The 1980 Oakland A's - Rebuild #1 Continues

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Standings at the end of August:

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Reggie Jackson homered twice (41,42) and Ron Guidry went the distance, as the Yankees thumped the A's, 8-2. Guidry struck out 10 and walked only one. Alan Wirth (0-1)started for Oakland and held the Yankees off the board through 4 innings. New York erupted for 6 runs in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th to put the game away. Rickey Henderson tweaked a hamstring and will be out for a few days. Mike Davis is expected to take his place in left field.

MON SEP 1

OAK_____2___7___0
NYY_____8___12___1

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Steve McCatty (13-9) and Bob Lacey (SV 16) scattered 11 hits, as the A's shut out the Yankees, 2-0. Gaylord Perry (14-11) took the loss.

TUE SEP 2

OAK_____2___7___0
NYY_____0___11___1

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The Yankees edged the A's 2-1. Tom Underwood improved to 16-9, while Goose Gossage picked up save #38. Rick Langford (13-10) went the distance, but suffered the loss.

WED SEP 3

OAK_____1___10___3
NYY_____2____8___0

Season record: 80-54, 1st place in AL West, 5 1/2 games ahead of 2nd place Kansas City

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In the opener of a 4-game series at Baltimore, the A's dropped a tough one to the Orioles, 1-0. Rich Dauer drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the 9th to force in Eddie Murray with the winning run. Mike Flanagan twirled a 3-hitter for Baltimore and improved to 17-10 on the season.

Oakland starter Matt Keough (14-7) took a one-hit shutout into the 9th inning. With one out, Murray singled. Gary Roenicke followed with a double. Bob Lacey was came in to face Terry Crowley, who was lifted for pinch hitter Rick Dempsey. Lacey walked Dempsey to load the bases, then walked Dauer and the game was over.


THUR SEP 4

OAK_____0___3___0
BAL_____1___3___1

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Mike Norris tossed a 4-hit shutout and the A's broke open a scoreless game in the top of the 9th, winning at Baltimore 4-0. For Norris (14-9), it was his 3rd shutout of the season. He walked no one and struck out 2. Wayne Gross hit a 2-run homer (12). Mike Heath singled in a run, and Mario Guerrero added an RBI double off losing pitcher Steve Stone (13-9).

FRI SEP 5

OAK_____4___9___0
BAL_____0___4___0

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The Baltimore Orioles unleashed a 21-hit attack on the Oakland pitchers, scoring 7 runs in the 4th inning and 7 more in the 8th, as the O's crushed the A's, 14-5. Dan Graham was 2-5, with a grand slam homer (2) and 5 RBI. Doug Decinces was 5-5 with 2 RBI, Ken Singleton 3-5 with 2 RBI, Gary Roenicke 3-5 with 2 doubles and an RBI, and Rich Dauer went 2-5 with a double and 3 RBI. Mike Boddicker was the beneficiary of this support. He improved to 6-7. Alan Wirth started and fell to 0-2. Wirth allowed 6 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Oakland reliever Jeff Jones was tagged with 6 earned runs in only 2/3 of an inning.

SAT SEP 6

OAK_____5___12___0
BAL_____14__21___0

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The A's limp home after the Orioles smashed them again, 7-1. Eddie Murray led the way, going 4-5 with a homer (17) and 3 RBI. Al Bumbry was 3-5 with a double and RBI, Ken Singleton went 2-5 with an RBI, and Rich Dauer was 2-3. Scott McGregor went the distance and improved to 14-12. Oakland starter Steve McCatty lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and all 7 earned runs.

Rickey Henderson returned to the lineup for the A's and was 1-4 with a walk.

