Today my TV decided that its reception would consist of hundreds of small overlapping rectangles of parts of the picture, kind of like an impressionist painting. I spent the bottom of the 3rd inning on the phone, complaining to Comcast that I couldn't get a clear picture, but by the end of the inning I was thanking them and then called again to complain when the picture came back.
It was in the 3rd that a 1-0 A's lead turned into a 3-1 deficit, all the damage coming at the bottom of the order as Ryan Garko singled, Luis Valbuena doubled him home, and then Ben Francisco (where I believe I left my heart) walloped a 2-run HR right through one of the rectangles.
A quick side note: I learned today that what I was seeing (or not seeing) is called a "degraded picture," which really explains why my TV continues to put up with a verbally abusive toaster.
Back to the game, Oakland had most of its chances in the first two innings. In the 1st, the A's scored thanks to a Kennedy single, a Cabrera hit-and-run single, and a Holliday sacrifice fly, then loaded the bases with two out. However, Ryan Sweeney, so I hear anyway, ripped a liner to 3B as the A's settled for one run.
Then in the 2nd, two more hits gave Oakland another early opportunity, but Holliday's long drive died at the wall and the A's wound up leaving two more -- five LOB in the first two innings -- before Carl Pavano solved the problem by spontaneously becoming unhittable, including a stretch of 11 in a row retired.
Down 4-1 following Sizemore's 6th inning HR, the A's came briefly to life in the 7th when Ellis walked, stole second, and scored with two out on Cabrera's third single of the night. Holliday then singled to chase Pavano and the A's had the tying runs on base, the go ahead run at the plate. Unfortunately, said go-ahead run was Jason Giambi who -- surprise, surprise -- hit right into the shift. Say, how's that working for you, Jase?
For the 7th time this year, the A’s have followed up a Friday loss with a Saturday FAIL, and will "try to avoid the sweep" on Sunday. How nice.
0 recs | 37 comments
no comment
ak_A - July 4, 2009
no reply
Nico - July 4, 2009
Oh, and Giambi also K'd in the first
With RISP …
This is getting old
OaklandSi - July 4, 2009
This = Giambi?
Nick - July 4, 2009
I think O-Si is referring the whole Gestalt of the season
ak_A - July 4, 2009
actually, both
OaklandSi - July 4, 2009
The A's' gestalt needs some therapy
Nick - July 4, 2009
i may stoop to cognitive therapy by watching more giants games
ak_A - July 4, 2009
quackery.
pft.
Leopold Bloom - July 4, 2009
The therapeutic use of A's baseball...
I was well and truly cured, oh my brothers.
Nick - July 5, 2009
I like Matt Morrison better than Mindi Bach and that Paul guy better than that F.P. guy. They need to rotate more often.
Rated-R Superstar - July 4, 2009
Can we please see...
1B Barton
2B Ellis
SS Pennington
3B Kennedy/Everidge
LF Cunningham
CF Sweeney
RF Buck
DH Cust
C Suzuki
And 2nd half of next year…
1B Barton/Doolittle
2B Weeks
SS Pennington
3B Cardenas
LF Cunningham/Doolittle
CF Brown/Doolittle
RF Buck/Doolittle
C Suzuki/Donaldson
DH Carter
Syphon - July 4, 2009
God damn this yes. Like...now.
And, I really, really think Cahill needs some time in AAA. His peripherals are absolutely awful, although his ERA still sparkles quite a bit. I understand that he’ll need some growing time in MLB, but one also has to take service time into mind. AAA for a few months should help. And, Anderson is showing more poise and notable improvements.
Blicks - July 4, 2009
I'd like to see Anderson down for a bit too
gotta preserve his arm/service time, and a little AAA time wouldn’t kill him.
travdog6 - July 5, 2009
Wait, we have FOUR Doolittles??!!
Our system is STACKED
Hegenberger Road - July 5, 2009
I blame the stupid red caps
I think the A’s have been wearing those for a longer time than it took Thomas Jefferson to draft the goddamn Declaration of Independence. Enough already.
Nick - July 4, 2009
Coming from Philly...
I second that amendment!
Gerard - July 4, 2009
I think this team has turned into the "slump buster" for the rest of the struggling teams in the league...
“Hey guys, I know we’ve lost a few games in a row, and our bullpen has totally melted down, but look at the calendar…in just two weeks we play the A’s! So if we can just tread water until then, we’ll be sure to take at least two out of three from them and we’ll all be able to relax, get some easy W’s and get back on track…”
Taj Adib - July 4, 2009
I feel for ya'll.
