Justin Duchscherer pitched seven solid innings and Santiago Casilla picked up his first save, as Emil Brown and Co. singled and productive outed the Orioles to Oakland's second straight win over Baltimore. Final Score: A's 4, O's 2.
Unless you're Billy Beane, you get to have one irrational wish, and mine is for the A's to sign Justin Duchscherer to a long-term deal. I don't think the A's probably should, given that Duke is 30, has a history of breaking down, and is flanked by a cavalcade of talented young pitching prospects in the rotation and the minors. Yet I still want the A's to keep him beyond 2008, I will be glad if they decide to keep him and I will mad if and when the A's let him walk - even though it's probably the wiser baseball decision not to tie up money in a player with a balky body (and not just in the 14th inning).
Yet Duke is everything I love about pitching, because despite his below average velocity, he does the most important thing: He gets hitters out. It really doesn't matter whether he is in a set-up role, closer's role, or starter's role, pitching one inning or seven innings (which he can do on 84 pitches), because each time a hitter comes up Duke is ready with the four C's: command, control, cutter, and curve. And he's awesome.
Meanwhile, a couple observations about Embree and Casilla. It was recently noted, on a Staturday, that Embree throws among the highest percentage of fastballs of any pitcher. His recent success of 11 scoreless appearances coincides, I believe, with more use of the slider. Hitters know Embree throws fastball after fastball, and the slider has been extremely effective during this run (actually, lack thereof) of success. And while Casilla put up zeros early in the year, I still didn't think he was ready to close games. In his last 4-5 appearances, though, he looks like he is "ready for prime time," throwing his fastball more aggressively and getting hitters out in the strike zone as well as out of the strike zone. For the first time, I think the A's could put Casilla in the closer's role and he would be ready. Nice to have options.
0 recs | 76 comments
driving all day
and I put a half ton of CO2 in the atmosphere….
but, as long as I see “cavalcade”...
all’s right with the world!!
Duke gem!! A’s on a longterm roll…
One won lost won - May 6, 2008
Excellent title for an excellent game
I’m heading to the game tomorrow with my new drum!
Englishmajor - May 6, 2008
ahh, the benefits of being a "freelancer" ;)
pam5981 - May 6, 2008
Is that what they're calling it these days?
oblique - May 6, 2008
Yea!
We need more drums. It’s way too quiet.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Drums
To hear drums and the whistle guy at A’s games is great.
To not be sitting anywhere near them.
Priceless.
DCinWC - May 7, 2008
The whistle is horrible. It needs to stop, ASAP.
mikev - May 7, 2008
Yet more irrelevance
The Rangers just had 11 syllables on base, and didn’t score. How is that possible? (Catalanotto and Saltalamacchia).
As Fan in the Bronx - May 6, 2008
With proper Italian diction
“Saltalamacchia” has only five syllables.
iglew - May 6, 2008
would that be like "salt-a-la-ma-kya"?
Elvez - May 6, 2008
Yes
More precisely, “sal-ta-la-mak-kya”
iglew - May 6, 2008
Watch it, or I'll wash your mouth out with Naphtha
Still, 10 syllables, 0 runs… how often does that happen?
I’ve always liked the word naphtha - it’s one of those few english words where the hebrew root is visible, and, when writing, it seems like an awful lot of effort for little results - sort of like ‘queue’
As Fan in the Bronx - May 7, 2008
Buck, Cust, and Brown
Until we get these guys all on to load the bases we won’t truly know the syllable to runs correlation.
Sardog94 - May 7, 2008
Maybe this is the secret...
...the boys at ESPN decided the A’s should win because the names are easier to pronounce.
ESPN does decide who wins and who doesn’t, don’t they?
UncleLeo - May 7, 2008
no... that's Fox.
Gaijin_Suketto - May 7, 2008
This is a good sign
This is what good teams do—clean, clinical, systematic, dare I say boring wins over bad teams. Put them in their place and then move on without fuss.
PaulThomas - May 6, 2008
I'll be buzz-kill #2
I was a little disappointed in the RISP hitting. Runs are runs, but infield hits are hard to count on.
