O AKLAND A THLETICS Game Information Oakland Athletics Baseball Company7000 Coliseum WayOakland, CA 94621 510-638-4900www.athletics.comA’s PR on Twitter @AsMedia Alerts OAKLAND ATHLETICS (43-52) VS. NEW YORK METS (43-50) FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 — CITI FIELD — 7:10 P.M. EDT RHP PAUL BLACKBURN (1-0, 1.83) VS. LHP STEVEN MATZ (2-3, 4.58) NBC SPORTS CALIFORNIA — A’S RADIO NETWORK (95.7 FM THE GAME) ABOUT THE A’S: Won the series finale Wednesday against Tampa Bay LEFT AND RIGHT: The A’s have faced a left-handed starting pitcher in just after dropping the first two games of the series…are 8-4 over their last 12 four of the last 29 games…are 10-11 in games started by a lefty and the 21 games, which is tied for the best record in the AL since the Fourth of July games against left-handed starters are tied for the fewest in the American (TB, 8-4)…went 10-8 over the first 18 games this year, 17-30 over the next League (BOS, TEX)…are 33-41 against right-handers. 47 games from April 23 to June 14 and are 16-14 since then…are 43-52 THIS AND THAT: The A’s are 8-7 (.533) in the month of July…went 12- (.453) for the season, which is the second worst record in the American 16 (.429) in June, which marked the A’s eighth consecutive month with a League…have been in sole possession of last place in the AL West every losing record…that ties the Oakland record for consecutive months with a day dating back to May 30…trail first place Houston by 20 games, one losing record (also Aug. 1978-Sept. 1979)…used 84 different lineups over short of their season high...have spent one day tied for first this year, seven the first 88 games but have repeated a lineup three times in the last seven days in second, six days tied for second, 13 days in third, four days tied for games…are 8-12 in replay challenges while opposing managers are 17- third, 14 days in fourth, four days tied for fourth and 56 days in fifth. 11…home runs have accounted for 203 of the A’s 411 runs (49.4%)…the DEFENSIVE DOINGS: The A’s have committed 24 errors in the last 40 Oakland record for highest percentage of runs scoring on home runs is games after making 58 in their first 55 contests…have 82 errors for the 46.3% in 1996. season, which is the most in the majors (CWS, 74)…have 55 unearned INTERLEAGUE PLAY: The A’s are 2-8 in interleague play (0-3 vs. Atlanta, runs, which is the most in the majors (CWS, TEX: 47) and 12 more than 1-3 vs. Miami, 1-2 vs. Washington), which is the worst mark in the majors the A’s season total from last year (43)…have allowed 77 stolen bases, (CLE, 4-13, .235)…in addition to this three-game series with New York, which is the second most in the majors (CHC, 78) and two more than the the A’s will also play host to San Francisco (July 31-Aug. 1) and travel to A’s season total from last year (75)…have the third fewest outfield assists San Francisco (Aug. 2-3) and Philadelphia (Sept. 15-17)…have allowed in the AL (11). 70 runs in 10 interleague games for a 6.63 ERA (67 er in 91.0 ip), which OFFENSE: The A’s are batting .196 (106-for-540) over the last 16 games is the highest in the majors (CWS, 6.31)…are 200-174 (.535) all-time in and .235 for the season…have the second lowest batting average in the interleague play, which is seventh best in Major League history. majors (SD, .232)…the Oakland record for lowest batting average in a season is .236 in 1982…have 10+ strikeouts in 49 games…that is second PITCHERS HITTING: Daniel Gossett went 1-for-1 with a sacrifce on June most in Athletics history (59 in 2012)…have 907 strikeouts for the season, 14 at Miami, snapping an 0-for-26 streak since Scott Kazmir singled on which is second most in the American League to Tampa Bay (920) and June 16, 2015 at San Diego…are 2-for-64 (.031) over the last four seasons third most in the majors (MIL, 950)…have the lowest batting average in and 8-for-140 (.057) over the last eight…have a .080 (30-for-373) average the majors among leadoff hitters (.196), two hitters (.180) and outfielders