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Carter Spoils Samardzija’s Night

Published

11 years ago

September 6, 2014

Oakland, CA – It’s not where they want to be yet they still continue their journey. Adam Dunn continued his hitting streak, Coco Crisp returned to the lineup and Jeff Samardzija pitched his third game with nine strikeouts or more. But that wasn’t enough to snap the A’s losing streak as they fell 4-3 to the Houston Astros.

“Jeff’s last three starts have been good,” said Oakland’s manager Bob Melvin. “Unfortunately, we don’t do enough offensively to give him some help.”

The A’s found their missing at-bats in the third. They scored three runs giving them lead. Alberto Callaspo leadoff the frame with a hit off Brett Oberholtzer who was late throwing him out at first. Crisp struck out and Oberholtzer walked the next two batters to load the bases.

Derek Norris hit a single to right field scoring in one run, an error on right fielder Jake Marisnick allowed the second runner to score making it a 2-1 game. Jonny Gomes popped out and Dunn’s RBI single extended Oakland’s lead 3-1. This is Dunn’s fourth game hitting consecutively and driving in a run in each of his four games.

“I was just trying to relax, get a good pitch to hit and not chase,” Chris Carter said. “I’m always looking for a fastball, then try to adjust off-speed and go from there. I got a good pitch middle way.”

The Astros responded in the fourth with a RBI single from Carter who trimmed the lead down to one run. Carter then went deep to center field in the sixth with a two-run homer giving Houston back the lead, making it a 4-3 game. Carter has 7 home runs, 20 RBI’s in 16 games against his former team this season.

“I threw a pitch he could handle, he got extended on it, and he hit out of the park,” said Samardzija. “If there’s one I could have back, it would be that one, for sure. But we’d thrown some fastballs by him earlier in the game, so I thought it was a good choice.”

Samardzija gave up his second home run of the game, his first went to Jon Singleton who blasted a solo shot on the first pitch in the third. Houston’s defense stifled the A’s offense in the fourth when they failed to score after loading the bases.

“We had many opportunities to put that game out of reach,” Norris said. “You let teams hang around long enough, they’re going to come through and they’re going to beat you, and I think that’s more the focal point for me than the pitch to Carter.”

Oakland loss tonight puts them two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card race. The Mariners beat the Texas Rangers. With 22 games left in the season, every game becomes crucial for the A’s to keep a good position if they’re unable to catch the Angels. There’s a lot of baseball left and Oakland will take it one day at a time.

Notes – Adam Dunn has homered twice in four games since joining the A’s via trade from the Chicago White Sox last Sunday. Dunn has also hit safely in his last four games and driven in a run in each of those games. He feels confident about his at-bats and excited to be on a team that is in contention. Despite the struggles as of lately, Dunn continues to keep a positive attitude.

“We’ve played quite a few games here and I feel fine,” said Dunn. “It’s a lot easier when you know a few of these guys like I do. So, it’s been a very easy adjustment. The makeup that this team has is pretty loose and they realize they’re good despite what’s happened in the past month.”

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “He’s invigorating! He comes from a team that’s not in the pennant race and feels good about being here.”

Oakland has dropped from the leading the American League West to trailing six games behind the Anaheim Angels. The A’s have lost three straight, seven of the last eight and nine of the last twelve games. The moral is a bit low yet, Dunn feels as though he’s on top of the world.

“There’s a lot of games left, can’t sit here and worry about teams coming in two weeks,” explained Dunn. “We just have to take care of business and let everything else play itself out. This is what the goal is, to play meaningful games in September and then the postseason. They’ve done that and I’ve actually reaped the benefits of it by coming over here late.”

“You see his at-bats, he invigorates himself and a lot of the other guys,” Melvin said. “We do have some guys who are still struggling a bit but this is time we need to come out of this. Having him in the lineup gets other guys in there swinging the bats well.”

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

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4 days ago

June 2, 2025

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Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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May 30, 2025

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

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7 days ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”