Ok ok...I take full credit opening a new thread and thereby ruining the Duke's no-hit bid going to the 7th. At the same time, I also take full credit for Bad Finally Growing Into His Power Stroke Sweeney's solo homer in the bottom of the frame as well as Still the Most Likeable Sweeney's RBI single in the bottom of the 8th. My bad, but I'll take the good with the bad and hope the end result erases what could have been an epic blogospheric faux pas on my part.
Bottom line: the box score for this game should be read from the bottom up. The Duke was effing masterful this evening. Everytime he got a strike or two on the Sox he would whip out a darting, dashing cutter and the Red Legs would harmlessly fly out to someone, somewhere. Of the 20 outs he supplied for the A's defense, 16 of those were delivered via the air. And those outs were not of the "line drive right at someone" variety, they were of the "I just got embarrassed by a pitch I didn't expect and could only muster a weak fly ball" variety. His stat line tells little of the story but is typically Duchscherian: 8 inning pitched, 4 strikeouts, no walks, ONE FREAKIN HIT! Huston, newly rejuvenated and showcasing a devastating change-up to Jacoby Ellsbury, closed the door with a, yes, typically Hustonian line: 1 IP, 1 K, 2 groundouts. The sink is back with Huston's stride, the slice is back with the Duke's cutter and as for the A's offense...
The Sweeney odd-couple proved their worth tonight. They combined to get the first run this evening, as Mike (I henceforth cease calling them good/bad sweeney from now on since they were both effing GOOD tonight) doubled on a somewhat flukey flyball to right to start the 2nd...then Ryan BUNTED HIM OVER with no outs...with Mike on third and one out and RBI machine Emil Brown up to bat next, gotta give big ups to Bob Geren for some mad foresight. First Pitch Emil took the first pitch, a curveball, and delivered a grounder to short that resulted in a run-scoring fielder's choice as M Sweeney, ever the gamer, beat out at home, as he was going on contact. Ryan Sweeney's late game homer and Mike Sweeney's RBI single against Manny Delcarmen in the 8th finished the scoring for the A's, and, ultimatetely, concluded the scoring for the game.
All in all, it was a fantastic game to be an A's pitcher and to be someone in Oakland with the surname Sweeney. I'm starting to think that with Chavez back in the lineup, this team could be a contender as soon as...right now!
0 recs | 89 comments
About the Sweeneys
We should be calling then Good Sweeney (Mike) and Better Sweeney (Ryan).
As for the lost no-hitter, I blame Ortiz. I mean, didn’t he know that he was supposed to take that pitch?
doctorK - May 24, 2008
Bad Sweeney's awesome -
Irony makes the world go round.
Too bad Duke doesn’t have what it takes to go through order three times. :-(
Woo hoo!
Nico - May 24, 2008
love rotoworld's negativity...re: Hannahan
couldn’t they have mentioned the sweeneys
athleticsBB4life - May 24, 2008
Hannahan an also-ran, not a fan?
Sorry RotoWorld, you’ve just been…Hannamannhandled!
Nico - May 24, 2008
Given the content of the comment
They should have done a blurb about R. Sweeney, too, since he’s the obvious choice to get the next crack at the leadoff spot.
jeepers - May 24, 2008
Though if the topic is "next crack"
it still makes sense to mention Hannahan. Or Larry Davis, depending on what meaning of “crack” you’re considering.
Nico - May 24, 2008
Is Marion Barry an A's fan?
jeepers - May 24, 2008
I don't know - I keep hearing about fans wanting the A's
to sign Barry, but I don’t know why we need a drug addict ex-politician, other than the fact that he could probably out OPS half our lineup.
Nico - May 24, 2008
Terrific write-up
Love the verb form of Duchscherer.
sprtsnwyn - May 24, 2008
You liked that?
I Blantoned it, myself.
Nico - May 24, 2008
again with the ghost verbs
“Duchscherian”? Still looking.
iglew - May 24, 2008
Barton was sick tonight
according to Mike Sweeney who said he was not supposed to play. We don’t know what Barton would have done but it’s a fair bet he doesn’t score the first and drive in the last run. I think Barton has great potential but he should not be in there sucking.
Hopefully Barton is sick tomorrow as well as Sweeney needs to play tomorrow.
