SB Nation User Blog: baseballgirl

Eveland, Barton, Sweeney, and Suzuki Make It Back to Back Wins

baseballgirl — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:09:55 -0000

Well, obviously the big news tonight was the introduction of the ‘instant homerun replay box that calls New York’, which I think will accomplish the following; have at least one non-A’s fan still awake in New York watching West Coast games. This technology will not be used very often (our announcers think there was only one instance this year in Oakland where it may have been needed), but it will get the homerun calls right.

In other big news, the A’s actually looked like--dare I say it--a real baseball team for the first time in a while. I don’t know to what exactly I should attribute this; it may be Rajai Davis playing some good baseball, the return of Ryan Sweeney to the lineup, Daric Barton pretending he actually could blossom as a major leaguer after his rookie year, or the excellent starting pitching and bullpen relief, but something seemed different with the A’s tonight. This game was extremely watchable, and if you like defense, both clubs certainly flashed some leather here and there.

The game started on a ominous note for Dana Eveland, as Patterson failed to make a routine play for the first out, and Crosby followed that up by not being able to stop a single right by him, but Crosby righted the ship and caught a screaming line drive that he turned into a double play to end the inning.

Rajai Davis led off the A’s first with a single, but the parade of hitters behind him was unable to send him home.

The game remained scoreless until the fourth, as Hannahan made a nice play in the top of the inning to keep a two-out double from scoring, and moments later, the A’s mounted their own threat. Frank Thomas led off with a double, bringing up the newly promoted Sweeney, R, who was missed desperately by the A’s (and the AN girls). Sweeney shot a single up the middle to bring Frank around to third, putting runners on the corners with no one out.

In a season where things go the A’s way, Daric Barton would have singled up the middle to score Frank and open a big inning. But because this is Post All Star Break 2008, the Twins turned an absolutely amazing double play on Barton’s ball, where the second baseman flipped the ball to the base while he was falling to the ground on a dive, allowing only the single run to score from third, robbing Barton of the RBI.

But Barton was heard from again, as he made a great catch in the bottom of the sixth inning for the first out, ranging all the way over to the crowd to make a basket catch in the stands, which helped minimize Eveland’s only scary inning of the game. Thanks to a couple of singles, a double steal, an intentional walk, and sacrifice fly, the game became tied at one.

Crosby opened the A’s half of the sixth with a double that very nearly tested the new instant-replay equipment, but missed the top of the wall by about a foot. It looked like he might be stranded there, but Daric Barton (who is hitting like a legit major league baseball player this week) singled with two outs to bring him home, giving the A’s a 2-1 lead.

It would last for about seven minutes.

The Twins received some help in the top of the seventh, courtesy of an unlikely Oakland outfielder, as Sweeney, R, misjudged a ball in the lights that went for a double, and later, a run. But Rajai Davis preserved the 2-2 tie by coming out of nowhere to make an excellent catch to prevent a sure extra-base hit and another run.

All told, Dana Eveland had a great start, leaving after seven full; the game tied at two. He is a world away from the pitcher he was last month, and he wasn’t facing a weak team; Minnesota is playoff-contending. Eveland was replaced by Blevins, who pitched an uneventful eighth, and Joey Devine handled the ninth, keeping the score tied at two. It is worth noting that both Devine and Ziegler's ERA's are currently under 1.

After eight and a half innings of what felt like real baseball, the A’s had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth, as Sweeney led off with a single and Barton (what can’t he do!?) bunted him to second. Emil Brown pinch-hit for Hannahan and walked, bringing up Suzuki to pinch-hit for Bowen.

I could end the story right there. Suzuki roped the ball out into the outfield for the walk-off hit, and the A’s have now won their second game in a row; both wins against very good teams. It doesn’t make up for the last month, but it’s the little things right now that can give us hope. And today went a long way in helping us remember why we watch this game.

