For what has seemed like a week of dreams, the A's have done little wrong. Their pitching staff, led by newcomer Vin Mazzarro, has been practically untouchable, as the squad has clawed their way back from being deep in last place to ... let's call it only slightly embedded in last place - making the march toward .500 and respectability possible. But tonight, in a game that was honestly closer than the final score, the
Twins did what the
Orioles and
White Sox could not, - finding a way to come out on top.
Starter
Brett Anderson did not have his best stuff tonight. As BBG sent me midway through the game, he kept everything up, giving up two singles in the first, and getting in trouble in the second inning, leading to the game's first run. But a key play in the sixth set things in motion Minnesota's way.
After Morneau homered to lead off the inning and make it 2-0 Twins, Kubel singled. With one out, Cuddyer hit what looked like it could be an inning-ending double play to
Adam Kennedy, but Kubel stopped in his tracks and stalled Kennedy enough that he was only able to get the force. That small play, not an error, of course, because you can't assume the DP, soon ballooned, following a single and then two razor-thin doubles that just painted the lines to both fields, putting the Twins up 5-0 at the end of the frame.
Santiago Casilla, who relieved Anderson, didn't offer much relief to the A's or their fans, as in the 7th, he walked Mauer to start the inning, gave up a single to Morneau, and then a bomb to Kubel (yes, he of the previous inning's play) to make it 8-0, Twins. A run here and a run there, and pretty soon, it was a 10-0 ball game.
Meanwhile, as all the fun was happening when the Twins were batting, the A's were extremely quiet the first eight innings, posting only two hits and no runs.
It wasn't until the 9th, down by 10 runs that the A's bats woke up. The Twins'
Scott Baker did his best Casilla impression, letting three reach base, all of whom later scored.
Jesse Crain didn't do much better, letting three more reach base, including one via the error. While not making any big hits, the A's managed to stretch the Twins' bullpen to the point they brought in the closer,
Joe Nathan, in a save situation, as Hannahan came to bat for the second time in the inning. Hannahan and
Rajai Davis, with the bases loaded, were the only hopes for the A's as they stared hope in the face.
And as you would anticipate, they struck out (both) and the A's fell short. One big inning did not a win make, just like one loss cannot undo the benefits of the seven wins that preceded. Did the A's get outplayed today, for eight full innings? Absolutely. Did they get some bad breaks with balls hit by the Twins that just eked in the line? Sure. But it only counts as one loss, and tomorrow, we play again to possibly start an even longer streak. Game time is 7:05 p.m. locally, from the Coliseum.
Nice recap, but
tomorrow’s game is 7:05. Thursday’s is the 12:35 start. Let’s pray for sunshine and hits. We got buzz-sawed tonite.
skigurl - June 9, 2009
Yeah yeah - details.
:)
louismg - June 9, 2009
Rather upbeat account
but realistic. Few could do better, none could make it more palatable. Good job, louismg!
One won lost won - June 10, 2009
Has any team come back from 10 runs down in the bottom of the 9th and won?
If it had happened, it definitely would’ve ranked up there as one of the best moments I’d ever experienced as an A’s fan. As it was, I’ll take the no-shutout and hope the momentum of those five runs carries over to tomorrow.
Jackson23 - June 9, 2009
pretty sure no...
but the Indians, once down 14-2 in the 7th, scored 3 in the 7th, 4 in the 8th, and 5 in the 9th to tie Seattle 14-14, eventually winning in extra frames. 8/6/01, I believe…
Gaijin_Suketto - June 9, 2009
No matter what, Stomper loves you.
louismg - June 9, 2009
Best dancing mascot in baseball!
Jackson23 - June 9, 2009
He is the best mascot in baseball.
Rated-R Superstar - June 9, 2009
Agreed.
Here’s a weird mascot story: In March 2008 the Dodgers and Padres came and played two games here in Beijing (first MLB in China). The Padres mascot, a bald friar/monk/padre in robes, danced enthusiastically with many scantily clad Chinese cheerleaders, almost looking like their pimp. A very bizarre sight, wrong in all kinds of ways.
Jackson23 - June 9, 2009
I know people who tell me the Phillies Phanatic is the best mascot in baseball.
