1975 Oakland A's: What Should Have Been

[motnahp]

The A's ended the road trip with a 5-2 win in Arlington. Billy Williams hit his 18th homer and drove in three runs. Phil Garner hit his 3rd homer and was 3-3. Vida Blue pitched 6 2/3 innings and improved to 14-7. The Rangers' Toby Harrah was 4-4 with a walk in a losing effort.

THUR AUG 7

OAK_____5___12___0
TEX_____2___11___1

[motnahp]

The A's welcomed East-leading Boston to the Coliseum for a 4-game series and took the opener from the Sox 3-1. With Boston regulars Rice, Lynn, Fisk, and Burleson out of the starting lineup (fatigue), Glenn Abbott and Stan Bahnsen combined to shut down the Boston attack, allowing only a solo homer by Bob Heise in the 2nd. Abbott went 6 1/3 innings and raised his record to 6-2. Bahnsen pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and earned his first save. Joe Rudi was 2-3 with a triple and 2 RBI. Bert Campaneris was 2-4 and drove in the other Oakland run.

FRI AUG 8

BOS_____1___9___0
OAK_____3__12___0

[motnahp]

Boston's Rick Wise allowed only 5 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 9 in Boston's 5-0 blanking of the A's. Wise improved to 10-8 on the season and notched his 4th shutout. Ken Holtzman allowed all 5 runs in 8 innings, dropping to 15-7.

SAT AUG 9

BOS_____5___9___0
OAK_____0___5___0

[motnahp]

Dick Drago posted Boston's second straight shutout of the A's, allowing only 6 hits, while walking 3 and striking out 3 in the Red Sox' 4-0 victory. Drago is now 6-3 for the season, while Oakland starter Catfish Hunter falls to 15-9.

SUN AUG 10

BOS_____4___13___0
OAK_____0____6___1

[motnahp]

Claudell Washington's two-out double scored pinch runner Matt Alexander in the bottom of the 12th inning as the A's earned a split with Boston, 4-3. Rollie Fingers pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and is now 7-1 on the season. The A's have had few off-days lately, and are feeling the wear and tear. Next up are the Yankees, in for a 3-game series starting tomorrow.

MON AUG 11

BOS_____3___13___1
OAK_____4____8___0

[motnahp]

Gene Tenace blasted a game-winning 3-run homer over the center field fence to push the A's past the Yankees 6-5. Oakland trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the 9th and things looked bleak when leadoff batter Phil Garner struck out. Reggie Jackson singled. Billy Williams drew a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Matt Alexander. Tenace then connected for a 462-foot shot well over the fence off losing pitcher Doc Medich (10-17). Jim Todd pitched a scoreless top of the 9th and is now 2-4 on the season. Before the game, the A's activated Dick Bosman from the disabled list and sent pitcher Mike Norris to AAA. Bosman started and went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs.

TUE AUG 12

NYY_____5___10___0
OAK_____6___10___0

[motnahp]

The A's fell short in the 9th this time, dropping a 7-6 decision to the Yankees. Oakland scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th and had runners on 2nd and 3rd. The Yankees' Dave Pagan retired pinch hitter Jim Holt on a ground ball to end the game. Oakland's Kenny Holtzman turned in another poor performance on the mound. Since improving to 15-5 on August 1st, he has been lit up for 21 earned runs on 26 hits in his last three starts, covering only 12 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, spot starter Glenn Abbott turned in another good outing, allowing only one hit in 5 2/3 innings of relief. Lou Piniella led the way at the plate for New York, going 2-4 with a grand slam. For the A's, Phil Garner knocked in three runs. Late yesterday, the A's released veteran pitcher Jim Perry and signed OF/1B Tommy Harper. The 40-year-old Perry announced his retirement. Harper was in the lineup as the DH, going 1-3 and walking twice.

