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Open Thread: Game 60 - A's at Giants (cont.)

3-3 going to the 9th. I think Dan Johnson is still at third.

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Comments

Kotsay forgot to wave him in...
DJ wouldn't have seen him

the instant the ball crossed the plate he put his head down and started jogging back to the bag

Who gives a #%$@ it's gone! :)
Jack Cust Wants a Splash Hit

That'd be goodness.

Third!
Yes, third.

That's where DJ is remaining stationary.

Need a Jack, Buck.
Only because Korach's on vacation

Jack Buck

Batt Junk Katurist
I never can figure out what your sig is going to be each day.
Dear Travis

If you hit a HR now I'll convert one of your doubles to a triple.

Well done, T-Buck!
The new "Ol' Reliable"

Travis Buck

crosby, you watching that at bat?

by buck

Emmy Award winning camera work
Cameraman listened to fans flyball reading talent
caught up in the moment... I guess?
Buck

has earned his spot on the roster even after all the DL people return.

fuck that camera work
describe bonds's catch?
Fly ball to the warning track, nothing to

it

It was routine
Off the bat, it looked like Ellis hit it out but it died in the cool air and Bonds was able to camp under it on the warning track. If Buck had known he could have tagged up, but he had gone halfway.
thanks both -- gameday deceives
Sounds like Controneo does too
swisher gonna win it

just like last year

im calling it

Way to stand very still, Swish
CHAVY!

i will never talk shit about you ever again if you just get a single!

promises promises
until his next first pitch pop out?
chavy

I will feel bad the next time I talk trash about you if you single

Chavy

I won't request a trade in the next hour if you deliver.

Vince Cotroneo is worst announcer ever

He announce that fly--no TV where I am--as if it were a long, no-doubt home run. Only to then tell me "Bonds has room."

Earlier, I learned from the crowd's reaction that DJ had hit a double, not from Cotroneo. And he had DJ scoring on the passed ball.

I could go on. But the blown, non home run call really pissed me off.

and he does it on a regular basis.
THAT is what pisses me off.
giants

catcher looks like Shelob back there. Huge and gangly

Come on, Chavvy

Hit one.

Come on NEW. CLUTCH. CHAVY.
your chevy needs a new clutch?
<lets out stream of obscenities>
BEEP BEEP BLEEP BEEP BLEEP
Good thing AN is on a 7-second delay.
Yes, but Soaker knows of a device

that lets you synch up AN with mkt's webcam, making it seem as though you're getting the obscenities in real time.

where's a NO FEAR sticker when

you need one, for chavy.

COMPLETE

shocker!

11 million dollars...

hard at work.  brilliant.

Damn, Chav!

You're healthy?

So no need to hold back

Trade his choking ass.

Welcome back Chavy
I hate it when I have to root for extras
Especially when no snacks are left.

Time to bite my frickin' fingernails.

chavy

is not very good...

I knew that inning was over the moment...

...Swisher got on.

Just checking Chavez's horrible splits in all situations that covers (close and late, runners on first and second, men on w/ 2 out, runners in scoring position, runners in scoring position w/ 2 out) said all I needed to know.

Thanks again, Eric.

Game ends here

Sorry to report, but there's little doubt Flores coughs this up.

well let's give him a chance :-)
Just covering my frightened ass

I'm not really that negative.

things are bad when Flores see's the 9th
Reminder

Flores' ERA = 0.00. That's pretty good.

Yeah, but...

half of the outs he's recorded are when guys have been gunned down at the plate.

Yay--Dan Johnson
ran the right way!
Nice, DJ

Damn, just saw that stupid ass SF crab.

SF has crabs.

DAMMIT!

All strikeouts from here on in!

Any updates on Duke/Street?
OK, this isn't stressful at all.

Not one bit.

this game is stupid
ack mlbtv goes whack

i reload and see that stupid triple replay.  gad.

Bring in Syd Finch. He can overpower 'em.
Good thing Ray Durham has never crushed the A's

in walk off fashion.

I think we should
intentionally walk Durham too.
they would NEVER expect that.
So we're praying that Durham GIDP

hope he remembers his short time in Oakland.

Likely finishes, in order
  1. Durham grand slam
  1. HBP
  1. Wild Pitch
  1. All other run-scoring events
  1. Out recorded
I'm taking "wild pitch"

or a walk

You win.
Wait...

House wins.

gettin tense

Givin' it to Calero?