Sweeney also said it’s great to play in front of 33,000 and not 10,000 like there normally is.
He also said “if we were a garbage team we should go 2-7 on the road but we are not, we are a great team” He said we were embarrassed by that trip.
Class act is Mike Sweeney.
Notice all the new players are responsible for this team being above .500. Eveland and Smith in the pitching department. Mike Sweeney and Emil Brown (in April), Frank Thomas now he is hitting home runs and of course Ryan Sweeney is looking better all the time.
There are some of our hitters who have been here who cannot hit worth a crap in the clutch because they have A’s disease so hopefully they come around in the clutch and we will be just fine.
Finally…................. Stay healthy Rich Harden
Trainman - May 24, 2008
so, you really dislike Crosby and Ellis?
monkeyball - May 24, 2008
No
My comments were for Hannahan who is hitting .156 from memory or there abouts and Kurt Suzuki who has been very unclutch.
I do not dislike them. Kurt is obviously very important to the pitchers and the rest of the team. He is doing an incredible job with the pitching. It would be nice if he got out of his slump and got a few hits with RISP. He will get out of his slump but right now these two are not who I want to see with runners on.
Ellis is fine.
Hannahan’s problem will take care of itself when Chavez comes back. He has done a good job but obviously has hit poorly in the clutch for the most part.
This is not about who I like or dislike, it’s about contributions to make the team better.
Trainman - May 25, 2008
Does the line "The Sweeney odd-couple proved their worth tonight"....
Bother anyone else? Mike has been hitting since he got here. Mike has always been able to hit when he is healthy. Ryan has been a very nice surprise considering that his stock had fallen so greatly over the last year and a half. I think they have both been proving there worth….after all who else is getting hits right now??
bdemartin - May 24, 2008
Frank Thomas is.
And Jack Cust is being Jack Cust, such as going through an entire 3-2 at-bat without lifting the bat from his shoulder. I really wanted him to swing at that 3-0 pitch. Still, he’s giving us exactly what you would have thought at the beginning of the year, minus a homer or two.
As salb918 noted earlier today, Bobby Crosby is also hitting better than every shortstop in the AL other than Jeter and Young, and had another solid night this evening.
But yes, Mike Sweeney has always been able to hit, if never able to stay healthy, and Ryan Sweeney is showing why he was the #1 prospect in the White Sox system before last year.
jeepers - May 24, 2008
I have been fully happy with Crosby this season
He can have stretches where he looks the old Crosby, as long as he has more stretches where he doesn’t. And so far, that’s what has happened. He’s been excellent.
Nico - May 24, 2008
I agree about Frank..
I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled about his signing at the beginning. I didn’t want to see at bats taken from M. Sweeney, and Barton, but until Barton figures things out, and Big Hurt keeps doing what he’s doing than I’m happy! Right now Frank is the man! Cust is Cust, but still not getting a lot of hits, but his patience and power are important. Crosby is doing better than expected, but we’re still not getting consistant production from him. I still have hope that T. Buck will come back strong. I think it would be a big boost to this ball club if he does.
bdemartin - May 24, 2008
I can see the "Odd Couple" comparison -
Ryan is tall and lanky, like Tony Randall, and Mike kind of looks like Jack Klugman, except without the tracheotomy. If Ryan fathers a child when he’s 74, it will be a slam dunk.
Nico - May 24, 2008
HOF
Ice Cream - May 24, 2008
Woo hoo!!!!!!
Oh wait – I thought you said HOOF.
Nico - May 24, 2008
Swooney. It's Swooney!
No more of this “Bad” nonsense!
thejd44 - May 24, 2008
Swooney sounds pretty good
So Mike is just Sweeney then right?
Trainman - May 24, 2008
No, if Ryan is called "Swooney,"
then Mike should be called “Ryan”.
Nico - May 24, 2008
LOL
Trainman - May 24, 2008
Contention is a Good Thing
And unless Tampa is the next best thing—and they might be—I have a feeling it will be a condition that sticks around for a while this year.
Which makes me think that Beane should hang on to all these arms—the right deal could still be made in the off-season once we have a fuller understanding of the farm, of harden’s health, of Duke’s ability to pitch 150+ innings, of Street and the rest of the pen.
