mercurynews--2020-10-09--Astros shrug off resentment-filled rivalry with A’s after eliminating Oakland from playoffs

Though there was room for resentment , the Astros expressed nothing but respect for the A ’ s after closing out their postseason series with Oakland in four games .
The A ’ s scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 Thursday but ultimately fell short of another comeback , losing 11-6 as the Astros advanced to the American League Championship Series .
“ They were threatening , ” said Astros manager Dusty Baker of the A ’ s .
“ They didn ’ t quit and when that final out was made you feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end , the Astros sent the A ’ s home by stringing together at-bats , getting timely contributions from their bullpen and leaning on their championship experience .
The Astros ’ core of Carlos Correa , George Springer , Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman has reached its fourth straight ALCS .
Houston will take on the winner of the division-round series between the Yankees and Rays one year after former Astros pitcher , and current A ’ s starter , Mike Fiers blew the whistle on Houston ’ s sign-stealing controversy that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Major League Baseball .
After expressing throughout the season and postseason a desire to prove the haters wrong , Houston did an about-face after finishing off the A ’ s — aside from a winking tweet fired off by Houston catcher Martín Maldonado shortly after the final out .
“ Absolutely not , ” Correa said when asked if the controversy motivated the team .
“ We were motivated because we want to win , we want to bring another championship to the city of Houston .
We know what it feels like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that once again.
” Added Astros outfielder Michael Brantley : “ I don ’ t know that we made any certain statement .
I just know we played great baseball and we played a great team over there .
We played a clean series , and we got the win.
” Such an accomplishment might have been made sweeter by eliminating an A ’ s team that not only featured Fiers , but also won the season series 7-3 , and broke Houston ’ s streak of three straight AL West division titles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incident in which A ’ s outfielder Ramón Laureano charged the Astros ’ dugout after being hit by a pitch and egged on by Houston coach Alex Cintrón , triggering multiple suspensions .
No punches were thrown this week , but these four ALDS games were a slugfest .
With 55 combined runs , both teams got hits from everywhere in the lineup , and no lead was ever safe .
The A ’ s jumped out in front with Laureano ’ s three-run homer off Zack Greinke in the second .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brantley and Correa in a five-run burst against Frankie Montas in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead .
Another homer by Laureano in the top of the fifth cut the Astros ’ lead to one , but Houston banged in six runs in their next three times at bat to take a commanding lead .
“ I ’ m glad for the city of Houston , ” said Baker , who is his first year as Astros manager .
“ I ’ m glad for the whole Astros organization and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Though there was room for resentment, the Astros expressed nothing but respect for the A’s after closing out their postseason series with Oakland in four games.
The A’s scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 Thursday but ultimately fell short of another comeback, losing 11-6 as the Astros advanced to the American League Championship Series.
“They were threatening,” said Astros manager Dusty Baker of the A’s. “They didn’t quit and when that final out was made you feel a great sense of relief.”
In the end, the Astros sent the A’s home by stringing together at-bats, getting timely contributions from their bullpen and leaning on their championship experience. The Astros’ core of Carlos Correa, George Springer, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman has reached its fourth straight ALCS.
Houston will take on the winner of the division-round series between the Yankees and Rays one year after former Astros pitcher, and current A’s starter, Mike Fiers blew the whistle on Houston’s sign-stealing controversy that made them the most hated team in Major League Baseball.
After expressing throughout the season and postseason a desire to prove the haters wrong, Houston did an about-face after finishing off the A’s — aside from a winking tweet fired off by Houston catcher Martín Maldonado shortly after the final out.
“Absolutely not,” Correa said when asked if the controversy motivated the team. “We were motivated because we want to win, we want to bring another championship to the city of Houston. We know what it feels like, and we wanted to feel like that once again.”
Added Astros outfielder Michael Brantley: “I don’t know that we made any certain statement. I just know we played great baseball and we played a great team over there. We played a clean series, and we got the win.”
Such an accomplishment might have been made sweeter by eliminating an A’s team that not only featured Fiers, but also won the season series 7-3, and broke Houston’s streak of three straight AL West division titles this season. The regular season included an incident in which A’s outfielder Ramón Laureano charged the Astros’ dugout after being hit by a pitch and egged on by Houston coach Alex Cintrón, triggering multiple suspensions.
No punches were thrown this week, but these four ALDS games were a slugfest. With 55 combined runs, both teams got hits from everywhere in the lineup, and no lead was ever safe.
The A’s jumped out in front with Laureano’s three-run homer off Zack Greinke in the second. But the Astros used home runs from Brantley and Correa in a five-run burst against Frankie Montas in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. Another homer by Laureano in the top of the fifth cut the Astros’ lead to one, but Houston banged in six runs in their next three times at bat to take a commanding lead.
“I’m glad for the city of Houston,” said Baker, who is his first year as Astros manager. “I’m glad for the whole Astros organization and the players that made all this possible.”


mercurynews--2020-10-09--13 charged in plots against Michigan governor, police

Six men have been charged in federal court with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer at her El Rapids vacation home , according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday , and filed Tuesday , in federal court .
The FBI investigation , which involved multiple confidential sources and undercover FBI personnel , has been ongoing since the spring , and the militia ’ s activities included two surveillances of the governor ’ s northern Michigan vacation home this summer .
Discussions were underway to kidnap Whitmer to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand “ trial ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For months , the men plotted , consulted and trained , which involved firearms and the testing of explosives and tactical drills , with militia members while undertaking rehearsals in August and September , according to the complaint .
Four of the six men planned to meet Wednesday to “ make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear , ” the FBI said in the court filing .
Court documents identify the defendants as Adam Fox , Ty Garbin , Kaleb Franks , Daniel Harris , and Brandon Caserta , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delaware .
Those same court documents reveal that FBI officials did not believe there to have been an imminent threat posed to Whitmer .
At a meeting in July , allegedly attended and recorded by one of the confidential sources , the men “ discussed attacking a Michigan State Police facility , and in a separate conversation after the meeting , Garbin suggested shooting up the Governor ’ s vacation home , ” authorities allege , according to court documents .
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday there has been a disturbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of groups that embrace extremist ideologies .
“ These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance , ” she said .
“ This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy , some of these groups ’ mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others.
” According to court documents , Fox said he needed 200 men to storm the Capitol building in Lansing and take hostages , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try Whitmer for “ treason ” and would execute the plan before the Nov. 3 election , according to FBI officials .
Later , however , the group shifted to targeting the governor ’ s vacation home .
The FBI also quoted one of the accused as saying Whitmer “ has no checks and balances at all .
She has uncontrolled power right now .
All good things must come to an end.
” Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , Whitmer has been praised but also deeply criticized for the state ’ s response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on personal movement throughout the state and on the economy , although many of those limits have been lifted .
The criminal complaint did not mention those orders .
Last week , the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 invalidating Whitmer ’ s use of her emergency powers since April 30 .
MDHHS has since issued epidemic orders to reinstate major aspects of her previous executive orders aimed at protecting Michiganders from the spread of COVID-19 .
The government said the scheme appeared to have roots in a June gathering in Dublin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen people from several states , including Croft and Fox .
“ The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient , ” the FBI affidavit said .
“ They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions…Several members talked about murdering ‘ tyrants ’ or ‘ taking ’ a sitting governor.
” On Wednesday , federal agents raided a property in Hartland .
On Thursday , the Attorney General ’ s Office confirmed that as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known to be members of the militia group , Wolverine Watchmen or associates of Wolverine Watchmen , had been arrested and charged with 19 state felonies .
The suspects have been identified as Paul Bellar of Milford , Shawn Fix of Belleville , Eric Molitor of Cadillac , Michael Null of Plainwell , William Null of Shelbyville , and Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison , who live together in Munith .
According to the AG ’ s Office , the seven men are alleged to have called on the militia groups ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement officers in order to target them ; made threats of violence to instigate a civil war leading to societal collapse ; and engaged in the planning and training for an operation to attack the state Capitol building and kidnap government officials , including Whitmer .
The state felony charges are subject to change after a complete review of the evidence obtained through the warrants , and differ from those charges issued at the federal level .
Through the efforts of more than 200 state and federal law enforcement officials – including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executed a series of search warrants and arrest warrants in more than a dozen cities around the state , including , Belleville , Cadillac , Canton , Charlotte , Clarkston , Grand Rapids , Luther , Munith , Orion Township , Ovid , Portage , Shelby Township and Waterford .
Michigan State Police Col. Joe Gasper , director of The Michigan State Police , said Michigan law enforcement officers are united in their commitment to rooting out terrorism in any form .
“ We will take swift action against anyone seeking to cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Gasper .
“ Michigan residents can assist us in this mission by speaking up if you see suspicious activity or become aware of someone making threats .
No tip is too small ; don ’ t wait until it ’ s too late .
Tips can be submitted confidentially 24/7 online at our website.
” Whitmer is expected to issue comments on this matter at 3 p.m. Look for updates to this story .
– The Associated Press contributed to this report

