Losing Sucks, But It's Best To Remove Hope First

by louismg on May 29, 2008 3:37 PM PDT Comment 29 comments

Remember that feeling of frustration yesterday, when the A's took a well-pitched 1-1 game and gave it away in the 9th? Remember how much it hurts to see another team come back after we had the lead and steal the game away from us? Compared to those pains we know all too well, today's 12-0 shellacking at the hand of the Blue Jays is a regular walk in the park. The A's got behind early, and saw Toronto score in five consecutive innings, from the 2nd to the 6th, while our offense, with the exception of Jack Hannahan's wasted 3-4, did absolutely nothing.

The way I see it is if you're going to lose, do it in style. Don't even try and waste a few runs scored by your offense here and there. It's best to hold on to them and wait for a closer contest. And today's game is best never talked about again.

Following a stellar complete game 9-1 win against the Rays last week, Eveland was nowhere near his best today. In fact, today's start, lasting 4 1/3 innings, was his shortest on the season, on top of allowing 7 runs and 11 hits. His ERA, a sparkling 2.90 before the contest, now sits three-quarters of a point higher, at 3.66.

And it's not as if his replacement was all that much better. Relieving Eveland in the 5th, Dallas Braden walked four in 2 and 2/3 innings, including back to back batters in the fifth, forcing in a run, before forcing a double play. But by then it was 7-0, and the Blue Jays got runners on in each of the first 7 innings.

If that weren't enough, by the time it was 10-0 in the 9th, Shannon Stewart got some revenge on his old ball club, tattooing a 2-run homer, making it 12-0. Now, with the wheels completely off, Jack Cust reminded us why he is a great DH and muffed a play in the outfield. If there's any positive spin to be made of that, it's that by then the game was clearly no longer in doubt.

So... after sweeping the Red Sox, and winning 5 straight through Tuesday, the A's have now turned. They lost the last two games in the three-game set to the Blue Jays, and got smashed today. Thomas landed on the Disabled List, and an 0-4 performance by Eric Chavez in his season debut didn't exactly remind us of puppies and daffodils.

With this loss behind them, the A's pack up and ship out to Arlington, where they'll face Ron Washington and the Texas Rangers for a quick three-game set, returning home Monday to face the Tigers.

0 recs | Comment 29 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Your 2008 Oakland A's

Feast or famine

by easyraider on May 29, 2008 3:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

# of A's in the starting lineup with >.705 OPS

1….Jack Cust. We need more offense. Period. I’ll take even worse defense and put Cust in RF just to get a bat like, I don’t know, Bonds in the lineup. Past that, I’ll take a trade. Dunn for some pitching? Or my ultimate blockbuster: McCann for Barton, Suzuki, Street, and Blanton.

"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton

by vignette17 on May 29, 2008 3:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

on the trade

um…no…

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on May 29, 2008 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It would never go through, Frank Wren would put the phone down thinking it's a prank call.

by OldhamA on May 30, 2008 3:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was pretty funny

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site
jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on May 29, 2008 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolute Garbage again

Our line up stunk, Evel Kni-eveland sucked and Wedgie Braden needs to be ejected back into AAA ball.

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on May 29, 2008 3:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Or nothing should be done on the basis of one lousy game

http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/

by thejd44 on May 30, 2008 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still love Eveland despite the bomb

but Braden has gotta go, because you know it is more than one game for him.

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on May 30, 2008 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Braden is a waste of valuable roster space

without his screwball he inefective to say the least.

Eveland will be fine. I think he had too much rest and those shots off him did not help

by Trainman on May 30, 2008 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm disappointed in Chavez

No meaningless HR late in the game? Come on.

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site
jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on May 29, 2008 4:18 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

that hilarious...

and sad cuz i got the joke.

by inbillywetrust on May 29, 2008 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

luckily, i can just read about this

and did not have to suffer through it.

alaska A

by ak_A on May 29, 2008 4:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was there, I sufffered mightily

C’mon, Dana, think of the children!!

Around 1345, section 121, upper rows. If you were there and heard it, well, that was me.

{it was a promotional day and the second deck was full of kids.]

by paradox on May 30, 2008 6:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just breathe

I have to remember that we were supposed to suck this bad in every game for the whole season (according to the preseason those-in-the-know).

Let’s mess with Texas!!

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on May 29, 2008 4:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

the A's website was desperate for A's highlights

they have a non-rbi triple and a routine double play for highlights. Sucky game but yay Chavez.

You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}

by micdog2001 on May 29, 2008 5:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was at this game...

