How much would you pay a pitcher with a 36-11 career record? When you send Barry Zito out to face a division rival, that's exactly what you get. Zito's first two starts of the season put an exclamation point on the extremes that are Barry, but against the AL West, Zito is certainly consistent: consistently great. Zito sounded like he was really on his game tonight. (That's right, sounded. Comcast really does suck. OK, now I'm officially over it. I'll shut up. And switch to digital.)
In case you missed it, the A's set a franchise record tonight (as the Mariners fell to 7-12 on days dedicated to celebrating Dan Wilson's career). Never before have the Oakland A's given up only three hits over two consecutive games. With 20 consecutive scoreless innings, A's pitchers are still barely halfway to the team record, but then again, the pitching staff doesn't have Gorman Heimueller, Chris Codiroli, Bill Krueger, or Mike Warren anymore.
In a season's first week, you can't draw any conclusions about the season as a whole, but you can have fun looking at the "early trends". A good one is Joe Kennedy, who retired Ichiro tonight after coming in to get Giambi in his last outing. Another good one is that the A's appear to have left their defensive sloppiness in Arizona. A bad one is Dan Johnson, whose bat looks slow through the zone and who must feel like he's 0/50. Hang in there, DJ; this too shall pass.
Finally, Chris Shelton is hitting .688 and slugging about 5.000, while Joe Blanton has 8 shutout innings on 2 hits, and Gustavo Chacin was solid in his debut. Willie McGee, you retired too soon.
0 recs | 100 comments
Chris Shelton
deserves the AL Pkayer of the Month award. I think he could go 0 for the-rest-of-April and still end up with a .400 average.grover - April 8, 2006
Shelton
And the Pirates let him go a couple years ago in the Rule V draft... no wonder they suck.OaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
Shelton
Weren't you making fun of ohad for drafting him (in the 16th round)?andeux - April 9, 2006
I thought we were
making fun of ohad for his big ears.Nico - April 9, 2006
Ohad does NOT have big ears
They just look big because he's got a small noggin.grover - April 9, 2006
I was definetly making fun of Ohad
throughout the draft, but I don't think I included Shelton in the mix.grover - April 9, 2006
Matt and Marcus are
more tolerable with a win. This is more like it...on track now, I think...choo, choo.ak_A - April 8, 2006
I never doubted that Zito's games would
be more like this one than the last startOaklandSi - April 8, 2006
I am Bad
I am rooting for Angels to finish off the Yankees (3-1 Angels after 8-1/2). That's how much I hate the Yankees. The NY media will tear their throats out.SportySpice @ Athletics Nation - April 8, 2006
Angels/Yankees
I feel bad rooting for either team, isn't there a way that they could both lose?Chavez4Prez - April 8, 2006
you know
i just told my girlfriend I was switching to the Yankees for this inning because angels with Rodriguez is worse than the Yankees. Either way it is a decent day when they play each other because at least one of them loses!homerozzieandthestraw - April 8, 2006
that's a tough one
but since the A's may want those extra few games at the end of the season, I am holding my nose and rooting for the YanksOaklandSi - April 8, 2006
I'm bad, too
I have a horrible headache, and I'm rooting for the Angels because that game is the last thing I have to get into the paper before I can go home.day-to-day - April 8, 2006
what paper do you work at?
It's Saturday night, and I'm monitoring the scanner for any murders/mayhem. All's quiet so far (knock on wood).mami blez - April 8, 2006
I'm rooting for the Angels too, frankly.
I love the A's and hate the Yankees. After that, I have to think. We all have those teams.Nico - April 8, 2006
great performances
Reminds me of the Zito/Harden combo agasint texas last year. Let hope we just made it blanton/zito/harden combo for the series!homerozzieandthestraw - April 8, 2006
one error, not zero?
I thought that Crosby had one in game 1...MobiusKlein - April 8, 2006
Crosby did have an error
One thing for sure is thatNico's is not in line for his 2nd consecutive gold keyboard, Wash reall needs to spend some time with him :)homerozzieandthestraw - April 8, 2006
I remembered that, actually,
and already corrected it. Initially, I was going on what I heard on the broadcast, but I may have misheard it, because there was definitely the Crosby error.Nico - April 8, 2006
"no errors since . . ."