Six men have been charged in federal court with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her El Rapids vacation home, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, and filed Tuesday, in federal court.
The FBI investigation, which involved multiple confidential sources and undercover FBI personnel, has been ongoing since the spring, and the militia’s activities included two surveillances of the governor’s northern Michigan vacation home this summer. Discussions were underway to kidnap Whitmer to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand “trial” for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election.
[vemba-video id=”politics/2020/10/09/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-kidnap-plot-prokupecz-ebof-vpx.cnn”]
Video: FBI thwarted plot to kidnap Michigan governor
For months, the men plotted, consulted and trained, which involved firearms and the testing of explosives and tactical drills, with militia members while undertaking rehearsals in August and September, according to the complaint. Four of the six men planned to meet Wednesday to “make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear,” the FBI said in the court filing.
Court documents identify the defendants as Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta, all of Michigan, and Barry Croft of Delaware. Those same court documents reveal that FBI officials did not believe there to have been an imminent threat posed to Whitmer.
At a meeting in July, allegedly attended and recorded by one of the confidential sources, the men “discussed attacking a Michigan State Police facility, and in a separate conversation after the meeting, Garbin suggested shooting up the Governor’s vacation home,” authorities allege, according to court documents.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday there has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies.
“These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance,” she said. “This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy, some of these groups’ mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others.”
According to court documents, Fox said he needed 200 men to storm the Capitol building in Lansing and take hostages, including Whitmer, and that he wanted to try Whitmer for “treason” and would execute the plan before the Nov. 3 election, according to FBI officials. Later, however, the group shifted to targeting the governor’s vacation home.
The FBI also quoted one of the accused as saying Whitmer “has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now. All good things must come to an end.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitmer has been praised but also deeply criticized for the state’s response to the coronavirus. She put major restrictions on personal movement throughout the state and on the economy, although many of those limits have been lifted. The criminal complaint did not mention those orders.
Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 invalidating Whitmer’s use of her emergency powers since April 30. MDHHS has since issued epidemic orders to reinstate major aspects of her previous executive orders aimed at protecting Michiganders from the spread of COVID-19.
The government said the scheme appeared to have roots in a June gathering in Dublin, Ohio, attended by more than a dozen people from several states, including Croft and Fox.
“The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient,” the FBI affidavit said. “They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions…Several members talked about murdering ‘tyrants’ or ‘taking’ a sitting governor.”
On Wednesday, federal agents raided a property in Hartland. On Thursday, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that as a result of that raid, seven men, known to be members of the militia group, Wolverine Watchmen or associates of Wolverine Watchmen, had been arrested and charged with 19 state felonies.
The suspects have been identified as Paul Bellar of Milford, Shawn Fix of Belleville, Eric Molitor of Cadillac, Michael Null of Plainwell, William Null of Shelbyville, and Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison, who live together in Munith.
According to the AG’s Office, the seven men are alleged to have called on the militia groups’ members to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to target them; made threats of violence to instigate a civil war leading to societal collapse; and engaged in the planning and training for an operation to attack the state Capitol building and kidnap government officials, including Whitmer.
The state felony charges are subject to change after a complete review of the evidence obtained through the warrants, and differ from those charges issued at the federal level.
Through the efforts of more than 200 state and federal law enforcement officials – including experts from outside of Michigan – officers executed a series of search warrants and arrest warrants in more than a dozen cities around the state, including, Belleville, Cadillac, Canton, Charlotte, Clarkston, Grand Rapids, Luther, Munith, Orion Township, Ovid, Portage, Shelby Township and Waterford.
Michigan State Police Col. Joe Gasper, director of The Michigan State Police, said Michigan law enforcement officers are united in their commitment to rooting out terrorism in any form.
“We will take swift action against anyone seeking to cause violence or harm in our state,” said Gasper. “Michigan residents can assist us in this mission by speaking up if you see suspicious activity or become aware of someone making threats. No tip is too small; don’t wait until it’s too late. Tips can be submitted confidentially 24/7 online at our website.”
Whitmer is expected to issue comments on this matter at 3 p.m. Look for updates to this story.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report


mercurynews--2020-10-09--Sunnyvale: Woman hit by vehicle on Sept. 26 dies of injuries

SUNNYVALE – A 90-year-old woman has died of injuries she suffered in a traffic collision in Sunnyvale last month , @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Safety said the woman and a 12-year-old girl were hit by a @ @ @ @ @ 26 on Tasman Drive east of Fair Oaks Avenue .
Both victims were taken to @ @ @ @ @ .
The woman succumbed to her injuries Wednesday ; the girl was expected to survive @ @ @ @ @ Medical Examiner-Coroner ’ s Office will release the woman ’ s identity once it has @ @ @ @ @ of kin is notified .
The occupants of the vehicle that struck the pair were @ @ @ @ @ remains under investigation , but authorities said alcohol was not believed to be a factor @ @ @ @ @ contact Officer Bradley Militano at 408-730-7109 or bmilitano @ sunnyvale.ca.gov .

SUNNYVALE – A 90-year-old woman has died of injuries she suffered in a traffic collision in Sunnyvale last month, authorities said.
The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said the woman and a 12-year-old girl were hit by a vehicle at about 6:10 p.m. Sept. 26 on Tasman Drive east of Fair Oaks Avenue.
Both victims were taken to a hospital with major injuries. The woman succumbed to her injuries Wednesday; the girl was expected to survive.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office will release the woman’s identity once it has been confirmed and her next of kin is notified. As of Friday that had not happened.
The occupants of the vehicle that struck the pair were not injured.
The crash remains under investigation, but authorities said alcohol was not believed to be a factor.
Anyone with information can contact Officer Bradley Militano at 408-730-7109 or bmilitano@sunnyvale.ca.gov.


mercurynews--2020-10-09--Pixar’s ‘Soul’ will skip theaters, be available for Christmas streaming

As the coronavirus pandemic continues , the Walt Disney Company on Thursday announced that Pixar ’ s next feature film — “ Soul ” — will skip theaters and debut exclusively on Disney+ in time for Christmas .
The animated family movie — originally scheduled for a June theatrical release and then moved to Nov. 20 — will now drop Dec. 25 on the streaming service .
And unlike “ Mulan , ” which premiered on Disney+ for a premium $ 30 fee , “ Soul ” will be available to subscribers at no extra cost .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and moving ‘ Soul ’ with audiences direct to Disney+ in December , ” said Bob Chapek , chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company , in a media release .
“ A new original Pixar film is always a special occasion , and this truly heartwarming and humorous story about human connection and finding one ’ s place in the world will be a treat for families to enjoy together this holiday season.
” In international markets where Disney+ isn ’ t available , “ Soul ” will be released theatrically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news comes days after movie theater operator Cineworld , which operates Regal theaters in the U.S. , reported plans to temporarily shutter all 536 locations , citing the “ challenging theatrical landscape.
” Meanwhile , AMC and Cinemark said they don ’ t intend to close any U.S. venues , according to Variety .
“ Soul ” is the latest movie to change its theatrical plans due to the ongoing pandemic , joining the likes of “ Dune ” and the James Bond film “ No Time to Die , ” both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Produced at Pixar ’ s Emeryville studios and co-directed by Pete Docter ( “ Monsters Inc. , ” “ Up ” ) and Kemp Powers ( screenwriter for “ One Night in Miami ” ) , “ Soul ” follows a middle-school music teacher ( voiced by Jamie Foxx ) who dreams of being a jazz performer .
But before his big break , he gets in an accident that causes his soul to be separated from his body .
He then teams up with a character ( Tina Fey ) to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth before it ’ s too late as various trials ensue .
Oakland native Daveed Diggs also has a voice role in the film , along with Phylicia Rashad , Ahmir “ Questlove ” Thompson and Angela Bassett .
Said Docter , “ … ‘ Soul ’ investigates what ’ s really important in our lives , a question we ’ re all asking these days .
I hope it will bring some humor and fun to people at a time when everyone can surely use that .
”

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the Walt Disney Company on Thursday announced that Pixar’s next feature film — “Soul” — will skip theaters and debut exclusively on Disney+ in time for Christmas.
The animated family movie — originally scheduled for a June theatrical release and then moved to Nov. 20 — will now drop Dec. 25 on the streaming service. And unlike “Mulan,” which premiered on Disney+ for a premium $30 fee, “Soul” will be available to subscribers at no extra cost.
“We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving ‘Soul’ with audiences direct to Disney+ in December,” said Bob Chapek, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a media release. “A new original Pixar film is always a special occasion, and this truly heartwarming and humorous story about human connection and finding one’s place in the world will be a treat for families to enjoy together this holiday season.”
In international markets where Disney+ isn’t available, “Soul” will be released theatrically on a yet-to-be determined date.
The news comes days after movie theater operator Cineworld, which operates Regal theaters in the U.S., reported plans to temporarily shutter all 536 locations, citing the “challenging theatrical landscape.” Meanwhile, AMC and Cinemark said they don’t intend to close any U.S. venues, according to Variety.
“Soul” is the latest movie to change its theatrical plans due to the ongoing pandemic, joining the likes of “Dune” and the James Bond film “No Time to Die,” both of which were delayed until next year.
Produced at Pixar’s Emeryville studios and co-directed by Pete Docter (“Monsters Inc.,” “Up”) and Kemp Powers (screenwriter for “One Night in Miami”), “Soul” follows a middle-school music teacher (voiced by Jamie Foxx) who dreams of being a jazz performer. But before his big break, he gets in an accident that causes his soul to be separated from his body. He then teams up with a character (Tina Fey) to return his soul back to his body on Earth before it’s too late as various trials ensue.
Oakland native Daveed Diggs also has a voice role in the film, along with Phylicia Rashad, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Angela Bassett.
Said Docter, “… ‘Soul’ investigates what’s really important in our lives, a question we’re all asking these days. I hope it will bring some humor and fun to people at a time when everyone can surely use that.”


