Missed it by THAT much.  Actually, I missed it by more than that.

Despite yet another attempted Lazarus act in the bottom of the 9th, in which they plated 2 and brought the tying run up in the person of Nomar "Look Back In Ang" Garciaparra, the A's fell to the ALDS-bound Angels, ensuring that they will lose the season series to the LAA.  It was an evening of despites as Oakland pitchers managed to fan 14 Halo hitters, including a career high 10 from Gio Gonzalez (who fell to 6-7 to close out 2009); still the A's were effectively nowhere near in the game until the very end.

Hey, wait, this is like, 35% baseball at most.

It's 5-0 Angels as we start the 9th, and the stills from the game indicate just how intense the A's offensive attack has been tonight.

Despite 9 Ks from Gio through 5 IP (tying a career high), it's 4-0 Red People halfway home courtesy of a Juan Rivera ball that cleared the fence by less than the amount of fingernail it takes to scratch the blackboard of my very soul.  Biff Clankington has also chimed in on my last nerve with an errant throw home allowing Kendry Morales, pictured above at Sea World Anaheim, to steal home even though he makes Bengie Molina seem like Lou Brock.

They sold their souls for rock-n-roll first-to-third.

Hello again, RISP-lets of the GDParadigm, and welcome one and all to the final homestand of 2009, as the Athletics, fresh from getting their asses kicked through the goalposts of Hell in Seattle, return home for One More Red Nightmare against the AL West Champion (getting sick of saying that yet? I know I am. I hope Billy Beane and David Forst are.) Angels.  The A's send Gio Gonzalez (6-6//5.73) up against Jered Weaver (15-8//3.84) in a rematch of last Friday's boogie-down, which saw Gio prevail 3-0, striking out 7 and walking merely one in 6 1/3 innings of sparkly quicktoss.  If Oakland can sweep 3 this weekend they will take the season series from the Halos, who currently hold a 9-7 advantage.

6 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 24, 5'11", 185 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes.  Holla.

The Athletics' train kept a-rollin' as Gio "Long Time" Gonzalez turned in a most masterful performance, with Michael Wuertz striking out the side in the 8th for an even 100 Ks on the season.  Andrew "The Old" Bailey lowered the gavel on the punchless Angels in the 9th for his 26th (and 21st consecutive!!!!) save, so an ongoing A's rookie record, well, goes on.  Rajai Davis continued hotter than the temperature of the core of the sun, squared, with a double to extend his career-high hit streak to a lucky 13.

Thusfar it's Kennedy, not Kendrick or Kendry, taking the helm -- Adam is taking it to his former team on both sides of the ball and despite the best CF efforts of Torii Hunter, gatherer (and with a niiiice two-out knock from Daric Barton) we're 2-0 A's with Gio sailing beautifully along through 5 1/2.

You can't lose the car if you park right next to this thing.

Salutations faithful parishioners of the Church of Latter-Day OPS, it's me!  Your host the emp of hemp, welcoming you to the opener of the final Athletics roadie of 2009, beginning deep in the heart of Orange County against those hated Halos of Helltown.  The A's (73-80) are among the hottest teams in MLB, having just completed a 6-2 homestand which was preceded by a 6-2 road trip.  The Angels (90-62) have all but bagged the AL West and if you could see the inner landscape of Mike Scioscia's mind right now, you'd hear him wondering how to keep his team in the playoffs for more than a week this time around.

Tonight's stars enjoy a little friendly "whose hand is bigger?" competition, remembering of course it's not the size of the mitt, but how you call the game.

The Swingin', Pitchin', Runnin', Streakin' A's undressed Cleveland starter Justin "from my hand to your bat" Masterson in a 4-run 3rd, punctuated by a Kurt Suzuki three-run HR.  And Thursday makes Four in a row for Oakland, quietly putting together another more-than-respectable second half here in the Days of Oughty-Nine.

As we turn unperturbed to the last third of our Thursday excursion -- the Mastersons vs. the Mortensens -- Kurt has hurt the inert Tribe with a 3-run blurt, part of a murderous 4-run spurt in the third.  Add a Sweeney Squirt in the first and we are 5-2 two thirds immersed.

Word.