Is what I heard.MobiusKlein - April 8, 2006
No errors since...
their last one? That would make sense.Nico - April 8, 2006
Don't forget
the error came AFTER he hurt his finger and couldn't squeeze his glove correctly. Just thought I would point that out. =)BobbyCrosbysGirl - April 8, 2006
I always root for the Yankees over the Angels
this early in the season. Don't lose sight of the number one priority which is to beat all AL West teams to get into the playoffs !IM4Oakgal - April 8, 2006
It's not rational
But everything about the Yankees irks me. Have you seen their comments in the media? We "should" have won these game. They truly believe they're entitled to win all the time. Because they're Yankees. Even over at Pinstripe Alley, the Yankees are listed in first place in the standings, even though they're last. Because that's their rightful place in the universe, they believe.OK, I'm going to calm down now. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.
SportySpice @ Athletics Nation - April 8, 2006
Thank God someone said it
Those rooting for the Angels crack me up..WHo cares about the Yankees...Every game the Angels wins hurts us..esp when they beat good teams.OaktownPower - April 9, 2006
That's right Oaktoon
The only time I would root for the Yankees over the Angels is if 1. We were out of it for the division win and we were competing with the Angels for a wild card or 2. We were so out of it and I was feeling Yankee hate to the max.IM4Oakgal - April 9, 2006
Agreed
Whatever is most likely to help the A's out that is what I am rooting for. Since i think it is more likely that we will be competing with the Angels for the West crowm that the Yankees for a wild card spot, go Yankees.Actually as I posted here last year. It is not so much cheering for the Yankees to win but for the Angels to lose.
Larry E - April 9, 2006
Huddy coming up on Buans show
ak_A - April 8, 2006
Wow, Kotsay was half-way to a cycle tonite.
Keep it up Mark & co.!OaktownRajah - April 8, 2006
i miss huddy!!
gotgreen - April 8, 2006
Unfortunately, at the moment,
bats don't.Nico - April 8, 2006
booooooo!!!!!!
Meanie.:)
Sharon - April 8, 2006
yuk yuk yuk
Giants got lucky.OaktownRajah - April 8, 2006
I just heard the Huddy interview
his voice still catches when he discusses the A's not trying to sign him...OaklandSi - April 8, 2006
In old A's news
Eric Byrnes was pivotal in the Brewers come from behind victory over Arizona. In the bottom of the ninth of a tie game, the Brewers had a man on second in a tie game.Carlos Lee hit one up the middle and Byrnes fielded the ball and threw one of his patented throw-so-hard-that-I-fall-over-myself-but-it's-still-a-rainbow -and-the-runner-safe.
I miss some things about Byrnes, but I don't miss that.
salb918 - April 8, 2006
You can view the video at
MLB.com. It's on the front page and it is free to view.salb918 - April 8, 2006
Just realized:
the one hit that the Mariners mustered tonight was off of Kotsay's glove.How close were we to a combined no-hitter?
salb918 - April 8, 2006
yeah
i was watching baseball tonight and at the beginning of the show they said there was almost a no-hitter today.halfway through the a's highlights, i realized they meant the game i had just watched!
xbhaskarx - April 8, 2006
He Mentioned that
in his interview after the game. He said it was his fault and had he gotten it, they would have had the no hitter and would have been celebrating. I wanted to yell through the TV, "Celebrate! Two shut out games in a row, that is reason enough to celebrate!" I couldn't believe he was blaming himself for not making that play! I knew he was a profectionist, but I never realized how hard he was on himself.BobbyCrosbysGirl - April 9, 2006
or...
They would have left Z in for the 7th when he, tiring, would have blown the no-hitter. I think it would have been VERY hard for Macha to pull Z for pitch count reasons before the 7th...Apricot - April 9, 2006
Just got back to the hotel here in Seattle
It was a fun game to watch. I was worried about Zito after Monday, but it looked like he had a different pitch tonight and was doing a great job keeping it inside. I thought the wheels were going to come off when he plunked a couple in a row - but he was keeping it inside nicely! It was cold in Safco tonight. Looking forward to tomorrows game too!There were some A's fans about! I was in section 131 behind home plate. 121 tomorrow! I'll be in travelling green!