mercurynews--2020-10-09--Kurtenbach: The real tragedy of the A’s playoff flame-out

The A ’ s season , short and impressive as it was , is now over .
The Houston Astros ’ relentless hitting finished off Oakland on Thursday in Game 4 best-of-five American League Division Series .
And typically at the end of the season , I ’ m keen to write a “ they ’ ll-get- ’ em-next-year ” column — the promise of a brighter future .
But I can ’ t write something like that for A ’ s fans because year-over-year continuity is not a thing that Oakland does under team owner John Fisher .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss in 2020 so disappointing , so heartbreaking , so unfair .
This was supposed to be the A ’ s season .
This was the year the team had been building towards for half a decade .
The 2020 A ’ s were supposed to be the exact right blend of young and old , experience and upside .
And when they went out and absolutely dominated the American League West this year , they hinted that things were , in fact , different with this team .
For A ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were a few extra playoff games .
They didn ’ t come close to sniffing the World Series .
And adding salt to this fresh wound , their loss to the arch-rival Astros — who outscored Oakland by 12 runs over four games — was comprehensive .
The A ’ s weren ’ t done in by bad luck or a few fleeting missed opportunities .
No , they were simply smacked around by a team that consistently contends for championships .
A team , it should be noted , that paid three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zack Greinke — roughly the same amount as the A ’ s paid everyone on their roster .
If these A ’ s could run this roster back in 2021 , they ’ d again be expected to make the playoffs and perhaps even take a step forward in their quest to win the World Series for the first time since 1989 .
The talent is there to expect further improvement — maybe even a big jump .
But even with young , cheap , and downright outstanding players on the books , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team that “ runs it back ” .
Yes , they ’ ll have stars in third baseman Matt Chapman , first baseman Matt Olson , and starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo on next year ’ s team , but you need other good , reliable everyday players around those tentpole stars to win it all .
And those are exactly the kind of players the A ’ s could lose this offseason .
• Astros shrug off resentment-filled rivalry with A ’ s after eliminating Oakland from playoffs • Astros eliminate Athletics : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinches ALDS • The A ’ s postseason nightmare will ( and should ) feel worse than other playoff disappointments Two starting infielders — including Marcus Semien , the third-place finisher for American League MVP in 2019 — will be free agents at the end of this year .
Arguably their best offensive player ( Robbie Grossman ) this season will join them there .
Two starting pitchers and three relievers — including perhaps the best closer in baseball ( Liam Hendriks ) — are now out of contract as well with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A ’ s could re-sign all of this talent .
But anyone who follows this team knows that will not happen .
The truth is that the A ’ s will be lucky to keep a few of their pending free-agent players in green and gold for another year .
Does Fisher have the money to sign Semien , Hendriks , Grossman , or even Tommy La Stella — or at the least sign players of a similar price ?
Probably , yes .
Even with no ticket revenue this season this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Gap , the money is somewhere .
Check the couch cushions — there ’ s probably enough money in there to keep a player or two around .
But will Fisher spend the money necessary to give this team one more shot at winning a title ?
Probably not .
• Astros shrug off resentment-filled rivalry with A ’ s after eliminating Oakland from playoffs • Astros eliminate Athletics : What both teams are saying after Houston clinches ALDS • The A ’ s postseason nightmare will ( and should ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s simply no reason to believe that the A ’ s ownership won ’ t play it cheap again — for the umpteenth time in a row — this offseason .
If Semien and Hendriks and Grossman — all top-25 free agents this upcoming offseason — leave for bigger paydays , the A ’ s front office , led by Billy Beane , will do its best to try to replace that talent by tapping into their farm system and bargain-hunting expertise .
But no one could reasonably expect those players to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s are losing .
There are only a few teams in baseball that could argue that they do more with less than Oakland , but this is probably a bridge too far .
Yes , this season ending prematurely is disappointing , but A ’ s fans deserved the opportunity to be optimistic about this team going into next season — to at least trick themselves into thinking that the progression towards a title will continue in 2021 .
Instead , they ’ ll have to wonder if this season was as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was nowhere near good enough .

The A’s season, short and impressive as it was, is now over.
The Houston Astros’ relentless hitting finished off Oakland on Thursday in Game 4 best-of-five American League Division Series.
And typically at the end of the season, I’m keen to write a “they’ll-get-’em-next-year” column — the promise of a brighter future.
But I can’t write something like that for A’s fans because year-over-year continuity is not a thing that Oakland does under team owner John Fisher.
And that’s what makes this playoff loss in 2020 so disappointing, so heartbreaking, so unfair.
This was supposed to be the A’s season. This was the year the team had been building towards for half a decade. The 2020 A’s were supposed to be the exact right blend of young and old, experience and upside. And when they went out and absolutely dominated the American League West this year, they hinted that things were, in fact, different with this team.
For A’s fans, all that hope got them were a few extra playoff games. They didn’t come close to sniffing the World Series. And adding salt to this fresh wound, their loss to the arch-rival Astros — who outscored Oakland by 12 runs over four games — was comprehensive. The A’s weren’t done in by bad luck or a few fleeting missed opportunities. No, they were simply smacked around by a team that consistently contends for championships.
A team, it should be noted, that paid three players — including their Game 4 starter Zack Greinke — roughly the same amount as the A’s paid everyone on their roster.
If these A’s could run this roster back in 2021, they’d again be expected to make the playoffs and perhaps even take a step forward in their quest to win the World Series for the first time since 1989. The talent is there to expect further improvement — maybe even a big jump.
But even with young, cheap, and downright outstanding players on the books, the A’s are not a team that “runs it back”. Yes, they’ll have stars in third baseman Matt Chapman, first baseman Matt Olson, and starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo on next year’s team, but you need other good, reliable everyday players around those tentpole stars to win it all.
And those are exactly the kind of players the A’s could lose this offseason.
Two starting infielders — including Marcus Semien, the third-place finisher for American League MVP in 2019 — will be free agents at the end of this year. Arguably their best offensive player (Robbie Grossman) this season will join them there. Two starting pitchers and three relievers — including perhaps the best closer in baseball (Liam Hendriks) — are now out of contract as well with the season ending.
In theory, the A’s could re-sign all of this talent. But anyone who follows this team knows that will not happen. The truth is that the A’s will be lucky to keep a few of their pending free-agent players in green and gold for another year.
Does Fisher have the money to sign Semien, Hendriks, Grossman, or even Tommy La Stella — or at the least sign players of a similar price?
Probably, yes. Even with no ticket revenue this season this season and the collapse of his family company, The Gap, the money is somewhere. Check the couch cushions — there’s probably enough money in there to keep a player or two around.
But will Fisher spend the money necessary to give this team one more shot at winning a title?
Probably not.
There’s simply no reason to believe that the A’s ownership won’t play it cheap again — for the umpteenth time in a row — this offseason.
If Semien and Hendriks and Grossman — all top-25 free agents this upcoming offseason — leave for bigger paydays, the A’s front office, led by Billy Beane, will do its best to try to replace that talent by tapping into their farm system and bargain-hunting expertise. But no one could reasonably expect those players to be better than the ones the A’s are losing. There are only a few teams in baseball that could argue that they do more with less than Oakland, but this is probably a bridge too far.
Yes, this season ending prematurely is disappointing, but A’s fans deserved the opportunity to be optimistic about this team going into next season — to at least trick themselves into thinking that the progression towards a title will continue in 2021.
Instead, they’ll have to wonder if this season was as good as it will get, knowing that it was nowhere near good enough.


mercurynews--2020-10-08--Astros eliminate Athletics: What both teams are saying after Houston clinches ALDS