Deep depth on the mound is a good thing—and right now we have more of it than anyone else—even the dreaded Disneys.
madmongoose - May 24, 2008
I agree - you only trade good starting pitching
if you can get a Haren-like haul, not just to upgrade another position or part of the game. And Blanton has been a lot better than many have given him credit for – any pitcher who hasn’t missed a start and has a sub-4.00 ERA is pitching well. With Harden, Duke, Eveland, and Smith all trying to pitch more innings than ever before, we will need our #6 and #7 starters.
Truthfully, I don’t see the A’s hanging with the Angels all season, because I think the Angels are more likely to win 95 than they are to win 90, but I do see the A’s hanging with the Wild Card teams – and for a rebuilding year that’s all I can ask.
Nico - May 24, 2008
And speaking of pitching
I do not want to see Harden traded. Injury prone or not he is too dominant to give to some other team. Knowing our luck, he stays healthy if this happens and we get to watch him dominate us.
Trainman - May 24, 2008
I also say keep Harden.
I either want him pitching for us, or not at all. Against us, not so much.
Nico - May 24, 2008
So...
have him finish out his contract, bring the goat by his house along with a hidden camera and some whiskey, and get his work visa revoked?
jeepers - May 24, 2008
His house?
My house. Why waste a goat and whiskey on his house? You have to think these things through.
Nico - May 24, 2008
I propose a bet with Nico, for AN bragging rights.
Me: Angels will win fewer than 90
Nico: Angels will win more than 94
90-94 wins is a draw
Deal or No Deal?
WaddellCanseco - May 25, 2008
I'll take it
loser pays me a million
Future Ed - May 25, 2008
Then I'd be rooting for you
I say winner gets a million from Future Ed – done?
Nico - May 25, 2008
Done
WaddellCanseco - May 25, 2008
Chavez must have played the entire game at 3rd tonight
which is good.
I see he went 2 for 5.
I am hoping all the surgeries fix his suckiness at hitting. He is certainly an upgade on defense alone and he can belt one out of the ballpark at anytime so he is much more of a precence than Hannahan is. Hannahan has filled in well but we need some more power in there.
There was a graphic on Fox today that had the A’s 1 thru 4 hitters hitting .234 which is 4th worst so the fact that we have scored as many runs as the Angels is amazing really.
Trainman - May 24, 2008
And I can't spell presence
Trainman - May 24, 2008
I imagine that stat includes Thomas' time with Toronto,
because he’s hitting over .300 with Oakland and Cust/Crosby are combining to hit around .260.
Nico - May 24, 2008
Can't wait to have Chavy back.
Having Hannahan in the lineup has really made me miss him. Hannahan has done his best to fill in for him, but the fact is that he has no business starting at a corner in the major leagues. Even last year’s Chavy is a better hitter than he is—and I remember Chavy’s freakish hitting talent before he became perpetually nicked up. If we got that guy back, this team could be scary.
jeepers - May 24, 2008
I agree
I am prepared to eat my words with Chavy
Before the injuries, I couldn’t stand his pathetic at bats but considering he has been playing injured for a number of years then it’s a wonder he was able to play at all.
I think we see a different Chavez and if he stays healthy, then next year he should be at his best. I think we are all hoping that he is very productive this year and he may well be but we may be asking a bit much for him to tear the cover off the ball.
Trainman - May 24, 2008
I think anything we get this year from Chavy is a bonus -
yet he is so talented that we could still get what we’re getting from Hannahan, even if Chavy has a Kotsay-like trajectory to his recovery. The reality is that at his worst, Chavy is Hannahan. At his best, he’s quite a bit better.
Nico - May 24, 2008
And he's only a year or two past his "prime"
so if he truly is fixed through surgery, best case scenario could be career high numbers at a pro-rated total, and possibly next year.
Optimism at its finest.
dtownmbrown - May 25, 2008
Meh.
