Perhaps the best motto for tonight's game would be: "If at first you don't fail, try try again." Because back when the game was close, the A's needed to choke like the Doublemint twins on an oversized piece of gum in order for the game to get out of hand.
The A's actually led 2-0 once upon a time, and had a 2-1 edge in the 3rd when Bobby Crosby betrayed Trevor Cahill throwing away a routine ground ball to start the inning. Yet the A's still held the lead 2-1, with the bases loaded and two out, when Cahill coaxed a weak bouncer to third from Jhonny Peralta. Crosby threw that one away too, the Indians scored twice, tallied another in the inning, and took a 4-2 lead.
Even when a 4-spot in the 4th chased Cahill and made it 8-3 Indians, the A's had a shot. Cleveland saw to it. Peralta threw away Crosby's grounder to start the inning and so Adam Kennedy, dutiful Athletic, made his best attempt to bounce into a DP. Luis Valbueno (low shovel to second) and Asdrubal Cabrera (oops, me no catchy) managed not to get any outs and the A's had two on, nobody out, and the heart of the order some other hitters coming up. That's when the other Doublemint twin, Orlando Cabrera, vowed to hit into that DP, damn it, and showing impressive efficiency did it on the first pitch with a tailor-made two-hopper to SS.
Meanwhile, Cahill, Casilla, Breslow, and Springer combined to allow RFer Shin-Soo Choo to post the old 5 4 4 7 line in the box score. That's the result of an RBI single, a 3-run HR, a 2-run double, and a solo HR. Had Choo decided not to touch home plate after the solo HR, he would have had the cycle, but unlike Eric Byrnes he found home plate and unlike Miguel Tejada he chose to go there. No cycle for you!
One final complaint: Trevor Cahill was squeezed many times in his 3.2 IP and I just want to inform all the umpires that it's the same strike zone for rookies and veterans. Obviously, in a 15-3 game this wasn't "the difference" between winning and losing, but Cahill deserved better tonight, both from his defense and from the home plate umpire.
Other than all that, though, I thought tonight's game was just ducky.
0 recs | 55 comments
guess I didn't miss much after I went and did something else
once Cleveland went up 10-3.
So nice to let Buck in right at the end…
OaklandSi - July 3, 2009
as in, why does geren have buck on the bench
really.
And why is Nomah still around.
really.
MobiusKlein - July 3, 2009
This.
Can we f’n release Crosby and Hamm already.
Blicks - July 3, 2009
yeah, the funny part for me was that Geren actually did a couple things
I would’ve liked to see him do late in the game- he put Powell in for Suzuki, and he put Buck in for Holliday.
However, he also did so as defensive replacements, after both Suzuki and Holliday had just had an at-bat, instead of pinch-hitting Powell and Suzuki for them. What the heck is the point in that?! Let them have an at-bat each as well, to try and stay sharp, if you’re going to make those switches in the bottom of the inning anyway! Suzuki and Holliday do not need more at-bats right now to stay sharp, but Powell and Buck surely do… it was only a mini-rally of sorts in the 9th that allowed Buck to come to the plate at all, and for Powell? Nada.
still bills kingdom - July 4, 2009
In my dreams, we can trade Jack Hannahan, Bobby Crosby, Matt Holliday, Orlando Cabrera, Jason Giambi, Adam Kennedy and maybe a few others for Shin-Soo Choo.
Rated-R Superstar - July 3, 2009
The little Choo that could
Hit4TheCycle - July 3, 2009
This team is done! Lets make some trades
I love our A’s and I will continue to watch and follow but this was just sooooooo hard to watch today. We Suck!
O Cab – sucks trade him
Holliday – has tuned “out” – move him if we get the package Billy want or keep him for the picks
Springer – retire
Casilla – say hello to the washington nationals buddy – cut him
Geren – Can someone inject him with some steroids so he can blow up like Ed Hockuley and mlb with test him.
Crosby – words can’t describe how bad you suck
Nomar – nothing bad to say about you – deserve better then this
ryanmoser - July 3, 2009
I agree with all of this.
He sucks? He’s broken down? The roids are done.
Blicks - July 3, 2009
In fairness, "this" also deserves better than Nomar.
Nico - July 3, 2009
Look...my point is we suck, have no heart, no fire, nothing....Its not the A's.
There is not chemistry, no laughter, no nothing and yes I know winning cures all but thats probably not going to happen.
