Game Thread #127: A’s vs. Yankees

The A’s enter Game #127 of the season a half a game out of the second wild card position and looking to clinch a series win against the Yankees in tonight’s mid-week contest from Oakland.

The Yankees are the current owners of the best record in baseball, but the A’s are an astounding 18-7 against them in their last 25 games at the RingCentral Oakland Coliseum and the A’s have won 15 of their last 19 overall games at home!

Fiers is Blazing
On the mound tonight for the boys in green and gold is Mike Fiers (11-3, 3.46 ERA). Fiers is the unquestioned ace of this year’s pitching staff (he would definitely start a one game wildcard match-up this season as opposed to last year’s debacle in New York). Fiers enters tonight’s game, 9-0, with a 2.40 ERA and .202 opponents batting average over his last 18 starts dating back to his May 7 no-hitter against Cincinnati (courtesy A’s PR Gamenotes)

Tonight’s Line-ups (73 F at game time with moderate breeze; ESPN Wed. Night Game)

What’s Happ(ening) for the Yankees
James Anthony “J.A.” Happ (10-7, 5.40 ERA) is tonight’s starter for the “Savages.”
Happ was acquired from the Blue Jays by the Yankees last season for former A’s first round pick, Billy McKinney. Happ has put together a decent season despite the high earned run average. He will be pitching on six days rest tonight after picking up his 10th win of the season against Baltimore on August 14th.

Strength vs. Strength (By the Numbers)
Happ is a lefty and the A’s are 21-10 (.677) against left-handed starters in 2019. The Yankees are a MLB best 26-12 since the All-Star break and have scored at least one run in 208 consecutive ball games dating back to last season (perfect time for a Fiers shut-out!).
The A’s are 11-5 (.667) in August (second best in the American League to the Yankees 15-5) and 22-12 (.647) since the All-Star Break (third best in AL)… The Yankees rank second in the big leagues as a team with 229 home runs, the A’s rank ninth with 198. The A’s have committed 65 errors on defense this season, third best in the A.L.

Yogi’s Wisdom to Khris Davis
As Davis continues to struggle at the plate (0 for his last 17), it seems appropriate to call on the great pinstripe quote machine, Yogi Berra to bring some wisdom to the situation:
“I never blame myself when I am not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps it up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I am not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?” - Yogi Berra

Davis is batting seventh in tonight’s line-up and all of A’s Nation is rooting he gets back on track beginning tonight. If memory serves me correctly, it was a May 2017 contest against these same Yankees that launched Davis amazing two year run in the green and gold. Let’s go Krush!!!