I always tell them I disagree because Stomper pwns all others.
walkoff baltimore chop - June 9, 2009
Homers
I do like Stomper, but the Phanatic is better. Although I like the old, movable ear Stomper better. Whoever was in the suit did a great job.
DCinWC - June 10, 2009
I love it when Stomper plays MC.
Leopold Bloom - June 9, 2009
Seven-game streak.
How bad do you have to suck before you can rip out a seven-game winning streak and still be in last place by two games?
iglew - June 9, 2009
Yeah, they dug themselves a pretty big hole
However, looking at the MLB Standings, it could be worse.
The A’s are in last place in the AL West, and are 6.5 games back of 1st
The Giants are in 2nd place in the NL West:, and are 8.5 games back of 1st
SwisherThresher - June 9, 2009
the Rockies still have a worse record than the A's and just won their sixth straight tonight...
at least we aren’t alone.
dtownmbrown - June 9, 2009
Really bad, Ray.
pam5981 - June 10, 2009
The Rangers ain't gonna keep winning
They’re starting their free fall. Soon.
Blicks - June 10, 2009
I dunno, ...the "Wash" factor
they just extended his contract, and there were happy words all around, from management to the players. The “afterglow” from the contract event should be worth a “7-3” for them over the next ten games…IMO.
One won lost won - June 10, 2009
nice to see the A's not giving up even when they were down 10 runs in the 9th!
going to wear my new andrew bailey #40 tee tomorrow!
(also known as my old rich harden #40 tee)
:)
gotgreen - June 9, 2009
I LOVE that the A's made something happen down by ten runs in the 9th
I think it shows that this team is playing hard. Of course, the offense looked silly for 8 innings, but the 9th was a feel-good inning.
DDroney - June 9, 2009
they had the game tying batter on deck. that's huge
stm72 - June 10, 2009
Dude, I was totally thinking about doing that to my Rich tshirt.
But then I thought that would be kind of sad, because Rich hasn’t even been gone that long and I miss him. Your shirt looks pretty awesome, though.
whiteshoes40 - June 9, 2009
oh, it'll be a harden shirt again if the cubs come to town :)
it’s just construction paper and a sharpie. haha.
gotgreen - June 9, 2009
i left this one after the 8th
cause every hitter looked like they were only trying to hit homeruns and not try to get on base. maybe if they had used the approach they had in the 9th, they could have started a comeback sooner.
TerrySteinbach - June 9, 2009
I just got back from the game, 0 for 4 on the season
If I suffered from low self-esteem, I’d worry that I bring the A’s terrible luck. Fortunately, I regard myself highly enough to know that my presence is completely irrelevant and meaningless.
Ray of Lite - June 9, 2009
OK
BUT IF YOU GO 0-6 YOU ARE BANNED
adragon - June 10, 2009
Not irrelevant and meaningless
You just added $12 into the coffer to sign Holliday next year. Good on ya!
Jackson23 - June 10, 2009
For whatever reason, I'm 4-2, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to hell.
So I wouldn’t worry, my son.
Pucking Insane - June 10, 2009
HERE'S TO GAME ONE OF THE STREAK!
Starting tomorrow!
baseballgirl - June 9, 2009
WAHOO!!!
gigglingone - June 9, 2009
THIS!
walkoff baltimore chop - June 9, 2009
Unbridled optimism.
Next comment will be about puppies and sunshine.
pam5981 - June 10, 2009
Unicorns?
Blicks - June 10, 2009
*Raises glass*
Blicks - June 10, 2009
Why did the Twins
have to put in Nathan and ruin our fun? :-)
day-to-day - June 9, 2009
with fannafan and rajai coming up? easiest save ever.
stm72 - June 10, 2009
As much as I’d like to think we’re out of Mazzaro World, I don’t believe it. Not one bit. Especially when Hannahan got that hit, and then struck out in the same inning. Even with the failed rally attempt. Nope. Not at all. I still believe we’re in Mazzaro World.
I am shockingly optimistic.
walkoff baltimore chop - June 9, 2009
Um, so my countdown is over.
I don’t really feel the need to count the games we’re moving away from .500.