O Cab is a cancer – I said it before we signed him, he is horrible – get rid of him and bring up Cliff Pennington
Holliday has no doubt – checked out
Giambi’s bat speed appears to be way down
Crosby – horrible, but he will have a job next year on some team and he has the A’s to thank for that with is multiple positions he plays (not that he plays good at any of them, but whatever)
Nomar – Yes he is old, broken down, no roids but my guess is he gets moved to a contender for cash considerations
ryanmoser - July 3, 2009
The All Star Break
With the break coming I sure hope Billy Beane uses this time to make some changes. I don’t even care what they are at this point because something even if it’s superficial needs to be done.
This team has no heart and shows little in the way of professionalism and needs a swift kick in the ass. This season is basically lost and that makes three lost years in a row. How much longer before us baseball nuts here on AN are the last A’s fans left?
sirbed - July 3, 2009
It's already more crowded on AN than it is at the ballpark.
Nico - July 3, 2009
awwww
cityplANner - July 3, 2009
But you HRed in the first inning!
Nico - July 3, 2009
That's because there's more action here.
alox - July 3, 2009
I liked the red caps. I don’t think anyone else did.
Rated-R Superstar - July 3, 2009
heh, giants game is blow out for them....
i was ready to watch a more competitive game
ak_A - July 3, 2009
I think tonight is proving that yes, good hitting can indeed be contagious
Just as much as bad hitting is for the A’s. Of course, a lot has to do with the pitching but pretty much EVERYONE in the Giants lineup tonight is killing it.
Flashfire - July 3, 2009
Tonight may also prove that herpes is contagious
Tests still pending.
Something else I meant to mention in the recap: Beane brought in “more offense” to try to support the young pitchers. How about supporting them with better infield defense?
Nico - July 3, 2009
He signed OrCab and Ellis
At least he tried?
travdog6 - July 4, 2009
The A's also have Hannahan and Barton,
but play Crosby and Nomar and Giambi instead.
Nico - July 4, 2009
Speaking of the Giants, Barry Zito has a 4.82 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. Yet, Mike Krukow still think he’s “throwing the ball well.”
Rated-R Superstar - July 3, 2009
He is. His pitching just sucks.
Nico - July 3, 2009
Aaargh! Has Nico converted you, too?
Take it to the Giants thread.
No one cares about your
fantasy[wrong-side-of-the-Bay] team.iglew - July 3, 2009
LAWL
Flashfire - July 3, 2009
Giants suck my balls
Gallagher's Watermelons - July 3, 2009
The A's play like my shoulder and ribs feel
Totally 100 percent fucked.
8 motrins don’t do a dammed thing. And wait until tomorrow when it really sets in.
Maybe I should hurt myself more often because I laughed when I saw them go down and I was hoping they would give up 20 or 30 runs. The more the better because as pathetic as they look, they could do it better and be more pathetic
Trainman - July 3, 2009
This brings up an interesting question about which would be more productive:
8 motrins or 9 Hattebergs?
Nico - July 3, 2009
You are tilting the balance with the extra Hatteberg
There were only 8 motrins because there was no DH
Trainman - July 3, 2009
Designated Hallucinogen?
That’s a shame.
Nico - July 3, 2009
So unfair to do this to the young hurlers
I signed up a week or so ago on AN for the sole purpose of complaining that the A’s should be putting their best fielding players out there every night, regardless of BA, OBP, OPS, or whatever you want. No pitcher can gain the confidence they need if any pop fly to short right is a new special free-hit zone, and if third base is a vacuum. I don’t see the games, listen to what I can on the radio, but it seems like the only player to ever take a hit away from the opposing team is Sweeney. Some of the rest do their job (Kennedy, Cabrera, Hannahan), and I can live with that. But without Crosby, there’s no telling what the real final score of this game could have been.
paris7 - July 3, 2009
With Hannahan at 3B and Barton at 1B,
the 3rd inning is scoreless. And let’s face it — Hannahan could hit Huff (who doesn’t throw very hard) as well as Crosby could, and Barton should be playing every day at 1B anyway. Since no combo is going to hit much, at least put a good defensive team out there and give the young pitchers a fighting chance to get some outs.
Nico - July 3, 2009
It's really getting absurd
I know we’ve complained about it for weeks but it just seems like the decision makers are asleep at the wheel. It’s gone past the point of any understandability for me how much these young players are being hindered in their development. I feel like Beane set certain guidelines early in the season with respect to playing time for certain players and now he’s not even paying attention to the result. I lose more and more respect for beane each day this goes on because no one on the team is benefitting from this, least of all the youngsters.
chipper1001 - July 3, 2009
I keep waiting for this team to be blown up like so many before it
DMOAS - July 3, 2009
I do think that the A's need to definitely re-shift priorities
and get Barton out there every day. See if he’s really the prospect they thought he was or if it was all a mirage.
