The A's win against the O's tonight 2-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning on Emil Brown's RBI single to center field. The game went to the 10th inning on a blown save from Huston Street after a brilliantly pitched game by A's starter Dana Eveland.
So on a night when two MLB Davids faced off against one another, it was the guy that many A's fans didn't even want on the team in the first place who was the star of the game offensively. Emil Brown scored the run to give the A's the lead and more importantly, wound up with the big single to plate Daric Barton to win the game for the A's.
This game was amazing in many ways and it's sad that so few people are showing up to watch this team play baseball. They say baseball can be a game of inches, well consider all that happened this evening and dare to argue otherwise:
You could not ask for better pitching from Dana Eveland than the A's got tonight. The guy pitched brilliantly, rebounding from his tough outing against the Angels. He was great in pounding the zone and working the home plate umpire's wild zone. It's too bad that it was all for nothing.
The A's pen was once again great tonight, outside of Street and like I said in the comments, I thought Huston had a couple of bogus calls against him in the Melvin Mora AB, which turned into the tying run. Street looked like he hit the outside corner on Mora twice but didn't get the call and that's when you could tell that both him and Suzuki were trying to figure out what to throw. Street isn't the overpowering guy that some closers are and he needs that outside corner in order to be effective.
But Eveland, Devine, Embree and Brown were all good enough tonight to get the A's the win thanks to a little help from Clutchy McClutch (Emil).
By the way, I've got to admit that I got a few goosebumps in watching Chad Bradford strike out Daric Barton with that frisbee slider of his. It reminded me of good times in the green and gold and he was always one of my very favorite A's pitchers back in the day. It's one of the few moments that I've ever smiled when an A's player struck out.
The A's super duper funkalicious all-righty lineup wasn't nearly as interesting as I had hoped as Garrett Olson kept them pretty much off balance all night. He kind of reminded me of hybrid of Greg Smith and Young Barry Zito (not the abomination that pitches for the Giants now). He's a tough good young pitcher. But I'm not sure how effective this all righty lineup is. They don't seem to be fairing all that well against lefties. Or at least as good as I'd like.
Ultimately, in a matchup of two Davids, it was fitting that Emil Brown, ManGod, was the one who chucked the heaviest stone.
0 recs | 151 comments
agreed on the bradford point
my dad and i both were talking about times of old when he struck out barton there. great guy, classy to a fault and never wanted the spotlight.
flipgatey3 - May 5, 2008
He's the Current-Oriole-ex-Athletic I like the most.
oaklandSMASH - May 5, 2008
Freddie Bynum is jealous
WaddellCanseco - May 6, 2008
ouch
flipgatey3 - May 7, 2008
Good Report
I hope some of the Brown-Embree naysayers—and even those who thought Eveland was a DL possiblity to make room for Harden—can see the light a bit clearly after tonight.
And while i didn’t see the game, from your description of Street’s strike zone, I won’t rag on him that much—he did a pretty darn good job of limiting the damage.
Still waiting for The Big to begin Hurting, but apparently he might have gone yard in the daytime tonight—if that makes any sense.
Bottom line is that we are one of only three teams in the AL substantially over .500—and that’s a nice place to be.
madmongoose - May 5, 2008
Endless debate topics:
Emil Brown is/isn’t clutch
Street sucks/doesn’t suck
Discuss. Until the Armageddon.
IowaA'sFan - May 5, 2008
Lets discuss Mark Ellis as well
Your thoughts?
Trainman - May 5, 2008
He is our best position player by a lot
mikeA - May 5, 2008
Agree - even when slumping he is a plus
Guys go 3/30 for stretches, looking clueless as they do it. It’s not a big deal – Ellis will get hot, and in any event he’ll help us when he’s cold as well as when he’s hot. He’s the least of my concerns.
Nico - May 5, 2008
FWIW
He’s -2 runs with the bat so far this season by BRAA. It’s questionable how much to trust BP’s fielding metric, but it has him at a ridiculous (given this point in the season) 7 runs above average with the glove.
In deference to Nico, I am not allowed to express any opinions about the above facts…
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
What does FWIW mean?