Same time, same place tomorrow, as the A’s play the game after “Ziggy Day”, the ceremony where they honor Brad Ziegler for the amazing start to his career. Anyone who is going to the game with a camera, we’d like pictures!

Open Thread: Game 133 - Twins at A's

baseballgirl — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:45:33 -0000

Fresh off a completely unexpected series win in Anaheim this week, the A's are at it again a day later, taking on the Minnesota Twins tonight in Oakland.

Taking the mound for the green and gold tonight will be Dana Eveland, mentioned positively in the Wolff interview, and looking to repeat his excellent performace last week against Seattle. Eveland spent a couple of weeks in the minors recently, working on his windup, and he is hoping that the effort will pay off again tonight.

The A's "offense" will be facing RHP Nick Blackburn, who is looking to continue the Twins' push for the AL Central lead. They are just a game out, and very much in the hunt. In other words, they will be playing hard.

That won't be a problem for our fearless crew, as the A's audition for the role of spoiler tonight. Late breaking news shows Carlos Gonzalez actually back at AAA and Sweeney, R reactivated.

Lineup

Minnesota Twins @ Oakland Athletics

08/28/08 7:05 PM PDT

Minnesota Twins	Oakland Athletics
Denard Span - RF	Rajai Davis - CF
Alexi Casilla - 2B	Bobby Crosby - SS
Joe Mauer - C	Jack Cust - LF
Justin Morneau - 1B	Frank Thomas - DH
Randy Ruiz - DH	Ryan Sweeney - RF
Delmon Young - LF	Daric Barton - 1B
Brendan Harris - 3B	Jack Hannahan - 3B
Nick Punto - SS	Rob Bowen - C
Carlos Gomez - CF	Eric Patterson - 2B

LET'S GO OAK-LAND!

Twins = Sensational, A’s = Usual

baseballgirl — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:05:20 -0000

I think we could probably dig up almost every recap since the All-Star break and substitute it for this game’s, and you would never know the difference. The A’s had good (not great) starting pitching, excellent bullpen work, and little to no offense; losing the game, and the series.

That about sums it up.

In other A’s news, the rumor is that both Duchscherer and Gallagher have been shut down for the season (no real surprise on either).

If you’re looking for the good news today, Dallas Braden looked competent out on the mound, keeping a pretty good line through five until getting into a jam in the sixth, and Huston Street looked like the pre-2008 Huston, as he got out of the bases-loaded jam in the sixth (saving Braden further damage), and pitched a perfect seventh, as well.

Embree came in to pitch a perfect eighth, and with that, the A’s pitching did their job, holding the Twins to 3 runs over 8.

However, pitching really wasn’t the problem today. That honor rests solely with the A’s offense.

The A’s scored an unearned run right off the bat in the first on a single by Cust, but despite scoring chances the rest of the game, the A’s couldn’t plate another run. In fact, they didn’t get another hit after the fourth. The highlight of the late innings was Suzuki taking Nathan to a full count before flying out.

For those of you keeping track, the A’s have been held to 2 runs or fewer in thirty-five games this year. Correction: Despite what our announcers claim, we think it is actually fifty games at 2 runs or fewer. That’s almost unimaginably bad. That even overshadows their eleventh consecutive series loss.

The silver lining, I guess, is that the A’s now play the one team they might have a chance to beat; the Seattle Mariners. The A’s and Seattle hook up for four games this weekend, starting tomorrow night.

I recommend finishing the Olympics first.

Open Thread: Game 126 - A's at Minnesota (cont)

baseballgirl — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:54:02 -0000

Let's get some new thread mojo! Braden pitching pretty well; he has only given up 2 runs. Of course, the A's offense has only managed to score one, but that could change. Right? Right?

Open Thread: Game 126 - A's at Minnesota

baseballgirl — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:15:52 -0000

Good morning and welcome to another exciting day of A's baseball! The A's will try to win their first series since 2006 who knows as they send Dallas Braden to the hill as the sacrificial lamb starting pitcher. The game starts bright and early this morning, so grab your coffee and radio and let's watch the A's win try to win not lose lose by only a little play baseball!