The Athletics ’ 2020 season is over after losing Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series to the division rival Houston Astros .
In a home run-filled series at Dodger Stadium , the A ’ s pitching — starters and relievers alike — just could not hold up against the Astros ’ big-name lineup .
Here ’ s what both teams are saying after the Astros closed out the series : On not taking pitching changes : “ I ’ m fine , I just had a little foot thing pop up during batting practice so I didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limp back and take a bunch of time.
” “ We couldn ’ t hold them down .
Ramon ’ s home run felt like a 1,000-run home run the time .
We felt really good about where we were going.
” “ We battled to the end as you would expect , just not enough.
” On bullpen : “ You look at the numbers over the course of the regular season with our bullpen , we had a lead after the sixth , we usually won .
It didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold them down really the entire game at times .
Just a good offensive team that hit their stride at the right time.
” “ When Oly hit it , I didn ’ t think it was going that far .
He caught it two-handed , he ’ s a great defender , but I don ’ t think it took any wind out of our sails.
” On Astros core : “ For them , that ’ s why they ’ ve gone as far as they have every year , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team has played together and they ’ re a really good team and when they ’ re a really good team , you try to keep them together .
I don ’ t think you ’ re overwhelmed by experience , we went into this series thinking we were going to win.
” “ I don ’ t think we were thinking about their experience , it is an experienced team that has played well for years now.
” On the game ’ s momentum : “ You knew to an extent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead that felt like it was too big .
I ’ m shocked Marcus ’ ball didn ’ t go out.
” On Semien ’ s warning-track out : “ Every ball that was hit like that at 100 miles per hour .
That one didn ’ t .
If there was ever a momentum swing , that was the biggest one.
” On his staff ’ s short outings : “ I think in the postseason you tend to go to your bullpen a little bit earlier anyway when you have it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ It ’ s not like there was a point during the season that you forgot about it .
It was always a bit of a struggle for every team .
As far as getting used to it , I don ’ t know , it seemed like there were different hurdles to try to get over.
” “ 60 games felt more like a regular season , but even playing field for everybody .
Our reflection is our goals were loft and we felt short of them.
” On Semien ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get kind of lost in the moment .
It doesn ’ t surprise you that he put together a great at-bat in the shadows , with two outs and the whole bit .
I haven ’ t thought about that yet .
I ’ m pretty close to Marcus.
” “ He ’ s meant so much to this organization not just as a player , but as a person …There are a lot of reasons we would love to have Marcus back.
” On the home runs : “ You start to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead early in the game is not enough for either side .
We got out to a lead a couple of times , they got out to a lead around the fourth inning , but it just doesn ’ t feel safe .
Maybe in the regular season or if we ’ re in Oakland where the ball is not traveling well , you just have to keep adding on .
And they did that today.
” On his status as a free agent : “ I thought about that in the wild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elimination game .
I ’ m pretty logistical , I understand what ’ s going on with everything and our backs were against the wall a couple of times in the playoffs .
You put that jersey on , you take the field I took the field in the bottom of the eighth , is this my last time playing shortstop for this team ?
I don ’ t know .
I ’ ve never been in this position…Haven ’ t taken that much time to think about that stuff , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bottom of the eighth.
” On his warning-track out late in the game : “ It wasn ’ t as hot today and the breeze started picking up the wrong way , I knew when I hit it , the scoreboard said I hit it 100 at a 34 and I ’ m always looking at those numbers and thinking if it ’ s hot , maybe it goes , but not today .
Tucker hit one the next inning that probably would have went as well , but it didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailing : “ We grinded out some at-bats and tacked some on and hey , if KD hits a homer there , it ’ s 11-9 and who knows what happens , but we always feel like we ’ re in that game.
” On his plans for the offseason : “ Once we got into the playoffs , it just felt like a new season .
For me I just tried to work on what was going well for me at the plate and continued to work on that .
With it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of us , we might get right to work this offseason just because the timing is different They say you should take time off , but we ’ ve already had our time off during quarantine .
I ’ m probably going to get creative here this offseason.
” On evaluating the season : “ Our goal is to win the World Series so I think when you lose in the ALDS , it ’ s not exactly where you want to be .
We knew we had the pieces to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world series .
We can ’ t hang our heads , we played good baseball , we were a two-seed in the short season.
” On facing the Astros : “ We showed some fight .
The Astros have that playoff experience , but I feel like we were hanging with them in every game but that ’ s how it goes .
It was a tough game today , a blowout loss , but those games happen , it ’ s just a tough time for that.
” On the A ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s stuff looked pretty good , I think when you face a team like the Astros who you ’ ve seen a lot this year and in years past , they ’ re familiar with our guys too .
There ’ s certain counts where they sit on certain pitches.
” “ We have a good staff .
I think the league knows that .
Every time a guy gets on second base , they talk about how good our guys are.
” On his faith in the A ’ s pitchers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy throw a lot of innings in the playoffs or get more experience and not get better from it .
I ’ m talking about Bassitt , Montas , all of those guys are going to get better and they ’ re already really good so I ’ m looking forward to watching them.
” On the spate of home runs : “ I think a little bit is that the hitters have adrenaline too .
If you connect with the ball and you already have a lot of adrenaline , good things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you barrel it in the air it ’ s got a chance .
Today , the home runs were legit .
Those balls were crushed .
It played a little bit more true .
You saw that on my ball and that ’ s more what we ’ re used to in Oakland.
” On his dugout speech : “ I always feel the same way playing .
Whatever I did yesterday , I feel like that every single time so it wasn ’ t something new for me.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bad feeling , but hopefully it doesn ’ t happen next year .
We ’ ve just got to keep our head up , keep working , keep dreaming about moving forward and winning a World Series and that ’ s it.
” On Zack Greinke appearing to tip a pitch to him : “ I don ’ t look at him when I hit , I just look at the grass and whenever he ’ s ready , I just look at him.
” On Frankie Montas : “ He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little out of hand .
I know he gave his all , all he has and it ’ s tough .
It ’ s just tough.
” On Semien ’ s warning-track shot : “ I think every flyball carries here , but it just didn ’ t go our way .
That ’ s what I see on that one .
He hit it good .
In these days , they call it launch angle , good exit velo , it would have been gone anywhere except in that moment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way.
” On the home runs : “ The nature of the series was just that it was a heavily offensive series .
You ’ ve got two good pitching staffs on both teams that have done well all year and a lot of runs being scored .
Hot temperatures and the ball is flying and it was kind of a slug fest and they just outslugged us in the end .
It just came down to hitting the ball over the fence and they did it a little better than we did.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It starts and ends with us .
As competitors , going into this series , I wasn ’ t really thinking about that .
You have to look inward and I feel like we can beat anybody if we play our game and if we compete and it ’ s kind of a faceless opponent .
We know how good we are and we were present in these games and we were competing our asses off and the farthest thing from my mind was wanting to the beat the Astros extra , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and our brand of baseball and being present and doing what we ’ ve done all year and that ’ s fighting until the end.
” On the pandemic season : “ I can ’ t imagine a whole lot changing six months from now .
But there was a lot of challenges that everybody had to deal with , not just us and you know , I think this will be the worst version of it .
It will only get better as we learn more and more about this virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with the situation .
I think this year was kind of a learning year across the board and hat ’ s off to the league .
We did a great job and we ’ re here in October playing playoff baseball and you got used to it and it felt normal and it kind of became the new normal .
Hopefully we can improve upon it and I expect next year it will feel more normal.
” On being eliminated : “ It hurts .
It hurts a lot .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a crazy year and it felt like this was our year and a lot of things happened .
You have a Chapman injury and to lose a guy like that is tough and yet we win a tough series against the White Sox , so there ’ s positives and negatives and there ’ s inconsistencies and you ’ re scrambling the whole year .
It ’ s a crazy year but I was reading on social media and stuff and the numbers and what we did and what we didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the day , when I reflect back on this season , I ’ m going to look inward and look at my own shortcomings and try to improve.
” On what to take from the season : “ It ’ s a failure , we wanted to win the World Series .
Anything short of that is falling short of our goal .
But every failure as a competitor is an opportunity and those opportunities are valuable to learn .
That ’ s the message I was telling everyone in the clubhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t just go down in the dumps .
You have to take those failures and learn from them and if there ’ s something I ’ ve learned in my career , this is an opportunity to get better.
” On Semien ’ s pending free agency : “ Marcus is an incredible person .
As a friend , as a teammate , as a man , you can ’ t have a better teammate than Marcus and I mean , you look at the day he had today and the playoffs he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the playoffs despite his numbers during the season .
He had injuries , he had hardship this year , he ’ s just a fighter and he ’ s the ultimate guy you want on your team .
I sure hope we get him back .
I don ’ t think that ’ s lost on anyone , on anyone in our organization or anywhere else .
Marcus is going to be just fine .
He ’ s our captain and he ’ s a hell of a player and a hell of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the series : “ You really don ’ t know , like I told you earlier .
I think Game 1 set the trend .
We knew that they have a powerful offense over there , but like I said I really don ’ t know .
It ’ s better late than never .
We got some guys really swinging the bat .
We still have to get going , and we ’ ll get going in the next series .
We got to score some runs , because when you score @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jubilation in the clubhouse.
” On key to team blocking out noise : “ I think they closed their circle and [ leaned ] into each other and it made them closer .
They ’ re already a close-knit group of guys.
” • Astros shrug off resentment-filled rivalry with A ’ s after eliminating Oakland from playoffs • Kurtenbach : The real tragedy of the A ’ s playoff flame-out • The A ’ s postseason nightmare will ( and should ) feel worse than other playoff disappointments We had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You got to give the A ’ s credit , because they never quit.
” On hitters knowing the A ’ s pitchers : “ Yeah I think it does , you don ’ t have to do too much scouting because we know them and they know us .
[ That won ’ t be the case ] in the next round , we haven ’ t played the Yankees or Tampa Bay , so we ’ ll java to go back and do some scouting and other things.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston .
I ’ m glad for the whole Astros organization and the players that made all this possible.
” On the locker room : “ They were threatening .
They didn ’ t quit and when that final out was made you feel a great sense of relief .
I was late coming up the clubhouse and the guys were extremely happy .
Especially the younger guys who had never experienced this .
Some guys go their whole careers without feeling the jubilation and taste of winning .
We ’ ll celebrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to get back to work.
” On motivation : “ Absolutely not .
We were motivated because we want to win , we want to bring another championship to the city of Houston .
We know what it feels like , and we wanted to feel like that once again .
We ’ re one step closer and we have two great teams waiting for us in the Yankees and the Rays.
” On statement : “ Our biggest one is our bullpen .
Our bullpen did such a great job of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re the reason we won this series.
” How special is this one : “ This one is special because its four years in a row of us going to the ALCS .
The only team to do that is the Yankees .
It ’ s a special feeling to be included with a team like the ones the Yankees had back in the day.
” “ It ’ s great , but we want more.
” On the offense coming alive : “ You can ’ t judge an offense based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months .
When you play 162 , you usually have one or two bad months and then you recover with the three or four that are solid .
We are getting hot at the plate , we are seeing the ball better .
I think the lineup is doing a great job of stringing at-bats together.
” On how they handled a disappointing regular season : “ There were a lot of interviews where we said we had to get better .
Right now we are playing great baseball .
The work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single day to work on their craft is what is making us successful.
” On going to ALCS : “ I feel really proud to be a part of [ this organization ] .
We just got to keep winning and keep this thing going.
” On his arm : “ It felt good all year and then after my last start it was sore .
It didn ’ t get any better , actually got worse .
Got it checked out , and today it felt fine , so all good news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitching going forward : “ Maybe .
I don ’ t really know .
If it feels how it feels today , then there will be no issues.
” On advancing to the ALCS : “ Right now I ’ m just excited to see my family and don ’ t have to live locked up in a hotel.
” On pitching in these conditions : “ It was hot the last couple of days but when the ball is traveling or not traveling it ’ s an equal atmosphere both teams face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I didn ’ t really notice anything today , too much.
” On showing two fingers before Laureano ’ s home run : “ That ’ s just what I ’ ve been doing .
I just switch the pitch so that doesn ’ t waste time shaking off and stuff .
So just a way to save some time.
” On the offense : “ Last year it was crazy because it was just non-stop and you ’ re expected seven or eight runs every game it seemed like .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( in Houston ) .
Hopefully they keep it up.
” On the offense : “ This is just our normal offense .
We didn ’ t show it too much during the season but this lineup can do this every night .
The lineup 1-9 can produce at any moment and we were doing that throughout the series.
” “ We had a couple injuries this year , we had a lot of new , young guys whose first time playing in the big leagues .
Those guys have stepped up this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there and play for them.
” On the noise around the group : “ We ’ re a close team .
We do everything together and we have each other ’ s backs .
Especially in the playoffs here , we try to win and move and we always try to play hard for each other.
” On the statement made this week : “ I don ’ t know that we made any certain statement .
I just know we played great baseball .
We played a great team over there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we got the win.
” On moving onto the ALCS : “ It ’ s very special .
One through nine contributed daily and our bullpen did a great job with a team effort .
That ’ s what we ’ re going to need to do to move forward .
”

