A's postponed second time in four days

A's postponed second time in four days
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
April 4, 2014

OAKLAND–After playing twelve innings the previous night, the Oakland Athletics were postponed in their second of four games against the division rival Seattle Mariners on Friday night. This time, a delay was caused despite few drops of rain in the hours that preceded the projected start time.

Though the Apr. 1 game against the Cleveland Indians was postponed due to heavy rain, Friday’s game was postponed because the field wasn’t covered by a tarp on Thursday night. This marks the second postponement in four days at the Coliseum after going fifteen years without one.

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Bullpen woes cost A’s two out of three against Indians

Bullpen woes cost A’s two out of three against Indians
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
April 3, 2014


OAKLAND–The Oakland Athletics opened the 2014 regular season with some fantastic pitching from their starting rotation, but bullpen woes caused the A’s to be losers in two out of three games at home against the Cleveland Indians.

Starters Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir combined for 13 1/3 scoreless frames in the first two games.

Newly appointed ace, Gray, pitched six shutout innings without his best stuff, getting out of a number of jams that included getting a couple of force outs at home plate. He left the game knotted in a 0-0 tie, and offensively the A’s were unable to take advantage of a number of opportunities. Josh Donaldson hit a 400-foot single to deep center field that Daric Barton failed to score off of from second. New closer Jim Johnson came into the game in the top of the ninth and gave up two runs, leaving to a chorus of boos in his A’s debut.

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