I always see it but I really don’t know.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
For what it's worth
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
Oh Thank You!
It was driving me crazy.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
basically the same thing as IMO, IMO.
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
FWIW
Nico - May 5, 2008
FWIW, I like my new invention, TWISI, better.
It is much more catchy….
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
Ok
TRANSLATE.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
The way I see it?
oblique - May 5, 2008
Ok that's a good one.
IMO works just as well though, IMO.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
TWISI (pronounced Tweezy) would replace IMO
with “The way I see it” and then go on into a Snoop Dogg-esque biased rant
ex. “TWISI, Emeezy Breezy is so Cleezy!!”
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
qotm
FoolshGame22 - May 5, 2008
Huh?
Too old to get that.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
For shizzle
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
You mean
it’s the cat’s meow?
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Closer to "the bee's knees"
But you get the idea.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
Outta sight.
That’s what we said in the 70’s.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
As in, "those three consecutive World Series Titles were outta sight!"
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
Yes and that was said.
Because they were.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
I only wish I was there...
or even a figment of somebody’s imagination
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
You missed out.
How old are you dtownmbrown? Yeah, I am nosy like that.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
22
My first (happy) A’s memories are of the Bay Bridge series and listening to MC Hammer’s “You Can’t Touch This” with my older brother.
And, unfortunately, I remember staring at the screen, tears streaming down my face as Rickey and the boys walked off the field in shame after being taken out by the Big Red Machine when I was 5.
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
Sorry to bring it up.
But hey I didn’t give up then and I’m still rootin for em.
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
I cried too.
and You are younger than…my youngest daughter. She’s 23.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Hence the perpendicular comprehension
of our respective forms of lingo
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
Yeah but
I like it. I hear that kind of thing working at a school. But less than you might think.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
And you can't go wrong with Marvy!
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
the beauty of AN...
you can live vicariously through Oakgal’s memories.
FoolshGame22 - May 5, 2008
Not really
My memory gets worse every year. Sometimes I have trouble remembering the score after I get home from the game.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
I like "marvy"
I’m still 75% sure no one ever actually said it, but I read it in Calvin and Hobbes so it has to be true.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
Hey!
I still say Marvy. It’s short for Marvelous.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
That's it, I'm bringing it back
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
Back?
It never went out of style. ;-)
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
What about Boss?
Or was that the 80s?
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
That was later.
Dy-no-mite was popular though. From GOOD TIMES.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Boss?
We used boss in the mid 70’s.
DCinWC - May 6, 2008
That's totally copecetic
fridaynightfan - May 6, 2008
Well, I wouldn't expect most to find humor in it
but I think some will and that’s good enough for me.
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
I laughed
mikeA - May 5, 2008
Personally, I'm fond of IANAL
because it gives me carte blanche to offer opinions I need not substantiate.
(I Am Not A Lawyer…get your minds out of the gutter!)
FreeSeatUpgrade - May 6, 2008
The A's need to re-sign him for at least another 3 years
He’s the perfect quality veteran to lead the young guys by example for the foreseeable future.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
Ken Korach suggests 50, but 3 is fine too
Nico - May 5, 2008
Is / Doesn't
Hey I’m in a good mood after a walk-off.. And Street should’ve gotten out of that inning unscathed, if the Mora AB went his way / Hernandez would’ve hit that a little bit harder to induce the DP.
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
Sorry meant to "reply"
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
Good job by Geren saving Ellis from an ejection
I don’t tend to put much stock one way or the other in how much managers affect wins and losses—especially with the A’s, where it seems like a caretaker position—but I hope Geren can continue to bail out our best players in the nick.
Mark Ellis chewing out an umpire? Wonder what that sounded like. Over/under on how many times he used the word “golly”...
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
The kid is just ticked off
because he doesn’t like the way he’s hitting. It shows that he cares about his job and that he expects more of himself. That’s a good thing , no?
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Oh, absolutely
I love the guy. I just wonder what it takes to set off somebody who seems so mild-mannered. It’s like… it’s like… if Mr. Rogers gave Henrietta Pussycat the finger.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
LOL
That’s quite the mental image. And I agree…he always seem a little colorless and to see him get angry was well um…interesting …to say the least.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
No mention of the pickoff play?