The Athletics’ 2020 season is over after losing Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series to the division rival Houston Astros.
In a home run-filled series at Dodger Stadium, the A’s pitching — starters and relievers alike — just could not hold up against the Astros’ big-name lineup.
Here’s what both teams are saying after the Astros closed out the series:
Athletics manager Bob Melvin
On not taking pitching changes: “I’m fine, I just had a little foot thing pop up during batting practice so I didn’t want to limp out there, limp back and take a bunch of time.”
“We couldn’t hold them down. Ramon’s home run felt like a 1,000-run home run the time. We felt really good about where we were going.”
“We battled to the end as you would expect, just not enough.”
On bullpen: “You look at the numbers over the course of the regular season with our bullpen, we had a lead after the sixth, we usually won. It didn’t happen this series and we struggled to hold them down really the entire game at times. Just a good offensive team that hit their stride at the right time.”
“When Oly hit it, I didn’t think it was going that far. He caught it two-handed, he’s a great defender, but I don’t think it took any wind out of our sails.”
On Astros core: “For them, that’s why they’ve gone as far as they have every year, it’s due to the experience and the team has played together and they’re a really good team and when they’re a really good team, you try to keep them together. I don’t think you’re overwhelmed by experience, we went into this series thinking we were going to win.”
“I don’t think we were thinking about their experience, it is an experienced team that has played well for years now.”
On the game’s momentum: “You knew to an extent there was never anything to be a lead that felt like it was too big. I’m shocked Marcus’ ball didn’t go out.”
On Semien’s warning-track out: “Every ball that was hit like that at 100 miles per hour. That one didn’t. If there was ever a momentum swing, that was the biggest one.”
On his staff’s short outings: “I think in the postseason you tend to go to your bullpen a little bit earlier anyway when you have it as strength.”
On the pandemic season: “It’s not like there was a point during the season that you forgot about it. It was always a bit of a struggle for every team. As far as getting used to it, I don’t know, it seemed like there were different hurdles to try to get over.”
“60 games felt more like a regular season, but even playing field for everybody. Our reflection is our goals were loft and we felt short of them.”
On Semien’s pending free agency: “You get kind of lost in the moment. It doesn’t surprise you that he put together a great at-bat in the shadows, with two outs and the whole bit. I haven’t thought about that yet. I’m pretty close to Marcus.”
“He’s meant so much to this organization not just as a player, but as a person …There are a lot of reasons we would love to have Marcus back.”
A’s shortstop Marcus Semien
On the home runs: “You start to realize after the first game that any lead early in the game is not enough for either side. We got out to a lead a couple of times, they got out to a lead around the fourth inning, but it just doesn’t feel safe. Maybe in the regular season or if we’re in Oakland where the ball is not traveling well, you just have to keep adding on. And they did that today.”
On his status as a free agent: “I thought about that in the wild card series when we were in an elimination game. I’m pretty logistical, I understand what’s going on with everything and our backs were against the wall a couple of times in the playoffs. You put that jersey on, you take the field I took the field in the bottom of the eighth, is this my last time playing shortstop for this team? I don’t know. I’ve never been in this position…Haven’t taken that much time to think about that stuff, but that was pretty much what I was thinking in the bottom of the eighth.”
On his warning-track out late in the game: “It wasn’t as hot today and the breeze started picking up the wrong way, I knew when I hit it, the scoreboard said I hit it 100 at a 34 and I’m always looking at those numbers and thinking if it’s hot, maybe it goes, but not today. Tucker hit one the next inning that probably would have went as well, but it didn’t.”
On the mentality after trailing: “We grinded out some at-bats and tacked some on and hey, if KD hits a homer there, it’s 11-9 and who knows what happens, but we always feel like we’re in that game.”
On his plans for the offseason: “Once we got into the playoffs, it just felt like a new season. For me I just tried to work on what was going well for me at the plate and continued to work on that. With it being such a short season, a lot of us, we might get right to work this offseason just because the timing is different They say you should take time off, but we’ve already had our time off during quarantine. I’m probably going to get creative here this offseason.”
On evaluating the season: “Our goal is to win the World Series so I think when you lose in the ALDS, it’s not exactly where you want to be. We knew we had the pieces to go further and our goal was always the world series. We can’t hang our heads, we played good baseball, we were a two-seed in the short season.”
On facing the Astros: “We showed some fight. The Astros have that playoff experience, but I feel like we were hanging with them in every game but that’s how it goes. It was a tough game today, a blowout loss, but those games happen, it’s just a tough time for that.”
On the A’s pitching staff: “Everybody’s stuff looked pretty good, I think when you face a team like the Astros who you’ve seen a lot this year and in years past, they’re familiar with our guys too. There’s certain counts where they sit on certain pitches.”
“We have a good staff. I think the league knows that. Every time a guy gets on second base, they talk about how good our guys are.”
On his faith in the A’s pitchers: “I’ve never seen a guy throw a lot of innings in the playoffs or get more experience and not get better from it. I’m talking about Bassitt, Montas, all of those guys are going to get better and they’re already really good so I’m looking forward to watching them.”
On the spate of home runs: “I think a little bit is that the hitters have adrenaline too. If you connect with the ball and you already have a lot of adrenaline, good things can happen. The first three games, if you barrel it in the air it’s got a chance. Today, the home runs were legit. Those balls were crushed. It played a little bit more true. You saw that on my ball and that’s more what we’re used to in Oakland.”
Athletics outfielder Ramón Laureano
On his dugout speech: “I always feel the same way playing. Whatever I did yesterday, I feel like that every single time so it wasn’t something new for me.”
On being eliminated: “It’s a bad feeling, but hopefully it doesn’t happen next year. We’ve just got to keep our head up, keep working ,keep dreaming about moving forward and winning a World Series and that’s it.”
On Zack Greinke appearing to tip a pitch to him: “I don’t look at him when I hit, I just look at the grass and whenever he’s ready, I just look at him.”
On Frankie Montas: “He was throwing good, but the game got a little out of hand. I know he gave his all, all he has and it’s tough. It’s just tough.”
On Semien’s warning-track shot: “I think every flyball carries here, but it just didn’t go our way. That’s what I see on that one. He hit it good. In these days, they call it launch angle, good exit velo, it would have been gone anywhere except in that moment. It just didn’t go our way.”
Athletics outfielder Mark Canha
On the home runs: “The nature of the series was just that it was a heavily offensive series. You’ve got two good pitching staffs on both teams that have done well all year and a lot of runs being scored. Hot temperatures and the ball is flying and it was kind of a slug fest and they just outslugged us in the end. It just came down to hitting the ball over the fence and they did it a little better than we did.”
On facing the rival Astros: “It starts and ends with us. As competitors, going into this series, I wasn’t really thinking about that. You have to look inward and I feel like we can beat anybody if we play our game and if we compete and it’s kind of a faceless opponent. We know how good we are and we were present in these games and we were competing our asses off and the farthest thing from my mind was wanting to the beat the Astros extra, it was wanting to play good baseball and our brand of baseball and being present and doing what we’ve done all year and that’s fighting until the end.”
On the pandemic season: “I can’t imagine a whole lot changing six months from now. But there was a lot of challenges that everybody had to deal with, not just us and you know, I think this will be the worst version of it. It will only get better as we learn more and more about this virus and as we kind of figure out how to deal with the situation. I think this year was kind of a learning year across the board and hat’s off to the league. We did a great job and we’re here in October playing playoff baseball and you got used to it and it felt normal and it kind of became the new normal. Hopefully we can improve upon it and I expect next year it will feel more normal.”
On being eliminated: “It hurts. It hurts a lot. We worked so hard and we competed and it was a crazy year and it felt like this was our year and a lot of things happened. You have a Chapman injury and to lose a guy like that is tough and yet we win a tough series against the White Sox, so there’s positives and negatives and there’s inconsistencies and you’re scrambling the whole year. It’s a crazy year but I was reading on social media and stuff and the numbers and what we did and what we didn’t do and at the end of the day, when I reflect back on this season, I’m going to look inward and look at my own shortcomings and try to improve.”
On what to take from the season: “It’s a failure, we wanted to win the World Series. Anything short of that is falling short of our goal. But every failure as a competitor is an opportunity and those opportunities are valuable to learn. That’s the message I was telling everyone in the clubhouse. Learn from this and don’t just go down in the dumps. You have to take those failures and learn from them and if there’s something I’ve learned in my career, this is an opportunity to get better.”
On Semien’s pending free agency: “Marcus is an incredible person. As a friend, as a teammate, as a man, you can’t have a better teammate than Marcus and I mean, you look at the day he had today and the playoffs he had and how consistent he was in the playoffs despite his numbers during the season. He had injuries, he had hardship this year, he’s just a fighter and he’s the ultimate guy you want on your team. I sure hope we get him back. I don’t think that’s lost on anyone, on anyone in our organization or anywhere else. Marcus is going to be just fine. He’s our captain and he’s a hell of a player and a hell of a friend.”
Astros manager Dusty Baker
On the offense in the series: “You really don’t know, like I told you earlier. I think Game 1 set the trend. We knew that they have a powerful offense over there, but like I said I really don’t know. It’s better late than never. We got some guys really swinging the bat. We still have to get going, and we’ll get going in the next series. We got to score some runs, because when you score runs, everyone is happy and there’s jubilation in the clubhouse.”
On key to team blocking out noise: “I think they closed their circle and [leaned] into each other and it made them closer. They’re already a close-knit group of guys.”
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On hitters knowing the A’s pitchers: “Yeah I think it does, you don’t have to do too much scouting because we know them and they know us. [That won’t be the case] in the next round, we haven’t played the Yankees or Tampa Bay, so we’ll java to go back and do some scouting and other things.”
“I’m glad for the city of Houston. I’m glad for the whole Astros organization and the players that made all this possible.”
On the locker room: “They were threatening. They didn’t quit and when that final out was made you feel a great sense of relief. I was late coming up the clubhouse and the guys were extremely happy. Especially the younger guys who had never experienced this. Some guys go their whole careers without feeling the jubilation and taste of winning. We’ll celebrate a little while, and then we have to get back to work.”
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa
On motivation: “Absolutely not. We were motivated because we want to win, we want to bring another championship to the city of Houston. We know what it feels like, and we wanted to feel like that once again. We’re one step closer and we have two great teams waiting for us in the Yankees and the Rays.”
On statement: “Our biggest one is our bullpen. Our bullpen did such a great job of keeping us in the game. They’re the reason we won this series.”
How special is this one: “This one is special because its four years in a row of us going to the ALCS. The only team to do that is the Yankees. It’s a special feeling to be included with a team like the ones the Yankees had back in the day.”
“It’s great, but we want more.”
On the offense coming alive: “You can’t judge an offense based on 60 games. That’s two months. When you play 162, you usually have one or two bad months and then you recover with the three or four that are solid. We are getting hot at the plate, we are seeing the ball better. I think the lineup is doing a great job of stringing at-bats together.”
On how they handled a disappointing regular season: “There were a lot of interviews where we said we had to get better. Right now we are playing great baseball. The work in the cage, everybody working every single day to work on their craft is what is making us successful.”
Astros reliever Christian Javier
On going to ALCS: “I feel really proud to be a part of [this organization]. We just got to keep winning and keep this thing going.”
Astros starter Zack Greinke
On his arm: “It felt good all year and then after my last start it was sore. It didn’t get any better, actually got worse. Got it checked out, and today it felt fine, so all good news when it comes to that.”
On pitching going forward: “Maybe. I don’t really know. If it feels how it feels today, then there will be no issues.”
On advancing to the ALCS: “Right now I’m just excited to see my family and don’t have to live locked up in a hotel.”
On pitching in these conditions: “It was hot the last couple of days but when the ball is traveling or not traveling it’s an equal atmosphere both teams face. I just try to make pitches. I didn’t really notice anything today, too much.”
On showing two fingers before Laureano’s home run: “That’s just what I’ve been doing. I just switch the pitch so that doesn’t waste time shaking off and stuff. So just a way to save some time.”
On the offense: “Last year it was crazy because it was just non-stop and you’re expected seven or eight runs every game it seemed like. I actually got tired of hearing the train (in Houston). Hopefully they keep it up.”
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker
On the offense: “This is just our normal offense. We didn’t show it too much during the season but this lineup can do this every night. The lineup 1-9 can produce at any moment and we were doing that throughout the series.”
“We had a couple injuries this year, we had a lot of new, young guys whose first time playing in the big leagues. Those guys have stepped up this year. We just try to go out there and play for them.”
On the noise around the group: “We’re a close team. We do everything together and we have each other’s backs. Especially in the playoffs here, we try to win and move and we always try to play hard for each other.”
Astros outfielder Michael Brantley
On the statement made this week: “I don’t know that we made any certain statement. I just know we played great baseball. We played a great team over there. We played a clean series, and we got the win.”
On moving onto the ALCS: “It’s very special. One through nine contributed daily and our bullpen did a great job with a team effort. That’s what we’re going to need to do to move forward.”


