Yawn.
I know I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but there are days when it really rings true: I would rather lose a game 9-8 than to lose 1 or 2 to 0. Not scoring runs is frustrating; the game really does lose a lot of its fun when you watch the A’s get mowed down for the second straight night.
It’s hard to separate the horrible offense from the quite stellar pitching by C.C. Sabathia (who recorded 11 K’s on the night), but when Suzuki is running up a 0-22 streak, and the rest of the A’s hitters don’t look much better, it’s probably really easy to pitch to them. All it takes is throwing strikes, and only walking players (ahem, Frank Thomas) who will be promptly doubled off. In nine innings today, I never got the feeling that the A’s were close to scoring. Not once.
Despite a couple of rocky moments, Joe Blanton pitched a gem of a game; two solo homeruns the only blemishes in his seven innings. He was helped by a come-backer double-play right back to him with the bases loaded, but it was all for naught; he picked up yet another undeserved loss.
It took him until two outs in the eighth inning, but Rajai Davis finally became the leadoff hitter that I was looking for (I loved him in the first slot when lineups were announced), as he dropped a bunt down the third base line for a hit, something that he probably should have tried in every single of his previous at-bats.
Mike Sweeney put another couple of hits on the board, and Crosby and Murphy added their solo hits to Davis’ single, but that was the entirety of the A’s offense tonight. C.C. went the distance without breaking a sweat.
Incidentally, the three innings that I had to listen to the Cleveland announcers was quite enough, thank you. Yes, I recognize that the last two games have been downright embarrassing for the A’s offense, and how we look like anything but a contending team, but before you make us out to be the Royals, try remembering two early-season series wins against your team, both of which you barely escaped a sweep. I’m just sayin’.
The A’s look to stave off a sweep of their own early tomorrow morning (9AM Pacific time). Smith against Laffey.
0 recs | 58 comments
cahill pitching wooooo
mikeA - May 14, 2008
kicked arse again
7.2 IP 0 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 13:4 GO/AO.
mikeA - May 14, 2008
Crosby doubled, the 100th of his career.
OldhamA - May 14, 2008
I'm beginning to really hate the number 0.
:P
FormerHuntsvilleStar - May 14, 2008
You make Count von Count sad.
OldhamA - May 14, 2008
The A's make Count von Count sad.
No runs to count!
FormerHuntsvilleStar - May 14, 2008
One is not the loneliest number.
Jennifer - May 14, 2008
{Sigh} I remember one.
Nico - May 14, 2008
To hell with class... I'm staying home to watch us avoid the sweep...
jwnewman - May 14, 2008
To sweep...perchance to dweam...
Apropos in that we’re currently hitting about as well as I would expect Shakespeare to hit, and the guy has been dead for several centuries. Of course, Shakes wasn’t exactly the most astute observer of baseball. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”? C’mon, dude – only you and Cindi really believe that. And Angel Hernandez.
Nico - May 14, 2008
Good call.
I gave up on being classy years ago.
oblique - May 14, 2008
does Laffey throw a curve?
... and can you plot its trajectory on a cocktail napkin? And will Seligula use it as the basis for a new revenue-sharing agreement?
monkeyball - May 14, 2008
just returned to find
as I wait for yahoo mlb scores to load….a shut out. dandy. listening to the rest of buan show now.
ak_A - May 14, 2008
So I see I didn’t miss much tonight…too bad I was hoping to hear some good news.
justarebelheart - May 14, 2008
Hope at the start of June we have
Buck/Gonzalez/Chavez playing. Maybe they can help. Something like:
Buck RF
Barton DH
Sweeney 1B
Chavez 3B
Cust LF
Ellis 2B
Gonzalez CF
Crosby SS
Suzuki C
Syphon - May 14, 2008
K
W
DP
Permute.
MobiusKlein - May 14, 2008
Such little faith.
Syphon - May 14, 2008
Waaah
Sniff.
Polar Bears.
MobiusKlein - May 14, 2008
Please dont respond to my posts...
unless you have something intelligent to offer.
Syphon - May 14, 2008
Was not meant as an insult
Was just emoting my sorrow, and ending with a non sequiter to distract myself.
I’ll try to be more intelligent tomorrow, deal?
MobiusKlein - May 14, 2008
Deal.
Im just pissy we lost. Throws off my whole day. :)
Syphon - May 14, 2008
That's why it's so essential that we win tomorrow -
I can’t be in a bad mood from noon on.
Nico - May 14, 2008
I think it's essential, though, to have Cust
ahead of the good RBI guys, not at the end of RBI guys. Heck, you could flip Barton and Cust and do ok.
Nico - May 14, 2008
Something along those lines..
Just basically we need them guys back and hitting like we know they can. Lineup is always debatable.
Syphon - May 14, 2008
I'm not ready to give up on Thomas, personally
We saw two years ago, and with Cust this year, how track record really does trump a 4-week skid. Keep doing what he’s doing but mix in a HR every 15 ABs, and we’re in serious business. He just needs to get that first one out of the way, relax and stop trying to hit HRs, and trust his ability.
Nico - May 14, 2008
Well I hope so.
Id be glad to be wrong on him this year.
Syphon - May 14, 2008
Weird Stat
What do you make of Nick Swisher this year? He’s typically a hot starter and then he cools off, which doesn’t bode well for the rest of his season.
But here’s something strange:
April: 22 BB, 21 K
May: 2 BB, 12 K
Usually, even when he struggles, he still gets his walks. What’s going on with this guy?