Elvez - May 6, 2008
I love our bullpen
Especially the closer options.
FreeSeatUpgrade - May 6, 2008
I prefer the farther ones m'self
Nico - May 6, 2008
Slightly edited repost from the draft thread
The current A’s bullpen depth chart is composed of:
A high draft pick (Street)
A cheap free agent (Embree)
A REALLY cheap convalescent free agent (Foulke)
An org player who cleared waivers (Casilla)
A guy who has been traded 3 times and cleared waivers (A. Brown)
A high draft pick of another org who was picked up for a song as a change-of-scenery guy (Devine)
A very low draft pick (Braden)
A throw-in in a major trade (Calero)
A guy traded for Jason Kendall (Blevins)
and so on. It’s insane how effortlessly Beane assembled it.
PaulThomas - May 6, 2008
Going back to the days of Koch and Izzy
Beane may well have excelled more in bullpen development, and the ability to leverage it for value, than in any other facet of roster development.
FreeSeatUpgrade - May 7, 2008
This is why I hesitate to lockup Street for years
But something tells me they should anyways.
mrrickyg - May 7, 2008
Kind of a pricey song...
...as the A’s are paying such a huge chunk of Kotsay’s salary. This year, of course, not beyond this year.
UncleLeo - May 7, 2008
You do realize
that the A’s would have been paying that huge chunk of Kotsay’s salary if they HADN’T traded him as well, right?
PaulThomas - May 7, 2008
Ya think?
UncleLeo - May 7, 2008
yeah, and we might even have had to play him once in a while...
ouch!
Gaijin_Suketto - May 7, 2008
If the stats are an accurate indicator...
...he’s actually doing pretty well so far this season.
UncleLeo - May 7, 2008
So how is it relevant to the discussion?
One way, the A’s pay Kotsay a lot of money. The other way, the A’s pay Kotsay a lot of money.
OK…
PaulThomas - May 7, 2008
Good game, who's going to sit?
Who’s going to sit for Harden’s spot?
fansince1980 - May 6, 2008
buzzkill -1
Masaryk - May 6, 2008
The depth of this pitching staff
is bordering on “insane”. (Does everyone remember the list of mediocre to horrible dudes that were on the pitching staff the past few years?) I tell you what…....whoever gets the “demotion” to the pen should not be ashamed in any way. #’s games have a way of working themselves out but man what a luxury of talent to have on this staff 2008.
Out of our two lefty starters, I am a Greg Smith fan fo sho! Dana Eveland is piitching well, too, but “G-Unit” is just tearing it up.
I say he is the odd man out for now unless Joe Blanton gets ripped tomorrow. Even then, Big Joe almost “has” to stay in the rotation because you never know when Billy’s gonna pull the trigger on a trade with another club so you gotta keep Joe in the mix. One thing’s fo sure, Braden is packing his bags and Huston Street better not blow too many more sves because “Jairo” is finally looking like the badass many were predicting he would become a few years ago. I’m totally impressed with his maturation on the mound and his confidence in his pitches this year. He just is carrying himself differently this year and props to Dave Stewart and the A’s organization for keeping on him to push his talents. Go A’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!One more thing: Competition is good. It keeps everyone from becoming comfortable and complacent. It will keep the whole staff on their toes and is the integral fabric of sports, afterall. Damn, I love my A’s!
mrod - May 7, 2008
6 man rotation anyone?
i think it makes sense given the history of the a’s….
ST - May 6, 2008
Bobby G said straight out in post-game with Jayme
that it’s not gonna happen.
pam5981 - May 6, 2008
"How much do you hate the idea of a six-man rotation?"
oblique - May 6, 2008
A's cannot have a 6 man rotation!
The A’s are already -1 relief pitcher on the roster because of the Cust/Thomas/Sweeney monster. There is no way the A’s will go -2 relief pitchers to add a 6th starting pitcher.
drink409 - May 7, 2008
Isn't it nice to have a problem ...
like having too many good starting pitchers? Instead of a bunch of injured ones? Another pleasing game tonight. It’s starting to feel very real.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
Yes, nice to have problems in areas where used to not have areas.
ak_A - May 6, 2008
Amen to that.