mercurynews--2020-10-08--After completing ‘course of therapy’ for coronavirus, Trump to resume rallies

By Zeke Miller , Jill Colvin and Jonathan Lemire | Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he is ready to resume campaign rallies and feels “ perfect ” one week after his diagnosis with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans , as his doctor said the president had “ completed his course of therapy ” for the disease .
The president has not been seen in public — other than in White House-produced videos — since his Monday return from the military hospital where he received experimental treatments for the virus .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sean Conley , said in a memo that Trump would be able to safely “ return to public engagements ” on Saturday , as the president tries to shift his focus to the election that ’ s less than four weeks away , with millions of Americans already casting ballots .
While Trump said he believes he ’ s no longer contagious , concerns about infection appeared to scuttle plans for next week ’ s presidential debate .
“ I ’ m feeling good .
Really good .
I think perfect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Fox Business , his first since he was released from a three-day hospital stay Monday .
“ I think I ’ m better to the point where I ’ d love to do a rally tonight , ” Trump said .
He added , “ I don ’ t think I ’ m contagious at all.
” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after the onset of symptoms , which for Trump was Oct. 1 , according to his doctors .
Conley said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by minimal staffing as he works out of the White House residence and the Oval Office , could return to holding events on Saturday .
He added that Trump was showing no evidence of his illness progressing or adverse reactions to the aggressive course of therapy prescribed by his doctors .
Earlier this week , the president ’ s doctors suggested they would work closely with military medical research facilities and other laboratories on “ advanced diagnostic testing ” to determine when the president was no longer contagious , but did not elaborate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top infectious disease expert , said two negative PCR lab tests 24 hours apart are a key factor in determining whether someone is still contagious .
“ So , if the president goes 10 days without symptoms , and they do the tests that we were talking about , then you could make the assumption , based on good science , that he is not infected , ” Fauci said Thursday on MSNBC .
While reports of reinfection are rare , the CDC recommends that even people who recover from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distanced and follow other precautions .
It was unclear if Trump , who eschewed mask-wearing in most settings , would abide by that guidance .
The White House , meanwhile , continued to decline to share when Trump last tested negative for the virus — which would help pinpoint when he was infected .
Strategic communications director Alyssa Farah said that information was Trump ’ s “ private medical history.
” Trump ’ s campaign and the White House were already drawing up plans for Trump to resume campaigning , eyeing a visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ahead of what was to have been next Thursday ’ s debate .
But the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that event would be held “ virtually ” in order to “ protect the health and safety of all involved.
” Trump swiftly rejected that offer , and his campaign later called on the commission to delay the final two debates by a week to alleviate concerns about an in-person contest .
Over the objections of some aides , Trump returned to the Oval Office on Thursday , even though a workspace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ section of the White House .
Aides were discussing a potential photo opportunity with the president at the White House either Thursday or Friday but plans had not been finalized , according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations .
Only a few senior aides , medical staff and security personnel have laid eyes on the president since he returned to the White House on Monday afternoon .
Trump also released a video Thursday morning , filmed a day earlier , directly addressing the nation ’ s seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is also at greatest risk of poor outcomes from the virus — saying , “ I want you to get the same care that I got.
” On Thursday , Trump continued to credit an experimental drug for the seemingly quick pace of his recovery .
He called his diagnosis a “ blessing in disguise ” in the nation ’ s battle against the pandemic .
Seemingly sensitive to the fact that his treatment course has been far more comprehensive than the care received by average Americans , he promised to swiftly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power to order that himself .
Trump received an experimental antibody drug made by Regeneron through a “ compassionate use ” exemption , a recognition of the above-and-beyond standard of care he receives as president .
The safety and effectiveness of the drug have not yet been proven .
And there is no way for the president or his doctors to know that the drug had any effect .
Most people recover from COVID-19 .
“ I had tremendous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said during the interview .
Dr. Sean Conley , the White House physician , said in a memo Wednesday that Trump had been symptom-free for over 24 hours , and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal .
• Friedman : What did supporters learn from Trump ’ s bout with COVID ?
• Pitts : Sadly for Americans , Trump ’ s show must always go on Trump speculated that he caught the virus either at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event announcing his new Supreme Court nominee or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following day .
He said family members often want to get up close to him and “ kiss ” and “ hug ” him .
“ I can ’ t say ‘ Back up .
Stand 10 feet ” away , Trump said .
Associated Press writers Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee and Lauran Neergaard , Matthew Perrone , Deb Riechmann and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report .

