When your bullpen gets up a handful of minutes into the game and it isn't injury-related, you're in for a long night. Such was the case for rookie Carlos Torres and the Chicago White Sox tonight as the A's sprayed hits all over the Cell in an 11-3 laugher, scoring in all but three innings. As the game started they noted Torres pitches out of the stretch all the time and given his line (2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2 HR) I'm not surprised. He only threw six pitches for balls but when you factor in he threw more warming up before the game than he did in it (22)...well, yeah.
As a sign of how evenly distributed the 20 hits the A's had were, everyone in the lineup had at least one and Kurt Suzuki was the only hitter who didn't have at least two. Ryan Sweeney tore it up (ahem) with four against his former team, Rajai Davis had three and both scored three times. Jack Cust had a big three-run homer in the first after Torres got the second out on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki. Mark Ellis followed by depositing another one over the fence for back-to-back homers and an early shower for Torres. Then again, I don't know that he really worked up a sweat to begin with. After that sacrifice fly the last ten runs by the A's came with two out, always a good thing to see.
Two more runs in the second helped stake Brett Tomko to a big 7-0 lead early and while he didn't complete the sixth his outing was more than enough to maintain a comfortable lead. He'd wind up allowing 3 earned on 6 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts, also giving up a pair of homers to Mark Kotsay and Paul Konerko. He had no trouble at all with the rest of the lineup, probably because none of their last names started with a K. Lefties Craig Breslow, Jerry Blevins and Brad Kilby looked great in relief of Tomko, combining to allow just a hit and a walk (both by Breslow) in 3 2/3 innings.
Just one of those fun games to be able to watch as the season winds down. The, uh, series finale is tomorrow.
0 recs | 88 comments
Speedy - Flash!!
BERRYJO - September 8, 2009
YAY WINZ.
mikev - September 8, 2009
Nice quick recap
On the flipside, Cust really does like to ramble on
SwisherThresher - September 8, 2009
Sing his song?
On his way?
Axl - September 8, 2009
Well, I hope colin enjoyed himself at the game tonight
doctorK - September 8, 2009
it was awesome
I was a little late because the bus was really slow. But when I got to my seat, the bases were loaded with no one out. Hairston’s K was sort of a bummer, but then we got Suzuki’s sac fly followed by Cust and Ellis going back to back. Sort of rough for Torres. The crowd was booing him after 0.2 IP.
Also, when I was waiting for the red line after the game, I met Trevor Cahill’s brother! He came out to Chicago from Raleigh to see the games.
colin - September 9, 2009
also
it was great to see Kilby pitch. His delivery is extremely deceptive (tucking the ball behind his back) while he winds up, and it worked out with 2 Ks in just his first seven pitches.
colin - September 9, 2009
WE CAN'T LOSE THIS SERIES.
_
ElQuesoCapitan - September 8, 2009
things are looking up!
whiteshoes40 - September 8, 2009
(cute face)
ElQuesoCapitan - September 8, 2009
for those who wondered how the Hawk reacted to the A's HRs in the 1st
the video highlights on the iphone MLB app are from the White Sox feed. When Cust hit the HR Hawk remarked that Torres had gotten away with that breaking ball to Hairston, but not to Cust, and he added “Cust is so strong.” As for Mark Ellis, Hawk stated that Ellis is a “solid, solid player”, and has been ever since he’s been in the majors.
OaklandSi - September 8, 2009
I like how Tomko went right after the hitters, even with a big lead
OaklandSi - September 8, 2009
You should have heard Hawk on the MLB.com feed
during the 9th inning. The two announcers lamented how the White Sox played good ball against good teams, but against “second division” teams (boy, there’s a term that goes back to the 8-team days of the 1950s) the White Sox this year play terrible….or “against bad teams, they play bad.” Direct quote.
Sigh sigh sigh…Oh how these announcers waited and waited and waited for a winning streak. Every day, they’d come to the ballpark, but…the White Sox would lose the last game of a series, win a couple, lose….sigh….what a season it could have been!!
Heheheheh, then Sweeney singles to make it 11-3. Nice!!
One won lost won - September 8, 2009
Yet, after tonight...
…the A’s are just 7 games behind the Sox in the win column. Not a huge difference, by any means.