I went to the game. Chavez looked pretty good at the plate. In the field, however, he looked a little bit like a deer in the headlights. His first move on contact was to kind of flinch, and then respond. The thing that always amazed me about Eric was his positioning on the field. He still has that, as he was even with the bag all night, so I assume with a few more balls hit to him that will change. Carlos looked great, and Travis looked a little off balance. Powell looked pretty good, and Blevins looked lights out.
tresselfan - May 25, 2008
I think the A's/Geren are handling Chavy well
by insisting on taking it slow with no timeline – these recoveries are “two steps forward, one step back” kinds of deals and you need to feel good in all apsects of the game every day before you’re ready to return to the big leagues. I don’t think we’ll see Chavy until mid-June and I think that’s smart. Hannahan is adequate enough to roll with for another 2-3 weeks as needed.
Nico - May 25, 2008
I agree
The bat looked great, but he is clearly aware of his injuries. I have rehabbed after surgery, and it took me two years before I could swing again without thinking about it. I like what Hanrahan is developing into, and am willing to wait until Eric is 100% before bringing him back.
Carlos looks like a lock, and I think he is ready. No easy place to play him, but i am not sure how much he is going to learn in AAA. Roughly 70% of the pitchers he will face have no chance of making it to the show, so some of these PA’s will be a little misleading, and not that challenging.
tresselfan - May 25, 2008
If they called up Carlos, I'd say
put him in CF and let him learn to play it really well, and move R. Sweeney to RF where he can be an above-average defensive player and hopefully a good enough hitter for a corner OF position. Cust and Buck can duke it out for LF, with Brown and Raj Davis duking it out for “more useful bench/platoon player” rights.
Nico - May 25, 2008
I've noticed that at AAA
they’re starting Buck more often than not in CF, and only playing CarGon in CF when Buck itsn’t in there. I haven’t seen them playing Denorfia at CF much if at all…not sure what all that means in terms of what the A’s are thinking on CF and callups.
OaklandSi - May 25, 2008
It seems odd, in that Buck doesn't appear
to have the OF instincts Gonzalez has, and it would be more valuable if Gonzalez became a plus CFer than if Buck did. Though either would be just ducky with me.
Nico - May 25, 2008
Agreed, and in marked contrast
to the way they handled the Kotsay recovery timeline, wherein he came back early from back surgery and ended up essentially pissing a whole extra year away.
FreeSeatUpgrade - May 25, 2008
just got back from the game
Justin was masterful! (I saw an article this morning with the headline “Beckett seeks to dismantle the A’s.”.....but I think it was Duchscherer who did the dismantling.
Two nights in a row Street ended the game without drama…just like he should.
Lots more Sux fans tonight than last night…I’ve noticed that this homestand there are lots of Sux families (a little different from other times…at least they behaved themselves a bit better because of the kids….or is it that the Sux were convincingly beaten both nights?)
Oh, just a little quibble…the Cincinnatti Reds were known as the Redlegs…
OaklandSi - May 24, 2008
Wish I could have seen the whole game
Was moving my brother- and sister-in-law into their new house all day. Sat down just in time to see Sweeney’s homer (yay!) and the Sox first hit (boo!). Too bad I missed most of Duke’s awesomeness. Still: I get a feeling that the A’s are heating up. The pitching has always been solid, but more offensive pieces seem to be falling into place – Thomas is hitting homers, the Sweeney’s both look good, Cust being Cust, etc. Of course, it will take more than a couple of games to convince me that this team is really ready to contend, but I’ve got a good feeling right now.
IowaA'sFan - May 24, 2008
After that dismal road trip....
it’s nice to see some positivity about the A’s again! I realize Barton is the future, but I think he could learn a few things by playing behind Sweeney for a while. Let him sit a little more often and see if that doesn’t motivate him a little. Crosby may be finally proving that he is the real deal. It’s nice to see him get fired up…especially after the horrible call at second. I’m also liking the fact that Geren is charging out on the field and barking. With a young team, I thinks it’s important that they feel that the manager has their back.
alox - May 24, 2008
I can see giving Sweeney a starting role, but...
I’d be shocked if he’d stay healthy enough to keep it if we did. I think we’re more likely to get results from him as the first guy off the bench.
jeepers - May 24, 2008
Maybe so.
But if he plays a while and hits the DL, that will give young Mr. Barton something to contemplate. Besides which, I truly think Barton would learn from watching Sweeny go about his business on a regular basis.
alox - May 24, 2008
Watching BBtonight
sheez. Treated to numerous Big Poppy at bats until he finally got that one. No A’s at bat shown, not one.
ak_A - May 24, 2008
Did the A's bat?
