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I'll See Your Ten Strikeouts, and Raise You Two Homers

As_kings_cal_tiny by louismg on

From the very beginning of tonight's game, it had disaster written all over it. Javier Vasquez struck out the side in the first, and when Justin Duchscherer took the mound, the White Sox's Dewayne Wise led off the game with a home run. Us? Strike outs. Them? Home run. We were quickly down 2-0, and it appeared insurmountable, with Vasquez continuing to make the A's look ridiculous, with seven strikeouts through the first nine batters, and nobody reaching base.

But as quickly as he fell behind, Duke stopped the bleeding, and a few big hits by the A's turned the game around. After Suzuki was the first A's player to reach base, via the hit by pitch, Cust delivered a powerful blow, seeing his bat rise at a 45 degree angle, lifting the ball out of the ballpark, and tying things up. Donnie Murphy, a sub for the hamstrung Crosby, followed suit in the top of the fifth, giving the A's a one-run lead.

Given the "issues" over the last few games with the A's pen being about as reliable as Twitter's uptime of late (it's geeky, look it up), our collective great fear was what to do when Duchscherer finally had to the leave the game. Fresh off his post this morning, many of us thought the invincible Brad Ziegler would get the call, and were in a state of near shock with Old Man Embree took the mound. But he wasn't there long, for after getting the first batter to retire, he gave up a double, and found himself a warm spot in the A's dugout.

That left Huston "please don't put me out there for two innings" Street with the responsibility of getting the last five outs - something we've seen be a very scary proposition over the last few years. But he seemingly had it going tonight, striking out three, including our former pal Nick Swisher, and Alexei Ramírez, to end the game. The show was vintage Huston. Not the gnaw your nails and hide in a dark room Huston, but the pump your fist and yell at the TV (in a good way) type Huston.

Whether you believe the A's put out a sub-standard lineup or not tonight, you should tip your cap to Vasquez, who held the A's offense relatively quiet, and posted ten strikeouts in a complete game gem. But his two (or three) mistakes were enough to pin him with the loss, and we're not all that wistful about it. We'll take the win for sure.

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Fuck Yeah!

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:48 PM PDT   0 recs

I believe

I owe the entire AN community an apology. A few weeks back, I played Chicken Little with Huston. It appears now that I was very wrong. Then, he may have been tired or still nursing his groin injury, but tonight seemed to demonstrate that all is well with our closer. So, Mr. Street, fellow ANers, I apologize.

Fortunately, this is his age-28 year: his killing productivity is likely to decline. Impressive range, though. -Monkeyball

by Leopold Bloom on Jul 3, 2008 7:49 PM PDT   0 recs

In the tried and true words of

Seal, don’t be so hard on yourself.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If nothing else, we know the FoolishGame22 guy (or whatever the name is)...

...will still expect Street to blow the save 90% of the time or so.

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

by Flashfire on Jul 3, 2008 7:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I fully expected him to blow the save tonight...

I’m sure I was not alone in that expectation. We were all pleasantly surprised. He is better than Foulke and Embree, though.

I still want Devine back, ASAP.

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

by FoolshGame22 on Jul 3, 2008 10:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Don't worry

The real Huston will be back soon. You know, the one who is lights out for about 5 starts and then gets lit up like a doobie at a Stones concert

"i hope someone in this organization reads this,i've just about had enough of the headscratching moves and wondering if some of these guys are related to someone in management." ~vegasgm

by OptimistPrime on Jul 3, 2008 10:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wow

Justin Duchscherer is a top flight starter and would be number one on almost any team in the league. I love that man and I’m not afraid to admit it.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 7:51 PM PDT   0 recs

I love Jack Cust.

And I’m not afraid to admit it. But you’re okay with your love. I respect you.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jul 3, 2008 7:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Absolutely.

I get the same amount I always did, but it just takes more hours. :-)

Things should get interesting when I return to work. Doom and Gloom!

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jul 3, 2008 8:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

2 weeks, so far

Maybe I go back to work Monday, and maybe not.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jul 4, 2008 1:40 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Instead of trading Duchscherer, how about

extending his contract and running with Duchscherer, Smith, and Eveland, along with eventually the best of Gio, Cahill, B. Anderson, etc. to lead this team from 2009-2012?

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 Jul 3, 2008 7:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I love Duke and would love it

But I also realize that Beane might think it’s the best time to sell high.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 7:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hngh, hngh!

That’s me being a baby

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Good starters are hard to find, and great ones even harder

And Duke is pitching like he did as a set-up man, only for 7-8 innings, which makes him a great starter. It’s not flukey – not sustainable at this level, but I can’t see why he can’t be an excellent starter for the next 3-4 years. And you win with those, you don’t deal them.