UncleLeo - September 8, 2009
Ozzie certainly doesn't have any qualms about
calling his teams’ play bad
OaklandSi - September 9, 2009
I really didn't think that Cust's HR
was going to go out. It almost sounded like he cracked his bat on that hit. The wind was blowing out, though, so that probably helped out a bit. Kotsay’s HR was also to right field, and I didn’t think that was going out either.
colin - September 9, 2009
Weird, because on TV it looked like he absolutely crushed it.
mikev - September 9, 2009
also, guessing how far a ball is going to go
is really not something I’m good at. It was just the sound that was a bit weird on that one.
HitTracker says it had “just enough” and true distance of 401 feet.
colin - September 9, 2009
Oh hey
I just now realized that Kilby and Carlos Torres were teammates at SJSU during the ’03 season (along with Kevin Frandsen (Giants) and Aaron Bates (BoSox)). Small baseball world.
SwisherThresher - September 8, 2009
I'm just glad the A's won big
It was nice to see.
pookeyguru - September 8, 2009
that too
OaklandSi - September 8, 2009
I love Rajai.
That is all.
Okay, that’s not all. Why am I watching Melrose Place?? Didn’t I get enough the first time around???
baseballgirl - September 8, 2009
Sydney got killed in the last one
How’d she come back?
richwol1 - September 8, 2009
Just got back from the game.
Awesome experience. Despite the big win for our guys, Sox fans were not jerks. Perfect weather with a storm of hits. Ziggy threw my kid a ball during BP, I got to explain the game to a fledgling A’s fan, and I had a Polish with grilled onions. It just doesn’t get any better than that.
JJ Martin - September 8, 2009
congratulations on your "jackpot" experience
looks like you “touched ’em all” with this game.
Nice to hear.
One won lost won - September 8, 2009
Rajai just keeps proving me wrong every day
Helloooo 1st - September 8, 2009
Pretty amazing season
Gotta give the guy credit for flat out playing great baseball and energizing this team.
Nico - September 8, 2009
I heard this old blues song...
’bout how Rajai was at a crossroads, and met the devil. The rest is baseball history.
Kallus - September 9, 2009
What I find mystical was the game at Dodger Stadium
with Don Newcombe, the Dodger pitcher from the 1940s and 1950s, up in the booth (and an excellent hitter himself, often pinch hitting!) looking at Rajai get a hit and saying, “That guy’s a good hitter..”
Ever since that game, Rajai has been playing like Willie Mays. Stealing bases, doubles, hitting for average. Only the HRs are missing. It’s been great. I love success like that!
One won lost won - September 8, 2009
he's just a few ticks away from an .800 OPS on the season
who would have ever in their wildest alcoholic dreams considered that Rajai might flirt with .800?
cityplANner - September 8, 2009
I would have bet a large amount of money against him. I love this game.
JJ Martin - September 9, 2009
The A's sure put some on the board
Yessss Yesssss Yesssss
Hit4TheCycle - September 8, 2009
This steam may be made up of a ragtag bunch of misfits
But today’s game felt like it was legitimately out of the Sox’s reach. An entertaining, dominant performance.
Joey C. - September 8, 2009
Proofreading fail
Joey C. - September 8, 2009
But I still liked it.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
.It is kind of a steam.
The little engine that could.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Mike Sweeney coupled with Brian Fuentes gives Mike Scioscia Heartburn
LOL
2-2 Runners now 2nd and 3rd with 1 out with Griffey at plate
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Me likey
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Morales strikes out and reaches on a catcher fail
Typical
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Then they bunt and get runner at second and
throw the ball into dugout.
Aybar at second.
Major FAIL which will probably cost them the game with the luck that the slegnA have.
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Ugh!
Seattle is breaking down.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
And the first wheel just fell off
Figgins now at plate
Trainman - September 8, 2009
The first wheel fell off when we won two of four against them.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
I would like nothing better than for Texas to somehow
get tied with the slegnA and we win two of last 3 to eliminate them from playoffs.
Not going to happen as I think Texas is too beat up, but you never know. We have 6 left against slegnA so we can do Texas a favor by beating this hated franchise.
That could be our playoffs right there.
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Happy to play spoiler,
any way we can.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
My dream for this season is that the Angels will have to win on 10/4
and FAIL!
doctorK - September 8, 2009
Oh! My god!
That would be so worth everything!
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
that would be awesom
OaklandSi - September 9, 2009
Izturis has the bases loaded and is 5 for 6 against Lowe
and pops up 1st pitch LOL
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Haha!
You must be laughing your ass of at your roommate.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
or off
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
He is passed out
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Ah. Peace.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Adrian Beltre FAIL
Beltre is horrible and couldn’t catch up to Fuentes and his 91 mph fastball the previous at bat.
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Miguel Batista vs slegnA
What choice would you make?