WED AUG 13

NYY_____7___10___0
OAK____6____9___2

[motnahp]

The A's took the series 2 games to 1 with a 5-3 win over the Yankees. Catfish Hunter, now 16-9, went 8 1/3 innings. Rollie Fingers picked up his 14th save. Phil Garner knocked in 2 runs with a double. Joe Rudi added a solo homer.

THUR AUG 14

NYY_____3___9___0
OAK_____5__10___1

[motnahp]

Phil Garner's 2-out double in the bottom of the 9th scored Billy North with the winning run as the A's won an exciting battle with Milwaukee 9-8 in the opener of a 3-game series. The Brewers led 6-2 after 6 1/2 innings, before the A's tied the score at 6-6 with 4 runs in the 7th. Sixto Lezcano and Don Money smacked solo homers in the top of the 9th to give Milwaukee an 8-6 lead. Garner was 3-5 on the day. Newcomer Tommy Harper was 4-5 with his 1st homer and 3 RBI. Billy North was 3-4 with 3 RBI. Tim Todd (3-4) picked up the win in relief, while Tom Hausman (5-2) was charged with the loss.

FRI AUG 15

MIL_____8___13___1
OAK____9___16___0

[motnahp]

Jim Slaton (12-18) went the distance, allowing 9 hits and walking 4 as the Brewers downed the A's 5-1. Milwaukee turned 3 double plays and killed every Oakland rally with their defense. Don Money was 3-5 with a double and RBI. Dick Bosman (5-4) went 6 innings and allowed only one earned run.

SAT AUG 16

MIL_____5___12___0
OAK____1____9___2

[motnahp]

Hank Aaron's solo homer in the 7th inning snapped a 3-3 tie. The Brewers added 5 more in the 8th, including Gorman Thomas' grand slam, and the Brewers won the series from the A's with a 9-3 pounding of the defending champs. Bill Travers (7-8) picked up the win and Rick Austin notched his 4th save. Oakland manager motnahp removed struggling Kenny Holtzman from the rotation. His replacement, Glenn Abbott (6-3), allowed 4 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings to take the loss. The A's now host Detroit for a 3-game series.

SUN AUG 17

MIL_____9___15___0
OAK____3___10___0

[motnahp]

Willie Horton's 3-run homer off Catfish Hunter capped a 4-run 6th inning for the Tigers, as Detroit handed the A's their 3rd straight loss, 4-1. Vern Ruhle (12-17) went 7 2/3 innings to pick up the win. John Hiller finished up for his 2nd save. Reggie Jackson's solo homer in the third produced the lone Oakland run. The home run was Jackson's 15th on the season and first in three weeks.

MON AUG 18

DET_____4___9___1
OAK_____1___6___0

[motnahp]

Reggie Jackson and Gene Tenace connected for solo homers in the bottom of the 8th to lead the A's past the Tigers, 3-1. Vida Blue (15-7) went nine, allowing 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3.

TUE AUG 19

DET_____1___7___0
OAK_____3___8___0

Cincinnati's Don Gullett picked up his 20th win today in the Reds' 5-3 win at St. Louis. Gullett is 20-3 on the season, with a 2.49 ERA.

[motnahp]

Stan Bahnsen got the pitching assignment and responded with a 6-hit shutout of the Tigers. Bahnsen walked 4 and struck out 6. Sal Bando hit a solo homer in the 2nd, then the A's added an insurance run in the 8th on Phil Garner's groundout to account for the final run in a 2-0 game.

WED AUG 20

DET_____0___6___1
OAK_____2__10___1

[motnahp]

Billy North scored on a Bert Campaneris sacrifice fly in the top of the 9th as the A's beat the Brewers 2-1. The A's received great pitching for the 3rd straight game, as Dick Bosman and three relievers held the Brewers to only a Hank Aaron solo homer. Paul Lindblad (4-4) was credited with the win, while Rollie Fingers got the last 2 outs for his 15th save.

