well beyond the fence in center field on a full-count pitch. Phegley homered off the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left field corner on a 1-1 pitch. Lucchesi hit Olson with a pitch opening the inning and then walked Piscotty ahead of Barreto’s homer.
Robbie Erlin got the last out of the second before allowing consecutive homers to Canha and Olson in the third. It was Canha’s ninth and Olson’s 15th. Phegley added a sacrifice fly.
Lowrie connected off Phil Hughes in the eighth Nick Boyle Jersey , his 11th.
Frankie Montas (4-1) benefited from the long balls as he threw 6 2-3 strong innings. He held the Padres to one run and five hits, struck out six and walked three. He allowed Cory Spangenberg’s RBI single in the third.
”It’s always good getting support from the guys, especially early in the game,” he said. ”I just tried to keep myself in the game.”
Montas was the only Oakland player in the starting lineup who didn’t have a hit. Melvin said he wouldn’t have minded if his pitcher went 0 for 4, because that would mean he went deep into the game. He went 0 for 3.
”Honestly, I wanted to hit the ball really bad, but I was not about hitting the ball because the guys were actually doing it for me,” Montas said. ”So I was just going to do my job pitching.”
Lucchesi went just 1 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and three hits.
”The first inning I felt OK and then I guess I felt a little bit off, maybe a little rusty,” said Lucchesi, who hadn’t pitched since May 14 due to a strained right hip. ”I couldn’t get my offspeed to work. I felt like I was doing something weird with my arm. I just didn’t have it.”
Manager Andy Green thought Lucchesi looked sharp in the first. ”His stuff kind of fell off somewhat rapidly today,” Green said. ”This was a tough return for him, but he’s going to bounce back from it and be just fine.”
Trailing 10-1, the Padres had infielder Cory Spangenberg pitch the ninth. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in his second appearance of the season.
”You’ve got to preserve bullpen arms,” Green said Maliek Collins Jersey , adding that it made no sense to use a reliever such as Matt Strahm just to try to hold the game at 10-1. ”So we were to Cory. At that point in time you get what you get and he got us through.”
San Diego’s Christian Villanueva homered in the ninth, his 16th.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Placed RHP Bryan Mitchell on the 10-day disabled list with an impingement in his right elbow to make room for Lucchesi on the 25-man roster. Mitchell (0-3, 7.08 ERA) hasn’t pitched since June 5. Mitchell has been disappointing since being acquired from the New York Yankees along with third baseman Chase Headley. The Padres wanted Mitchell so badly they were willing to take on Headley’s $13 million salary, but the deal has backfired. Headley was released on May 19 and Mitchell was demoted from the rotation to the bullpen.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Chris Bassitt (0-2, 2.45) is scheduled to start Thursday night’s opener of a four-game series at the Chicago White Sox, who counter with RHP Lucas Giolito (4-7, 7.19).
Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (5-4, 3.51) is set to start the opener of a four-game series Thursday night at San Francisco, opposite LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 4.67).
—
Dont’a Hightower is clearly thrilled to be back on the field after the frustration of having to sit and watch most of last season on the sidelines.
After making one of the biggest sacks in New England franchise history when he separated Atlanta’s Matt Ryan from the football during New England’s Super Bowl comeback in February 2017, Hightower – who had missed three games the previous season with a knee problem – was lost five games into the 2017 schedule with a torn pectoral muscle. Coincidentally, he was hurt against the Falcons.
His absence, felt deeply by a team that came up short defensively in the Super Bowl, wasn’t easy for Hightower to handle – even if it’s something he had gotten used to.
”Absolutely,” the linebacker and defensive captain said Wednesday, following the second day of the Patriots‘ mandatory minicamp outside Gillette Stadium. ”Being out last year and even a little bit more the year before that http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/ke...ght-jersey , it just feels good to be out here and be able to communicate, go through the worst part and embracing the (camp stuff), as they say, with my teammates.”
Hightower, 28, has failed to play a full schedule in any of his six years in the NFL. In fact, he has missed 24 of a possible 96 regular-season games since becoming a pro in 2012.
”It just (stinks) not being out there,” he said. ”I know in my career in the league I’ve missed a lot of games. It’s definitely not anticipated and it’s not something I look forward to doing or want to do. But it’s part of it.