Wakamatsu wants to hand them a win.
Trainman - September 8, 2009
Which he does
Automatic fail
Oh well.
At least my roomy is still passed out.
LOL
Trainman - September 8, 2009
You called it
Aybar with the walk-off
doctorK - September 8, 2009
Yikes.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Watching the Gnats try give one away to the Padres, courtesy of Jeremy AfFAILdt
doctorK - September 8, 2009
Sorry about the doggy, doc.
LMSK must have been sad.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
You too, of course.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
I'm not sure she has really figured out what was happening
She was not in the room when the end came. You are, of course, exactly right about me.
doctorK - September 8, 2009
My shop dog caught a rat today that bit the shit out of him.
I’m worried. I love him so much!
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Ugh
I really, really hate rats. Let’s hope your dog (who sounds like a good dog) is OK.
doctorK - September 8, 2009
He seemed okay when I left.
I was worried that the rat left a tooth in his jaw. I could feel something sharp there, and that freaks me out. But, we have this ritual we do every day for a treat, and he was up for it. D’weasel the Dancing Dog.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Not all rats are bad, Lynn.
I had two girl rats that were the coolest pets I have ever had. Super sweet, and really intelligent…
I miss them both…. ;(
mrod - September 8, 2009
also the rats that invade Angel Stadium
they’re cool with me
cityplANner - September 8, 2009
haha!
exactly!
mrod - September 8, 2009
Ben, the two of us need look no more...
Haha! These ain’t those kind, babe.
lynnzgal - September 8, 2009
Agreed - I have had a couple rats and they are great pets.
Friendly and liked to sit on my shoulder and run down my sleeves. Would be cool to get one of those giant rats recently found in the New Guinea jungle!
DeJay - September 9, 2009
Tonight was a night for the A's bats, but the defensive optimization of
the line-up really jumped out at me. Barton, Sweeney, Davis, and of course Ellis have all shown they can be a win above average with the glove, Pennington looks like an upgrade relative to Cabrera/Crosby, and Hairston is average at least. That leaves Kennedy as a glaring hole. To me this is a totally different team than the one that pushes Cust into the field to make room for Giambi/Garciaparra’s bat, or that doesn’t carry a true defensive back-up at 1st and 2nd base for the first 8 weeks of the season, or that trots Powell out at first to cover up for this. And lets not forget Cabrera was mostly terrible.
The top five defensive teams by UZR are (in order) Seattle, Tampa, San Francisco, Texas, and Detroit. One of these teams is almost certainly going to make the playoffs; most of the others are at least kinda sorta in contention. Its worth noting that two of the teams, Seattle and San Francisco, sport offesnses that may actually be worse than the A’s’, and only tampa has a truly above average offense in that group. Pitching-wise, the A’s marginally out-WAR all these teams save the Rangers and Giants. The fact that the out-WARing is marginal means it deserve little heed, but the A’s pitching is still fairly solid, despite the teething.
All this is simply to suggest the kind of difference defense can make, especially for an otherwise lacking team like the Mariners.
Next year, I expect the A’s could put together a defense worth 45-50 runs above average if they chose to go with some questionable young bats, and I think this would be a better strategy than going after sluggers to create “room” for the young pitchers even if the former line-up doesn’t always put up 11 runs. With a pitching staff that’s bound to improve and a potentially excellent defense, this team may want to be more cautious about how it handles the risks inherent in “upgrading” its offense, and may actually be served just as well by having some space on the roster for Wallace and Carter to go through their own teething process at some point.
Aufheben - September 8, 2009
The kids keep playing
and we keep winning………so to speak. Really funny that the Sox are the A’s bitch this year…..Ozzie Guillen must be getting hammered at the local watering hole as we speak, cursing the South Siders!
mrod - September 8, 2009
Nice post.....I think your comments make a lot of sense.
Raj & Sweeney are good defensive players who seem to be getting effective hitting styles going at this stage in the season.
Vegas Ace - September 8, 2009
excellent post
maybe this off season the A’s will go for Carl Crawford like they did Holliday, drop Hairston to platoon at DH with Cust. Then sign Adrian Beltre and Kennedy to1 yr contracts and put AK at first. That would upgrade offense and defense.
Jessse - September 9, 2009
Crawford sounds pricey and over-rated, and I don't think the whole Holliday quick-flip worked
out so well for the A’s, so I’d stay away from Carl. Escobar seems like the best fit to me in terms of a useful position player who wouldn’t cost the farm.