I hadn’t even noticed that they had played.
Nico - May 24, 2008
Heaven forbid the Sux get no-no'ed....
The earth could quite possibly be knocked of it’s axis. At the least the space/time continuum would be altered…..
alox - May 24, 2008
So who's going for them tomorrow -
some guy named Bobo Holloman?
Nico - May 24, 2008
The A's? Who are they?
day-to-day - May 24, 2008
this was probably...
my favourite game of the season so far. and by “so far” I mean “this week because I have the memory of an old lady and can’t remember further back than that” eh, what can I say, I’m a sucker for good pitching and players with the last name Sweeney :)
I haven’t had enough time to read AN lately to get why Ryan is “Bad Sweeney” and Mike is “Good Sweeney” but I call them Ryney and Miney. which I probably shouldn’t be admitting on the internet. ah well.
I think Barton should be heading back to Sacramento and Miney should take over full time at first until Barton works some things out.
Christine - May 24, 2008
What fun to see Duke pitch so well in person
I had a good time harassing the Sox fans at the Coli tonight. I called out “Yoooooook” every time he made an out which was awesome. And then I called out “Dreeeeewwwww” and some of them got pissed.
Fun fun fun.
A’s win
Buck Turgidson - May 24, 2008
Why were they miffed? You weren't booing.
WaddellCanseco - May 25, 2008
More! More!
Ooh, that was fun. But like I said last night in the game wrap, it was too short! I just want games like that to keep going… well, not if Duke gets injured by 200 pitches, or Cust finally drops a fly ball to result in 3 runs for Boston, but just so the A’s keep looking good, of course!
I still think we should call them Lil Sweeney and Big Sweeney. It does describe their sizes.
streetfan - May 24, 2008
Or Young Sweeney and Old Sweeney
Because, as we all know, since does not matter ;-)
Eastbayjim - May 24, 2008
I was there tonight.
We sat in section 217. The Boston fans are beyond obnoxious. That being said why do we let them chant so loudly? Surely we can make more noise than that.
On an up note…Duke was wonderful and Crosby was standing closer to the plate from our view. Good times.
IM4Oakgal - May 25, 2008
in 225 we didn't let them chant so loudly
whenever the sux chant started going we proceeded to drown them out.
Of course, that’s much easier when the Sux are getting dominated on the field.
OaklandSi - May 25, 2008
Glad that your section was countering them.
But it really did seem to me that the RS fans were more lively than our own and I hate that.
IM4Oakgal - May 25, 2008
yay!
link
gotgreen - May 25, 2008
Great Game...
They didn’t show a replay at the coliseum, so I ask you:
Was Crosby safe or out on the steal of 2nd?
drink409 - May 25, 2008
Looked like safe to me
They kept replaying it on Action 36, and kept showing the ump who made the call. Crosby definitely looked safe, umps view was probably skewed, plus Cro tagged around the back of the base.
Funny though.. when they were showing a replay of the Sweeney homer they showed that ump again doing the home run sign and said, “Well, at least he got one call right.”
thingswecarry - May 25, 2008
TOTALLY SAFE
Taj Adib - May 25, 2008
Very clearly safe
The ump had a perfect view of it and blew it anyway. I had the NESN feed, and those guys acknowledged they’d gotten a break there.
Actually, the A’s got hosed on both ends of that double play, since there should have never been a play at second. The pitch to Cust was ball 4, and it wasn’t close. Jim Joyce, the home plate ump, had a wide strike zone all night (which Duchscherer made terrific use of), but this was beyond even most of his calls, in the right-handed batters box. Korach said it was “too close to take,” but Korach was wrong on this one. If Cust had swung, he’d have K’d anyway; that pitch was too far out to have to “protect the plate” against. Take that pitch and there’s a 90% chance the ump does the right thing and you’ve got two on with no outs. Swing at that pitch and you’ve got a much, much lower chance of anything good happening. Sometimes you just have to trust the umps to do their jobs.