I know exactly how that goes.
ThundaPC - July 4, 2009
Well, howz about
a little cross-pollination, from my second favorite team in the AL West….
Leopold Bloom - July 4, 2009
Vomitted in my mouth
This team is putrid to the nth degree. I’m not sure I can follow the crap day in and day out anymore. Worst part is, more of the same until we get a new stadium in a new town. We have become the Orioles of the west.
batterbatter - July 4, 2009
lack of perspective
The Orioles are the Orioles because they are the division’s loser team year after year. How many consecutive losing seasons do they have now? twelve? A’s are only working on their third.
iglew - July 4, 2009
That's no excuse for our team being shitty.
cyke17 - July 4, 2009
so, only nine more to go?
OaklandSi - July 5, 2009
Sure would like to hear from Beane ...
he’s responsible for the product on the field, and it’s pure horses***. Lousy talent, and lousy effort .
Vacafan - July 4, 2009
We've already heard
He says there have been too many injuries to be competitive. I guess that means that if Duchscherer, Devine and Chavez were around, Holliday would be batting .300, Giambi and Cust would be hitting .240 and all of them would have about 16 HRs. Basically, Beane has too much of an ego to admit that he’s screwed up and: 1) has neither drafted or traded for decent offensive talent; 2) has a team that is just mailing it in.
rovingralph - July 4, 2009
The Injury Excuse is out the window now...
We’re pretty healthy now and we’re worse now than we’ve been this entire year.
cyke17 - July 4, 2009
"Good" GMs regularly say, "Aw schucks, I screwed up!"
Right?
Also: At the beginning of the year, did you think Holliday and Giambi would be this bad? Beane didn’t think they would either. No one really did.
This, yet again, isn’t about Beane. It’s about a bottom 1/3 payroll team, a rapidly evolving market, a twilight zone injury vortex and a dash of bad luck.
sleepingcobra - July 5, 2009
Bunch of excuses
Holliday, after a slow April, is doing about as expected. Giambi is 38 years old; he was a crapshoot. So yeah, I thought they might do what they’re doing. It’s not rocket science.
The whole bottom 1/3 payroll doesn’t pan out when you consider that it’s been close to a decade since the A’s brought up a position player from within their organization who hit for power and average. The “rapidly evolving market” allowed the A’s to re-sign Ellis, and to sign both Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra, as well as Michael Weurtz and Russ Springer. The twilight zone injury vortex hit three important players: Chavez, Devine and Outman. No one except perhaps Billy Beane expected anything out of Chavez; Devine was replaced by Bailey; and Outman wasn’t even expected to make the club when the season began.
As for bad luck
-All teams have good luck and bad luck. The difference is that the better teams capitalize on the good luck and don’t allow the bad luck to cause further damage.richwol1 - July 5, 2009
Manny watcher
Sorry, folks, I wanted to enjoy Independence day, so was AWOL from the A’s, watching Dodgers at Padres. I have happy memories of my visits to Petco so it’s nice to see it on tv.
LibrariAN - July 4, 2009
I didn't see the game.
I was having a great old time at Phone co park watching Lincecum and the Giants put on a damn good game for the fans. It made me realize how much I miss watching good baseball.
IM4Oakgal - July 5, 2009
watching the O's and angels last night on the baltimore
broadcast. Jim, what’s this the name, Palmer? the former underwear model had some pretty good statements about bad teams, such as the O’s, from his perspective when he was on a very good team.
ak_A - July 5, 2009
Mark Reynolds is ballsy.
He went off on his team after a loss to the Rox.
source
I would love it if one of the young A’s did this.
Blicks - July 5, 2009
Wait - he's saying the mental part of the game can affect actual physical performance and outcomes?
Who knew?
I’m telling you, this A’s team, with this talent, could be playing much better baseball. The lack of spirit, energy, and focus you observe is both contagious and very much relevant to performance and stats.
Nico - July 5, 2009
The best way to light a fire under this young club would be to...
FIRE BOB GEREN!
Technotofu - July 5, 2009
Of course.
And release Nomar, Crosby, Giambi, and Davis.
Blicks - July 5, 2009
The "safe and sane" fireworks I lit last night with a few friends had more pop than this offense
And those things are pretty tame in comparison to what we’re used to seeing on the 4th.
Flashfire - July 5, 2009
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