This year has been a beautiful surprise so far…and it seems like it’s not a fluke. This team is going to get better…and that inspires so much hope. Really that was my fear…having a season when there was no hope.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
I've been pleasantly surprised...
....but I never thought that I’d be without hope this year.
I was expecting a just under .500 team that showed all kinds of hope for the future. While I didn’t expect the A’s to contend, I thought they’d be really fun to watch play and develop.
The surprise for me is how well they’re performing in the present!
GreenNGoldSooner - May 7, 2008
pessimist
I was expecting a just over .500 team that might outperform their run differential in a crappy division !
mrrickyg - May 7, 2008
Actually, I felt the same way
They’d end up just over .500, but would stay competitive and interesting into mid-September. And I’m not sure I thought the division was crappy, just overrated (mostly with all the Seattle love).
thejd44 - May 7, 2008
That's what I thought, too
Just over .500 and enough to stay interesting in a weak division. Actually, I still expect us to be just over .500.
(On the other hand, I expected the Mariners to be good this year, and so far it sure looks like I missed the boat on that one.)
iglew - May 7, 2008
I felt an inexplicable, overwhelming sense of calm...
in the top of the 9th tonight. I wonder why that was?
FoolshGame22 - May 6, 2008
Were you experimenting with laudanum?
Elvez - May 6, 2008
Laudanum is so 60's...
1860’s, that is… I think it was more of a zen experience, not seeing Street coming in to pitch. I could be wrong… somebody might have slipped me some laudanum.
FoolshGame22 - May 6, 2008
Casilla does inspire that feeling.
I have been a big fan of his from the first.
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
First what?
First name? You mean the good ol’ days when we called him Jairo?
Masaryk - May 6, 2008
LOl yeah.
But I was arguing last year with Nico. Saying that he should not be traded for any reason that he was going to be fab and he is!
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
I think we should absolutely trade Jairo Garcia now
He has no value whatsoever. But this Casilla guy, let’s hang onto him.
thejd44 - May 6, 2008
Another satisfied...
believer. :-)
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
just got back from the game
how nice to see the A’s get runs in even on dinky hits that just fall in!...and not to be the team that commits the errors!...nice to see a real centerfielder take charge out there, get good jumps, basically play the position…nice to see Poppy, Mr. Poppy, and Brian from 317…and how nice to win!
OaklandSi - May 6, 2008
Nico, whatta mark.
I half-expected to see this post close with “Not just the coolest, not just the best, Justin Credible!”
On another note, I didn’t get to see tonight’s game, but, like, go A’s! Go Duke! Just because I’d prefer younger guys in the rotation (when it comes to it), I actually do really like Duke and wouldn’t mind if the A’s could keep him around at a reasonable cost.
I saw Big Frank went 2 for 3 with a walk. Were his singles solid? He seems to be looking a little better at the plate lately. I’m hoping he heats up like he seems to do every year (didn’t look up numbers, but Thomas always seemed like a bad-April guy)..
thejd44 - May 6, 2008
Frank said it's just a matter of time...
until his bloops become blasts! I believe it!
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
The A's need to manufacture little "Pocket IM4Oakgals"
to boost their confidence.
pam5981 - May 6, 2008
Well...
It’s more fun to be positive than negative, right?
IM4Oakgal - May 6, 2008
bingo, at least in this reality...
now, in other realities, where you can rip peoples’ souls right out of their chest cavities and eat them, and shoot fireballs out of your fingers that decimate whole vast swaths of land, then being negative might be just a little bit more fun!
Gaijin_Suketto - May 7, 2008
they were bloopy...but they were hits
and he scored twice—even better
OaklandSi - May 6, 2008
I can't back this up with data
Just nearly 20 years of watching Frank Thomas play. Those bloop hits are a great sign. Yeah, home runs would be fantastic. But Frank in his heyday batted .330 because of those little flare base hits. I actually can’t think of another hitter who is as big and powerful, who can hit the ball 450 feet, who walks more than anybody else of his era (except Barry), and who can also duck snort with the best of ‘em.
