The A's snapped a four-game streak with a 11-2 victory in the opening game of a three-game set against the Orioles on Friday night at Camden Yards.
Dallas Braden threw five strong innings and allowed only four hits and one earned run before leaving with an undisclosed injury.
The A's scored the decisive runs in just about the least exciting way possible: an RBI groundout by Patterson and a run-scoring sac fly by Swooney in the fifth, followed by a walk from Hannahan with the bases loaded in the sixth for the go-ahead run to make it 3-2.
(Don't teams know by now that the book on Hannahan is to throw fastballs any variety of pitch for strikes?)
After Braden's early exit, Blevins, Devine, Foulke and Ziegler followed with stellar relief to close out the win.
The O's relievers turned a close game into a laugher with their 8th inning performance. Three Baltimore "relievers" walked seven A's, scoring four runs for Oakland. Hannahan recorded his second RBI walk of the night, which has to tie some sort of record.
But the nail in the coffin was Rajai Davis grand slam, which happened in patented Rajai Davis fashion - the paint-scraper just over the wall.
In case you missed it, Justin Duchscherer has been shut down for the rest of the season with a reaggravation of his surgically repaired hip. Josh Outman is scheduled to start the second game of the doubleheader in his place, according to Yahoo! I'm not sure how stretched out Outman is, but with Jeff Gray recalled from AAA earlier today, the A's have 15 pitchers on the active roster and could literally throw a reliever-by-committee in game 2 if need be. Kirk Saarloos only threw 21 pitches in the Meyer Massacre last night, so he should be good for a few innings too I'd imagine.
When Duchscherer is placed on the 60-day DL, Jeff Baisley is very likely to come up and play some 3b for the A's during the last few weeks of the season. The team could also clear a spot by DFAing one of their pending FAs like Emil Brown, but since it hasn't happened already, it seems like they'll be here for the duration.
0 recs | 41 comments
Wasn't the score 11 - 2 not 7-2
Flash G - September 5, 2008
is there a reason (besides error)
that the title is A’s win 7-2?
Unless I’m seriously hallucinating I’m pretty sure the final score was 11-2
OaklandSi - September 5, 2008
boy that was quick
thanks for fixing that
OaklandSi - September 5, 2008
I couldn't believe Rajai's homer
I was still in denial when I posted initially.
notsellingjeans - September 5, 2008
Rajai's HR was the only A's hit
in their 8-run inning
that was seriously ugly
OaklandSi - September 5, 2008
Well, we know that this was not the most runs ever scored in a one-hit inning
as the Cubs once scored 11 in an inning in which they only got one hit and it was, on top of that, a single near the beginning of the rally. It wouldn’t surprise me if this inning was second on the all-time list, though. It also would not surprise me if the 8 consecutive PA’s without putting a ball in play to start an inning was some kind of record. And of course there’s the Rajai Davis PR/HR thing.
I’ve seen more runs scored in an inning, but I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed something that bizarre before.
PaulThomas - September 5, 2008
It was actually the White Sox, PT
and it occured- naturally- against the (KC) A’s.
Last night reminded me of a game I went to some 20 years ago when the A’s scored eight runs on four hits against Boston.
67MARQUEZ - September 6, 2008
Didn't Raj get a hit after PRing for FT earlier in the inning against the Angels early this season?
It was in Adenhart’s 1st start, IIRC. I think that was the game when FT got a triple in his 1st AB and would have had a shot at the cycle if he’d stayed in the game and had gotten the AB that eventually went to Raj.
Nick - September 6, 2008
He pinch-ran for Cust.
Denorfia PR’d for FT in the same inning. And yes, Raj eventually came to bat, and drilled a 2-run single. FT fell a homer shy of the cycle.
This much we know: twice this season the A’s have scored eight runs in an inning in which Raj entered the game that inning as a PR, only to find himself batting later that same frame. With two swings, he’s produced six runs (not to mention he came around to score both times as a PR).
67MARQUEZ - September 6, 2008
Weird win
or good plate discipline by the A’s. Let’s go with that. Geren said Braden was under the weather, although Braden said he could pitch a few more innings. I’m psyched that my talking A’s bottle opener came today with Bill Kings call on Hatteberg’s homerun in the bottom of the ninth of the 20th game in a row, 6 years ago today! Holy Toledo!
A'sfansince1970 - September 5, 2008
I have completely..
Memorized that 15 second clip. I love that bottle opener!
AthleticsMatt - September 5, 2008
If mine ever breaks I think I'm going to die.
mikev - September 6, 2008
green star oakland gave me mine! Thanks Greenie!