For FAs I would say yes please to Beltre. Even with his bat not doing so well lately, I think he’s more valuable going forward than a clumsy corner OF with a big stick (Abreu, Burrell etc.), and he could be the missing link in an otherwise stellar defense.
For outfielders I would agree with PT on Mike Cameron, although I seem to remember this was wildly unpopular. The guy’s been incredibly consistent, regardless of whether he took steroids, and his presence would turn one of Sweeney, Hairston, or Davis into a luxury fourth OF, which is a good thing. I would also consider making Byrd an offer if he slips through the cracks a bit.
I don’t see why you would replace Barton with Kennedy. Barton’s a well above average defender and he has more offensive upside than Kennedy and he’s cheaper.
Aufheben - September 9, 2009
I think Kennedy could provide solid D
at first base and better offense than Barton. I dont concern myself with price of players, just team needs. I’m glad you agree about Beltre I hope they do it. As for Crawford he’s been a consistent 300 hitter with league leading SB potential and he is only 29. Unlike Holliday he wouldnt be changing leagues or batting stances. Escobar is contract control for the next three years and would be great to acquire, he will cost lots of prospects.
Jessse - September 9, 2009
AN has been all kinds of wonky for me tonight.
Now I find that C works but shift-C doesn’t. Closed the browser and re-opened it, but same problem. Never seen that before. Weird.
Earlier today trying to run both the game thread and MLB audio at the same time, my browser was unusually slow and jumpy in the game thread and then after a while crapped out altogether.
Anyone else been having trouble?
iglew - September 9, 2009
I have that problem at times too.
It usually stops when I close the windows with weird porn though.
travdog6 - September 9, 2009
Nothing else open here.
iglew - September 9, 2009
At work now.
Shift-C still not working. Maybe this is a separate issue.
Everything else seems fine, though I notice the background ad is not animated here as it was at home.
iglew - September 9, 2009
watched the highlights on mlb.com
I love love love how Hawk sounds when the opposition scores or HRs, he goes into Monotone Zombie Describing Paint Drying mode. It’s almost sounds like during takeoff when the captain reads the in-flight safety stuff over the PA, like how to use the oxygen mask and so forth.
That guy is to baseball announcing what Tom Carvel was to public speaking… they shouldn’t send suspected terrorists to Guantanamo, they should just have them watch enough WGN Sox games that they crack just from the 12-billion-nails-on-fifty-million-blackboards-in-Hell Prozac tones of the Hawk. You’d have Bin Laden’s cell digits and location by the trade deadline, I swear.
emperor nobody - September 9, 2009
come to think of it
the Sox ought to just ditch the Hawk for good, get a really fast bleep-censor operator, and have Ozzie call the games from the dugout, while he manages at the same time.
emperor nobody - September 9, 2009
Ozzie
It would sound like a test of the emergency broadcast system.
JLaff - September 9, 2009
I loathe Hawk as a "commentator."
As a Chicago denizen, I’m subjected to his blatant homerism, constant whining about umpires, and blathering stories. The shame of it is that Steve Stone is pretty good, much more knowledgeable, and easier on the ears than Hawk. I despise (in a baseball sense) the Angels a whole more than the Sox, but there’s no better moment than hearing all the life drain from Harrelson’s voice when the Sox lose, whether it’s unexpected (ala the Ellis homer) or a big thumping like last night.
JJ Martin - September 9, 2009
After the sox went down 4-0, and Ellis came up,
Hawk was optimistically pointing out that the best part about this situation was, and here’s the kicker, THE SOX HAD ALL 27 OUTS TO WORK WITH – this even as the ball was travelling between Toress’ hand and Ellis’ bat. Then there were a couple seconds of silence, then a low croak, “five oh.” And that was his HR call. Hawk makes me laugh sometimes – especially in how he tries to rationalize defeat. Someone here once portrayed him as an alcoholic living in a fantasy reality, and I thought this was brilliant.
Aufheben - September 9, 2009
See, this is why I sometimes relish listening to Hawk.
Especially when the Sox are being destroyed. The pain he exudes is palpable. I like that. A lot.
alox - September 9, 2009
Steve Stone deserves it for stealing the CYA in 1980
I used to watch Cubs games all the time back in the 80’s, and Stone had to put up with Harry Caray back then. Harry Caray and the Hawk! – Stone should be the patron saint for long-suffering baseball announcers.
doctorK - September 9, 2009
Stone winning over Mike Norris in 1980. Absolute Larceny. Mayby Harry & Hawk are his purgatory.
JJ Martin - September 9, 2009
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