SUN SEP 7

OAK_____1___11___1
BAL_____7___16___0

Season record: 81-57, 1st place in AL West, 2 1/2 games ahead of 2nd place Kansas City

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Mike Edwards returned to the lineup from the disabled list and won the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the 11th, as the A's topped the Rangers, 6-5. Edwards was 4-6, Mike Heath was 3-5, and Tony Armas (23) and Wayne Gross (13) smacked back-to-back homers in the 5th inning. Dave Hamilton (3-5) picked up the win with 5 perfect innings of relief. Texas starter Jon Matlack (14-8) took the loss.

MON SEP 8

TEX_____5___10___0 (11)
OAK_____6___15___1

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The young A's are feeling the pressure, dropping a 6-2 decision to the Rangers. Fergie Jenkins (15-12) went the distance and earned the win for Texas. Oakland starter Matt Keough (14-8) lasted only 5 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs on 10 hits. For the Rangers, Richie Zisk was 3-5, Al Oliver was 3-6 with two doubles, Mickey Rivers 2-5 with 2 RBI, and Bump Wills 2-5 with a double.

TUE SEP 9

TEX_____6___14___0
OAK_____2___9___1

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The A's got a much-needed good performance from Mike Norris (15-9), as he combined with Bob Lacey (SV 17) to hold down the Rangers, 4-1. Doc Medich (15-13) took the loss for Texas. Mitchell Page was 2-4 with 2 RBI for the A's. Wayne Gross went 3-4 with a double and an RBI, and Rickey Henderson stole two bases (97,98).

The A's will rest on Thursday, before welcoming the Royals for a critical 3-game series.

WED SEP 10

TEX_____1___7___3
OAK_____4___8___1

Season record: 83-58, 1st place in AL West, 1 1/2 games ahead of 2nd place Kansas City

Update: The Royals won their game on Thursday. They have won 8 in a row and trail the A's by just one game.

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The Kansas City Royals won their 9th straight game, beating the A's 4-1 and moving into a tie with Oakland for 1st place in the AL West. Larry Gura (14-10) and Dan Quisenberry (SV 38) combined on the mound to stifle the A's. Willie Wilson went 3-5 with 2 RBI and a stolen base. John Wathan was 3-4. For Oakland, Tony Armas was 3-4 and hit his 24th homer. Rickey Henderson went 2-5 and stole his 99th base. Steve McCatty had his second rough outing in a row. He allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 13 hits in 6 innings.

FRI SEP 12

KC______4___14___1
OAK_____1____8___1

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Rick Langford (14-10) and Bob Lacey (SV 18) combined on a 4-hitter, as the A's blanked the Royals 2-0. Langford walked 1 and struck out 4. The A's scored their runs on RBI doubles from Tony Armas in the 1st and Mike Edwards in the 8th. Royal starter Ken Brett left in the 1st inning with a neck injury. He took the loss and is now 0-3.

SAT SEP 13

KC______0___4___1
OAK_____2___4___1

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The Kansas City Royals came back from a 4-0 deficit and beat the A's 6-5. Trailing 4-3 in the 8th, KC tied the score at 4-4, then scored two more times in the 9th. Craig Chamberlain (2-3) picked up the win in relief, while Dan Quisenberry notched his 39th save. Clint Hurdle went 3-5, Willie Aikens was 2-4 with an RBI, Amos Otis was 2-3 with an RBI, and U.L. Washington was also 2-3. For the A's, Bob Lacey blew the save and was charged with the loss. He falls to 7-4. Tony Armas hit a 3rd inning grand slam (25) to give the A's the early lead. Mitchell Page added a solo shot (17) in the 9th.

With the loss, the A's are now tied with the Royals for 1st place. Oakland heads to Texas for 4 games, then goes to KC for 3 next weekend.

SUN SEP 14

KC______6___18___0
OAK_____5___10___0

Season record: 84-60, tied for 1st place in AL West with Kansas City

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The A's did not play like a team fighting for 1st place. They played like a young team battling themselves, dropping a 6-2 decision at Texas. Doc Medich (16-13) went the distance on the mound for the Rangers. Mike Norris (15-10) took the loss. Al Oliver was 2-4 with a double and RBI, Mickey Rivers was 3-5, and Buddy Bell went 3-4. For the A's, Mike Davis went 2-4 with a triple and RBI.