”Just not being out there during the regular season, let alone the playoffs, it (stinks) and it hurts.”
During his downtime, he said, ”I just do what I can, whether it’s talking to (media), or going out to dinner and talking about some stuff.”
And he also remained part of the group of linebackers.
”We’ve got a group chat. We stay on that,” he said. ”We’ve got a big old group chat. Whether it’s a funny meme or somebody’s got a question about football, or we’re talking about something happening on TV http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com...use-jersey , or the (NBA) Finals or whatever. We’ve got a tight-knit group and we stay close.”
Asked if he might have done some coaching while not playing, Hightower said, ”Not so much. There were small things I’d see during the games or whatever or I’d see on the IPad at practice, I might say something to them. Not so much as a coach on the sideline.”
So did it spark interest for him in a coaching future?
”Maybe,” he said. ”Definitely not in the NFL, probably not in college, either.
”I’ve been away for too long, man. I don’t know if I can do that. I mean, I love football but I don’t know if I love it that much.”
NOTES: Rob Gronkowski caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the corner of the end zone during one drill. Instead of his customary spike, he threw the ball out of the practice fields. . Gronkowski, in a great state of mind after his offseason of uncertainty, walked past the Hightower interview and was heard saying, with a laugh, ”They trading me still?” . Day 2 and Brady remains quiet, with Thursday seen as a possibility for him to meet with the media.
—
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The Oakland Athletics put on quite the power display in beating the San Diego Padres 12-4 on Wednesday.
Light-hitting Franklin Barreto got the barrage started when he connected for a 424-foot http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/sean-lee-jersey , three-run home run in the second inning off rookie lefty Joey Lucchesi, who was returning from more than a month on the disabled list. Josh Phegley, Mark Canha, Matt Olson and Jed Lowrie also went deep for Oakland.
”This team’s got a lot of power,” Lowrie said. ”Continue to put quality at-bats together, that’s when this game starts to get fun.”
The A’s hit seven homers in sweeping the two-game series. Stephen Piscotty tied Tuesday night’s game with a homer with two outs in the ninth off Brad Hand and Lowie hit a two-run shot with two outs in the 10th for a 4-2 victory.
”We have it in us, that’s for sure,” manager Bob Melvin said. ”The ball carries a little better in day games here, similar to our place. After last night, other than the last couple of innings, hits were hard to come by. We started out early, led by Frankie, which was good to see.”
Barreto and Phegley went back-to-back with their first homers of the season in the second inning off left-hander Joey Lucchesi (3-3), who had been on the disabled list for more than a month. Barreto, hitting .071 coming in and batting seventh, homered into Oakland’s bullpen well beyond the fence in center field on a full-count pitch. Phegley homered off the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left field corner on a 1-1 pitch. Lucchesi hit Olson with a pitch opening the inning and then walked Piscotty ahead of Barreto’s homer.
Robbie Erlin got the last out of the second before allowing consecutive homers to Canha and Olson in the third. It was Canha’s ninth and Olson’s 15th. Phegley added a sacrifice fly.
Lowrie connected off Phil Hughes in the eighth Nick Boyle Jersey , his 11th.
Frankie Montas (4-1) benefited from the long balls as he threw 6 2-3 strong innings. He held the Padres to one run and five hits, struck out six and walked three. He allowed Cory Spangenberg’s RBI single in the third.
”It’s always good getting support from the guys, especially early in the game,” he said. ”I just tried to keep myself in the game.”
Montas was the only Oakland player in the starting lineup who didn’t have a hit. Melvin said he wouldn’t have minded if his pitcher went 0 for 4, because that would mean he went deep into the game. He went 0 for 3.
”Honestly, I wanted to hit the ball really bad, but I was not about hitting the ball because the guys were actually doing it for me,” Montas said. ”So I was just going to do my job pitching.”
Lucchesi went just 1 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and three hits.
”The first inning I felt OK and then I guess I felt a little bit off, maybe a little rusty,” said Lucchesi, who hadn’t pitched since May 14 due to a strained right hip. ”I couldn’t get my offspeed to work. I felt like I was doing something weird with my arm. I just didn’t have it.”