Philip Christy - September 6, 2008
I'll preface this comment/question by saying I didn't see the game
But for the life of me I can’t find a justifiable reason why Geren would pinch hit for Barton with Mike Sweeney unless Barton got hurt. Did he? Otherwise, it’s just plain dumbass stupid to take an at bat away from a guy who needs (and, for what it’s worth, lately has been coming through) every at bat for the future to give it to a guy who might not be playing baseball next year (and who isn’t exactly very good anyway). Somebody explain this within the context of tonight’s game so I can understand it.
thejd44 - September 5, 2008
keep in mind he's trying balance everybody's ego, too
Every lineup he makes is gonna piss off somebody. And he’s trying to find a little bit of work for Sweeney somewhere. Giving Barton a little rest in a blowout the day before a doubleheader is defensible.
notsellingjeans - September 5, 2008
Sweeny maybe testing 1st
Since its a double header Geren maybe testing out Sweeny at first in case needed tomorrow.
Arcman - September 5, 2008
According to the boxscore, Sweeney pinch hit for Barton
So I’m assuming he wasn’t used in the field as a defensive replacement. Why not just let Barton hit and then send Sweeney out for the 9th? I know it’s just one at bat, but it’s crap like this (and batting Crosby 2nd) that makes Geren a bad manager. Did it cost them a win? No. But it’s still really dumb.
thejd44 - September 5, 2008
Sweeney manned first.
OldhamA - September 6, 2008
This kind of comment is why baseball people hate bloggers
Just saying.
PaulThomas - September 6, 2008
Why? Because he's playing a 35 year old guy whose on-field performance does nothing for this going forward
over one of the guys who is the future of the team?
Plus, I prefaced the comment by saying that I hadn’t seen the game, and there could possibly be a reason or two for it. But it seems like there isn’t one, at least not a good one.
thejd44 - September 6, 2008
I'm with PT on this - if that decision by Geren
is “grounds” for criticizing him as a manager, obviously he can’t win with fans like you no matter what he does. The score was 11-2, Mike Sweeney needs some ABs to get sharp after two months of inactivity, both the team and Daric Barton learn nothing from a meaningless AB in an 11-2 game. There is just no good reason to question, criticize, or even give much thought one way or the other, to that move.
Nico - September 6, 2008
Reminds me of something Dick Williams
once said (albeit the one criticizing him was his boss):
“I’d come up the stairs after we won a game 4-2, and I’d be expecting the call from Finley to be something like, ‘Nice job, Dick.’ Instead, he’d day, ‘Well, if you done some things differently in the third, we could have won, 6-2’.”
67MARQUEZ - September 6, 2008
I have no doubt that if Geren had managed properly,
we would have won 12-2 yesterday.
Nico - September 6, 2008
ethier great game
5-5, 5rbi
hit his 20th hr
maybe sweeney/cunningham/buck can do that eventually
Asfan4ever723 - September 5, 2008
That was a fun game.
The game threads were fun too. And we had fun, fun, fun, till Bob Geren took the offense awaaayyy… (I don’t know why it’s Geren’s fault, his was just the first name I thought of.)
whiteshoes40 - September 5, 2008
Jeff Gray!
He actually exists!
WaddellCanseco - September 6, 2008
I've yet to see him. Until then, call me Doubting Thomas.
OldhamA - September 6, 2008
Brother of Paul and Frank?
GreenSocks - September 6, 2008
yet another good game for braden
he’s really pitched well for us…doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he keeps getting good results. exponentially better for us this year than last, when he looked like a LOOGY at best. one of the few highlights for us in the 2nd half of this season has been braden’s emergence as a legit starter.
guy incognito - September 6, 2008
there is nothing...
that i like about jack cust
TheDream - September 6, 2008
Game 1
Any word on today’s 1PM EDST game. Weather forecast looks pretty bleak for this afternoon in Baltimore.
Larry E - September 6, 2008
Game 1 is postponed. They'll try to play the night game though.
Also, the Hannahan play from last night:
Soaker - September 6, 2008
Thanks
Thanks for the info.
Larry E - September 6, 2008
I like that the kid in the black jersey
is already taking up a collection to help pay for Hannahan’s funeral.
Nico - September 6, 2008
He's so casual about it, too
67MARQUEZ - September 6, 2008
Give that man some power bands (and a talk show!)
You know, that picture reminds me of the old Space Ghost Coast to Coast show. At some point in (usually) every episode they would take the animation for Zorak and/or Space Ghost and invert it so he was upside down, but still in a “standing up” pose. It almost looks like someone has taken a picture of Hannahan jumping for a ball and inverted it in photoshop.
JLeverenz - September 6, 2008
Every time I hear "Hannahan" I already think,
“face down on the ground” – this shot isn’t helping.
Nico - September 6, 2008
this shot isn’t helping
I believe that’s what Hannahan himself said when he decided to stop falling face down on the ground.
monkeyball - September 6, 2008
You need proof?
I got 80 of ’em!
Nico - September 6, 2008
that's the spirit!
monkeyball - September 6, 2008
I swear I made the "80 proof" remark
in the “rainout” thread before seeing this
more proof that A’s-a- holics have something in common
OaklandSi - September 6, 2008
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