It was the worst game I have ever attended: Barton was horrible. Our piitchers could not get anyone out, and damn I missed Scutaro. Chavez does not look ready ,and do we just give up when we let Braden pitch, because that dude gets hit like no other. Terrible game to go to.

On the other hand, the weather was great.

by butler19 on May 29, 2008 6:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was there too

The best part was dinner after the game :)

Chavez hit one pretty hard in his last AB, just happened to go straight to right field.

Braden was like the sacrificial lamb out there.

Rajai Davis 2-out bunt when losing 7-0? WTF??

This might have been discussed on the game thread: in the 2nd inning, Eveland’s foot got nailed. Then he tried to chase the bounce, and fell flat on his face. He took a couple of walks around the mound and seemed okay. But after that, he never seemed to regain his composure. Hopefully that was the main reason for his craptasticness.

by phastphill on May 29, 2008 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

that should have said

“straight to the right fielder”. heh.

by phastphill on May 29, 2008 9:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, in the grand scheme of things

We’ll all sucked into oblivion or transformed into strange matter when the Large Hadron Collider starts smashing particles in August. In that view, even a crushing blowout loss is still a wonderful thing.

I’m thinking Billy sells short at the July 31 trading deadline.

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 29, 2008 6:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I see you've opted for the radical hopectomy

Hope you got a second opinion.

I'm handy, but I've never built anything of consequence. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 29, 2008 7:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here we go again

I’m not happy about Chavez being reactivated. It’s too soon. I hoped the A’s would have learned their lesson by now. I suspect that within a few weeks, he’ll be back on the DL or ineffective with the obligatory I’m still not 100% but I’m working my through it interview soon to follow. Dammit! That’s what the rehab process is for! How many times do we have to go through this? (Kotsay, Dye, Jaha, McGwire, Lansford, Weiss…) Enough already! Have these guys show they’re back to 100% and able to play several consecutive games in the minors without falling apart before they’re put back on the active roster. A few partial games in the minors (mostly at DH) doesn’t cut it.

by Monday Fan on May 30, 2008 6:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Devil's advocate: Is DHing for Oakland

more taxing on the body than playing 3B for Sacramento?

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 May 30, 2008 8:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, but I'd rather he work out all the injury kinks in the minors - and come back

able to play third full time. Just a preference mind, I’d suspect Beane felt his hand was forced here.

by OldhamA on May 30, 2008 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What OldhamA said

I want Chavez to show he can play third base full-time for a week without breaking down before he’s activated. I want him healthy and in game shape when he arrives—not hobbling around at 75% where he’s less valuable to the team than Jack Hanahan. Much of his value is tied up in his ability to play third base. On a team with Jack Cust, he has little or no value as a DH. When Frank Thomas comes back, it’s even less. I think this move falls somewhere between panic and wishful thinking. I’d love for him to prove me wrong but the A’s history with injured players tells me this isn’t going to end well.

by Monday Fan on May 30, 2008 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

By the time Thomas is back, Chavez should be playing 3B full time.

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site
jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on May 30, 2008 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Losses like these happen

no big deal.

But, I’m annoyed that the A’s didn’t yank Eveland after he got hit on the wrist - his wrist! - by the first batter. I don’t care if he said he felt okay, this is how minor injuries turn into big injuries. I don’t understand the thinking to leave him out there.

by SportySpice on May 30, 2008 7:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Then again, I was incensed when they left Eveland in

that night when he “felt something pop” and it worked out ok. Then again again, you have Gaudin, DiNardo, and Braden in the pen right now – what better time for a starter to go 0+ innings? Bottom line: He must have said he was ok and maybe he was…his pitching begs to differ, but…eh.

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 May 30, 2008 8:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well we are going to the Texas launching pad, where rested pitchers are at a premium.

by theblackpearl on May 30, 2008 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A's lost 12-0 and go on the road, let's hope

for a reversal of the last 12-3 win vs Texas, after which the A’s went on the road and proceeded to not hit.

Barton is on track for the lowest Oakland BA for May ever recorded. 1968, some guy hit a few points lower.

There’s struggle, and then there is clueless struggle, IMO. Last September nothing was at stake, and no “book” was circulating on Barton. Now, with the A’s racking up wins regardless of the opponent, teams must try to get him out. They’ve got a decent book, and he’s not beating it. Barton’s consistency in AAA was never that good, and it portended IMO the kind of run we’re now seeing from Barton.

What will the Rays take to get DJ back? They’ve got him at Durham.

"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer

by One won lost won on May 30, 2008 10:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs