Game Thread #139: A’s vs. Angels

The A’s got back on the Celebration train last night in their return to the Coliseum with a hard fought 9-7 victory over the Angels. Tonight, Tanner Roark (8-8, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the A’s in the middle game of the three game set against the Halos.

Let’s Go Oak-land!!! (cue the drums, banjo guy, hot dog vendor, dude in the foam A)

Tonight’s Starting Lineups (7:07pm first pitch from the Ring Central Oakland Coliseum):

Brown and Tanner
Two names and faces no one had any clue would be impacting the A’s playoff push in September. Seth Brown’s two triples last night in his Coliseum debut paced the A’s and also made him the first Athletics rookie to accomplish the feat since Mark Ellis in 2002! Overall Brown is hitting .448 (13-29) in his first full week in the majors. Tanner Roark was traded not for another Tanner (that happened last off-season) but for a Jameson and some straight hard cash a little over five weeks ago. The results in Oakland have been impressive. Roark has allowed two runs or less in four of his five starts since coming to the American League. He allowed one run and six strikeouts in 5 ¹⁄₃ innings against the Angels back in June while still a member of the Reds. Tonight’s start is a big one for Roark and may determine if he remains in the rotation for the rest of September now that the A’s have six starters for five spots.

A’s Top Prospect Sean Murphy Makes His Major League Debut Tonight
#12 in your scoresheet but #1 in your baseball prospectus heart, A’s future star, Sean Murphy makes his Oakland A’s and MLB debut tonight. Murphy will bat eighth in the line-up and catch Tanner Roark for the first time. A new batterymate will be no big deal for Roark as he had thrown to four different catchers (Garneau, Herrmann, Phegley and now Murphy) in his six Athletics starts.

A’s Bats Like the Lefties
The A’s are 24-12 this season against Left-handed starters...Angels lefty Patrick Sandoval (0-1, 5.24 ERA) will try his luck against an A’s lineup with seven right handed bats, one switch-hitter (Profar) and one lefty (Olson).

Oakland Finally Gets the (Rally) Monkey Off Their Backs
The Angels have really had the A’s number over the past five seasons, winning the head to head match-up against Oakland in the previous five campaigns and having an overall record against the A’s of 60-50 over the past six years..That can all end tonight with an A’s victory which will clinch the season series for the A’s (currently they are 10-5 this year against the Angels) for the first time since 2013.

Las Vegas Aviators Begin the Playoffs Tonight
The A’s Triple AAA affiliate square off against the hated Giants affiliate from Sacramento tonight. Daniel Mengden gets the ball for the Aviators.

Tonight’s Wild Card Implications
Cleveland and starter Justin Shane Bieber (12-7, 3.27 ERA) hosts the Chicago White Sox and starter Ivan Nova (9-11, 4.48 ERA).
Tampa Bay Rays are off today (an A’s win tonight would put the A’s a half a game behind the Rays for the top wildcard spot)

It is a Beautiful Night for Baseball
Enjoy your evening where ever you find yourself catching the A’s game tonight.
Share where you are following the game from in the comments!