Elephant Rumblings: Marlins, Padres eliminated from 2020 MLB postseason

Good morning afternoon, Athletics Nation!

The Oakland A’s are out of the 2020 MLB postseason, and their year is over. They made it to the ALDS for the first time since 2013, which is good, but players and fans alike were hoping for more this time in the third straight trip to the playoffs. It’s disappointing, but it was still a fun year for the two-plus months it lasted.

On the bright side, at least the A’s didn’t get swept. That was the fate of two National League teams this week, as the NL side of the bracket sorted itself out in the minimum possible amount of time.

The Miami Marlins are out after losing three straight to the Atlanta Braves. Rookie pitcher Sixto Sanchez, a hero in the Wild Card Round, got roughed up on Thursday in a 7-0 loss. The Fish didn’t score in the final two games of the series, and this marks the first postseason series defeat in franchise history — they’d only made it to October twice before and went all the way both times.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres saw their breakout campaign come to an end at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Friars tried to do a bullpen game Thursday and it didn’t work, resulting in a 12-3 pounding for their third straight loss. If you’re sad to see a fun young team knocked out, remember that they also have Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, two all-time A’s villains.

There is only one LDS remaining, in the American League, between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. They split the first four meetings and are moving on to Game 5 on Friday at 4:10 p.m. PT on TBS to decide it.

A’s Coverage

• Lockard: A’s lose the Game 4 momentum, lose the lead and lose the series to the Astros ($$$)
• Seamheads podcast (Lockard): Rapid reactions to Game 4
• Shea: Astros pitcher Zack Greinke oddly flashed a sign before A’s Ramón Laureano’s homer ($)
• Kawahara: A’s shortstop Marcus Semien’s future hazy going into offseason ($)
• AN: A’s set Division Series record with 12 home runs
• AN: MLB history! Oakland A’s infield pulls off historic first
• ALDS Game 4: A’s eliminated from postseason in 11-6 loss

MLB News & Interest

• Badler: MLB Will Allow Teams To Open Academies For Dominican Instructs (no paywall)
• Today in Baseball History

Game 2 Highlights

Loss! And the 2020 season is over. It basically felt like this:

But at least Ramon fit in a major highlight before it ended.

Best of Twitter

Don’t forget to appreciate a fun season!

It could be worse. We could be the Mariners.

And now we turn to re-signing free agent Marcus Semien, among others

Regarding Greinke giving signs from the mound before Laureano’s first homer