Not our night.

geren has kind

of a walking to the gallows look to him as he heads to the mounds to call in Kiko

wow

that's quite a 'stache Kiko's got going

debating not to bother

watching the enivitable here.    

i really don't like games we should have won

so get a double play!

please

be right

Revised likely outcomes, Calero-version
  1. Durham grand slam.
  1. There is not #2.
DAMN CALERO!

Make it easy, why don't you!

I can only laugh.
this is tough to watch.
walk of walk

tight...

Lou Seal == Giant Cheeto
That sears my retinas
This ump is a fucking joke.
seriously!

what is his deal?

If he's not calling the low strike, fine. But...

...that second pitch can't be a ball too.

well at least Frandsen

is doing his best "existential strike zone" commercial impression

At least don't give up a walk

A hit I can live with

should have been Strike F'n 2
Thank you, Ray Ray
Lucked out

for the second

Man o man

Kiko living on the edge.  Great pop up

thanks ray....

guess you didn't want that walk off walk after all

Drops dead from surprise
SEE. I knew we were fine. (Nose grooowwws)
Just faint, okay?

Don't want to have to deal with the coroner...again!

please make his old slider appear again.
amen

I say to you

do that to me one more time!
Found: one slider belonging to Kiko Calero.
Did that look like last year's KIKO or what??
This sucks

The Giants aren't going anywhere. If they win, they are just helping the Angels go to the playoffs.

and who woulda thunk it

kiko lives to die another day

one more strike

get em!!

Nice Calero!

"Doing what good relievers do, throw strikes" ... he came within half an inch of a walk of walk!!

Un - FREAKING - believable!
Oh my GOD!!! Do you Believe in Miracles??YES!
THANK YOU CALERO!!

You didn't "F" this one up!

Nice

Maybe Kiko needs to take a few more warmup tosses

<cough>

WOOO HOOOO!

Holy hell ha ha ha!

i believe in olerac okik
DAMN!

Let's get this going A's!

In the words of a jailbird

That was HOT

wow

Im glad I skipped work for this game. Good Call!!

Drops dead again
No, not the coroner! Againl!

"That guy is such a drag!"

WE OWE

THE BASEBALL GODS...BIG TIME

major league pitching by Calero

major league choke by Giants

Amazed

There must be something about this Rivalry.

We have to be the best crosstown rivalry!

Except for New York and Chicago

basically every other two team city except LA.

<speechless>
Textbook!

(if you study at the Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams school of late inning relief)

i clicked off.....we are still alive i take it?
Thank God

Thank God Ortmeier struck out. Free baseball! Go A's!!
The Giants are garbage.
Way to go, Kiko!

We're alive

NOW LET'S GET SOME RUNS!!

DJ batting from his post on 3rd base
If we get a runner beyond first and there's no

pinch hitter for Kendall, I'll cry myself to sleep tonight.

Double for DJ!!
That's it....

...no scoring this inning.

Wait...they're putting someone in to run for DJ? They can do that?!?

Next you'll tell me they can send someone else up instead of Kendall!

playing on house money. DJ!!
GO DJ! GO DJ! GO DJ!
NICE!

Didn't think anything would come from that.

Drink down some Hennesey

and spit that shit out!

Benitiz up next for Giants
Donnie Murphy!!

Darkness!!

At least, DJ can hit...

I'm officially on the DFA Kotsay bandwagon, as of tonight.

pinch runner for johnson-murphy
geren reads AN
Dear Bobby- Please stand closer to the plate.
Thank you,

The Management

Twice in a row Croz moves the runner
deja vu?
Twilight zone marathon
Parallel Universe

uh, then back again.

For your consideration

Late at night.  No catchers left for one team; no hitters in attendance for the other.  A trainer, not Larry Davis, tends to the fallen.  Just another extra inning  night in...the Twilight Zone.

DJ at third!

Let's not waste this!

its not dj
Come on, wild pitch...
Kots

Gotta getta bat on something!

hit a damn fly ball
we need a run PLEASE
Donny Murphy to the DL tomorrow. Shit.
DAMN IT!

Are we in the matrix?

seriously this is shit
Holy spit!

Same gdamn hit by Kots, but this time the have the runner going on contact.

Little softer this time, but otherwise the same.
Kots has two hard-hit balls in that situation.

Too bad for him; although I do wonder if he should have been actively trying to loft the ball.

Yeah, but

we've got guys on the bench, and they don't.

We certainly hope Alphonso is NOT okay!
I'll never say that about an athlete

who just took a hit.

Let's just get some hit and play ball.

Speak for yourself
If the A'S GOT 5 OUTS AN INNING ...

would it make a difference?

