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Open Thread: Game 142 - A's at Texas

At a time of year the A’s were hoping to fight the Angels for first place, instead they go into Texas fighting to make sure they avoid last place. The A’s aren’t messin’ around either—ace Danny Haren takes the hill to take another stab at win #15, opposed by the man who invented the light bulb, Edinson Volquez.

Geren’s lineup has the same players in different places, with Nick Swisher dropped down to the #6 hole and “best A’s power-hitting 2Bman ever” Mark Ellis batting second. Not sure why Donnie Murphy doesn’t get the start, but hopefully his oblique feels ok following his outstanding return to the lineup on Wednesday.

Said lineups:

Stewart – LF
Ellis – 2B
Cust – RF
Piazza – DH
Johnson – 1B
Swisher – CF
Scutaro – SS
Hannahan – 3B
Suzuki – C

Dogalanotto – LF
Kinsler – 2B
Young – SS
Byrd – CF
Wilkerson – RF
Laird – C
Blalock – DH
Saltalamacchia – 1B
Vazquez – 3B

0 recs  |  253 comments

Comments

Scutaro also hitting ahead of Hannahan

that's a change, isn't it?

Geren mentioned dropping Swish down the lineup because he's been scuffling...wouldn't an extra day off help? Couldn't DaVanon handle CF (I was a bit surprised not to see his name in the lineup at all during the Angels series.)

Where is DaVannon?

Swisher should not be in center field, especially in the bandbox known as "The Ballpark in Arlington". The guy looks banged-up and demoralized.

Put him in left or right, first or DH.

Is this Teixera tribute old news?

I hope I'm not like the 678th person to post this, a la "Ghostride My Volvo", but it's worth seeing.  Baseball girl will especially like it:

on & on about Kinsler's 40 game errorless streak.

40 games, that's funny. What's Ellis up to?

Ellis hits HRs in bunches...1 Tonight?
No tv yet again.

Not so bad today....I have to leave early to watch my kid sing in a concert.  She's the main attraction tonight...lol.  Kid can sing like the angels wish they could.

I hear Lackey can't carry a tune.
Yeah,

that slack jaw is going to ruin any vocal talent.

Some folk 'll never eat a skunk

But then again some folk 'll...

LETS GO BABE
Cust is so frustrating to watch..hot...cold...hot
I like hot...cold...hot

better than cold...hot...cold

(Or Crosby: cold...cold...cold...cold...GOOSE!...cold...cold...

i know its frustrating
don't blame cust for getting on base

blame the dude behind him that can't drive him in

lets go oakland clap clap lets go oakland
runners on base, they're doomed
no tv again?

guess i don't need to sneak home early.

lets go dj
Piazza has backup Catcher stats
This has the makings of a

3-BB 0-R inning.

Has the strikezone disappeared from anyone

else's gameday?

yeah, i can't see it either

just like must MLB umps!  I feel so close to the game now!!

er....most

facepalm

we just did what we are best at-leaving runners
Put Melhuse in against his newest old team
ground-out, walk, walk, strike-out, ground-out

why am I not surprised.

Moneyball...he threw a lot of pitches.....

successful inning

OK, I'll never call him Dogalanotto again

And for the record, it was Poochini's idea.

that's a real dog a la not-to
great start Danny Boy...

He's been doing that a lot lately

i guess he doesnt want that award
Getting hit hard so far
Just another day...

in the life of an A's fan.  When did life start sucking so much?

why do I have the feeling

we are going to end up the season more than 20 games out and in 4th place.  I am so sad.

yeah a strikeout
we only have 3 weeks
to make myself feel better I looked at the

Brewers / Reds game for a minute (10 - zip Reds on top).  At least we haven't been in first place most of the year only to see our team collapse the way the Brewers have.  I will take any solice from any source I can right now.

and oh by the way . .

I want KC to just kick the stuffing out of the Yankers!

me too
swish strikes out yet again
At least he's looking snazzy

with those high socks.

they helpe kotsay one game lol
Swish is such a disappointment
Ugh. No TV. I'm so tired of this BS.
I thought we had a star in the making
out of next 13- 8 will be televised
lets go oakland lets go clap clap lets go
Game Thread traffic has gotten slow
lets go stew
woo hoo ellis ran it out
ellis = powered by the rays of earth's yellow sun
come on jack do something we need some runs
wow, back to back walks and now back to back hits

and now Piazza is on

Piazza blows
That is STRICTLY rumor.
i am just remarkably disappointed in Piazza
being shutout by this F'n clown!!!
glad that was a double play against them
2-2 kc and yankees
1 more out please
thank u
why they keep hitting out to right?

it's like they know cust is out there or something

I accidentally poked my dog in the eye...

