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Two-Touchdown Curse Fells A's

Goat_tiny by Nico on

Greg Smith's 8 innings of 3 hit ball went to no avail as the Angels parlayed two third-inning runs into an LAA win - and a complete game loss for Smith. Final Score: Angels 2, A's 0.

Teams should know better than to flaunt 14 runs in front of the baseball gods - the shutout the next day is practically inevitable. Make no mistake, though, Joe Saunders earned this win with 8 outstanding innings of pitching. That's what we saw on display tonight: Two guys who aren't throwers, they're pitchers. If we can try to remember that once upon a time, we would have been happy to end an evening 17-11, we can be further encouraged at the future of an A's team that saw yet another example of Smith's readiness for prime time.

Smith was only the second best young lefty on display thanks to one problematic inning, in which the Angels scored the games only two runs. A leadoff walk to the #9 hitter, Brandon Wood, was the first mistake, and then following a Figgins double, a wild pitch with runners at second and third and nobody out was huge. It not only plated the first run, but it put Figgins, not Wood, at third base, where Figgins scored on a grounder to third with the infield in - Figgins is surely one of the few runners who scores on that play, in which Donnie Murphy wisely threw to first rather than throw into the runner.

You wonder what would have happened had Smith not uncorked the wild pitch. Realistically, at best the A's probably play on into the 10th 0-0 because from Saunders' excellence to a series of "at 'em" balls, to Barton's drive of K-Rod to the deepest part of the ballpark, to Ellis' and Thomas' 9th inning shots "...juuuuuuust foul" the A's were not meant to score tonight. Stupid 14 runs.

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At least Smith didn't bock

the go ahead run in like Lincecum did tonight

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

by miggyk2 on Apr 29, 2008 9:33 PM PDT   0 recs

Bock?

Lince-chicken?

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 10:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Buck, Buck Bokai

 

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on Apr 29, 2008 11:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Buckbeak?

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Apr 30, 2008 9:34 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

i'm pretty sure they will split this series

that’s just how the A’s vs. Angels series are!

i have been very impressed with g. smith! too bad he got stuck with a loss. there will be tough decisions to make when/ if harden comes back!

i forgot how much i hate f-rod!!

i miss scutaro!

Frank Thomas said he got a text from former A’s infielder Marco Scutaro, who was also his teammate in Toronto, that said, “Oh my goodness … a triple?”

i like rajai! he is fast.

“I’m just in a good place,” he said before batting practice. “My body feels great, and I have a great opportunity here.”

He’s particularly digging the famously loose atmosphere in the A’s clubhouse, where seriousness typically takes a back seat to frivolity until it’s time to hit the field.

“It is a relaxed environment,” Davis said, “and that allows players to go out and do what they do best. Some places, there’s pressure, but it doesn’t feel like that here. It seems like guys are just happy and motivated.”

Davis is one of the more subdued members of this fairly boisterous A’s team; manager Bob Geren called him a “very quiet guy.” But when asked if he liked wearing Oakland’s white shoes, Davis perked up.

“I used to wear white shoes in high school,” he said with a big smile. “They make you look faster.”

""These guys are a different breed of ballclub." - Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on the A's

by gotgreen on Apr 29, 2008 9:37 PM PDT   0 recs

Serious awwww.
"I used to wear white shoes in high school," he said with a big smile. "They make you look faster."

The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."

by pam5981 on Apr 29, 2008 9:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It was just about the cuteness factor.

The boy can run, for sure.

The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."

by pam5981 on Apr 30, 2008 10:46 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Saunders Was Great After the Third Inning

I thought the A’s had a lot of good ABs in the first few innings, hit a bunch of balls hard into the outfield and were right on a lot of pitchers than Saunders drifted into the middle of the plate. How Frank missed those two waist high fastballs right down the pipe … not something you see very often.

After that Saunders just kept hitting the outside third of the plate, pitch after pitch, and it seemed like every A went up there trying to pull a home run to left. Saunders was good but the A’s approach up there kind of sucked.

by solotar on Apr 29, 2008 9:40 PM PDT   0 recs

Don't blame the 14 runs

The 14 runs was sweet.

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on Apr 29, 2008 9:55 PM PDT   0 recs

I simply don't understand not PHing Cust for Brown in the 9th

Inexplicable non-move by Geren. All of Brown’s strengths pretty much negated (and weaknesses exacerbated) by the matchup and the situation (and vice versa for Cust).