MON SEP 15

OAK_____2___8___2
TEX_____6__14___0

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The Oakland tailspin continues, as the A's dropped another game to the Rangers, 6-4. Mickey Rivers homered twice (14,15) and was 3-5 with 3 RBI to lead the way. Richie Zisk was 2-4 and also homered (21). Al Oliver went 3-5, and Bud Harrelson was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Charile Hough (7-8) picked up the win. Danny Darwin collected his 46th save. Dave Beard (3-2) was charged with the loss. Beard allowed homers to both Rivers and Zisk in a fateful bottom of the 7th.

TUE SEP 16

OAK_____4___8___0
TEX_____6__14___1

Kansas City was off Monday and was rained out on Tuesday, so the A's are one game behind the Royals.

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Steve McCatty tossed a 3-hit shutout, his 4th of the season, as the A's snapped a 3-game losing streak with an 8-0 clubbing of the Rangers. Dave Revering was 5-5 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Tony Armas was 2-5, including his 26th homer. Jim Essian went 3-5 with a double and RBI, and Wayne Gross was 2-4 with an RBI. Ed Figueroa (2-4) allowed 5 earned runs in 4 innings to take the loss.

WED SEP 17

OAK_____8___16___0
TEX_____0____3___0

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Jim Essian's 2-run homer (2) in the 7th inning gave the A's the lead. Brian Kingman went the distance in his first start after returning from the disabled list, as the A's edged the Rangers 2-1. Kingman (9-6) walked 2 and struck out 5 in his 6th complete game of the season. Texas starter Jon Matlack (15-9) went also went the distance, taking the loss.

THUR SEP 18

OAK_____2___3___0
TEX_____1___5___1

Season record: 86-62, 2nd place in AL West, 1/2 game behind 1st place Kansas City.

The A's now travel to KC for a 3-game weekend series with the Royals.

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Rickey Henderson's 2-run homer (6) in the top of the 9th gave the A's a 4-3 win over the Royals in the first of 3 games in Kansas City. Henderson was 3-5 with 3 RBIs on the day, and also stole his 106th base of the season. Rob Picciolo added a solo homer, his 2nd. In the top of the 9th, Dan Quisenberry came on to try and nail down a 3-2 win for the Royals. Dave Revering batted for Picciolo and singled to center. Jeff Cox ran for Revering, then stole second. The next batter, Henderson, deposited the ball over the left-field fence for the game-winner. Rick Langford went 8 innings for the win, improving to 15-10. Bob Lacey pitched a 1-2-3 9th for his 19th save. Quisenberry falls to 3-5.

The A's move back ahead of the Royals by 1/2 game.

FRI SEP 19

OAK_____4___10___0
KC______3___10___1

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The Royals moved back ahead of the A's in the AL West, pounding the A's 16-8. Kansas City plated 7 runs in the 7th inning to break open a close 9-8 game. Frank White led the 21-hit attack, going 4-5 with a homer (12), double and 6 RBI. Willie Aikens was 3-5 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Clint Hurdle went 3-4 with an RBI, George Brett was 3-6 with a double, and John Wathan was 2-5 with 3 RBI.

For the A's, Wayne Gross was 3-5 with a homer (14) and 4 RBI, Mitchell Page was 4-5 with 3 runs scored, and Tony Armas had a 3-run homer (27).

Dennis Leonard (24-5) struggled through 5 1/3 innings, allowing 5 earned runs, but stayed in long enough to pick up the win. Mike Jones fired 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn his first save. Oakland starter Matt Keough lasted only 3 1/3 innings. He allowed 11 hits and 9 runs (6 earned), to fall to 14-9.

SAT SEP 20

OAK_____8___12___2
KC_____16___21___0