Go A's!
Knobby - April 8, 2006
in other baseball news...
this is the longest bonds has gone without a home run since 1998.hmmm..... 1998, why does that year sound so familiar? oh yeah, bonds started juicing after the 1998 season.
xbhaskarx - April 8, 2006
He also has 4 walks, 2 intentional in 4 games.
OaktownRajah - April 8, 2006
pitchers aren't giving him anything to hit
OaklandSi - April 8, 2006
and neither, apparently, is BALCO
n/mGreenNGoldSooner - April 9, 2006
it would be interesting to see
-- if the pitchers started actually pitching to Bonds -- whether he would still be jacking the pitches out of the ballpark, or whether they would merely be fly balls.OaklandSi - April 9, 2006
good week
a's in first place, white sox and yankees both 1-4.it's been a good week.
xbhaskarx - April 8, 2006
And Kevin Millwood
lit up like Burning Man. Twice.Nico - April 8, 2006
the lesson there
never accept any amount of money if it means having to pitch for the texas rangers.xbhaskarx - April 8, 2006
It sounds like great advice,
but I still think if the Rangers offer me $50 million to pitch for them, I'll probably go ahead and accept.The funny thing is, I'd probably end up as their #3 starter by August.
Nico - April 8, 2006
You think it'd take
you till August to move up to the #3 spot? You are WAY too optomistic about the Ranger's rotation.grover - April 9, 2006
Not much of an excuse
Justin Verlander the rookie pitched 7 shutout innings in that ballpark tonight...OaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
obviously that doesn't apply
to pitchers i've picked to finish top two in the RoY voting...http://www.athleticsnation.com/comments/2006/4/3/14505/14071/1#1
xbhaskarx - April 8, 2006
so you don't believe much in
King Felix? Not saying you're right or wrong, just curious...rungood - April 9, 2006
Felix surpassed the 50 IP mark last year
in Seattle. Which means he is no longer considered a rookie.grover - April 9, 2006
Felix Hernandez isn't a rookie
Not eligible anymore.OaktownTribesman - April 9, 2006
Verlander/Millwood
The difference is that Verlander was throwing 95+ past the Ranger hitters, and when they did catch up, he would drop that 83 mph change and make them look foolish. Millwood has neither of those.I've already started sending "Millwood Ho Park" to people I know that are Ranger fans
Chavez4Prez - April 9, 2006
Kev Ho Park?
OaktownTribesman - April 9, 2006
Or as Dylan Thomas might call him,
Under Mill Wood.Nico - April 9, 2006
22
Whoever wrote the comment about Byrnes' patented throw I am cracking up all the way here on the east coast. I still wear my #22.katieanneblack - April 8, 2006
go to your
local screen printing place and have them take of the byrnes and replace it with bradley. then you'll be set.Backspin - April 8, 2006
Dan Wilson
That's why it said Dan at the top of the Diamond...Hit4TheCycle - April 8, 2006
i think it was
that nike "dan vs dave" summer olympics advertising campaign....xbhaskarx - April 8, 2006
Secret to Zito's success tonight?
He's pitching with his eyes closed now.OaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
"Use the force, young Zito!"
OaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
Is he also breathing through his eyelids...
...like the lava lizards of the Galapagos Islands?Poppy - April 8, 2006
Yes.
Yes he is.Nico - April 8, 2006
I'm a conspiracy theorist...
So Zito does horribly against they Yanks, but then great against another team? Meanwhile, all the Yanks are saying he'd be a great fit on their team? Any one else see something suspicious here?Philip Christy - April 8, 2006
I don't see it
What good would it be to blow chunks when facing the team that has an interest in you? It's an audition. Unless you suspect Barry Zito is already on the Yanks' payroll... which would be quite the conspiracy theory.OaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
You mean that maybe
he's a spy for Homeland Security, mingling with players from countries that export a lot of cocaine while secretly gaining enough info to create a fake passport? Yeah, it's occurred to me too.Nico - April 8, 2006
Does that mean that
Alyssa Milano was 14 ?green star oakland - April 9, 2006
Well
That's Zito, anything can happen on any given day. My shock of the day, watching WGN and realizing that the Royals are not the Royals anymore.doublehustle22 - April 8, 2006
Or you know,
the fact that you were watching WGN and Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson!!!Oh snap.