For that matter, I’d have felt better with Cust PHing for Crosby, and letting Murph hit (or PHing Hannahan for Murph should Cust/Cros get on).

That said—hell of a game pitched by both Smith and Saunders. And that was a really nice play by Aybar at the end.

Oh, yeah—and Crosby continues to creeeeeeeeeep away from the plate.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 29, 2008 9:56 PM PDT   0 recs

I agree about Brown-KRod being a terrible matchup,

but my choice probably would have been to let Mike Sweeney bat and use Barton for Brown. I would expect a Cust-KRod matchup to result in KRod dropping a breaking ball in for a called third strike. KRod doesn’t throw his breaking ball for strikes much because he doesn’t have to – but if he wants to, I think he can. He sure couldn’t locate his fastball though – and he wasn’t throwing hard either.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 29, 2008 10:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If Cust had PH he most likely would have walked

Because Cust would not have swung at the breaking stuff and if Frankie had thrown an outside fastball Cust may have been able to hit one out

Who Knows but they looked off balance all night.

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 10:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

they did indeed

Could be that nothing would have mattered, PH-wise.

My main thinking was that dor-K looked so awful, mechanics- and control-wise (he fell off the mound on his follow-through, what, three times in the 9th?) that the best option might have been to just let him walk as many people as possible, and only swing after 4-5 pitches.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 10:06 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

yes

Which, again, is why Emil isn’t especially well suited to bat against dor-K.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 12:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

so, too, was Mark Ellis

Beane has a talent for finding guys he wants and hoodwinking other GMs into considering them throw-ins.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 12:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I wouldn't have ph for Brown

I trust him a lot more than Crosby and Murphy there. They are equally bad on those sliders, but Brown has a much better chance to hit a fastball.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 29, 2008 10:08 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And it's hard to see Cust hitting a HR there,

so you’re really hoping for a BB, but then you have Crosby and Murphy coming up who are bad matchups (though I guess you go to Hannahan.)

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 29, 2008 10:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The one I trust most, of all the righties, is M. Sweeney

I would have been fine sending Ellis, Sweeney, Thomas, Barton up, then Cust if we got that far. But honestly, between Brown and Cust against KRod it’s just “pick your poison” because neither is a great bet.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 29, 2008 10:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How can you PH for him when

he has driven in loads or runs for us. That would have been a smack in the face for someone who has driven in 25 runs. If he had an 0-10 against Frankie then Yes but 0-4 with 2 K’s, let him hit

He did look awful on those swings but you have to give him the chance

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 10:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Letting Brown hit was "paying for past performance"

You think he’ll drive in 25 more in May? My guess is he’ll OBP .300 against RHP the rest of the year. He had a great month; Cust had a lousy month. That tells you what they did, not what you can expect them to do.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 29, 2008 10:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I agree that he is not going to

drive in 25 next month.

K-Rod is more susceptible to LH hitters as well.

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 10:17 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

but Emil's far likelier to make an out

And with one out already, and Brown likelier (though not by a lot) to GIDP than Cust …

Plus, as I mentioned above, dor-K’s mechanics and control sucked. What was needed was patience, not slapping at the first couple of pitches.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 10:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Creep?

He couldn’t have hit the outside corner swinging a caber in that last at-bat.

I really (really really really really) hope someone’s shortstop suffers a season-ending injury very soon, before Crosby’s numbers collapse down to their usual awfulness.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 10:25 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

and, boy, are they gonna

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

by monkeyball on Apr 29, 2008 10:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought a caber was

one of those little nasty pea-looking things some evil folks put in salads.

"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM

by Elvez on Apr 29, 2008 10:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

No, it's one of those big nasty tree-looking things

wielded by Scotsmen.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 10:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

So that's why they wear kilts.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Apr 30, 2008 9:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You're thinking of kapers.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Apr 30, 2008 9:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm thinking of capers and cabers...

...and that’s why Scottish baseball sucks so hard.

I bet that even Frank Thomas couldn’t hit a caper with a caber.

No wonder Kieran McGarnigle led the league last year with a .063 OPS…

"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel

by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 30, 2008 9:53 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How does that explain Scotland's ineptness in every

sporting discipline…....well except Curling. ;)

by OldhamA on Apr 30, 2008 10:13 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

you're thinking of tapirs

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 10:03 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought

that I would be the only person to advocate pinch-hitting Cust for Brown there.

Hitting 4-something with RISP, second in the league in RBIs, blah blah blah … Brown looked overmatched in that AB, and predictably so.