Tyler Bleszinski - July 4, 2009
Ah, Dana Eveland
Tonight for Sacramento: 5 IP, 5 hits, 5 BB, and a HBP. Only one run, though — he’s awesome!!!
Nico - July 3, 2009
Oh No
Just the thought of him ever pitching for us makes my head pound.
Typical 18 baerunners per inning
Trainman - July 3, 2009
Eveland's pitch count is always over 100 and were only in the 1st inning...
MMunoz33 - July 4, 2009
Trade him to a contender who values him as a #4-5 starter.
Blicks - July 4, 2009
I am always ready to return to optimism, but
this is getting ridiculous. I feel really bad for the guys like Suzuki who really try hard every day and deserve a better opportunity. The depression is palpable.Too bad they couldn’t build on their two wins over Detroit.
Technotofu - July 3, 2009
Follow Sarah Palin's lead
Maybe the A’s could follow Sarah Palin’s lead. Resign from MLB to get ready for 2012.
I keep having this nightmare that my team is playing pitiful ball game after game, making ridiculous errors and making every pitcher they face look like Steve Carlton. Wait a minute…it isn’t a nightmare at all. It’s reality!
rovingralph - July 3, 2009
This game just made me sigh.
The only bright spot for me is that Choo is on my fantasy team. I wish he was on my the A’s instead.
IM4Oakgal - July 3, 2009
Mine too
Big League Choo
Gallagher's Watermelons - July 4, 2009
Trevor was squeezed many times!!!!
Stop your whinning your fucking pathetic.
granja - July 4, 2009
He really was squeezed many times when the game was close
And the contraction for “you are” is “you’re,” which is easier to get right than pitching is.
Nico - July 4, 2009
these days, I'm afraid that contraction is spelled "UR"
skutch - July 4, 2009
{dies quietly}
Nico - July 4, 2009
In Italian it's "6"
iglew - July 4, 2009
Can't we trade for Matt Kemp?
We will give them Nomar…
MMunoz33 - July 4, 2009
OK. Can we please send Cahill to AAA?
I understand he was squeezed, but he could use some refinement (and some winning) in AAA, and also the service time argument stands. Delaying FA of at least one of Anderson or Cahill will be huge.
Blicks - July 4, 2009
I agree
Great comments above. It’s time to “vent.” I too would prefer to see Pennington at ss, rather then Cabrera. I know he had quite a long audition at the end of last season and didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball, but he did show “heart” and good defense. I am getting tired of seeing soft liners over 1B where Giambi leaps 4 inches off the ground and misses them. Any other 1b could get those balls and make the plays. Sheesh, I think Ryan Howard could sit on the ground and catch those, and he isn’t exactly a gazelle fielding his position. How in the world can Crosby be playing practically everyday? He has no cranial capacity to make adjustments at the plate. “Duh…let’s swing at everything thrown up there, and maybe the bat will hit the ball once a week.” I’m sorry, but I don’t think Cust should be in the lineup. I get furious after he strikes out , drops his head with a smirk on his face and makes his way back to the bench slower than 90-year-old semen. Oh, and let’s not leave out Rajai. Bob Geren: "It’s the 7th inning. Let’s put in our defensive speacialist RAJAI and move Sweeney over to rf. " Korach: “Here’s a liner out to centerfield…Rajai breaks in, oh…now he goes back, he turns to the left, but it’s on the right! The ball is over his head! Three runs score!!!” Ring ‘em up! Ok, and why is Travis Buck sitting? Just once could they please put a defensive team out there. I’d like to see an infield of Barton at 1st, Ellis at 2nd, Pennington at short, and Hannahan at 3rd, Granted, the lineup won’t score any runs, but wouldn’t it be more fun to lose to Cleveland 1-0 than 15-3? Ok, I’m finished venting. Play ball!
Flamethrower - July 4, 2009
Tony Randall objects to your assumptions about 90-year old semen.
Nico - July 4, 2009
LOL!!!!
MMunoz33 - July 4, 2009
I'm a little weirded out.
I crashed really early last night, and when I went to bed, the A’s were up 2-1. Apparently, the A’s crashed right after I did.
Leopold Bloom - July 4, 2009
As did Trainman.
iglew - July 4, 2009
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