Did Billy just pull off the ultimate sell high move? Did he see this coming? What can the Sox expect from him in the future, I wonder.
Crosbino - May 14, 2008
Maybe pitchers are throwing him more strikes
to make him prove he can hit his way on. Or maybe he just isn’t that good – I always felt he was a “B+” hitter; maybe that was even a bit generous. So far he has pretty much been Ryan Sweeney with more walks and some power instead of none. But his BA and defense? Pretty much “Bad Sweeney” territory by the end of the year, I imagine.
Nico - May 14, 2008
I agree
with the “B+ player” assessment … but wow. He has fallen fast. He was hitting 8th in the Sox lineup today. And you know Guillen won’t have patience for a slump. He might be riding pine pretty soon.
I know he can turn it around but he has, as Bill James calls it, “old player skills.” Players with these skills “get older” faster. See: Ryan Howard.
Crosbino - May 14, 2008
Old player skills is one thing
but, Swisher is 27. That’s a very stretched definition of “old”. Also, being able to play good D, even in a corner, is not exactly and “old player skill”. Swisher’s BABIP is 253. Last 2 years, it was 283, and 301.
rfloh - May 15, 2008
Being is clearly a genius.
That or Swish is in one of those extended slumps he goes into.
That said I agree with the assessment, I never thought he was that great a hitter. Useful, yes, but not amazing.
OldhamA - May 15, 2008
...and now he's up, 2nd and 3rd w/ 2 outs against Lackey.
mikeA - May 14, 2008
fails
mikeA - May 14, 2008
Beane has said he didn't plan to trade Swish
he only did so because the White Sox made an offer he couldn’t refuse.
OaklandSi - May 14, 2008
Agreed a thousand times over about the Cleveland
announcers. Holy mackerel they are ABSOLUTELY terrible. I don’t remember them being so awful. Everything the A’s do to succeed is luck and everything the Indians do to succeed is because they are so awesome. I’m so tired of other teams and their crappy announcers.
Tyler Bleszinski - May 14, 2008
Kazmir re-ups with Tampa Bay
3 year extension plus a 4th option year, so he’s signed through 2011 with a team option for 2012.
Tampa management cackles as their Mind Control Ray (yes, the “changed” name is actually a veiled reference) somehow convinces yet another young player to sign a crazily club-favorable contract.
PaulThomas - May 14, 2008
Wow, they should win that division at least 2010 through 2012.
A lot of people are excited about the Rays, but I’ve always sort of hated them. But I hope they keep the Sox out of the playoffs.
mikeA - May 14, 2008
the "stadium" makes it very easy too root against the team
monkeyball - May 15, 2008
That's interesting to me ...
I’ve never been able to “hate” teams that are really bad. I might not like certain players, but if a team really sucks, I guess I’ve always felt “what’s the point?” Like hating the Clippers or the Lions …
Nope, I save my disdain for the Red Sox, Yankees, Angels kind of squads.
Vacafan - May 15, 2008
I pretty much agree
But there are a few other factors - owner, facility, overwhelming dorkishness (I know, pot/kettle) - that can color my opinion of a franchise.
The Steinbrenners, for example, really help cement Yankee Hate. Whereas Arte M. significantly mitigates my Angels Loathing.
monkeyball - May 15, 2008
You and Lew both!
mikeA - May 15, 2008
Oh, and the presence or absence of free pickled cabbage
monkeyball - May 15, 2008
Really.
The explicit racial pandering doesn’t bug you?
Well, to each his own, I guess. I certainly can’t argue that said pandering hasn’t worked.
PaulThomas - May 15, 2008
hunh?
Pandering, schmandering. It’s called targeted marketing.
monkeyball - May 15, 2008
Maybe the players are happy there and can see they're on to a good thing.
Or maybe the F.O. have pictures of the player’s agents with madams. Who knows.
OldhamA - May 15, 2008
Grand Slam White Sox!
Angels down 5-1 in the 8th. Awesome.
louismg - May 14, 2008
Avenue Q goes salami off of Shieldsy!
Or something like that.
Nico - May 14, 2008
He was traded straight up for Chris Carter about a month before
the Haren trade. So…. seems like we could have gotten him along with the other 5 guys….
mikeA - May 14, 2008
If only. He's a five tool player that the Dbacks gave up on too early.
OldhamA - May 15, 2008
I'd hate to be on the end
of that You Can Put It On the Board… call.
Hit4TheCycle - May 14, 2008
Quite a start for lackey, though....
Hot Cup Joe - May 14, 2008
The offense minus Ellis sucks!!
This kinda reminds me of when Crosby got injured at the end of May in 2005 and the A’s offense died too. Its like the whole rhythm of the team is gone. What the frak is goin on?
Oaktownflav - May 14, 2008
It's not like Ellis is Chase Utley...
OldhamA - May 15, 2008
Is it time for a D'Angelo Jimenez encore?
It’d be some comic relief.
Hit4TheCycle - May 14, 2008
Geren is a genius....
I heard he’s actually thinking of giving Suzuki a day off during the Atlanta series. Heaven forbid we take his bat out of the lineup until then.
FoolshGame22 - May 14, 2008
Davis leading off?
Did we get a new Davis, or are you referring to the guy with the .224 OBP for the season?
rageon - May 15, 2008
Shut up - it's a gritty .224.
Nico - May 15, 2008
and those are some fast grits!
monkeyball - May 15, 2008
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