By Zeke Miller, Jill Colvin and Jonathan Lemire | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he is ready to resume campaign rallies and feels “perfect” one week after his diagnosis with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans, as his doctor said the president had “completed his course of therapy” for the disease.
The president has not been seen in public — other than in White House-produced videos — since his Monday return from the military hospital where he received experimental treatments for the virus. On Thursday, his physician, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said in a memo that Trump would be able to safely “return to public engagements” on Saturday, as the president tries to shift his focus to the election that’s less than four weeks away, with millions of Americans already casting ballots.
While Trump said he believes he’s no longer contagious, concerns about infection appeared to scuttle plans for next week’s presidential debate.
“I’m feeling good. Really good. I think perfect,” Trump said during a telephone interview with Fox Business, his first since he was released from a three-day hospital stay Monday. “I think I’m better to the point where I’d love to do a rally tonight,” Trump said.
He added, “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after the onset of symptoms, which for Trump was Oct. 1, according to his doctors. Conley said that meant Trump, who has been surrounded by minimal staffing as he works out of the White House residence and the Oval Office, could return to holding events on Saturday.
He added that Trump was showing no evidence of his illness progressing or adverse reactions to the aggressive course of therapy prescribed by his doctors.
Earlier this week, the president’s doctors suggested they would work closely with military medical research facilities and other laboratories on “advanced diagnostic testing” to determine when the president was no longer contagious, but did not elaborate.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said two negative PCR lab tests 24 hours apart are a key factor in determining whether someone is still contagious.
“So, if the president goes 10 days without symptoms, and they do the tests that we were talking about, then you could make the assumption, based on good science, that he is not infected,” Fauci said Thursday on MSNBC.
While reports of reinfection are rare, the CDC recommends that even people who recover from COVID-19 continue to wear a mask, stay distanced and follow other precautions. It was unclear if Trump, who eschewed mask-wearing in most settings, would abide by that guidance.
The White House, meanwhile, continued to decline to share when Trump last tested negative for the virus — which would help pinpoint when he was infected. Strategic communications director Alyssa Farah said that information was Trump’s “private medical history.”
Trump’s campaign and the White House were already drawing up plans for Trump to resume campaigning, eyeing a visit to Pennsylvania on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday ahead of what was to have been next Thursday’s debate.
But the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that event would be held “virtually” in order to “protect the health and safety of all involved.” Trump swiftly rejected that offer, and his campaign later called on the commission to delay the final two debates by a week to alleviate concerns about an in-person contest.
Over the objections of some aides, Trump returned to the Oval Office on Thursday, even though a workspace had been set up in the residential section of the White House. Aides were discussing a potential photo opportunity with the president at the White House either Thursday or Friday but plans had not been finalized, according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations. Only a few senior aides, medical staff and security personnel have laid eyes on the president since he returned to the White House on Monday afternoon.
Trump also released a video Thursday morning, filmed a day earlier, directly addressing the nation’s seniors — a critical demographic for his campaign that is also at greatest risk of poor outcomes from the virus — saying, “I want you to get the same care that I got.”
On Thursday, Trump continued to credit an experimental drug for the seemingly quick pace of his recovery. He called his diagnosis a “blessing in disguise” in the nation’s battle against the pandemic.
Seemingly sensitive to the fact that his treatment course has been far more comprehensive than the care received by average Americans, he promised to swiftly get the drug approved for broader use — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power to order that himself.
Trump received an experimental antibody drug made by Regeneron through a “compassionate use” exemption, a recognition of the above-and-beyond standard of care he receives as president. The safety and effectiveness of the drug have not yet been proven. And there is no way for the president or his doctors to know that the drug had any effect. Most people recover from COVID-19.
“I had tremendous luck with this Regeneron,” Trump said during the interview.
Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, said in a memo Wednesday that Trump had been symptom-free for over 24 hours, and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal.
Related Articles National Politics | Opinion: Every American has a stake in seeing Trump’s trial on TV
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Prosecutors, defense spar over fate of Hunter Biden gun deal National Politics | GOP rivals prepare for possible Trump-less debate Trump speculated that he caught the virus either at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event announcing his new Supreme Court nominee or at a meeting with military families the following day. He said family members often want to get up close to him and “kiss” and “hug” him.
“I can’t say ‘Back up. Stand 10 feet” away, Trump said.
Associated Press writers Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee and Lauran Neergaard, Matthew Perrone, Deb Riechmann and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-10-08--Review: In ‘Star Wars: Squadrons’ the storytelling is key

Electronic Arts ’ stewardship of the “ Star Wars ” franchise has been a bumpy one .
Since striking a deal for the license back in 2013 , the company ’ s record publishing video games based on the sci-fi universe has been good but not great .
Part of the problem stemmed from its initial approach .
EAsaw “ Star Wars ” as a vehicle for highly lucrative multiplayer projects and rebooted the “ Star Wars : Battlefront ” series as an extension of its “ Battlefield ” franchise .
Although that may not have been the best use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the loot crate controversy .
The efforts never really took off as expected .
Click here if you are having trouble viewing the gallery and video on your mobile device Fortunately , something changed with EA ’ s approach and it turned around its reputation on the “ Star Wars ” games .
First , it published Respawn Entertainment ’ s fantastic single-player adventure — “ Star Wars Jedi : Fallen Order , ” and this fall , the company released its space combat title , “ Star Wars : Squadrons.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort that fans have been clamoring for since players could fly starfighters in the 2015 “ Battlefront.
” They saw the potential in the dogfight battles that echoed the classic “ X-Wing ” series .
“ Squadrons ” feels like the spiritual successor to that beloved franchise , but one that casts an eye toward the strengths of “ Star Wars ” properties .
The sci-fi saga video games work best when they tell a story within a “ galaxy far , far away.
” The locales and the “ war ” part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiplayer combat , but if developers want to capture the fans ’ imaginations , they must craft a tale within the rich fabric of that universe .
That ’ s what “ Fallen Order ” did and that ’ s what “ Squadrons ” does in its single-player campaign .
Taking place over a prologue and 14 missions , “ Squadrons ” weaves a story between the Empire and New Republic after the events of “ Return of the Jedi.
” On one side , players take on the role of a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit headquartered on the Imperial Star Destroyer Overseer .
On the rival faction , players step into the shoes of a pilot for Vanguard Squadron , a force serving the New Republic aboard the star cruiser Temperance .
Players create these pilots and give them names though they are referred to as Vanguard Five and Titan Three , respectively , by their wing mates .
Cmdr .
Lindon Javes is the thread tying these two outfits together .
As a captain in the Empire , he led missions to maintain control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emperor ordered the destruction of Alderaan .
Javes began to question the morality of his leaders and that led to his defection to the New Republic .
Four years after that incident , he ’ s in charge of a secret project that could turn the tide of the war .
To Vanguard , he ’ s a trusted hero .
To the Empire , he ’ s a villainous traitor .
“ Squadrons ” tells both sides of the story and lets fans pilot four ships on each side .
Amazingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each craft a distinct feel .
X-Wings and TIE Fighters are versatile attack craft with one relying on shields and the other asserting its dominance via speed .
A-Wings and TIE Interceptors are speedy but weaker crafts while the Y-Wings and TIE Bombers deal heavy damage but are slower .
Backing up each side is the U-Wing and TIE Reaper with their support abilities that heal ships or make allies more effective in combat .
The campaign teaches players the basics for each ship as Vanguard Five and Titan Three play pivotal roles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stellar job of designing the levels so that each ship ’ s role is highlighted within well-written scenarios .
“ Squadrons ” isn ’ t just about shooting down enemy ships , though you do that often .
It also gives players unusual objectives that test skills and technique .
In The Skies of Yavin mission , players will have to disable an Imperial Star Destroyer by surgically blasting its subsystems .
In the Fractured Alliance chapter , Titan Squadron will help “ commandeer ” supplies from an unwilling Imperial faction by fending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting the pilfering ships in the chaos .
The missions have an even back and forth as one side claims victory over the other .
Players also learn some of the nitty gritty politics involved in each faction as they talk to their crewmates before each mission and get to know their distinct personalities .
The Titan Squad , like the Empire itself , is dark and brooding with characters such as Shen , Rella Sol and Varko Grey .
They each have their own motivations for fighting .
Vanguard Squadron is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the comic relief of Frisk and the quirky Keo .
The characters do enough in their short bursts of interactions during dog fights and between missions that players get a good sense of them .
It ’ s similar to what Nintendo did with the crew in “ Star Fox ” though they won ’ t ask players to do a barrel roll .
These quieter moments ground the game and give it breathing room as “ Squadrons ” later soars into the epic spectacles further on in the campaign .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end though , but it ’ s a necessary step as the climax and resolution of the single-player campaign sets up the combat in the multiplayer modes .
Speaking of which , the online games are barebones at the moment with one focused on five-vs.-5 dogfights and a second entry showing off the more elaborate Fleet Battles .
“ Squadrons ” forces players to get their feet wet with aerial combat until they reach Level 5 .
From there , they can pick the more complicated Fleet Battles , in which teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival ’ s flagship .
It ’ s essentially a tug-of-war , in which eliminating the opponents ’ crafts creates momentum that lets the team push to the objective .
It ’ s the mode where all ship types can show their strengths .
The multiplayer modes are where players take the lessons from the single-player experience and apply them against online competitors .
They must have precise control of when to throttle and when to divert power to boost weapons , engines or shields .
“ Squadrons ” relies heavily on skill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who aren ’ t used to space combat or aren ’ t playing on specialized equipment such as flight sticks .
The six maps have their own distinct characters and obstacles and players can use the environment to their advantage with the right loadout .
The progression system and the ability to unlock customization options will keep players going for a time , but fans shouldn ’ t expect “ Squadrons ” to be like “ Call of Duty.
” The modes and maps are on the thin side .
Instead , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single-player campaign , and Motive finds a way to tell a compelling “ Star Wars ” story that spans the remnants of the Empire and the burgeoning New Republic .
3½ stars out of 4 Platform : Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , PC Rating : Teen