Can we give them Kendall?
Who is left in the pen? Embree, Lewis ?
The Giants Will Have No Catcher

So they have to forfeit! That's my plan.

Or better yet...

Have Kendall catch for the Giants and anybody else hit. ANYBODY else.

Wow, high drama....

no position players left for the Giants, and the catcher is injured after Donnie Murphy's takeout.  Speculating that a pitcher will have to play a position...

Awww, let Benjy play some more...

After all, he brought the bats!

Not trying to be a Kotsay apologist,
but he has had REALLY bad luck ripping the ball twice with a runner at third and one out and not getting rewarded.
He has hit the ball hard

but with less than 2 outs you've gotta elevate, and he hasn't done that.  I'm not down on him, or anything, but I think his execution hasn't been the greatest.

not down on him?

his batting average is lower than Kendall's.  He's horrible!

He's coming back from a surgery.
completely agree with you. Tough luck tonight.
Benitez makes me appreciate Kendall even more

What a wimp Benitez is!

Well if we get past the next inning, We better ru

n on the catcher, who might be Randy Winn

he might stay in geez
at least the giants are out of players now...

and seriously...would you rather have kots on first, out at home, with 2 outs...or donnie murphy at 3rd with "the dangerous" kendall up and two outs?  pick your poison...

winn behind the plate....

and a pitcher in the outfield....worth the price of Murphy's out at the plate

Of Course Kendall Is an Extra Base Hit Machine...

such that there's really no need to consider hitting for him here...

THAT IS WHY THEY DON"T PH FOR KENDALL!!!!!
Oh c'mon

Emergency catchers play maybe, what, once or twice a year, league wide?  I honestly don't remember the last time I heard of it.  The "save the 2nd catcher" excuse is far overused, IMHO.

Tell that to the Giants
Yes, the once every two decades rationale

is worth giving up 2-3 dozen meaningful ABs a year.

The more you do it, the more the chances increase
Didn't Frank Menechino catch one time?
Yeah

I realized that after my post when I called for him to be pinch hit for.

Randy Winn to catch!?!
There would be no excuse not to take

second base on whatever scrub they throw out there.

Sabean has Mike

Sadek on speed dial

Lame.

Murphy doesn't have armor, Alfonzo does.  

The tools of ignorance.
geez lets get going either stay in or not
You unlock this door with the key of imagination.

Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Never Pinch Hit For Kendall Zone.  AHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Put Zito in CF!
Hilarious!
the plot thickens
Noah Lowry in RF

This is now officially a fun game, win or lose

Can't Hit For Kendall

he'll murder the hostage in his basement

It rubs the lotion

on its mitt...

or it gets the hose again.
This is why you watch baseball

Something new every day....

TV announcers stealing lines from AN?
this is the weirdest game

ever.

This is nuts..

Feliz behind the plate, Winn to 3rd, Ortmeier to CF, and Noah Lowry to RF...points for creativity...

Saw this once before

LH batter, pitcher plays left field
RH batter, pitcher plays right field

That's a lot of jogging to ask

of Barry.

Okay Kendall, take the first pitch

and let Kotsay steal second. Then sit on a fastball...no breaking balls for Feliz.

Ok, it's a freak accident but still...

you would think the NL team would be better prepared for this.

Let's cross our fingers

that the A's are able to pull this off!

Would it be really bad sportsmanship

to send Kotsay?

"Wait, 1 finger means what again?"
gotta be running

on the first pitch....and the second...and maybe the third....

I'm not happy that alfonzo got hurt,

but I am excited to see such an unusual thing.

remember that time against chicago when they

had to move around their field

Orioles Once Were Forced To Put Sakata to C

Tippy Martinez was the pitcher and walked three guys in a row ... and then picked them all off first base.  Sakata led off the bottom of the 10th with a home run and the Orioles won - still considered one of the greatest games in Oriole history.

5 bucks says

Feliz throws out kotsay.

u know kotsay is going to steal

WTF is Kendall batting?

One of the mysteries of the universe.

oh geezzz

run

Still Takes a Hit w/ RISP to Win

so hard to see the A's making that happen against this lights out Giants pen!

WHY THE HELL HASN'T KOTSAY RAN
Kotsay NOT running...

another mystery of the universe.

WTF

why are we not running here

This is TOO conservative, WPA be damned.
here's a sad thought

what does this say about jason kendall that even the slowest baserunners steal against him, when we won't even run on pedro feliz.

Jason should go yard here

for the ultimate in unlikely events.

Will a single do?

Still pretty unbelievable.