But the sad fact is, managers are just too afraid of being second-guessed to ever pull a player on a hot streak for one who is struggling.

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on Apr 30, 2008 10:44 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

your Cust-love is more rational and empirical than mine; my advocacy was pretty predictable

That said, I do think it’s likely, as Trainman and others have argued, that Cust would have been just as overmatched (tangent: if that happens to a batter facing KC’s highest-paid P, is the batter said to be “overmeched”?)—but Cust would have been more able and likely to draw a walk/avoid an out.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 12:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

So...

It’s not gonna be Adenhart? I fear the time when we have to face Lackey, Santana, Saunders, and Adenhart in a 4-Game Series.

by Colorado Fan on Apr 29, 2008 10:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Adenhart would only have 3 days rest

according to the Anaheim announcers so they are pretty sure it won’t be him

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 10:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Adenhart has actually sucked this year

which sounds incredible given that he has like a 0.8 ERA, but his peripherals are more like that of a guy with a 5.8 ERA.

I was distinctly hoping that they’d call him up for this series. No luck though.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 10:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not me

I’ve listened to a couple pre-season games he’s pitched vs. The A’s, and he’s gone about 10 IP, 2 HIts, 1 BB, 9 K.

As for peripherals, it sounds like he’s walked a lot of people? People aren’t getting hits off him… I wonder if he’s working on some things???

by Colorado Fan on Apr 30, 2008 12:02 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can't have it both ways

Either his stats from this year are worthless, or they’re indicative that he’s got issues. He’s not striking very many hitters out, either.

He might be good eventually but right now the A’s patient approach would eat him alive.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 12:10 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Inches-foul shot down the line notwithstanding...

Frank needs to put some better wood on the ball. Walks and big smiles are nice and all, but down two runs in the bottom of the ninth with one out, runner on…
I don’t know, my faith in Frank is still strong. I’m trying to keep it up at least until mid-May.

"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM

by Elvez on Apr 29, 2008 10:01 PM PDT   0 recs

He had a good AB, though

And before we feel too snakebit on bad luck, remember Vlad nearly made it 2-0 in the first. Still, between Ellis, Barton, and Thomas, we sure did a lot right for no result. :-(

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 29, 2008 10:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I could've sworn that ball was fair on the replays too...

Prince: This bores me. Is anyone up for a game of basketball?

by baseb3383 on Apr 29, 2008 10:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Vlad or Thomas?

They never showed a replay of Thomas’ on my telecast (Channel 36), which was odd.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 29, 2008 10:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

They showed it on Fox down here

It was 2 inches off the chalk. I watched the replay a couple of times.

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 10:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Maybe

I’ve seen that ball called fair before, since it’s where the ball went over the bag, and not where it landed after going over the bag.

by Colorado Fan on Apr 29, 2008 10:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Exactly

If it goes over the bag and it hit the ground beforehand in fair territory, it’s a fair ball

Prince: This bores me. Is anyone up for a game of basketball?

by baseb3383 on Apr 29, 2008 10:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I just watched the replay again

it crossed foul just before the bag on inches.

Close but unfortunate it was the right call

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 10:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

After reading the comments from Frank

I went back and looked at it again in slow motion and maybe it was not the right call.

It did catch the outer portion of the bag on the way over so where the hell is instant replaywhen you need it.

Oh well, the game is over so gotta win tomorrow

by Trainman on Apr 29, 2008 11:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Thems the brakes

We won a game last year when Crosby hit one “over the bag”.

by Colorado Fan on Apr 30, 2008 12:04 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

But what is the difference?

Runners at 1st and 3rd? maybe? I guess then davis could have pinch runs and….oh yeah.

by Future Ed on Apr 30, 2008 9:20 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hmm, I would have called that fortunate, not unfortunate

It would have been unfortunate if the ball was fair and they called it wrong.

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on Apr 29, 2008 11:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The ball landed in foul territory

There’s no way that should ever be called fair.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2008 12:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

doesn't matter where it lands if it was fair in the IF

Several guys @ HH have been saying they think the Angels caught a break on a bad call.

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

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 12:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

(cough) Bullshit (cough)

Get ready to learn up.

From MLB.com

A FAIR BALL is a batted ball that settles on fair ground between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that is on or over fair territory when bounding to the outfield past first or third base, or that touches first, second or third base, or that first falls on fair territory on or beyond first base or third base, or that, while on or over fair territory touches the person of an umpire or player, or that, while over fair territory, passes out of the playing field in flight.