Braden will face Francisco Liriano and the Twins, who are just a game out of first in the Central, so they have everything to play for right now. On the other hand, the A's are just trying to win a series. But they have to start somewhere.

Some of us lived through the mid-to-late 1990's; we can live through this stretch too. Plus, all the cool people are in the game thread today (hint hint).

Lineup

Oakland Athletics @ Minnesota Twins

08/20/08 10:10 AM PDT

Oakland Athletics	Minnesota Twins
Mark Ellis - 2B	Denard Span - RF
Kurt Suzuki - C	Nick Punto - 2B
Emil Brown - LF	Mike Redmond - C
Frank Thomas - DH	Justin Morneau - 1B
Jack Cust - RF	Delmon Young - LF
Bobby Crosby - SS	Randy Ruiz - DH
Rajai Davis - CF	Brian Buscher - 3B
Daric Barton - 1B	Brendan Harris - SS
Cliff Pennington - 3B	Carlos Gomez - CF

LET'S GO OAK-LAND!

A’s Set Record - 4 Runs Or Less In 14 Straight Games

baseballgirl — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:05:22 -0000

I get it, you know? It must be hard to drag yourself out onto the field day after day, playing for nothing, and winning so infrequently. I get how painful the A’s are right now--we know; we’re watching them, writing about them, counting the games down to the blessed end of the season. But would it kill the team to care for about 3 hours a day, if not for yourself, but for your teammate, who pitched so well, and obviously cares so much? Not that I blame them, but the team is doing a great impression of just playing out the season.

And I expected better from a player with Mark Ellis' professionalism; he certainly has been a culprit lately. This is the second play in as many Duchscherer starts that he appeared to be lackadaisical on a ball to his side; both of which led to Duchscherer losses.

And Duke certainly deserved better today, as once again, he pitched well enough to win and instead was handed the loss, after he had exited the game neither quietly nor willingly. The only real blemishes on Duchscherer’s line tonight were the two towering homeruns hit by the Rays, and the runner he left on in the seventh when Ellis forgot he ever campaigned for a gold glove.

The A’s got on the board (and tied the game temporarily) in the fifth on a Patterson 2-RBI single that barely missed Pena’s glove, one of the few-and-far-between breaks that the A’s have received in the last six weeks. But the Rays scored a run in the seventh after Blevins relieved Duke, and the game was pretty much over from there.

It’s not that the A’s didn’t have their chances to score tonight; Suzuki was tagged out at the plate on an Ellis’ single early on (you have to send him there, despite the likely out; when this team has a base hit with two outs and a runner on second, you send the runner); Ellis hit into a rally-ending DP his next at-bat; and Daric Barton had possibly the worst pinch-hitting appearance of anyone’s career with the tying run on second; three straight fastballs for three strikes. The bat never left his shoulder.

The A’s tried to make it interesting in the ninth with a leadoff walk by Cust, but Rajai Davis was thrown out trying to steal on the first pitch. He probably should have waited on that one and let Crosby hit the dead-red fastball. But the A's needed the steal, and it was a chance worth taking.

Other game notes: Embree pitched the eighth, Street pitched a scoreless ninth, leaving two runners on base, and Emil Brown had a pinch-hit walk in the ninth.

The A’s try to win the series tomorrow against Shields.

Open Thread: Game 119 - A's vs. Rays (cont)

baseballgirl — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:19:33 -0000

Duchscherer gave up three bombs in his 6+ innings (two homeruns, and one F-bomb as he was leaving the game), and finds himself on the losing effort of a 3-2 contest.

The A's chances to have a tie game hinged on:

Suzuki not getting tossed out at the plate
Ellis not hitting into a crucial DP
Barton not having the WORST. PINCH. HITTING. APPEARANCE. EVER.