Adam Jones was easily out on that. That blown call almost cost us the game.
baseb3383 - May 5, 2008
I agree ... the ump missed it.
Vacafan - May 5, 2008
absolutely out!
I’ve seen worse and it was close. But, he was out.
FoolshGame22 - May 5, 2008
The main comment I want to add is that
I think this game was won by two excellent decisions NOT to force plays:
1. Andrew Brown may have had a play at third on the sac bunt but if he doesn’t get Adam Jones, it opens up a disastrous inning – when in doubt, take the sure out.
2. Crosby made the right call throwing to first and not home on the RBI grounder. Same thing – if he doesn’t get the out it opens up a big inning (and I don’t think he had the out at home, personally).
Many/most guys will force it in those situations instead of doing the Ellis thing: get outs where you know you can, make all the plays, and let your pitchers do the rest.
Nico - May 5, 2008
Yeah,
those types of plays turn into disasters a lot. Both good decisions.
mikeA - May 5, 2008
I'd also add that Suzuki didn't matter
Even with Suzuki ready for that play, it’s very iffy at best and has the tendency to blow up on someone who makes them. Crosby made the right call by looking at home first, but ultimately going to first for the sure thing.
DMOAS - May 5, 2008
agree 100% on Crosby's play
It seems to me that his decision-making in the field has improved a lot the last year or so. Previous years, Cros would have hucked the ball to the backstop on that play 9 times out of 10.
monkeyball - May 6, 2008
Yeah Crosby sure made the right decision there
Trainman - May 5, 2008
Two years ago, three years ago, and four years ago,
he desperately tries to throw home. He really has matured this year.
Nico - May 5, 2008
At what point can we safely like Bobby Crosby?
I wanted to starting about 3 weeks ago.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
we will let you know when it is time. stand bye till then.
ak_A - May 5, 2008
Your acceptance is important to us...please stand by.
Nico - May 5, 2008
If I make it down for AN day,
I will fax my special dietary list to you at least two weeks before so you can shop for them and practice the recipes.
ak_A - May 5, 2008
You HAVE to make it down for AN Day, ak_A
You just have to.
Nico - May 5, 2008
I don't think they serve mooseburgers fried in seal grease at the Coli ...
... although some of those pulled pork sammiches have looked a little sketchy, lately.
The Dogfather - May 6, 2008
It's even more important to Bobby.
He sobs every night into his pillow.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
I think monkeyball should start posting more...
frontpage stories about players who are soon to start sucking, if they don’t already. Thomas is a good candidate, monkeyball. Or, Huston Street. Give ‘em the monkeyball mojo!
FoolshGame22 - May 5, 2008
Crosby's a very good fielder, and maturing mentally
He’s a lousy hitter. I fully expect a sub-.670 OPS out of him this year.
And, FWIW, it looks to me like Frank is done. But there’s no reason not to keep running him out there at least through the end of May (possibly June) just to make sure.
monkeyball - May 6, 2008
I think the real story of the game is Eveland
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I was worried that his early promise was fading and he couldn’t keep it up. Really great to see he can bounce back and put in a quality start again.
iglew - May 5, 2008
He pitched well, but.....
The O’s have a pretty bad lineup, and their three best hitters are 2 LHs and a SW who hits RHPs a lot better. And he still had the four BBs.
But on the other hand, I wasn’t really worried about him…
mikeA - May 5, 2008
Quality +
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Some strange calls by the umps tonight... 4 strikes against Cust and the missed call on the pick off at First...
jwnewman - May 5, 2008
Not really placing too much blame on them since I'm in a good mood after the win, just saying weird things exist in baseball...
jwnewman - May 5, 2008
I saw 4 shots of the pickoff and didn't think it was conclusive,
so I can’t say the ump “blew the call” – he gets to see it once in real time.
However, I saw the 4 strikes against Cust several times and each time felt the ump might have made a mistake. Possibly.