So. Stories from the ballpark. I went to the game tonight (and last night) with my friend, who is a Twins fan. Tonight we got there early and sat in the RF bleachers while the Twins were taking BP, and about 30 seconds after we got there, one of the Twins players hanging out in RF noticed us and kept looking back at us (mostly my friend, who was wearing a Twins hat). (It also helped that there were only a handful of people there to begin with.) He tossed her a ball, and a few minutes later tossed one to me too. We were pretty pumped, because I haven’t gotten a ball during BP before (not that I’ve tried particularly hard). And still after that, for the rest of BP, he kept watching us, separating from the group and coming closer toward the warning track… totally checking out my friend. All because of her Twins hat. Still don’t know who that player is, though — I have a picture of him sticking out his tongue at us, so I’ll have to upload it later and see what y’all think.
We also got a ball from Rajai after they warmed up between innings. Those were probably the highlights of an otherwise forgettable game — except the 9th inning, which was awesome. I said when the score got to 10-0 that I would count it as a moral victory if we weren’t shut out, and they did so much more than that. 5 whole runs! It was so exciting. I love that the Twins had to put Nathan in. I just found that to be quite hilarious.
Also, I had no idea that Denorfia was up until he pinch-hit in the 9th. I kind of wish they would announce roster moves at the Coliseum before the game… I like to know these things.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I look forward to continuing our march toward .500 tomorrow.
whiteshoes40 - June 9, 2009
Also, I LOVED seeing Dale at 1st, doing the splits as usual.
Love him. Yay.
whiteshoes40 - June 9, 2009
umm...
when a baseball player sticks out his tongue at a cute chick, it’s the first step in the groupie mating dance, if you know what I mean…
Maybe he thought she was road beef…
Gaijin_Suketto - June 10, 2009
Oh snap what a shame!!!
A’s lost and win streak was a fluke!!!!!!
granja - June 10, 2009
Baker is a quality pitcher whose 2009 numbers do not it
He’s put a few gems in as of late and appears to be turning a corner. Athletics fans should consider this before contemplating the cord and showerrod.
LowcountryJoe - June 10, 2009
Completely agree.
Scott Baker isn’t some scrub. And the Twins are a contender.
Blicks - June 10, 2009
One outa two ain't bad...
Baker can pitch, but the Twins aren’t going anywhere this year.
Gaijin_Suketto - June 10, 2009
Man...
That’s the last time I let you guys babysit.
67MARQUEZ - June 10, 2009
don't worry, we all blamed you for the loss....
gigglingone - June 10, 2009
YOU were at the game?
No wonder.
pam5981 - June 10, 2009
No, no.
Saw just one-half inning of it – the bottom of the 9th.
67MARQUEZ - June 10, 2009
the Rally Cotillard almost pulled out the win
she is quite powerful.
cityplANner - June 10, 2009
Edith Piaf was there?
skigurl - June 10, 2009
She was game-threading.
pam5981 - June 10, 2009
She's hawt.
mikev - June 10, 2009
7 steps forward and 1 step back.
We need 7 more steps forward ASAP.
DyeLongJustice - June 10, 2009
Six steps forward total!
ElQuesoCapitan - June 10, 2009
how about our bottom 1/3 ?
i didn’t see the end of the game, but i see barton had an RBI with no hits. sac fly? and he took a walk! and his split at first was awesome! almost as if he wanted to show off how much better he is defensively right off the bat…
i’ll take a hit more games than not from hannah-barbara…
and finally rajai looks kind of like he did in exhibition season. it was a bummer when he got himself around to 3rd early on and nobody could knock him in. what happens when sweeney is healthy again? sweeney in right, cust at DH, and giambi at 1st with dale available when jason is busy at a porn shoot?
jlanning17 - June 10, 2009
bases loaded walk in the 9th
Nico - June 10, 2009
rajai looked positively silly during that last at bat
especially that look-around he did when he stepped out of the box 0-2. his face was somewhere between “it stings, mom” and “hope the fellas aren’t watching; oh dang, they are.”
was there anyone available to pinch hit at that moment? not saying geren needed to risk anything to complete an improbable but possibly amazing comeback (which was, what, one more batter away right then), but just as an exploration of bifurcating timelines…
AV - June 10, 2009
My thought too
Is there no one else on the bench who was not so overmatched as “RD”??
Maybe we would have gotten to “10-7” with a different batter, but I seriously doubt there would have been a ten-run comeback in the 9th.
One won lost won - June 10, 2009
When Rajai Davis was up,
I was asking myself, “Where the hell is Adam Melhuse when you need him?”