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 Jul 3, 2008 7:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I guess that depends on how quickly Beane thinks this team

can contend for real and not just tease us all with it.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 8:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

"And you win with those, you don’t deal them."

I agree with this. I’d be very happy with an extension for Duke.

Some of the same things can be said about Harden – without his performance so far the A’s would be out of contention already. I can’t see any way to justify extending Harden, but I wouldn’t trade him, either (well, depending on the offers, of course…).

They’re both pitching at a star level, and their production is basically irreplaceable if the A’s intend to contend this year – and it’s not easy to see how that production could be replaced next year either, if the A’s intend to contend then (and you know that they do).

Extend Duchscherer. Keep Harden through 2009 (but don’t hang up the phone when teams call to make offers). Blanton, on the other hand, the A’s may well end up having to sell low – at some point, although probably not this season, they will have to make room for other starters that are simply better than he is, whether they can get much of anything for him or not.

by Faust on Jul 4, 2008 7:55 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Screw that.

I will send my cats to Billy’s house to destroy all his sandals if he even THINKS about removing the Duke of Awesome from the team.

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Jul 3, 2008 8:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's a pretty serious threat

You might want to delete this comment for fear of prosecution if it happens.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 8:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Cats rarely get convicted

Unless there are 7-8 dogs on the jury.

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 Jul 3, 2008 8:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My two cats are named Mulder and Zito

They were named when those 2 were in their prime.

I was going to call Zito “The Smirk” after Harden but didn’t

by Trainman on Jul 3, 2008 8:24 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think Eric Chavez's dog

will keep them away.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Jul 3, 2008 9:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Absolutely. He is a great pitcher

I think he might be hitting his peak when some of the young pitchers come around.

by Yellowhorse on Jul 4, 2008 1:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Street's velocity wasn't exceptional tonight,

but his fastball had excellent movement.

The first three innings, Vasquez was as dominant as any pitcher I’ve seen this year – absolutely untouchable. So to come back with this makeshift lineup and win says a lot for this team.

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 Jul 3, 2008 7:53 PM PDT   0 recs

I loved the strikeout pitch to Swisher.

It was funny how in the post-game interview he said he didn’t place it like he wanted to. That’s OK—as long as Swish was more stunned at the pitch than you are, that’s all that matters. :)

Sorry, Swish…had to be done.

I want an A's-Rays ALCS.

by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Jul 4, 2008 9:22 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You guys!

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:53 PM PDT   0 recs

That's baseball

Same kind of voodoo that made us lose to the Gnats 1-0 last week, got the White Sox this time. They’re red hot, so they’re due for a reversal of fortune IMO.

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

by One won lost won on Jul 3, 2008 7:54 PM PDT   0 recs

No, and I didn't even use the "lucky charm"

by posting “Street??!!” oh, you mean “Sir F**ks It UP!”

It’s not the law of averages, it is simply that long winning streaks end somewhere, sometime. They are notable, and the longer they get, the more likely they will break no matter who the opponent is, at least that is the story in MLB. College basketball, etc…those are different types of streaks.

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

by One won lost won on Jul 3, 2008 7:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

the awe of leverage

"i hope someone in this organization reads this,i've just about had enough of the headscratching moves and wondering if some of these guys are related to someone in management." ~vegasgm

by OptimistPrime on Jul 3, 2008 10:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Never

boring.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:54 PM PDT   0 recs

twitter down can be nice

It kept our users from complaining when OUR site was down.

by MobiusKlein on Jul 3, 2008 7:55 PM PDT   0 recs

Haha!

Twitter was down?

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And thats what I love

about my A’s!

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 7:55 PM PDT   0 recs

Given his performance tonight,

is someone available, please, to assault Street in the White Sox’ parking lot?

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 Jul 3, 2008 8:00 PM PDT   0 recs

A couple of years ago,

it would’ve been a five mile drive.

Now it’s more like 1,500…

Fortunately, this is his age-28 year: his killing productivity is likely to decline. Impressive range, though. -Monkeyball

by Leopold Bloom on Jul 3, 2008 8:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Raises hand.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 8:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

LOL @ ESPN News

“What can you say about Duchscherer, who used to be a Red Sox farmhand?”

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

by Flashfire on Jul 3, 2008 8:04 PM PDT   0 recs

And yet,

He’s an Athletic.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 8:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

So lame,

and so obvious.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 8:08 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

ESPN is honestly the worst thing to ever happen to sports

I used to think it was the best until I grew up and realized the network was all about East Coast love.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 8:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And if anyone still wanted to fool themselves into thinking otherwise...

...the Duke thing should cement that for all time.

Someone who’s about to become an All-Star again, this time as a starter, shuts down the White Sox and some hack on ESPN feels the need to remind everyone that he was in the Red Sox system seven years ago?

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

by Flashfire on Jul 3, 2008 8:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

truly

every…
single..
story..
...must have a “Rent Sox” angle, or a “Yawn-kees” angle.

I don’t watch ‘em. BBTN? boooooooooooooooo! turn it off!!

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

by One won lost won on Jul 3, 2008 8:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I've honestly stopped watching altogether

I’ve started watching Fox Soccer Channel during the day. That’s how ridiculously bad that whole property has become.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 8:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It used to be good

ESPN used to be the best station on TV when it featured sports news, highlights and live sports. In its current state with talent-impaired wannabe comedians posing as sportscasters, it’s hard to beieve it’s the same station. Now it’s almost unwatchable.

Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!

by Monday Fan on Jul 3, 2008 10:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Just trying to tie it into their core audience

Nothing evil, just trying to keep the dumases interested.

by MobiusKlein on Jul 3, 2008 8:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm proud to be

from dumas, texas! 

....kinky friedman

"...in baseball you wear a cap." -- george carlin

by Hot Cup Joe on Jul 3, 2008 8:26 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I won’t hold my breath waiting to hear them say, ”...Jonathan Papelbon, drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2002.”

Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!

by Monday Fan on Jul 3, 2008 10:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

What are they implying?

That the RedSox screwed up big time by letting him go?

or

A RedSox minor league cast off can dominate the league?

by asfansince1989 on Jul 3, 2008 11:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

embree/foulke

is anyone else sick of embree and foulke? neither have much anymore. neither learned to pitch, rather throw. both think that their fastball can get hitters out without so much as a corner or change of speeds. i’d rather see casilla, brown, or Z get the chance.

by poorcharliebrown on Jul 3, 2008 8:09 PM PDT   0 recs

Always have,

a back up plan.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 8:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I seriously doubt

that Foulke is that confident in his fastball. He’s always been about command and that changeup and the problem now is that he doesn’t have that great command any more.

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Jul 3, 2008 8:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And rarely throws the changeup

A command pitcher whose best pitcher is a changeup, who doesn’t throw the changeup and doesn’t have great command…Hmm…

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 Jul 3, 2008 8:49 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

All hail the Duke

It continues to amaze me the amount of work Foulke & Embree routinely get as the final bridge to Street. I don’t mind the double, it’s Baseball and (no typo) “hits happen”, but there is no good reason Ziegler wasn’t out there for the 8th, unless Hardens arm condition is contagious (judging by his 2 innings against the Angels, he MAY have the opposite; ‘live arm syndrome’). He has clearly been our best bullpen arm as of late, & IMO, the best bullpen arm in ALL of baseball since his call up (thanks to his dominance / ground ball ratio).

Thankfully, as Nico pointed out, Streets fastball had tremendous movement & Street did a tremendous job tonight.

Vasquez was mowing us down… and than Cust provided one hell of a bomb. Wow was that thing crushed. For all the talk about how bad Cust is when he isn’t streaking, he’s so amazing to watch when he does get a hold of one. His 12.8 VORP is second only to Mark Ellis. By contrast, Emil Browns VORP is -5.1. (VORP = Value Over Replacement Player; the runs contributed beyond the same level a replacement player would given the same percentage of teams at bats – obviously not including defense, though).

This was a good win to get us back on track – this also marks 13 of 14 starts on the year giving up >2ER for Justin.

ALL HAIL THE DUKE!

by BillMoresi on Jul 3, 2008 8:10 PM PDT   0 recs

Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Curve, duke, duke, duke of Curve

I would’ve said cutter, but curve just seems to fit better.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 8:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How about Ziggy and Gaudin

Instead of Foulke and Embree in the 7th and 8th?

"i hope someone in this organization reads this,i've just about had enough of the headscratching moves and wondering if some of these guys are related to someone in management." ~vegasgm

by OptimistPrime on Jul 3, 2008 11:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Curtsying!

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 8:11 PM PDT   0 recs

The pitching matchups in this series look good, in terms of ERAs

We have a good chance to win the series, or am I getting carried away here?

by javaball on Jul 3, 2008 8:12 PM PDT   0 recs

Well, they don't look so good in terms of

the hitters the pitchers will be pitching to, or really anything besides ERAs. And actually, they don’t even look good in terms of ERAs…. Harden is good, though…

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Jul 3, 2008 8:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not if he has dead arm

Let’s hope Harden is there.

by Blez on Jul 3, 2008 8:22 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Gone are the days

When we used to own the Chisox. I miss them.

Stomper is a badass!

by lynnzgal on Jul 3, 2008 8:15 PM PDT