Nico - May 5, 2008
Fan Graph for the game
It’s cool when they hover around 50% for so long…
Elvez - May 5, 2008
No offense
but I am not a fan of fangraphs. They seem redundant to me.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Why would I take offense?
Elvez - May 5, 2008
You posted one?
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
I think "no offense" is suggested by the final score
Nico - May 5, 2008
I'm cool with you liking or disliking anything you want.
“That’s just, like, your opinion man.” ~ The Dude
As long as you’re not saying, “Never post fangraphs,” it’s all good.
Elvez - May 5, 2008
I think she's saying,
“Please post them often and a lot – I hate them.”
Nico - May 5, 2008
Nico is a mind reader.
;-)
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
short story
Nico - May 5, 2008
Better be careful...
short fuse too.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Like Cust
She needs the anger to help perform at an elite level.
Elvez - May 5, 2008
LOL
I am actually even tempered. Just fooing around. Was I scary?
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Like Halloween in May.
Elvez - May 5, 2008
Thought as much.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Like... something.
(Had to keep my string of similies going.)
Elvez - May 5, 2008
You're the king of similes
now.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Haha
No offense was bad but last Friday was no defense…and that was awful.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
i am a fan of "fangraphs" the site
but also of winexp graphs like that one.
please post them after every game.
xbhaskarx - May 6, 2008
I really liked how Devine did
He really looks like he belongs on this club.. and maybe sometime in the future can develop into a real closer.
Eastbayjim - May 5, 2008
I do too...
I love our relievers. Yes, Huston too.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
The interesting thing is, I had it all worked out in my mind
that Foulke and Harden would replace Braden and Devine. Now I’m not so sure…But who?
Nico - May 5, 2008
Braden yes,,,
But not Devine.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
Braden
Do you think he really has a future with the big league club? He seems like he just brings the same old thing to the mound: nasty changeup/screwball/whatever it is, and a really hittable fastball.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
if only they'd let him bring his scroogie to the mound...
he’d probably be great. But, they won’t… because they want to save his arm for his current stardom.
FoolshGame22 - May 5, 2008
I am not a fan of Braden.
He is average.
IM4Oakgal - May 5, 2008
I'd be happy if he was even that
Baseball Prospectus gave him some props for his strikeout rate last year, but I just don’t know.
Joey C. - May 5, 2008
Not for a LOOGY...
he’s significantly above average among members of that genus. Jose Feliciano was, last I checked, still throwing his 83 MPH “fastball” in the majors.
Braden’s ceiling is setup work, but he’ll be a contributor.
PaulThomas - May 6, 2008
Well, yeah, but Feliciano's 62 years old ...
... and there are games when he just can’t find the plate.
He did a lot for the National Anthem, however. Thems was the days.
The Dogfather - May 6, 2008
The Deification of Emil Brown.
I’m down with that.
pam5981 - May 5, 2008
I don't want to know what he is doing in the Clubhouse Restrooms
Thank you very much!
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
Well that's a terrible mental image.
TWISI.
pam5981 - May 5, 2008
NICE!
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
At least he didn't do it with 2 on in the bottom of the tenth
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
Wild Card lead up to 2.5!
mikeA - May 5, 2008
ExW-L is 21-13...
which is a virtual tie for 1st place in MLB with the Dbacks, Cubs and Dodgers. Dodgers? Where’d they come from… they’re supposed to suck in my virtual baseball world.
FoolshGame22 - May 5, 2008
Is it just me or is it bad when you're underperforming your X-W-L?
it stands for expected, right?
Also, We are in the elite 16.7% of MLB with at least 20 Wins.
dtownmbrown - May 5, 2008
I look at it this way...
the Angels are overperforming their X-W-L… they’re actually a very mediocre .500 team waiting to regress to the mean.
FoolshGame22 - May 6, 2008
They are a team
with some key pitchers out …that are expected back.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
so are we
FoolshGame22 - May 6, 2008
Yeah.
Are you sure that Harden isn’t a figment of our mass imaginations?
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
NO! this is the time he really stays healthy!
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
I'm pretty sure Escobar is a figment of Halo's fans' imaginations...
if the plural “pitchers” implies that he’s coming back this year.