From the standpoint of simply enjoying watching somebody hit, watching Frank reach out and just bloop one over the infield is one of my favorite things to see in a baseball game. I’ve always felt like he just sorta meant to do it.
thejd44 - May 6, 2008
What I love about Frank
Don’t get me wrong—he should be dumped in early June unless he can start bringing in some power… BUT
I would give major parts of my anatomy for a Major League hit. I’ve loved baseball since Tige was a pup, and think it should be hellish fun.
Frank SMILES when he gets that hit. Smiles on the run from the plate to first. This is a man who seems to understand what joy is.
Still… if he doesn’t become a power threat by June, time to make him a hitting coach.
As Fan in the Bronx - May 7, 2008
I disagree with dumping anybody who has a .407 OBP
And that’s what Frank has done with the A’s so far this year (small sample size, blah blah, but if he’s doing it, let him continue doing it). Even if he isn’t hitting home runs, he’s very, very productive for a guy they’re paying around $375,000 for the season.
thejd44 - May 7, 2008
The smile
That’s it. That’s why Frank is my favorite player on the team now. So much joy.
iglew - May 7, 2008
Alan Embree has been throwing more sliders this year ...
he’s thrown it 23% of the time, compared to 10% last year …
devo - May 6, 2008
Duchsherer looked sharp!
let’s hope the injury bug has moved on to another team and he can string some solid innings together
dtownmbrown - May 6, 2008
Duke
I think he has a no-no in his future. Consistent, Efficient, Crafty, Stays Within Himself, Smooth. July is the month.
Masaryk - May 7, 2008
Don't forget pesky
and gritty. Betcha he starts games with a dirty jersey. Or, he would, if he were a shortstop.
As Fan in the Bronx - May 7, 2008
"Knows how to win"
he also plays the game the right way, and he’s got heart.
mikev - May 7, 2008
Gamer!!!!!
:) !mrod - May 7, 2008
Duchscherer fan slash O's fan
Although I didn’t much care for him mowing down the Birds (nor would I play too much weight on that), I like Duchscherer a lot. He’s sort of the polar opposite of Daniel Cabrera, a guy that drives people (like me) absolutely crazy. You’re lucky to have a pitcher like this.
I’d be more combative but as I said the other day, any team that finds a way to put Mike Sweeney, Frank Thomas and Jack Cust into a lineup is a team I can’t help but like on some level.
Scott Christ - May 7, 2008
if Ricciardi has a fire sale, we really need to get Stairs back to complete the set
monkeyball - May 7, 2008
And to add beef to the checking line
FreeSeatUpgrade - May 7, 2008
Beef?
monkeyball - May 7, 2008
If Ricciardi should be fired before being allowed to have a fire sale.
That’s a team that is a few shrewd moves away from overcoming the hump. Blowing up the team and starting over would be a ridiculous thing to allow him to do.
mrrickyg - May 7, 2008
They're kind of committed to the current group anyway
with the contracts they’ve handed out to Rios, Wells, etc.
This is just my impression, but Ricciardi seems like a sap to me. A guy who lacks negotiating skills relative to his competition. He does OK when he’s the guy in charge, but when he has to go toe to toe with an equal, he comes off the worse for it.
PaulThomas - May 7, 2008
They've got great pitching,
and Wells and Rios, but get rid of everybody else. Ricciardi and Gibbons shouldn’t be allowed to run a beer league team, let alone the Blue Jays!
Gaijin_Suketto - May 7, 2008
Love Duke
Went to an A’s game at Fenway a while back… he was one of the few players to give A’s fans in the outfield some love (keilty did too). Threw us some baseballs, talked to us etc.
Zito picked his nose, and when the Boston fans taunted him for it, he flicked us off and went away.
oakinboston - May 7, 2008
Zito should have eaten it and laughed!
Gaijin_Suketto - May 7, 2008
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