I scratched his cornea and now he can't get in the sun until it heals... :(

don't they make dog sunglasses or something?
LOL

He's not fond of things on his head/neck. He freezes and won't move.

you could hire a guy with a parasol
Was that before or after

you ate that baby?

<calls SPCA>

RUNS PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anybody else NOT want

this guy to be their cardiologist?

I think

I would really hate the Rangers if they were good.

SURPRISE NICK STRUCK OUT AGAIN
Is Vince...eating?

It seems like he can't get all the words out of his mouth. It's SO distracting.

"Here's the 1-1 titch--pitch,

and it's fit houl."

Interesting battle tonight

LL game thread vs. AN game thread.

LL leads 92-72 last I checked, but they had a 1-hour head start (though they also had to kill off a rain delay).  But...the A's game isn't being televised in the Bay Area.

The Mariners may only be 3 games out of the wild card going into tonight, but the truth is, they look worse than dead.  (Presently trailing Verlander 4-1 in the 7th.)

Oh lord.

If you have a feed, it must be like watching a train-wreck.

which one, ours is getting there quickly
Oh. I meant ours.

We need to start a "Jack Cust: DH ONLY" campaign.

Does Jack Cust have

a sign on him that says "HIT IT TO ME!"?

That was pretty comical

I pity those of you with no tv.

I pity me too.
Hopefully, this inning serves as

an important reminder to the A's that you cannot put a terrible OF out there and expect them to catch very many balls.

I may post this pic quite a bit this winter

To remind people of the defensive awesomeness of Mr. Cust.

Cust is sweating like Blanton.
Kevin Thompson for Right Field campaign is in

Full effect.

I like Cust
as a DH
AH!

What are you doing here? It's not even my birthday!

another Friday night
and yet, you still feign suprise. how sweet.
A slow Friday night, I might add.

Hey, you busy?

my goat doesn't have any plans
now
psssh

typical game thread negativity.

I have the game on TV...

but not watching. Is MaEl working his ass off trying to help Cust out?

No, he's pointing his finger

and laughing at him a lot.

WE WERE SO LUCKY THAT LAST PITCH WAS A

STRIKE

Haren is sweating like Blanton.
By transitivity, then,

Haren is sweating like Cust.

10 hits, 3 bb, 4 inning?

and only 4 runs? Wow, Haren is lucky.

No, Cust is lucky Haren

doesn't trot out to RF and kick his ass.

Dan's ERA still a whisker lower than Kelveem's.

(2.99 vs. 3.04).  Not that I'm counting...

3.03 vs. 3.04: PULL HIM NOW!
Why isn't the new guy playing in the outfield?

Tomorrow hopefully so Swish can be at first where he belongs.

uh oh

possible error, but probably not.

i turned of The 70's Show

to watch this instead.

That 70s Show is bad

but this much be much, much worse.

I never really "got" that show.
"but this much be much, much worse."

WTF? It's Friday. I can't function.

Smoltz had a no-hiiter going until the top
of the 8th when "Little Manny" singled.
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Don't watch, even though you can.
I'm not.

Was my scream timed with something awful?

Nothing particularly

more awful than the game as a whole.

Like you ever need a reason for screaming in the middle of a game!

Games like this are gonna be my solace

during the long, cold off-season.

Yeah.

I'm almost looking forward to the off-season.

This season is certainly tired of you too.

It basically hates all of AN.  

Then what's this all about?

http://www.athleticsnation.com/comme...

I still don't know what I'm going to do

when the season is over.

Zumaya, Tigers finish off Mariners, 6-1

What a horrendous, lifeless performance by Seattle.  I ordinarily would not count out a team that's 3 games out in the loss column with 3 weeks to go, but this has been incredibly ugly.  The weakness of their starting rotation was sustained by a pretty good bullpen for most of the season, but when the bullpen faltered everything fell apart.

Awesome pick by Scutaro on that one. WOW!
VINCE. SUCKS.