That’s a scary thought, innit?
Gaijin_Suketto - June 10, 2009
There really wasn't anyone
Denorfia had come in for Holliday when it was 10-0, Landon Powell is away with his wife expecting, Crosby was already in for Cabrera, and Cunningham was not available. Literally there were no options.
Nico - June 10, 2009
YAY 19 MAN ROSTERS.
mikev - June 10, 2009
yeah, i was doing the math in my head and i couldn't think of anyone either.
though i did forgot about powell.
AV - June 11, 2009
tough game
I went to the game last night and was it ugly there was about 10,000 fans their. then they hit Anderson pretty good. offense wasnt coming for this game but, we’ll bounce back from this lost. go A’s
Tambo45 - June 10, 2009
Attendance looked much more sparse on TV
alox - June 10, 2009
It looked like a Nats game on TV...
about what, five people there?
They need to put a camera on top of Mount Davis just to show a view that there actually is somebody there watching the games, because even behind the dugouts, there were a lot of empty seats…
Gaijin_Suketto - June 10, 2009
They showed Anderson on TV
missing his pitches, that is, Suzuki would set up outside, and the pitch came inside and up. Anderson simply was not throwing to the spots he was supposed to. And when he missed his spot, the Twins hit it with good contact.
One won lost won - June 10, 2009
I was there...
…attendance could accurately be described as “10,000”, which really means 5,000 in the house.
Dr Pez - June 10, 2009
what happens when duchscherer comes back?
all 5 starters are looking good and duke doesn’t want to be in the bullpen. could we see a 6-man rotation? i think it makes a lot of sense. duke is fragile, so more rest might be good for him. the other guys are probably going to show some wear and tear starting in late august, so maybe having an extra day between starts and less starts/innings overall would be beneficial.
jlanning17 - June 10, 2009
duke goes to the pen
he’d be a great setup man for baily
rktse - June 10, 2009
i agree he is an excellent set-up guy
but will he throw a fit? he has stated plenty of times that he considers himself a starter.
jlanning17 - June 10, 2009
I'd like to see him actually pitch an entire season before he decides what role he should be used in.
mikev - June 10, 2009
I think it's a question of if more than when.
ElQuesoCapitan - June 10, 2009
A Game Closer Than The Final Score?
Yeah, maybe for the first 5 innings, but I wouldn’t call a game “close” when you’re outhit 16-5 and headed to the 9th down 10-0. I hope the A’s can start a new streak, but I’m a little weary with such duds like Hanahan, Barton, Crosby, and Davis in the bottom of the order. Is anyone else tired of seeing Casilla and Springer enter a game? Disaster awaits when they take the mound.
FurVault - June 10, 2009
yes,
but I’d rather see them get used in this game when it was already getting out of hand. Save the more reliable arms for today if possible.
jakebmill - June 10, 2009
definitely closer than the final score
if kennedy converts the double play, it’s a whole different ball game.
jlanning17 - June 10, 2009
But a closer game means the closer come in earlier
so it’s over at 5-3, not 10-5
MobiusKlein - June 10, 2009
you can't assume the twinkies still would have scored 4 the next inning
jlanning17 - June 11, 2009
Completely agree FurVault
This game was not closer than the final score, thinking otherwise is to be in denial. We were losing 10-0!
Okay, so Anderson got a couple of bad breaks, it wasn’t like he was pitching that well. He appeared destined to give up runs yesterday. Also, if its say 5-0 instead of 10-0 the Twins bring in Nathan right after Baker gives up 2-3 hits and that is the ballgame. The game was never in question, we got embarrassed until we at least made them some feel pain in the 9th, and really the Twins got bad breaks in that frame – at least the error and the fact that the pitchers were being squeezed. Barton definitely took strike 3, but it was called ball 3.
ChadGod - June 10, 2009
Denial denial.
The game was closer than the final score because Kennedy botched the DP, and the runs that scored later were on doubles by inches. That’s what I was referring to. But yes, don’t go down 10-0, please.
louismg - June 10, 2009
Can we please start Denorfia today?
I dont care that Rajai got 2 hits yesterday, he is bad at baseball.
ChadGod - June 10, 2009
wait till you see denorfia
stm72 - June 10, 2009
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