Why Isn't Kotsay Running?!?!
RUN KOTSAY RUN!!!
thank you

that was an appropriate moment to run!

STOP, KOTSAY, STOP!!
yeah weird would be kendall getting HR
Well, that worked out...
we screwed ourselves AGAIN. Sheesh!!
Are we going to win?

I mean, Kendall got a timely hit!

Had Kotsay run...

We'd be up 4-3. Theoretically, of course.

I call passed ball here with Kotsay bowling over Feliz.

stealus interuptus
If he was on second, chances are it's a routine..

..grounder to Durham.

We can no longer claim

to have put out the lamest outfield this season

I dunno...Lowry vs Cust?

I wanna see a shagging contest.

:-)

That is all.

should have given us the lead.

shit.

if kotsay was a second...

thats a lazy grounder to durham to end the inning...we got lucky

if Murphy hadn't tried to score is what I mean
WOO... silence the Gnats fans
Great question by Fosse

why on earth have Durham cover on the steal with Kendall, the RF groundball machine, at bat?

Yes, excellent Q.

Someone didn't do their homework.

Giants announcers

have such a cruch on Kendall

crush

oops

LOL THEY SAID HE WAS A DANGEROUS HITTER
Kotsay didn't run, apparently, so that JK

could execute the hit and run.

You better be looking fastball, because

Feliz, can't block a breaking pitch

Oh yeah

show that Stewart hit from yesterday one more time....I love to see Curt's face.

Passed ball please

Or run and let him throw it into center.

No Sense Running Kendall

we wouldn't want to score twice, or ask Feliz to throw to second for the first time ever.  

He is at 2nd already
Hit means two

We have to beat the team the Giants are putting on the field.

Come on Shannon!
Shannon wants

to pull the trigger.

I'm scared

Come on, Shannon, battle!
Most unbelievable game I've ever heard

I have been waiting for this for years!

It's great to hear an ex-catcher's analysis...

on all of this.

What's Fosse had to say about it?

I'm watching the Giants crew on mlb.tv.

He's teasing Feliz's form...

It's hilarious. You can tell he's as excited about all of this as much as we are.

Yeah Shannon! Base Hit!
YEAH!!!
WOO HOO Shannon does it again
We Still Love Shannon

Two games in a row.

O F*ckin' yeah!

Way to go Shannon!

whoooohooooo

stewart does it again

I think I love you, Shannon Stewart.
but what am I so afraid of?
MAN OF THE DAY, AGAIN!

STEW!

Oh wow. Very nice and lucky.
YES
NICE!!

Shannon kept some of that No-Hitter Breakin Magic!!

Still <3 Shannon!!!

no hitter?  bring on shannon.
tie game?  bring on shannon!

Hell yeah!

stewart is becoming a folk hero

Whoo hoo!

Now, does the "code" say we have to let Scutaro catch the bottom of the 10th?

YES!!

Oh its so much sweeter against the giants!

BANK!

I LOVE BASEBALL!]

The best laid plans...
Now let's see the running game
Feliz, Vizquel, Lowry for Giants

in the bottom of the inning.

We own these guys.

And that's two huge hits for Stewart in two days.

ANOTHER INCREDIBLE GAME.

How many is that this season?

Incredible games, or hits from Stewart?
Almost all of them
it's worth it (if we win)...

just to rip the heart out of the Giants.

With our bullpen

we needed to two

lights cigar
Considering recent history of A's bullpen...

You really should know better than to do that.

Give credit to Billy Beane...

...for picking up Stewart.

No Jinxing!!

great job shannon

great concentration to turn that into a great hit. Thank you again Shannon!

Pedro Feliz

Tomorrow's Giants starting catcher. We can only wish.

Why isn't Stewart on 2nd?
With the change the Giants had to make,

one thing leads to another. Can't throw much more than fastballs because you can't count on Feliz to make the stop.

It's nuances like this the casual or non-fan will never get.

Why Isn't Stewart Running?
More Giants Wild Pitches!!
LISTENING TO CHANNEL 2

A'S FANS ARE REALLY LOUD BY THEM

The ump must be wondering what the hell is going

on.

holy crap

Don't feel bad about not catching that, Pedro.

I wonder..

for us defensively, was there a double switch made with Shannon?  DJ's out; Murphy's not an OF or 1B...

no he just hit for the pitcher
Stewart will play the Outfield

Swisha at first

I forgot they PR for DJ
Now steal 3rd

I'm not kidding. No way he throws. And what the hell, take the shot.

Do they have a special ball-return backstop?

Half the wild pitches seem to bounce right back.