Go away Vince!

we're going to finish last
I apologize for the negativity. I'm almost out of Vodka.
Found a new sig line

Thanks :)

... but first in our hearts.
Vince, are you sure it's Dallas Braden?

Not Dan Meyer? I know it's easy to confuse them because they're both left-handed at all. You would think you could tell them apart since it's YOUR JOB TO BE ABLE TO DO SO and you know, the whole DIFFERENT NUMBERS on their back thing. I don't know.

Programs! Gethcer programs here!
A HIT!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?

rookies...
jeez, louise
It's Jennifer.
of course
rookies...

jeez, Jennifer

Now they are all gonna start hitting and

we'll likely score 4 runs in a 5-4 loss.

Hey, a loss is a loss.
I love how you sound bitter about the thought

of the A's scoring 4 runs.

I do appreciate that our team

doesn't ever seem to give up.

even when their fans do
Great point.
I'm feeling a tad more optimistic
I just remembered that I have the greater part of a bottle of Absinthe left
It does make the heart grow fonder, doesn't it?
AHHHHHHH!!!!

STOP IT!

This guy is better at throwing a chair
than a baseball.
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
darn Cust you're supposed to hit a grand slam
Come on DJ. Grand slammy please.
?
? ?
Wasn't there only two people on base?
Typical negative post
I'm on a lot of medication right now. Just found

out that my middle ear problem that I've had for about year and half may require surgery.  Listen to this detail- we are going to have to drill behind both of your ears, through the bone and insert tubes if you don't get better in two weeks.  I'm on a very powerful dieuretic (sp?) that zaps all of my potassium leaving me with a hangover every morning w/o even drinking alcohol.  I've eaten more bananas than a zooful of monkeys but it ain't helping!!

I have vertigo and now understand why Scutaro couldn't play baseball ;-(

Wuss.
You are a piece of shit. Give me sympathy NOW ;)
I see vertigo hasn't dampened your bossiness.
SHUT UP!

Mine either.

Yeah and you don't even have vertigo.

Way to go.

STFU ;-)
See now you're just proving my point for me.
Okay. Let's try this a different way.

How are you doing pam?  Did you have a good day today?  Are you enjoying your weekend thus far?  Any luck on the apartment search?

No way. I'm on to you.
You are such a great person. I wish
the world had more of people like you in it.  That would be a blessing.
HAH. Well that's totally true.
Do I come off as cranky at times?
You know where to find sympathy?

Look in the dictionary between shit and syphilis.

Is there a Derek Jeter cross reference?
sounds like VERTIGO
take an MRI
At least you don't have a "loose body"
Isn't that what the diuretic was for?
Not since the diuretic and no sodium/caffeine.

I ought to be in great shape within a couple of weeeks.

Looking at strike three is good too--

very f***ing innovative.

SWING THE BAT.

<swings live bat around head for effect>

Hey Nico. At least he didn't "pull" one.
Pull my finger
Call Larry Davis. He might pull your finger

and accidentally yank your entire arm off rendering you useless to AN... but not necessarily goats.

Losing a finger would just

reduce the number of ways to enjoy goats from 11 to 10.

You forgot about the tongue
(checks program listings

for next viewing of That 70's Show)

I'm looking for Family Guy episodes.
TUF S3.
Is that a F.G. reference? I'm a newbie to that

show but it's pretty funny.  The last episode I saw had "Vice Squad- Sesame Street" or something similar.  Burt got out of bed naked and Ernie was laying next to him.  They got in a spat over Burt having to go into work during the middle of the night and he snapped at Ernie... "dammit I told you not to eat cookies in bed.  There are crumbs all over the place!"

TUF S3

I'm watching Season 3 of The Ultimate Figher.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ult...

Oh. I guess my post is rendered "useless."

What else is new : - )

To the 2007 Season...

Update on Chavy post-surgery

from SuSlu

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...

I'm too scared to click that.
It's actually a nice obituary.
Good. Lord.

In addition, Dr. Lewis Yocum repaired damage to Chavez's biceps tendon and he removed what was described as "a loose body'' from Chavez's shoulder.

An entire body? Wow.

Wait, can it play SS?

