The first four weeks of the 2020 MLB season have been massive, with two Aussies making our country proud on baseball’s biggest stage. WA’s Liam Hendriks has notched his eighth save as the go-to closer for the Oakland Athletics, while fellow Aussie Lewis Thorpe has been working hard on the mound for the Minnesota Twins.
LIAM HENDRIKS Liam Hendriks and the Oakland Athletics are sitting first in the American League West with a 18-8 record. Hendriks picked up three more saves from as many games, taking his tally to eight for season, now an equal MLB-leading amount. Hendriks entered the game in the 10th inning against San Francisco on Saturday, 15 August and struck out all three batters as the Athletics produced a remarkable comeback win. Oakland had some strong offensive work at the top of the ninth, scoring five runs to make it an even ballgame and holding off the Giants to take the game to extras. Hendriks did not appear affected by the Giants runner on second under MLB's extra-innings rules for 2020, letting his fastball do the damage as the A's completed an 8-7 win. The West Australian blew a fastball past lead-off hitter Brandon Belt as the Giants were unable to advance the runner, before the closer struck out Mauricio Dubon for the second out. The right-hander then got Mike Yastrzemski to strike out swinging on a ball out of the zone, completing the wild comeback win for Oakland. Oakland, which trailed 6-0 after four innings, relied on Stephen Piscotty's grand slam at the top of the ninth to make it a 7-all game. Matt Olsen's seventh homer of the season was the first run scored in that frame for the A's while it was a sacrifice fly from Mark Canha at the top of the 10th that saw Oakland with the go-ahead run, Chapman the one to score from second. It was a similar story the day after on Sunday, 16 August with the Athletics beating the Giants 7-6 after another late-inning barrage of runs - four at the top of the ninth - to take the lead. Hendriks took three pitches to claim the first two outs of the final frame, Hunter Pence grounding out on the first pitch before Brandon Crawford flew out to right field. Pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson was walked but was stuck at first as Mauricio Dubon popped out to Tony Kemp at second for the final out. Hendriks collected his equal MLB-leading eighth save on Thursday, 20 August as Oakland extended its home winning streak to seven in a 4-1 win over Arizona. The 31-year-old retired all three batters he faced at Oakland Coliseum, taking just 15 pitches to achieve the final three outs, including striking out Kole Calhoun. Eduardo Escobar flew out to left field while Nick Ahmed grounded out to finish off the game. Hendriks followed up on a strong start from Jesus Luzardo, who struck out seven over 6.1 scoreless innings as Oakland jumped out in front in the first on Robbie Grossman's two-run ground-rule double. Mark Canha doubled the A's advantage with a two-run homer in the third. A fourth outing for the week saw Hendriks enter the top of the ninth in Oakland's 5-1 win against Arizona on Friday, 21 August, replacing Jake Diekman. Hendriks pitched the one closing inning, recording the required three outs from consecutive hitters, firstly striking out Christian Walker before Eduardo Escabar grounded out. Hendriks struck out Nick Ahmed to finish the game. The former Perth Heat pitcher's ERA now sits at 1.35 from 13.1 innings pitched. Hendriks' eight saves for the season has him tied with Zack Britton from the New York Yankees for the most saves. Oakland hosts the Los Angeles Angels across the weekend in a three-game series before travelling to Texas to take on the Rangers in a three-game series to cap off the next week of the 2020 MLB season. Follow Oakland’s season on the official MLB website here. LEWIS THORPE Victorian Lewis Thorpe pitched four innings in a 9-3 loss to Milwaukee that saw a couple of long shots clear the fence, prompting his ERA to rise, although the Minnesota Twins are still atop the rankings in the American League Central division with a 17-9 record. Thorpe entered in the fourth inning of the game against Milwaukee at Target Field on Thursday, 20 August. He came into the game when the Brewers were up by three runs and managed to contain that margin from his first inning on the mound. The next inning wasn't so smooth as Thorpe gave up four runs - a pair of two-run home runs to Christian Yelich and Avisail Garcia - at the top of the fifth as Milwaukee ran away with the scoreline. The 24-year-old left-hander recovered well in his next two innings, ending his four frames with six hits for four runs with three strikeouts and three walks. The former Doncaster and Greenhills Montmorency junior saw his ERA dip to 5.06 from his last appearance, however as a result of the Twins 9-3 loss to the Brewers, Thorpe's ERA is back up at 6.14. The Twins optioned Thorpe to their alternate training site on Thursday and recalled Zack Littell. Thorpe remains on the Twins' 40-man roster, meaning he is eligible to be added back to the active roster. The Twins meet Kansas City once again across the weekend, followed by a three-game series in Cleveland before finishing up the week in Detroit next Friday. For up-to-date schedules, scores and live action from the Twins, visit the official MLB website here. MLB ON KAYO If you’re wondering where to watch MLB, Kayo has you covered with some of the biggest games streamed live each week. In addition to MLB Strikezone showings, the Australian sports streaming service has the following lineup for games this next week:
Click HERE to check out Kayo and follow along with the MLB action live. New to Kayo? Sign up for a free 14-day trial HERE. Hi all and welcome back to the Kennel for season 20/21! The committee are looking forward to a fantastic upcoming season and can’t wait to catch up with our Bulldog family. With our juniors, we have multiple leagues that start from the age of 7 to 18 and we are looking to have teams in:
With our senior teams, we offer multiple grades depending on your skill levels. We have teams in:
Our first Registration and Come and Try day will be on the 23rd of August at the Kennel (John Dunn Oval, Third Avenue Kelmscott). Registrations can be completed now on Sportslomo via our link below. To keep up to date with what is happening at the club follow us on Facebook @KelmscottBaseballClub.