Damn, I would have thought a “Manager” on AN would atleast know the basic rules of baseball.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2008 1:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

"Or that is on or over fair territory when bounding to the outfield past first or third base"

If the ball bounces in fair territory, passes over third base in the air, and lands on the next bounce in foul territory, it is a fair ball.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 2:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yes it has to bounce.

If I’m remembering correctly, the ball Frank hit flew over third and first touched the ground in foul territory.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2008 2:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Um, yes

Thomas’s ball bounced in fair territory like 3 times.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 2:08 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

What about homeruns that hook around the pole?

Batted balls have so much spin sometimes they hook in the air like a golf ball does. If a ball flies past the foul/fair pole on the fair side, but continues to hook and actually lands in what would otherwise be foul territory, that ball is (rightly) called a home run.

If the ball flies past third (or first) base on the fair side, but then continues to hook and actually lands in foul territory, that ball is (again, rightly) called a hit.

"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM

by Elvez on Apr 30, 2008 12:30 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

See the above post.
while over fair territory, passes out of the playing field in flight.

That takes care of your homeruns that hook foul past the pole.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2008 2:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought I saw a replay on 36

but it didn’t reallly show evidence either way

by OaklandSi on Apr 30, 2008 9:19 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I got home not that long ago, seriously the longest it’s ever taken me to get out of that parking lot. I also think this was the first game I didn’t hear ANY shit from Angels fans the whole time. I think they probably knew I’d mention yesterday’s drubbing and the fact that we’re still in first place too, so they didn’t bother.

This game was a disappointment to me. I was hoping they’d at least get a few runs after yesterdays onslaught, but of course they get 0. I was also disappointed that the Angels runs came because of the WP (I couldn’t tell if it was a passed ball or a wp from my seat but it sucked either way)... but I guess that’s what happens when you have both pitchers going so well. It’s the lucky/bad breaks that make the game. F-Rod is an overrated chump and I wish we could have given him a loss tonight.

I’m hoping tomorrow will be much better!

by drmmerchk on Apr 29, 2008 10:37 PM PDT   0 recs

Beautiful.

That was a HOF recap. Maybe all of that creativity comes from dispair. An abismal GM, and over-paid, under-producing line-up, the Bedard trade coming around and biting you in the ass (See: Sherrill & Jones), the Jojima extension…..

"RIP: UserID: 517"

by Masaryk on Apr 30, 2008 6:15 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That was awesome.

I laughed so hard I think a little pee came out.

by mikev on Apr 30, 2008 8:17 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Particularly when the Angels announcers

are on mlbtv and before the final out, if we are loosing, I have a hair trigger to click off so as not to hear them cock-ah-doodle-doo about the win.

alaska A

by ak_A on Apr 30, 2008 6:48 AM PDT   0 recs

blame it on the super line-up

the karma was jacked when the “super line-up” was tabbed (4/24). Since then the super line-up hasn’t scored a run in 15 innings, not to mention piled up a massive 5 hits. Lets not get too excited the next time we tag a pitcher destined for a minor league rehab assignment. We all should know this team will not hit over the course of the year. We need to keep pitching well, play better D, and somehow keep hitting with RISP to be a factor later in the year.

by KCB58 on Apr 30, 2008 9:05 AM PDT   0 recs

had Smith not uncorked the wild pitch

I think the Angels still would have scored at least one run in that inning. Figgins hit a double with a man on first, so there were runners on second and third before that wild pitch. I’ve no doubt that the Angels would have gotten in at least one run that inning…and the Angels would have won the game anyway.

by OaklandSi on Apr 30, 2008 9:17 AM PDT   0 recs

Is it anecdotal

that super control pitchers overperform againts the A’s line ups? Carlos silva and the Saunders just seem to do well.

by Future Ed on Apr 30, 2008 9:19 AM PDT   0 recs

Well, let's see

Super power pitchers do well against the A’s (Hernandez).

Super strikeout pitchers do well against the A’s (Bedard).

Super control pitchers do well against the A’s (Silva/Saunders)

Super inconsistent semi-prospects with weird home/road splits do well against the A’s (Santana)

I think at some point, you just have to chalk it up to luck and/or personal comfort zones. CC Sabathia is, by any reasonable definition, a super control pitcher. (He walked like 3 batters last season.) But he’s utter jank against the A’s.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 9:35 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

you're right

blow up the team. things much change. we are all going to die.

by Future Ed on Apr 30, 2008 9:49 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs