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Emil Brown Is God; A's Win 2-1 in 10 Innings

The A's win against the O's tonight 2-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning on Emil Brown's RBI single to center field.  The game went to the 10th inning on a blown save from Huston Street after a brilliantly pitched game by A's starter Dana Eveland.

So on a night when two MLB Davids faced off against one another, it was the guy that many A's fans didn't even want on the team in the first place who was the star of the game offensively.  Emil Brown scored the run to give the A's the lead and more importantly, wound up with the big single to plate Daric Barton to win the game for the A's.

This game was amazing in many ways and it's sad that so few people are showing up to watch this team play baseball.  They say baseball can be a game of inches, well consider all that happened this evening and dare to argue otherwise:

  • Early in the game, both Mike Sweeney and Frank Thomas both looked like they hit home runs but the heavy Oakland night air knocked both balls down.
  • Jack Cust got four strikes in an at-bat on a mistake by home plate umpire Ed Hickox, who also had one of those wild, completely unpredictable strike zones that led to Mark Ellis nearly being thrown out for arguing a called third strike (Bob Geren jumped in and saved Ellis from being tossed by a millisecond).
  • In the seventh inning, Emil Brown just barely avoided getting doubled off second base on a Crosby fly out to center field.  He wound up scoring the only run for the A's in the first nine innings on two infield hits by Jack Hannahan and Rajai Davis.
  • The top of the eighth the Orioles came so close to tying the game but an excellent play by Ryan Sweeney calling off Mark Ellis on a pop up that would've scored Adam Jones from third had Ellis caught it while moving back into the outfield.  Nick Markakis then grounded to Crosby to end the Orioles threat.  The infield hit by Payton that inning was questionable as to whether Payton was safe or not.  But as I said, this was a game of inches.
  • Ramon Hernandez wound up tying the game for the Orioles in the top of the ninth with a ball to Bobby Crosby that could've possibly gone home had Kurt Suzuki stepped out from behind the plate and given Croz that option.  For some reason, Kurt seemed to concede that run. 
  • In the bottom of the ninth, Brown nearly had another A's infield hit to lead off the inning when a ball rolled up the third base line and rolled foul by less than an inch and stopped.  Brown still walked, but the A's couldn't get him home.

You could not ask for better pitching from Dana Eveland than the A's got tonight.  The guy pitched brilliantly, rebounding from his tough outing against the Angels.  He was great in pounding the zone and working the home plate umpire's wild zone.  It's too bad that it was all for nothing.

The A's pen was once again great tonight, outside of Street and like I said in the comments, I thought Huston had a couple of bogus calls against him in the Melvin Mora AB, which turned into the tying run.  Street looked like he hit the outside corner on Mora twice but didn't get the call and that's when you could tell that both him and Suzuki were trying to figure out what to throw.  Street isn't the overpowering guy that some closers are and he needs that outside corner in order to be effective.

But Eveland, Devine, Embree and Brown were all good enough tonight to get the A's the win thanks to a little help from Clutchy McClutch (Emil).

By the way, I've got to admit that I got a few goosebumps in watching Chad Bradford strike out Daric Barton with that frisbee slider of his.  It reminded me of good times in the green and gold and he was always one of my very favorite A's pitchers back in the day.  It's one of the few moments that I've ever smiled when an A's player struck out.

The A's super duper funkalicious all-righty lineup wasn't nearly as interesting as I had hoped as Garrett Olson kept them pretty much off balance all night.  He kind of reminded me of hybrid of Greg Smith and Young Barry Zito (not the abomination that pitches for the Giants now).  He's a tough good young pitcher.  But I'm not sure how effective this all righty lineup is.  They don't seem to be fairing all that well against lefties.  Or at least as good as I'd like.

Ultimately, in a matchup of two Davids, it was fitting that Emil Brown, ManGod, was the one who chucked the heaviest stone.

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agreed on the bradford point

my dad and i both were talking about times of old when he struck out barton there. great guy, classy to a fault and never wanted the spotlight.

"It's not my fault your team's so shitty." -Steve Friend, head coach, Chabot College, to Laney College's head coach, who asked why we scored so many runs after we beat Laney 30-3 in 2006

by flipgatey3 on May 5, 2008 10:50 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

ouch

"It's not my fault your team's so shitty." -Steve Friend, head coach, Chabot College, to Laney College's head coach, who asked why we scored so many runs after we beat Laney 30-3 in 2006

by flipgatey3 on May 7, 2008 3:43 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Good Report

I hope some of the Brown-Embree naysayers—and even those who thought Eveland was a DL possiblity to make room for Harden—can see the light a bit clearly after tonight.

And while i didn’t see the game, from your description of Street’s strike zone, I won’t rag on him that much—he did a pretty darn good job of limiting the damage.

Still waiting for The Big to begin Hurting, but apparently he might have gone yard in the daytime tonight—if that makes any sense.

Bottom line is that we are one of only three teams in the AL substantially over .500—and that’s a nice place to be.

by madmongoose on May 5, 2008 10:52 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

Endless debate topics:

Emil Brown is/isn’t clutch
Street sucks/doesn’t suck
Discuss. Until the Armageddon.

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

by IowaA'sFan on May 5, 2008 10:54 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

He is our best position player by a lot

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 5, 2008 11:05 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Agree - even when slumping he is a plus

Guys go 3/30 for stretches, looking clueless as they do it. It’s not a big deal – Ellis will get hot, and in any event he’ll help us when he’s cold as well as when he’s hot. He’s the least of my concerns.

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 5, 2008 11:08 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

FWIW

He’s -2 runs with the bat so far this season by BRAA. It’s questionable how much to trust BP’s fielding metric, but it has him at a ridiculous (given this point in the season) 7 runs above average with the glove.

In deference to Nico, I am not allowed to express any opinions about the above facts…

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on May 5, 2008 11:19 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

What does FWIW mean?

I always see it but I really don’t know.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:25 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

For what it's worth

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on May 5, 2008 11:27 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Oh Thank You!

It was driving me crazy.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:29 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

FWIW

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 5, 2008 11:29 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

The way I see it?

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

by oblique on May 5, 2008 11:39 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Ok that's a good one.

IMO works just as well though, IMO.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:41 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

TWISI (pronounced Tweezy) would replace IMO

with “The way I see it” and then go on into a Snoop Dogg-esque biased rant

ex. “TWISI, Emeezy Breezy is so Cleezy!!”

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 5, 2008 11:40 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

qotm

Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb

by FoolshGame22 on May 5, 2008 11:41 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Huh?

Too old to get that.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:42 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

You mean

it’s the cat’s meow?

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:43 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Closer to "the bee's knees"

But you get the idea.

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:44 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Outta sight.

That’s what we said in the 70’s.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:48 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I only wish I was there...

or even a figment of somebody’s imagination

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 5, 2008 11:53 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

You missed out.

How old are you dtownmbrown? Yeah, I am nosy like that.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:56 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

22

My first (happy) A’s memories are of the Bay Bridge series and listening to MC Hammer’s “You Can’t Touch This” with my older brother.

And, unfortunately, I remember staring at the screen, tears streaming down my face as Rickey and the boys walked off the field in shame after being taken out by the Big Red Machine when I was 5.

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 6, 2008 12:01 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Sorry to bring it up.

But hey I didn’t give up then and I’m still rootin for em.

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 6, 2008 12:04 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I cried too.

and You are younger than…my youngest daughter. She’s 23.

by IM4Oakgal on May 6, 2008 12:06 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Hence the perpendicular comprehension

of our respective forms of lingo

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 6, 2008 12:09 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Yeah but

I like it. I hear that kind of thing working at a school. But less than you might think.

by IM4Oakgal on May 6, 2008 12:11 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

the beauty of AN...

you can live vicariously through Oakgal’s memories.

Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb

by FoolshGame22 on May 5, 2008 11:56 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Not really

My memory gets worse every year. Sometimes I have trouble remembering the score after I get home from the game.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:58 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I like "marvy"

I’m still 75% sure no one ever actually said it, but I read it in Calvin and Hobbes so it has to be true.

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:50 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Hey!

I still say Marvy. It’s short for Marvelous.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:52 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

That's it, I'm bringing it back

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:56 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Back?

It never went out of style. ;-)

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:57 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

What about Boss?

Or was that the 80s?

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 5, 2008 11:58 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

That was later.