Electronic Arts’ stewardship of the “Star Wars” franchise has been a bumpy one. Since striking a deal for the license back in 2013, the company’s record publishing video games based on the sci-fi universe has been good but not great.
Part of the problem stemmed from its initial approach. EAsaw “Star Wars” as a vehicle for highly lucrative multiplayer projects and rebooted the “Star Wars: Battlefront” series as an extension of its “Battlefield” franchise. Although that may not have been the best use of the license, matters were complicated with the loot crate controversy. The efforts never really took off as expected.
X-Wings attack an Imperial Star Destroyer in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
Lasers will be flying all over the place and players need to focus their shields smartly in combat in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
The Imperial Star Destroyer Overseer is the home base of Titan Squadron in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
Commander Lindon Javes leads, center, plays a pivotal role in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
TIE fighters work differently than X-Wings and rely on speed in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
The interface is integrated into the cockpit and can be easily read by players in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
Combat in "Star Wars: Squadrons" takes place in a cockpit view increasing the realism of the sci-fi flight game. (Electronic Arts)
Players create their avatar and they take on the mantle of Vanguard Five in "Star Wars: Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
Vanguard Squadron includes Keo, from left, Frisk, Vanguard Five, Grace Sienar and Gunny. They fly for the New Republic in "Star Wars Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
Titan Squadron includes Shen, from left, Havina Vonreg, Titan Three, Rella Sol and Varko Grey. They fly for the Empire in "Star Wars Squadrons." (Electronic Arts)
Click here if you are having trouble viewing the gallery and video on your mobile device
Fortunately, something changed with EA’s approach and it turned around its reputation on the “Star Wars” games. First, it published Respawn Entertainment’s fantastic single-player adventure — “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,” and this fall, the company released its space combat title, “Star Wars: Squadrons.”
The latest project is the type of effort that fans have been clamoring for since players could fly starfighters in the 2015 “Battlefront.” They saw the potential in the dogfight battles that echoed the classic “X-Wing” series. “Squadrons” feels like the spiritual successor to that beloved franchise, but one that casts an eye toward the strengths of “Star Wars” properties.
The sci-fi saga video games work best when they tell a story within a “galaxy far, far away.” The locales and the “war” part are a fun playground to explore in multiplayer combat, but if developers want to capture the fans’ imaginations, they must craft a tale within the rich fabric of that universe. That’s what “Fallen Order” did and that’s what “Squadrons” does in its single-player campaign.
A Saga told from both sides
Taking place over a prologue and 14 missions, “Squadrons” weaves a story between the Empire and New Republic after the events of “Return of the Jedi.” On one side, players take on the role of a new pilot for Titan Squadron, an elite unit headquartered on the Imperial Star Destroyer Overseer. On the rival faction, players step into the shoes of a pilot for Vanguard Squadron, a force serving the New Republic aboard the star cruiser Temperance.
Players create these pilots and give them names though they are referred to as Vanguard Five and Titan Three, respectively, by their wing mates.
Cmdr. Lindon Javes is the thread tying these two outfits together. As a captain in the Empire, he led missions to maintain control of the galaxy. All that changed after the emperor ordered the destruction of Alderaan. Javes began to question the morality of his leaders and that led to his defection to the New Republic. Four years after that incident, he’s in charge of a secret project that could turn the tide of the war. To Vanguard, he’s a trusted hero. To the Empire, he’s a villainous traitor.
“Squadrons” tells both sides of the story and lets fans pilot four ships on each side. Amazingly, the developer, Motive Studios, gives each craft a distinct feel. X-Wings and TIE Fighters are versatile attack craft with one relying on shields and the other asserting its dominance via speed. A-Wings and TIE Interceptors are speedy but weaker crafts while the Y-Wings and TIE Bombers deal heavy damage but are slower. Backing up each side is the U-Wing and TIE Reaper with their support abilities that heal ships or make allies more effective in combat.
The campaign teaches players the basics for each ship as Vanguard Five and Titan Three play pivotal roles in each mission. Motive does a stellar job of designing the levels so that each ship’s role is highlighted within well-written scenarios. “Squadrons” isn’t just about shooting down enemy ships, though you do that often. It also gives players unusual objectives that test skills and technique. In The Skies of Yavin mission, players will have to disable an Imperial Star Destroyer by surgically blasting its subsystems. In the Fractured Alliance chapter, Titan Squadron will help “commandeer” supplies from an unwilling Imperial faction by fending off a New Republic attack and then protecting the pilfering ships in the chaos.
Memorable Characters
The missions have an even back and forth as one side claims victory over the other. Players also learn some of the nitty gritty politics involved in each faction as they talk to their crewmates before each mission and get to know their distinct personalities. The Titan Squad, like the Empire itself, is dark and brooding with characters such as Shen, Rella Sol and Varko Grey. They each have their own motivations for fighting. Vanguard Squadron is more upbeat and likeable with the mothering Gunny, the comic relief of Frisk and the quirky Keo.
The characters do enough in their short bursts of interactions during dog fights and between missions that players get a good sense of them. It’s similar to what Nintendo did with the crew in “Star Fox” though they won’t ask players to do a barrel roll. These quieter moments ground the game and give it breathing room as “Squadrons” later soars into the epic spectacles further on in the campaign. “Squadrons” stretches moments of believability toward the end though, but it’s a necessary step as the climax and resolution of the single-player campaign sets up the combat in the multiplayer modes.
Speaking of which, the online games are barebones at the moment with one focused on five-vs.-5 dogfights and a second entry showing off the more elaborate Fleet Battles. “Squadrons” forces players to get their feet wet with aerial combat until they reach Level 5. From there, they can pick the more complicated Fleet Battles, in which teams of five work together to destroy the rival’s flagship. It’s essentially a tug-of-war, in which eliminating the opponents’ crafts creates momentum that lets the team push to the objective. It’s the mode where all ship types can show their strengths.
The multiplayer modes are where players take the lessons from the single-player experience and apply them against online competitors. They must have precise control of when to throttle and when to divert power to boost weapons, engines or shields.
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What to play: ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ will keep gamers busy during August Entertainment | ‘First Descendant’ crossplay beta delayed until September but will be open to all “Squadrons” relies heavily on skill and it can be frustrating for newcomers who aren’t used to space combat or aren’t playing on specialized equipment such as flight sticks. The six maps have their own distinct characters and obstacles and players can use the environment to their advantage with the right loadout.
The progression system and the ability to unlock customization options will keep players going for a time, but fans shouldn’t expect “Squadrons” to be like “Call of Duty.” The modes and maps are on the thin side.
Instead, “Squadrons” focuses more on an excellent single-player campaign, and Motive finds a way to tell a compelling “Star Wars” story that spans the remnants of the Empire and the burgeoning New Republic.
‘Star Wars: Squadrons’
3½ stars out of 4
Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Rating: Teen