Anyone know how long that 1/2 inning lasted?
Alright guys

Just shoot those torpedoes down the exhaust chute and let's blow this popsicle stand!

can we please hold on?
Crossing fingers...

...that we get the tanned, rested, and ready Embree not the other one.

Looks like we won't have Alan Embree

to kick around any more.

Who are the Gnats pitching on Sunday?
Matt Cain for Gnats

Lenny Dinardo for A's

Hey Giants fans

time to get the jump on the BART train!

The doors are closing...

please stand clear of the doors.

A's defensive

probable...swish to 1b, stewart to OF and murphy as DH for cust

um, no DH?
my bad

batting for the pitchers spot then

I have faith in Embree. I don't know why :-)
The A's Rule!

You know it.

That's one!

He hits like he catches.

Lowry on deck

Now that is sweet. And I know he's a pretty good hitting pitcher.

Way to manage that National League ball, Bochy.

They can't pinch-hit for Lowry, can they?
they don't have anyone to do so
they could

but they don't have any players

They could pinch hit with another pitcher
They got no one left!
Not unless they want to hit Zito.
Special thanks to

Donnie Murphy for his excellent 'play' at home plate!

they could

use zito

That's two!

Let's have all our outfielders catch'em for the outs!

No

Bochy is a genius.  

end this damn game now
Lowry hitting

This is fucking great.

His swing looks more powerful than

Kendalls

Lowry's 2 for 24...

He's better than Kotsay.  Still don't like his chances, though.

Blow his ass away, Embree
Athletics nation hoodie

On tv!

Lowry's better than Byrnes

was for months after he hit for the cycle ;-)

AN Sweatshirt on TV!!!
Definitely

a good omen

He was cheering his ass off when bases were loaded
and we only had one out.  That is a true fan.
Sayonara

Giant Assholes!

Wow!

Another great nailbiter.

Ballgame!

Way to pull it out.

Wow

What a weird game that was!

But a "W" is a "W"...even if you're playing a team that you should only face in the World Series.

unflipping believable
Give it up to the Giants

For a vastly inferior baseball team, they really put us back on our heels!

postgame interview=shannon
Lincecum-lately

Got lucky.

Gaudin owned your ass!

Lince-did-not-cum!
Flaccid...

This has never happened to me before, baby! Honest!!!

Speaking for yourself?
Thank goodness

Embree struck out, "the very dangerous, Noah Lowry."

alls well that ends well

and we get the FOX SF/A's game tomorrow, usually that luck does not go my way....excellent.

Can't blame Bochy for this

This moves were sound.

In the 9th, they had bases loaded with Kiko on the mound.  I'm not a pessimist or anything, but you can't tell me you don't think they had an excellent chance of winning it in the ninth.

The smart thing to do is put up the best hitters you've got, even if it empties your bench.  There's a real good chance you don't even have extra innings, and even if you do, the odds are small that someone is going to get hurt or thrown out.

For Kiko to have wiggled out of it AND their catcher to get hurt in the 10th was exremely unlikely.  You can't blame Bochy for not playing in anticipation of that remote possibility.

I agree

And it's worth mentioning that Feliz at catcher had no effect on the pitches called.  Stewart was given three sliders in a row, and was just able to flick his bat onto one that hung just enough for Stewart to reach it.  As bizarre as the game was, it turned on the poor decision to have the 2nd baseman cover when Kendall was batting, followed by a somewhat lucky but very timely hit by Stewart.

My XM Boombox batteries died in the middle of...

... Lowery's AB.

What happened? Did the A's win?

Can I assume Bruce Bochy took the L for overmanaging?

This ought to be a good game summary!
It was the worst of times. It was the best ot

times.  Yady, Yady, Yadu.  YABU!

Fans, Billy Beane is NOT a genius!

I mean, any genius in their right mind...

Would have called Sabean before Feliz got behind the plate, and traded Kendall to the Giants right there!

And no "splittin' the remaining salary" either!

Traded for Noah Lowry!

Actually he did call

but he sent Melhuse.

Who Bochy left sitting on the bench.

You know, when the other guy
shows his cards, you go for the kill!  He had Sabean, he could've got him to absorb the full contract!

Trade Kenall NOW!!  hahahah

I've gotta tailgate in less than 7 hours. OUCH.

Going to the UC Irvine vs. Wichita State game that's on ESPN2 tomorrow morning.

Boy, after the Giant's choked with that.....

bases loaded situation, Krukow shut the hell up with all his stupid colloquialisms or whatever you call them. He is nauseating.

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