THUR AUG 21

OAK_____2___9___1
MIL_____1___9___1

The Orioles' Ross Grimsley became the first AL pitcher to 20 wins. He notched his twentieth in Baltimore's 4-3 win at Texas. Grimsley is 20-8 with a 2.84 ERA.

[motnahp]

Following a rainout on Friday, Oakland & Milwaukee are playing a doubleheader on Saturday.

In the opener, the A's bats were dormant until the 9th, but pulled out a 4-2, 10-inning victory in a highly unlikely fashion. Milwaukee led 2-0 behind Pete Broberg, scoring single runs in the 6th and 7th innings. In the 9th, Phil Garner led off with a single. Reggie Jackson walked. Joe Rudi singled, scoring Garner and cutting the lead to 2-1. Billy Williams flied to center for the 1st out. Gene Tenace grounded to third, where Jackson was forced for the second out. Matt Alexander was brought in to run for Rudi at second and represented the tying run. Sal Bando delivered a single to left, scoring Alexander and making the score 2-2. After a Billy North walk loaded the bases, manager motnahp called on Tommy Harper to hit for Bert Campaneris. Harper popped to short to end the inning. Motnahp brought in Ted Martinez to hit in the 4th spot (for Alexander) and play shortstop. Harper stayed in the game and took Rudi's spot at first base, batting 9th.

Rollie Fingers relieved Catfish Hunter after a leadoff single in the last of the ninth and retired the side with no problem. On to the top of the 10th.

With one out, Phil Garner doubled, then moved to third on Reggie Jackson's fly to center. With two outs, Ted Martinez brought his .195 average to the plate. Martinez shocked the Milwaukee crowd with a two-run homer over the left field fence. Fingers retired the Brewers in the bottom of the 10th and raised his record to 8-1. Rollie struck out five Brewers in his two innings of work.

SAT AUG 23 (1)

OAK_____4___10___0
MIL______2___11___0

[motnahp]

After being skipped in the rotation due to ineffectiveness, Kenny Holtzman took the mound for his first start in 10 days. He responded in glorious fashion, twirling a 1-hitter as the A's swept the doubleheader from the Brewers, 5-0. Holtzman walked 3 and struck out one. The lone safety was a leadoff single up the middle by Bill Sharp in the 1st inning. For the A's, Tommy Harper was 2-4, including a 3-run homer in the 8th to put the game away. Reggie Jackson was 4-5. Milwaukee's Jim Slaton allowed only 2 runs in 7 innings, but falls to 12-20, joining Detroit's Mickey Lolich in the 20-loss club.

SAT AUG 23 (2)

OAK_____5___9___0
MIL______0___1___0

[motnahp]

Sixto Lezcano hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th for the game's only runs, as Milwaukee salvaged the final game of the 4-game series, 3-0. Bill Travers and Tom Hausman combined to shut down the Oakland attack. Hausman (6-3) picked up the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Oakland starter Vida Blue (15-8) went the distance, striking out 8 and walking one. Following an off-day on Monday, the A's finish out the month of August with three games in New York, followed by three games in Boston.

SUN AUG 24

OAK_____0___5___1
MIL______3___7___0

[motnahp]

Elliott Maddox singled in Ed Herrmann with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th as the Yankees scored twice off Rollie Fingers and beat the A's 5-4. Oakland led 4-0 after 4 innings, but could not hold off the Yankee bats. New York collected 15 hits in the game.

TUE AUG 26

OAK_____4___8___0
NY______5___15___1

[motnahp]

Catfish Hunter went nine and improved to 17-10. Billy Williams hit his 19th homer and Claudell Washington added a 2-run double. Manager motnahp moved leadoff man Washington to the 7th spot in the order and moved Billy North to the top. Washington was 1-5 with his double and had 3 strikeouts. North was 1-4 with a walk.

WED AUG 27

OAK_____6__11___0
NYY_____2___8___0