FoolshGame22 - May 6, 2008
He's no figment.
He was healthy last year and brought me lots of good stuff by being on my fantasy team all year. He became the only Angel I liked. All because of fantasy baseball.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
that's great...
but, he ain’t expected back this year. Hope you didn’t keep him.
FoolshGame22 - May 6, 2008
No. Not a keeper league.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Confession:
I’ve had Lackey on my DL for the start of the season.
But, I still HATE him.
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
It hurts to have Angel's on
your fantasy team. I have saunders and Kotchman. They replaced guys who didn’t work out. But I still hate it.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
yeah I'd rather have a bad fantasy week and see him get shelled!
But I limit my Halo usage to a bare minimum
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
I actually kind of like Kotchman
He seems underrated to me.
He’s what I hope Sean Doolittle grows into.
PaulThomas - May 6, 2008
I like Kotchman
Good solid player. Gotta like that.
iglew - May 6, 2008
Yeah, I think Saunders and Santana helped out that cause
Hopefully their respective regressions will counter Lackey’s return to the rotation
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
They're bats will cool down a bit too.
mikeA - May 6, 2008
As long as Vlady's doesn't wake up too badly, after all he has his 11th year of
whatever he did for the last 10 years that only Gehrig has done before to live up to.
(I live in the fallout area of Hudler and Physioc’s soundwaves)
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
My favorite
ESPN and AP writers keep referring to Oakland as “cooling off”. Why, because they have won 3 of 5? Because they have won 5 of 9? I guess you have to be named Boston to not hit a cool streak.
sprtsnwyn - May 6, 2008
Ok well that was a fun win.
Nytol!
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Ugly game, but a win
Let’s get one tomorrow.
sprtsnwyn - May 6, 2008
Tonight, too
sprtsnwyn - May 6, 2008
Thomas at bat was huge.
The pitcher looked like he wanted no part of Thomas. 4 balls not even close. That put the winning run on 2nd. Thomas is not what he was, but he still is a presence.
As for E. Brown. Wow, with people on base he is becoming automatic.
fansince1980 - May 6, 2008
Well, automatic about slightly less than half the time ...
Rickeyfan - May 6, 2008
Emil
He does it everytime he is up, except when he doesn’t. He is wrapped in a Scutaro cloak-of-clutchiness, it cause’s us to only see the good. Everything else is a blur.
DCinWC - May 6, 2008
Let the rest of the team excell in OBP
Thank goodness this year the A’s actually have someone who gets them home. Yeah, Brown is probably here for only one year—but as Beane as said, the A’s aren’t an instructional league!
With how Eveland was acting during his last start, it’s no wonder there was speculation about the DL. I’m glad he proved last night he’s healthy.
Listening to the game at home, I had thought Ellis was tossed.
I’ll be in the stands tonight.
OaklandSi - May 6, 2008
Ellis came as close as humanly possible to being tossed.
I swear Geren grabbed the ump’s arm as he started to lift it for the ejection signal, but prolly not. Geren did get out there not a second too soon.
On the bright side, Ellis’ pop-ups are now reaching the outfield. And by gawd, he’s a joy to watch in the field. I relax as soon as the ball is hit in his general direction. Polar opposite of the JCOA—fortunately, MaEl gets a lot more chances.
The Dogfather - May 6, 2008
Watching Ellis swing, it seems like he is doing his little bat drop thing, before the bat
is even through the zone, his hands aren’t even on the bat anymore,so he has no power on the swing.
theblackpearl - May 6, 2008
How the hell was Hanahan safe?
I watched it over and over; ground ball to SS, throw to first, SAFE! Was some form of temporal anamoly in effect? I guess it just the Orioles. Two plays in a row where the wrong position player fielded the ball. But still, I was just amazed he beat it out.
DCinWC - May 6, 2008
What inning did Ellis almost get thrown? I missed the game.
#14fan - May 6, 2008
That was my first post here...
Sorry.. was I supposed to hit the reply button or something? I wanted to see it on mlb.tv without having to go through all of the innings.
#14fan - May 6, 2008
whenever he struck out...wait
unfortunately that only narrows it to ABs
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
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