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Open Game Thread: Game 27 - A's at Anaheim

Oakland_tiny by Blez on

Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels


Here's a funny story.  I heard from someone at a party recently that Arte Moreno was at a party with the mayor of Anaheim and apparently the mayor of Anaheim snubbed poor Arte.  I don't know how true it is, but this person does have a job inside the Angels organization and I could see that the Anaheim mayor wouldn't exactly love the guy that refuses to carry the city name in front of their team.  I've actually met quite a few people down here in the OC who've said they've become Dodger fans because of that fateful decision.

Regardless, the A's take on their biggest rivals tonight and the team I dislike more than any other.  The A's have been able to hang with the Angels so far this season, to the surprise of many, myself included.  Obviously the Angels being without their two best starting pitchers in 2007 has a huge impact on the race so far.

The A's send Chad Gaudin to the hill.  He is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and he's looking more and more like the Gaudin from the early part of the year last year and not the obviously injured Gaudin from the second half 2007.  He will be opposed by Jon Garland, obtained from the White Sox from Orlando Cabrera this past offseason.  Garland is 3-2 with a 5.04 ERA. The A's have had good success against Garland in the past, dropping a 4.58 ERA against the green and gold.

This four-game series should tell us a lot about the A's and whether or not they truly measure up as AL West contenders or not.  Regardless of record, you can almost always count on a good game when these two teams clash.  I just want the good guys to come out on top.

The A's lineup facing Garland looks like this:

Suzuki
Ellis
Barton
Thomas
E Brown
Cust
Crosby
Hannahan
R Sweeney

I've been wrong about two things this year so far.  First, the fact that the A's have been so good so far (especially the starting pitching) and second, Emil Brown.  I didn't want to watch Emil Brown on a daily basis and wanted to see Carlos Gonzalez out there instead.  Well Brown can tell me to "suck it" because he's been really good, especially in being that stat-head hating term, clutch.  He's seemed to have a ton of big hits for the A's already this year, none bigger than the one he had against Felix Hernandez yesterday.  Thanks for proving me wrong so far, Emil.

The Angels lineup looks like this:

Figgins
Matthews
Guerrero
Kotchman
Hunter
Anderson
Quinlan
Napoli
Aybar

Watch out for Casey Kotchman tonight.  The guy has been a beast so far this year for the Angels.  He's made some really good strides at the plate this year and is a scary guy to face. 

It's co-division leaders going toe-to-toe.  Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

LET'S GO A'S!!!!!

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A's Game, or wait in line for GTA4?

I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with myself tonight.

MLBlackout.wordpress.com - Help put an end to MLB.tv blackouts

by HigherPie on Apr 28, 2008 6:39 PM PDT   0 recs

Go after the game

I’m not going to be able to play GTA IV until Thursday because I’m traveling this week. Ugh.

by Blez on Apr 28, 2008 6:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Okay, if you say so.

Here’s hoping for a 2-0 A’s win in 90 minutes!

by HigherPie on Apr 28, 2008 6:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The A's game.

Don’t be a geek.

by OldhamA on Apr 28, 2008 6:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Really?

Are there really people out there who think that video games are for geeks only? What is this 1986?

by Blez on Apr 28, 2008 7:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought EVERYONE under 35 played video games

< / out-of-touch geezer >

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 28, 2008 7:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

ack, community service night for me

so i can only fit in and hour plus of the start. and sigh, back to mlbtv on the mac.

alaska A

by ak_A on Apr 28, 2008 6:42 PM PDT   0 recs

come out to the north highway, i will

be wearing an orange jumpsuit with a large yellow trash bag…. we can talk, i will need a break. (bring come cigs).

alaska A

by ak_A on Apr 28, 2008 7:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Indeed.

My troubles with the law are long enough ago the statue of limitations have passed.

by MobiusKlein on Apr 28, 2008 7:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

YES!

I have no way to watch the game becasue it is not televised in Sacramento!

Eveland rocks! Eveland rocks! Somewhere Drew Carey just smiled.

by miggyk2 on Apr 28, 2008 6:46 PM PDT   0 recs

I despise this team...all of it...

MLBEI is only featuring the Angels feed for the next two days. This will be wretched, esp. when they feature closeups of Scosia’s fat face looking confused and disturbed that a pitch a foot off the plate isn’t called a ball. This has become a money shot in MLB broadcasts and it’s quickly lost all charm.

by coffee roaster on Apr 28, 2008 6:48 PM PDT   0 recs

Be happy you get to watch the game. The Angels announcers are so obnoxious. “Big Daddy Vlad and Big Bad John Lackey” Be prepared to hear that early and often.

Eveland rocks! Eveland rocks! Somewhere Drew Carey just smiled.

by miggyk2 on Apr 28, 2008 6:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought it was 'Big Bad Vladdy Daddy'.

Either way they’re terrible, but no worse than the Mariners broadcast team.

by OldhamA on Apr 28, 2008 6:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If you look at the stats

I was just looking at OPS, and no one on the A’s is above like .750 except Mike Sweeney, who’s Ops is .852. I think he deserves a little more love, maybe give him some more starts over Thomas/Cust.

www.baseballmachine.blogspot.com

by SwishMyNish33 on Apr 28, 2008 6:54 PM PDT   0 recs

We need to let Frank and Cust play to try and get them rolling. Especially Frank because he is a beast.

Eveland rocks! Eveland rocks! Somewhere Drew Carey just smiled.

by miggyk2 on Apr 28, 2008 6:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

MSweeney isn't in the starting lineup tonight

and three who are, are hitting below the Mendoza line: Thomas, Cust, and Hannahan

by OaklandSi on Apr 28, 2008 6:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well Sweeney can’t play third, but I do see why one would be upset that Sweeney isn’t in the lineup. Should he play over Barton?

Eveland rocks! Eveland rocks! Somewhere Drew Carey just smiled.

by miggyk2 on Apr 28, 2008 7:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

no

no

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's not really a fair argument.

Sweeney can either DH or “play” first base. So the argument isn’t Sweeney vs. Cust or Sweeney vs. Hannahan, it’s Sweeney vs. Frank.

I’d take Frank every time. (Also, Barton every time at 1st).

by HigherPie on Apr 28, 2008 7:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

well hannahan we have to deal with

cause its either him or donnie murphy, i really don’t care which, they both are very below average
but player’s are streaky, I’m a fan of riding out hot streaks and limiting the effects of cold ones, instead of trying to blast through them with playing time

www.baseballmachine.blogspot.com

by SwishMyNish33 on Apr 28, 2008 7:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

OAKLANDATHLETICS.COM

Has the A’s still playing the Mariners in the headline. I hope the results are the same

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 6:56 PM PDT   0 recs

Following up our airplane talk from last night...

The Angels charter landed at 2:03 a.m. this morning. Unfortunately for them, it landed out in Ontario. Both Orange County and Long Beach have noise curfews.

The A’s landed at Long Beach at 7:58 p.m. last night.

by Soaker on Apr 28, 2008 6:56 PM PDT   0 recs

Not being a Californian, I had to check whether you'd gone

crazy! Turns out there’s two Ontario’s on the same continent. Go figure. ;)

by OldhamA on Apr 28, 2008 6:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Being a Californian......

I still would have had to check, but I just figured.

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:00 PM PDT   0 recs

KICU'S intro music

...is so epic.

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:00 PM PDT   0 recs

I'm so high on flooring glue right now.

All right! Let’s go Oakland!
Woof.

Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa. -Field of Dreams

by IowaA'sFan on Apr 28, 2008 7:01 PM PDT   0 recs

These are the games I live for

I know its April but I hate the Angels with a passion. One of the luckiest teams I have ever seen.

by asfaninpismobeach on Apr 28, 2008 7:01 PM PDT   0 recs

Tool + Homer

= Tumor?

Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa. -Field of Dreams

by IowaA'sFan on Apr 28, 2008 7:04 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yea and I have to listen to his crap all game......

Big Daddy Vlady and all that bull about “from his nose to his toes, vladdy goes”

I hate that guy!!

by 0akFoSho on Apr 28, 2008 7:04 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

YAAAY LETS GO A’s!!!!!!!!!!

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:03 PM PDT   0 recs

I’m happy I can actually sit here and watch a whole game and be on AN with everyone!

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well damn....

A’s/Angels, and Extra Innings is all spastic!

by jonahbartlett on Apr 28, 2008 7:05 PM PDT   0 recs

Nah.....

but I would put my bet on this being a one run ballgame…..

by 0akFoSho on Apr 28, 2008 7:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

mute the game

and turn on gameday audio.

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:05 PM PDT   0 recs

Aww Frank Thomas I’m so happy he’s back on the team.

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:07 PM PDT   0 recs

KICU gave the Bay Area viewers a newscast first

Which was actually pretty good, as commercial TV news goes, but not very welcome when you want to get right to the game. But we did get to see the clip of Felix having a temper tantrum in the dugout, which was fun.

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on Apr 28, 2008 7:07 PM PDT   0 recs

Jon Garland is too hot to be on the Angels. :(

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:08 PM PDT   0 recs

yeah

hopefully he’ll be too hot to be in the dugout by the 4th inning

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:09 PM PDT   0 recs

green jerseys again?

is anyone else tired of seeing the green jerseys?

by long lost bash brother on Apr 28, 2008 7:09 PM PDT   0 recs

I love the green.

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

they can go out there in pink ones

if they keep winning

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I definitely prefer the grey

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 28, 2008 7:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

the a's colors

are green and gold

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yup

I don’t favor the dark tops with light pants. Too softball.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 28, 2008 7:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

MaEl!

Bang a fence!

by paradox on Apr 28, 2008 7:10 PM PDT   0 recs

::waits for the A’s never bunt commentary::

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:10 PM PDT   0 recs

Those are some ugly giveaway hats

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 28, 2008 7:11 PM PDT   0 recs

those are some ugly fans in those giveaway hats

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on Apr 28, 2008 7:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Indeed

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 28, 2008 7:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Why is Figgins starting at 2B?

If only Frank could run, I’d love to see him on first when Figgins tries to turn 2!

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 28, 2008 7:11 PM PDT   0 recs

I believe they said Izturis has back spasms.

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah! Let’s go A’s!

by drmmerchk on Apr 28, 2008 7:12 PM PDT   0 recs

ESPN sez Zito being sent to the bullpen

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 28, 2008 7:14 PM PDT   0 recs