Dy-no-mite was popular though. From GOOD TIMES.

by IM4Oakgal on May 6, 2008 12:00 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Boss?

We used boss in the mid 70’s.

Enjoy the game

by DCinWC on May 6, 2008 8:57 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

That's totally copecetic

''Around the fifth inning of a night game, things get a little fuzzy. Double-vision sets in. Players begin turning orange.'' -Bruce Jenkins

by fridaynightfan on May 6, 2008 10:33 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Well, I wouldn't expect most to find humor in it

but I think some will and that’s good enough for me.

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 5, 2008 11:45 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I laughed

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 5, 2008 11:46 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Personally, I'm fond of IANAL

because it gives me carte blanche to offer opinions I need not substantiate.

(I Am Not A Lawyer…get your minds out of the gutter!)

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 6, 2008 8:52 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

The A's need to re-sign him for at least another 3 years

He’s the perfect quality veteran to lead the young guys by example for the foreseeable future.

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:23 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Ken Korach suggests 50, but 3 is fine too

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 5, 2008 11:23 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Is / Doesn't

Hey I’m in a good mood after a walk-off.. And Street should’ve gotten out of that inning unscathed, if the Mora AB went his way / Hernandez would’ve hit that a little bit harder to induce the DP.

witty remark

by dtownmbrown on May 5, 2008 10:57 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

Good job by Geren saving Ellis from an ejection

I don’t tend to put much stock one way or the other in how much managers affect wins and losses—especially with the A’s, where it seems like a caretaker position—but I hope Geren can continue to bail out our best players in the nick.

Mark Ellis chewing out an umpire? Wonder what that sounded like. Over/under on how many times he used the word “golly”...

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:03 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

The kid is just ticked off

because he doesn’t like the way he’s hitting. It shows that he cares about his job and that he expects more of himself. That’s a good thing , no?

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:11 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Oh, absolutely

I love the guy. I just wonder what it takes to set off somebody who seems so mild-mannered. It’s like… it’s like… if Mr. Rogers gave Henrietta Pussycat the finger.

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:13 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

LOL

That’s quite the mental image. And I agree…he always seem a little colorless and to see him get angry was well um…interesting …to say the least.

by IM4Oakgal on May 5, 2008 11:15 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

No mention of the pickoff play?

Adam Jones was easily out on that. That blown call almost cost us the game.

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

by baseb3383 on May 5, 2008 11:05 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

I agree ... the ump missed it.

I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.

by Vacafan on May 5, 2008 11:07 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

absolutely out!

I’ve seen worse and it was close. But, he was out.

Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb

by FoolshGame22 on May 5, 2008 11:26 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

The main comment I want to add is that

I think this game was won by two excellent decisions NOT to force plays:

1. Andrew Brown may have had a play at third on the sac bunt but if he doesn’t get Adam Jones, it opens up a disastrous inning – when in doubt, take the sure out.

2. Crosby made the right call throwing to first and not home on the RBI grounder. Same thing – if he doesn’t get the out it opens up a big inning (and I don’t think he had the out at home, personally).

Many/most guys will force it in those situations instead of doing the Ellis thing: get outs where you know you can, make all the plays, and let your pitchers do the rest.

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 5, 2008 11:06 PM PDT reply reply   0 recs

Yeah,

those types of plays turn into disasters a lot. Both good decisions.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 5, 2008 11:09 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I'd also add that Suzuki didn't matter

Even with Suzuki ready for that play, it’s very iffy at best and has the tendency to blow up on someone who makes them. Crosby made the right call by looking at home first, but ultimately going to first for the sure thing.

In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!

by DMOAS on May 5, 2008 11:17 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

agree 100% on Crosby's play

It seems to me that his decision-making in the field has improved a lot the last year or so. Previous years, Cros would have hucked the ball to the backstop on that play 9 times out of 10.

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

by monkeyball on May 6, 2008 11:19 AM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Two years ago, three years ago, and four years ago,

he desperately tries to throw home. He really has matured this year.

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 5, 2008 11:09 PM PDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

At what point can we safely like Bobby Crosby?

I wanted to starting about 3 weeks ago.

President and CEO of the Ryan Sweeney Apologists Consortium

by Joey C. on May 5, 2008 11:15 PM PDT to parent up