Of course, Cust got called out three times last night, and the other two were legit. The first time was the kind of thing that pisses so many people off: He took a fast ball right down the middle, makes you say “what the heck was he looking for there?” He’s a guess hitter, and if you want the good stuff Cust does (and I do) you just have to accept at-bats like that one; it’s part of the package… The second called strike 3 was a wicked breaking pitch by Beckett – almost no chance for any hitter when he gets that sucker on the corner.
Faust - May 25, 2008
I agree it was clearly a ball
but Cust should have swung at either the 3-0 or 3-1 pitch. That AB drove me crazy. The point of being patient isn’t to walk, it’s to crush pitches in hitters’ counts.
Crosby was safe by a mile.
jeepers - May 25, 2008
ridiculously safe.
it wasn’t even close, actually.
Christine - May 25, 2008
Duke dedicated the game to Joe Kennedy
in his post game interview with Foss.
I couldn’t resist listening to ESPN radio’s interview with Duke about a half hour after the game. First they mispronounced his last name (I ‘ll cut ‘em a break on that one), then, after describing his brilliant win, said “but more importantly, the Red Sox lost”. They clearly thought it was a fluke. I was glad Duke didn’t mention his dedication of the game to Joe Kennedy (I always thought with a name like that, he should have been on the Red Sox) to those clowns.
That was the best game I’ve seen an A’s pitcher have since Huddy two hit the Sox facing one batter over the minimum (in late 2003, I think).
Brian in 317 - May 25, 2008
I sure miss Huddy.
I was just recollecting the Mulder 1-hitter against Arizona. That game was more dominant than most no-hitters that I’ve seen. ZERO 3-ball counts and it still pisses me off today that Bautista broke it up.
ohtobe21likehuston - May 25, 2008
What about Harden's 2 hitter against the Rangers in '05?
I think that is the most dominant game I have ever seen by an A’s pitcher in the last decade. 9 innings, 2 hits, 8 Ks, 0 walks, 81 pitches. And I believe he hit 99 mph a few times.
baseb3383 - May 25, 2008
That was it for me.
That was essentially telling the hitters “every pitch is going to be in the strike zone, and it’s either going to be 99 mph, or a 91-mph ‘changeup’ that darts about a foot-and-a-half through the zone. Good luck!”
jeepers - May 25, 2008
Great game
August 11th 2003
green star oakland - May 25, 2008
I looked for you but didn't see you at the game
you’re right about Duke. Except for perhaps the first batter or so he totally commanded the plate and kept the Sux hitters off balance.
OaklandSi - May 25, 2008
Who is pitching tonight for Stockton?
And, where could I find that info? I couldn’t find any sort of “probable pitchers” link on either the Ports or Giants site.
JLaff - May 25, 2008
speaking of Stockton
the Ports players are going to be presented at the coliseum on Tuesday evening before the game against Toronto. Tuesday is also Frank Thomas’ 40th birthday…should be special.
OaklandSi - May 25, 2008
Checking the San Jose Giants site
General admission tickets for the Monday 2 p.m. game vs. Stockton at San Jose Muni will be $4 and parking will be free. Sounds like an interesting idea for the A’s off day tomorrow.
Soaker - May 25, 2008
forgot to answer JLaff's question...
(from game story on Ports’ site)
Soaker - May 25, 2008
While we're all floating on this high from last night's game
let’s keep the good karma going by getting a few more people to sign up for Ken Korach’s Winning for the Community Foundation. You can sign up here. I’ll update the total for contributions after today’s game, but AN is past the $1,000 mark already. Good job!
As a recent NRAF, I’ve found that the one thing I miss above all else is going to A’s games. Nothing would be better than to be sitting in the Coliseum in a few hours.
SportySpice - May 25, 2008
you're right about that
During a good chunk of the summer I’m a NRAF, and I do miss going to the games…makes the games I can go to (basically spring, late summer and fall) that much more special.
OaklandSi - May 25, 2008
I'll post this here too.
Because everyone should see it. This made me smile and get teary-eyed at the same time.
FreeSeatUpgrade - May 25, 2008
I watched it at the ballpark, it was very moving
particularly in view that Mrs Kennedy will be giving birth very soon to Joe’s second child (not obvious in that photo, but very obvious last night).
OaklandSi - May 25, 2008
I'm looking forward to the boy being old enough to hit.
Then he’ll be a batting Kaige.
iglew - May 25, 2008
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