Hit4TheCycle - April 8, 2006
And people
made fun of me for drafting shelton in my fantasy league. pshhhhhWhiteElephantGuy - April 8, 2006
Yeah,
that's why we make fun of you. Ri-i-ight.Nico - April 8, 2006
I meant
people in my league. I didn't even know you guys make fun of me. That hurts.WhiteElephantGuy - April 8, 2006
Are you saying
I'm out of your league? That hurts.Nico - April 8, 2006
I'm flattered...
but I don't swing that way. If it was Cindi, though...WhiteElephantGuy - April 8, 2006
Oh c'mon...
We're all switch hitters on a slow Friday night...Nico - April 9, 2006
Let's make like Kielty should
and stick to one side of the plateJediLeroy - April 9, 2006
BTW..
I mash ladiesJediLeroy - April 9, 2006
I'm sure that comment
has the ladies lining up to date you. :-}Nico - April 9, 2006
Would you care to join me
for some soylent green? Muhuhaha!JediLeroy - April 10, 2006
I didn't watch or listen to the game,
so maybe this has been covered, but why the heck was Kotsay leading off against Moyer? Does he have good stats against him or something? It almost seems ridiculus, seeing as their both lefties and Kotsay is not really our leadoff guy. Then of course there's the fact that DJ got the start over Swisher. Has Macha or anyone explained this yet?Philip Christy - April 8, 2006
Kotsay
Yeah, he went into the game with like a .500+ batting average against Moyer. He's crushed him in the past, and crushed him tonight too.OaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
No, but Nico did
in the initial game thread. Kotsay was 14/24 (.583) lifetime against Moyer. His HR and triple didn't exactly reveal Macha's ignorance.Nico - April 8, 2006
Hargrove's managing in Game 2...
...was a classic example of costs of rigid lefty-righty orthodoxy (walking DJ to get to Scutaro?!?).Especially ex post facto, it's really hard to argue with Kotsay leading off.
GreenNGoldSooner - April 9, 2006
Oh, I wasn't arguing,
it just made no sense before the game. Now I know, and knowing's half the battle.Philip Christy - April 9, 2006
GI Joe!
KendallGurl18 - April 9, 2006
It should really be two hits over two games
because that ball that Perez screwed up on at short wasn't ruled an error. He was deep in the whole, but it it was not a hard play. I think Blanton should be credited with eight innings of 1-hit ball.scutaroknowstheway - April 8, 2006
No, that was a base hit
If Perez fields it cleanly, his throw is still probably too late. The ball was deep in the SS hole; no way you can assume an out if the play is made cleanly by an average infielder, which is pretty much the standard.Nico - April 8, 2006
It'd'ha' been ruled an error
at the coliseumOaktownTribesman - April 8, 2006
No, at the Coliseum
it would have been ruled a triple.Nico - April 8, 2006
My gut
Says Kennedy may end up in the rotation before the year is out.pbruins92 - April 9, 2006
My gut tells me two things:
Nico - April 9, 2006
agreed.
Nico's right...Kennedy's splits against lefties/righties are so skewed the the opposing manager would just stack the lineup against him.Check out Nico's good diary on the subject
rungood - April 9, 2006
Lay off the ice cream? Inconceivable!
Not when there's this.Ice Cream - April 9, 2006
your gut is really saying
that you need to try the new flavor of Boca burger. I understand the cross up. My guts word for Joe Kennedy is close to its word for soy burgers in general.Athletics fan and runner - April 9, 2006
Jason Kendall
Has a .389 OPB with hit thus far.This begs the question, can he finish with more HBP than hits?
Athletics fan and runner - April 9, 2006
Marty Lurie is interviewing Huddy now
OaklandSi - April 9, 2006
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