Manager Andy Green thought Lucchesi looked sharp in the first. ”His stuff kind of fell off somewhat rapidly today,” Green said. ”This was a tough return for him, but he’s going to bounce back from it and be just fine.”
Trailing 10-1, the Padres had infielder Cory Spangenberg pitch the ninth. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in his second appearance of the season.
”You’ve got to preserve bullpen arms,” Green said Maliek Collins Jersey , adding that it made no sense to use a reliever such as Matt Strahm just to try to hold the game at 10-1. ”So we were to Cory. At that point in time you get what you get and he got us through.”
San Diego’s Christian Villanueva homered in the ninth, his 16th.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Placed RHP Bryan Mitchell on the 10-day disabled list with an impingement in his right elbow to make room for Lucchesi on the 25-man roster. Mitchell (0-3, 7.08 ERA) hasn’t pitched since June 5. Mitchell has been disappointing since being acquired from the New York Yankees along with third baseman Chase Headley. The Padres wanted Mitchell so badly they were willing to take on Headley’s $13 million salary, but the deal has backfired. Headley was released on May 19 and Mitchell was demoted from the rotation to the bullpen.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Chris Bassitt (0-2, 2.45) is scheduled to start Thursday night’s opener of a four-game series at the Chicago White Sox, who counter with RHP Lucas Giolito (4-7, 7.19).
Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (5-4, 3.51) is set to start the opener of a four-game series Thursday night at San Francisco, opposite LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 4.67).
—
Dont’a Hightower is clearly thrilled to be back on the field after the frustration of having to sit and watch most of last season on the sidelines.
After making one of the biggest sacks in New England franchise history when he separated Atlanta’s Matt Ryan from the football during New England’s Super Bowl comeback in February 2017, Hightower – who had missed three games the previous season with a knee problem – was lost five games into the 2017 schedule with a torn pectoral muscle. Coincidentally, he was hurt against the Falcons.
His absence, felt deeply by a team that came up short defensively in the Super Bowl, wasn’t easy for Hightower to handle – even if it’s something he had gotten used to.
”Absolutely,” the linebacker and defensive captain said Wednesday, following the second day of the Patriots‘ mandatory minicamp outside Gillette Stadium. ”Being out last year and even a little bit more the year before that http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/ke...ght-jersey , it just feels good to be out here and be able to communicate, go through the worst part and embracing the (camp stuff), as they say, with my teammates.”
Hightower, 28, has failed to play a full schedule in any of his six years in the NFL. In fact, he has missed 24 of a possible 96 regular-season games since becoming a pro in 2012.
”It just (stinks) not being out there,” he said. ”I know in my career in the league I’ve missed a lot of games. It’s definitely not anticipated and it’s not something I look forward to doing or want to do. But it’s part of it.
”Just not being out there during the regular season, let alone the playoffs, it (stinks) and it hurts.”
During his downtime, he said, ”I just do what I can, whether it’s talking to (media), or going out to dinner and talking about some stuff.”
And he also remained part of the group of linebackers.
”We’ve got a group chat. We stay on that,” he said. ”We’ve got a big old group chat. Whether it’s a funny meme or somebody’s got a question about football, or we’re talking about something happening on TV http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com...use-jersey , or the (NBA) Finals or whatever. We’ve got a tight-knit group and we stay close.”
Asked if he might have done some coaching while not playing, Hightower said, ”Not so much. There were small things I’d see during the games or whatever or I’d see on the IPad at practice, I might say something to them. Not so much as a coach on the sideline.”
So did it spark interest for him in a coaching future?
”Maybe,” he said. ”Definitely not in the NFL, probably not in college, either.
”I’ve been away for too long, man. I don’t know if I can do that. I mean, I love football but I don’t know if I love it that much.”
NOTES: Rob Gronkowski caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the corner of the end zone during one drill. Instead of his customary spike, he threw the ball out of the practice fields. . Gronkowski, in a great state of mind after his offseason of uncertainty, walked past the Hightower interview and was heard saying, with a laugh, ”They trading me still?” . Day 2 and Brady remains quiet, with Thursday seen as a possibility for him to meet with the media.
—
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