Get ready to dust off the glove and bats and get down for a catch up and to train up again for what will be an exciting season! Peter Butler President Gosnells Hawks welcomes you to the 2020/2021 baseball season. We are looking forward to a very successful and enjoyable year ahead. Based out of Tom Batemen Reserve Thornlie, affectionately known as the “Hawks Nest”, we run a solid league ranging from our junior squads of 7-18-year-olds up to our State League 1, SL2, SL3, C & F Grades. Gosnells Hawks pride ourselves on our club culture. With our junior squads through to our senior sides, we encourage all ages to participate and enjoy the game of baseball. We run a variety of social events throughout our season that not only serve as fundraisers for the club, but also as a great way to build relationships and networks for our members. This season we will have a new State League Coach with an announcement imminent. Sponsorship and volunteers are essential to our club's success, and we would like to acknowledge and thank our past seasons' corporate sponsors and the tireless efforts of our volunteers. We are always on the lookout for sponsors, so if you or anyone in your networks would like to offer a sponsorship, large or small, of our club, please contact us via our website HERE. In addition, we have a variety of volunteer roles available within the club, for both game days and in-between. If you love the game of baseball and would like to support us off the field, please get in touch. Our 2020/2021 season will begin on the 18th of October 2020 for the seniors and 17th of October 2020 for the juniors TBC. Gosnells Hawks Baseball Club registrations are now open. All players from last year would have received an email on how to register online. ALL NEW PLAYERS WELCOMED. See registration information below. You can also view all information on our website HERE. For those who require a clearance to our club, please contact one of the below persons. Junior enquiries: Caroline Adamson, Junior President 0412 863 125 Senior enquiries: Senior President - David Leitch 0402 795 671, Vice President – Scott Owen 0436 856 832 For information about our fee structure for this season, please click HERE. With COVID-19 so prevalent in all our lives, this year, more than ever, we will be relying on each other to continue to live with some normality going forward. As always, our players, spectators and volunteers safety is paramount and we will continue to communicate with our members regarding changes and updates surrounding this matter. For players and spectators, we have a range of amazing merchandise that can be purchased HERE. Click on the links below for more information: ENQUIRIES WEBSITE FACEBOOK - SENIORS FACEBOOK - JUNIORS With the start of the 2020/21 season not far off, new and returning umpires are invited to take part in upcoming umpire training sessions.
Cost: Free Where: Perth Modern School – cnr Subiaco Rd and Hamilton St When: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Sunday 23 August, Sunday 30 August and Saturday 5 September. All are welcomed and will be assessed and awarded the accreditation appropriate to your ability and games you desire to umpire - anything from juniors (Little League to Senior League) to adults (social grades to the State Leagues). Even if you have never umpired before, or are a mum or and dad moving with your child from teeball umpiring, you are encouraged to get involved. This is also a great opportunity for veteran players or umpires who have been around baseball for a while to brush up on their skills and learn more. Age and fitness are no obstacles – individually tailored training and assistance will be provided. There are very attractive opportunities for umpires to participate in several national tournaments each year (safety restrictions permitting) at all levels if that is something they desire. Any queries please don’t hesitate to email Chris Rapley – chrisrapley@outlook.com or m 0418 912 206. Baseball WA is proud to call for nominations for the 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award. The BWA Volunteer of the Year Award recognises the valuable contributions volunteers make to WA baseball.
Nominations for the 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award can be submitted using the nomination form below. Nominations close Wednesday, 2 October 2020. Please forward nominations to admin@baseballwa.asn.au. The award will be presented on 10 October 2020. |
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