with four doubles, 11 RBI, 10 walks and 176 strikeouts since interleague (.221)…also have the second lowest mark with runners in scoring position play began in 1997…the batting average is the lowest in the majors over (.227) and the third lowest mark with the bases loaded (.200). that span…the last triple by an A’s pitcher was by Blue Moon Odom on Aug. 22, 1971 against Boston…Odom also hit the last home run on Sept. PITCHING: The A’s have a 3.51 ERA (53 er in 136.0 ip) in July, which is 4, 1972 against California…the last extra base hit was by Joe Kennedy, a second lowest in the American League…the ERA increased each of the double on June 12, 2007 at Houston. first three months of the season (4.14 in April, 4.70 in May, 5.57 in June)… have a 4.62 ERA overall, which is fourth highest in the AL…rank second in THE DISABLED LIST: The A’s have used the disabled list 20 times, which the AL in hit batters (39), tied for second in wild pitches (49) and fourth in marks the third consecutive season and seventh time in the last 11 years fewest walks (288). Oakland has used the DL at least 20 times…the Oakland record is 27 set last year…currently have eight players on the DL (Bassitt, Cotton, STARTING PITCHING: A’s starting pitchers have tossed seven innings in Dull, Graveman, Pinder, Smolinski, Triggs, Wahl)…Bassitt, Smolinski and three of the last four games, including three straight from July 16-18…that Triggs are on the 60-day DL…Bassitt, Cotton, Graveman and Pinder are matched the longest stretch of consecutive starts of seven or more innings on a rehab assignment…have had at least five players on the DL all year by A’s starting pitchers over the last two years (July 22-24, 2016)…starters and at least seven every day dating back to May 24…have had at least are 5-5 with a 3.10 ERA (35 er in 101.2 ip) over the last 16 games and 31- three players on the DL every day since July 30, 2011 and have not had 38 with a 4.50 ERA (264 er in 528.0 ip) for the season…are tied for the sec- fewer than two players on the DL since the end of the 2006 season when ond most losses in the American League but have the fewest home runs they had just one. allowed (68)…are one of four AL teams without a complete game…have not tossed a complete game since Aug. 19 of last year and their streak of A’s vs. METS: This marks the first game of this year’s three-game season 135 consecutive games without a complete game is the third longest active series between the A’s and Mets...the two teams last played in 2014, split- streak in the majors (TB, 224 and ATL, 186)…it is third longest in Athletics ting a four-game season series...all-time, the A’s are 5-8 vs. the Mets, but history (151 from 7/9/08-7/5/09, 148 from 8/8/15-7/22/16). have lost eight of the last 11 games dating back to 2005 since winning the first two games between the teams on June 14-15, 2005...the A’s are 2-6 The A’s went 4-2 on their recently completed six-game HOME AND AWAY: at Citi Field and 3-2 at home. homestand against Cleveland (3-0) and Tampa Bay (1-2) after going 2-4 on the last homestand…had their season-high tying five-game home win- TODAY’S TIDBITS ning streak snapped on Monday…are 28-23 (.549) in Oakland compared Khris Davis has homered in three of his last five games and now has to 15-29 (.341) on the road and have the second worst road record in the 27 for the season, which is tied for third in the majors...leads the majors majors (PHI, 16-36, .308)…tonight is the first game of a seven-game road in home runs off right-handed pitchers (25) and home runs on the first trip to New York-NL (three games) and Toronto (four games)…went 2-2 on pitch (9)…in the last two calendar years (since July 21, 2015), he has the last road trip to Seattle and are now 6-4 over the last 10 road games 89 homers, which are three more than anyone else in baseball (Nelson after going 6-23 over the previous 29…are 9-5-2 in home series compared Cruz, 86)...Rajai Davis is tied for the Major League lead with seven sto- to 2-11-1 in road series.