Face-lick girl was in Chavy's shoulder?
Wuss ;)

Quick note from Texas: The A's provided their first update on Eric Chavez's condition since the third baseman had shoulder surgery on Wednesday, and as Chavez had anticipated, there was more cleaning up to do than just fixing a torn labrum.

In addition, Dr. Lewis Yocum repaired damage to Chavez's biceps tendon and he removed what was described as "a loose body'' from Chavez's shoulder.

Holy crap. That sounds horrible.
RiverCats take an early 1-0 lead

on a Lou Merloni homer.  Brad Knox on the mound for Sacramento tonight.  Ziegler and Gray pretty much used up in the Cats bullpen; they'll need help from somebody else down there to win this game.

You mean they'll need somebody else

to lose it.

Heh, that's true

The name to look for tonight is Julio Manon.  The one RiverCats game I attended at Raley Field this year, on Aug. 24, was a real disaster for him...but looking at his overall stats he appears to have done a fairly good job.  Not a prospect at 34 y.o. though.

and now they're down 1-2
they're going to finish last
oh, wait...
I don't know why I can't stop myself from paying

attention to this game. I'm sick.

it's an addiction

let's call it what it is...(there, I feel better)

I'd feel bad if I turn it off

but I'm feeling bad listening to it

Yeah we all love pain here
I feel your pain
Rotoworld thinks Kevin Thompson

will "steal playing time from DaVanon"

is that a joke?

Swisher........hits?

Does. not. comprehend.

The game is still on?
whoa. swish a hit!
Heart of the order up now, the comeback

is on.

The Oakland A's 9th Inning team

should really show up more often.. I hear some of the middle innings have openings.

Lots of

"Lets Go Oakland"

<clap clap...clap clap>
okay, no outs, this is

okay...but I am still blah-zey.

Yeah, I mean

call me a pessimist (which is fair, because I totally am) but I just don't think it'll happen. They'll tease us, then leave 'em loaded.

glad the bottom of the order is up
You are a realist not a pessimist.

OT- Have you listened to Perry Farrell's Satellite Party cd that came out recently?  In one of the songs... it has the last known recording of Jim Morrison before he died a few days later.

No

should I have? I'm pretty bad at keeping up with anything new that comes out.

Check out the song "Hard Life Easy"
and see what you think.  I have always liked Janes Addiction and anything else he's done.

The band includes Flea and Dave from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I like the iTunes store description of it

"Hard Life Easy" smoothes Farrell's rough bark into a Cure-like whine while the group heads into the disco.

I like some of those samples more than others.

I freaking love The Cure. Awesome band.
Ditto.

Nobody whines better than the Cure.

Are you a goth high school girl?

(No opinion on The Cure, just in it for the joke)

I was a goth HS girl but then I talked my
folks into the sex change operation.  They were really supportive as long as I kept my grades up.
and "Wish Upon a Dog Star"
DLing now
"Woman in the Window" is the one
with Jim Morrison and "The Solutionists" is pretty interesting too.  I'm not trying to send you in a spending spree so maybe you can just check out a couple of songs first.
Ehhhh

I'm not spending.

Whatevuh! Enjoy your evening... I'm off to eat

yet another banana.

Hannahan!

WOO!

jeez, Jennifer
it has been a long season for jen

....few more weeks, it will be over and she can get a good rest.

Jennifer

WOOO!

Hanging in there, cheering when the rest of us are folding like a cheap suit

so we don't have this game on TV

but in the Bay Area, we have Gnats on two different channels.  Puke.  

Gameday has been drinking with Thunderbutt.
it better not be
I've only got so much Absinthe left
game over
Head for Sacramento...

SLC 3, SAC 1, middle of the 4th

3-2 SLC
With runners at the corners, 2 outs in the 4th

You can listen for free at milb.com, though it does require registration (might be the same at mlb.com registration?  It is for me.)

Fix that...

same at as mlb.com registration?

Bases loaded for Blasi, 3-2 SLC, 2 outs in the bottom of the 4th.

that's cool

thanks!

well crap

and the Texas tv announcer sure exclaimated "ballgame!" enough to irritate me.

yeah

they were pretty damn excited about this win.

they can envision their team

escaping the cellar?

Or maybe

our team falling into it

Extremely annoying but he's much worse
when LaDanian Tomlinson scores a long touchdown.  His call sounds as if he is holding the ball out towards the chasing defender except there is a glass wall separating them and it can't be touched.  

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