That is all. Bottom of the eighth we go; A's in desperate need of a rally.

Open Thread: Game 119 - A's vs. Rays

baseballgirl — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:40:41 -0000

The A's try for the elusive two game winning streak tonight as Justin Duchscherer takes the mound against the Rays' Andy Sonnanstine. The A's won a close game last night; as their light-hitting offense was supplemented by some pretty incredible bullpen work, capped by our own Ziggy's second save of the season.

In case you missed the press release today:

The Oakland A's today placed outfielder Ryan Sweeney on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right thumb and recalled infielder/outfielder Eric Patterson from Triple-A Sacramento.

It would be nice to see Duke turn it around from his last few starts and finish the season strong.

Lineup

Tampa Bay Rays @ Oakland Athletics

08/13/08 7:05 PM PDT

Tampa Bay Rays	Oakland Athletics
Akinori Iwamura - 2B	Mark Ellis - 2B
B.J. Upton - CF	Carlos Gonzalez - CF
Carlos Pena - 1B	Frank Thomas - DH
Cliff Floyd - DH	Jack Cust - RF
Willy Aybar - 3B	Bobby Crosby - SS
Eric Hinske - LF	Jack Hannahan - 1B
Dioner Navarro - C	Kurt Suzuki - C
Gabe Gross - RF	Eric Patterson - LF
Ben Zobrist - SS	Cliff Pennington - 3B

LET'S GO OAKLAND!

I've lost the will to cheer

baseballgirl — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:27:24 -0000

I'm out of ways to describe how terrible the A's offense is. Let me sum up: The A's received a hit from Crosby, Gonzalez, and Thomas today, and received three walks. That's the offense they put up to support their brand-new pitcher on the mound, who certainly deserved better than he got tonight.

With the exception of the first inning, where he let a two-out rally and a bomb leave him down 3-0, Gio settled in nicely and pitched a gem the rest of the way, pitching into the seventh, and looking good doing it. Unfortunately, thanks to the lack of A's hitters, Casilla, not Ziegler, replaced him, so the one batter he left on base eventually scored, taking him from a 3 run outing to 4. His line finished 6+ IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2BB, 4K. I thought he pitched better than the numbers indicated, and he may have earned a win for a different team in baseball tonight.

Unfortunately, he made his major league debut for the 2008 Oakland A's, and their offense is painful. I'm surprised that pitchers just don't burst into tears having to take the mound for this team. After all, what is the point of pitching well? What is the difference between losing 5-1 and losing 2-1? How much pressure do you want to put on a young pitcher when he knows he can't give up more than a run or he will lose?

Despite doing their best to be no-hit tonight, the A's offense finally got on the board in the sixth with their first hit of the game, a solo homerun by Bobby Crosby. In the very next inning, they loaded the bases with no one out (in horrifying shades of last night), and failed to score. Yet again. You would think that even by accident that the A's could have scored in a least one of those situations. But when you score only 17 runs on your nine game losing streak, there isn't a lot of room for lucky and good things to happen to your team.

I'm tired of this. I would have rather lost the game tonight 10-9 than have to sit through inning after inning of scoreless baseball. I'm over pitching duels. I want some offense!

Duchscherer takes the mound tomorrow, trying to avoid an A's 10 game losing streak, while the rest of us do our best to cheer for maybe the three players left that we want to actually keep in our offense. And fun fact of the day, if you need more: Cust has now struck out 53 times in his last 101 ABs.

Same game, same time tomorrow. Hopefully a different outcome.

Open Thread: Game 113 - A's at Blue Jays (cont)

baseballgirl — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:49:56 -0000

We're going to the top of the eighth. The A's managed not score a single run with the bases loaded and no one out in the seventh, and the Jays managed to score another run on a thirty-five foot hit during their turn.

The score is now 5-1. I'm not sure anyone cares anymore.