What a wonderful ending to a terrible game: A's 7, Rangers 4
by monkeyball on Sep 14, 2008 5:08 PM PDT
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PrintFor most of the game this afternoon, the only player on either side who seemed especially interested in helping his team win was Nelson Cruz.
Cruz, who finished the day 3/5 with 2 doubles, drove in all four of the Rangers' runs and had a solid at-bat against every A's pitcher he faced.
Fortunately for the A's pitchers, Cruz was just about it for the Ranger offense today.
The A's managed to spread their offense, such as it was, out over a broader range of contributors. Or, put another way, the A's garnered their usual plethora of walks -- 10 in all, inflated by the standard poor Texas pitching -- and mixed in enough bloops and bleeders to push across enough runs to match Cruz' single-handed output.
Then, in the bottom of the eighth, with the A's seemingly on the verge of letting another peck of free baserunners wither in the vine, Aaron Cunningham lofted a high, high fly ball to the left-field corner ... and I think that it may still be hanging up there -- in any event, its trajectory was definitely beyond the fence, and Cunningham had his first career MLB HR, the A's had a 7-4 lead, and it was up to Brad Ziegler to shut down the Rangers in the ninth for the win. Ziggy gave us a bit of scare when he surrendered a long, hard fly double off the straightaway centerfield fence to Marlon Byrd (very, very nearly the first MLB HR surrendered by Ziggy), but a weak grounder to Crosby (what goes around comes around) salted the game away for the A's.
Dana Eveland started out strong through the first two innings, showing very good break and command on his curve, and keeping the Rangers off-balance. He started to wobble, walk, and nibble in the third, though, and Cruz' first double plated two for the Rangers. Eveland's pitch count and control never quite recovered, and he was done after 5 innings of 4-hit, 4-walk ball. Embree, Street, and Blevins managed to cobble together 2 quasi-effective innings before Devine and Ziggy shooed the Rangers away in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
On the Rangers' pitching ledger, Ass-Hunter Vicente Padilla wasn't any more effective than Eveland, walking 3 and hitting 2 (his assball to Sweeney looking especially suspicious, and earning him a new nickname). Just what is it, exactly, about Ranger pitching that makes them afraid to throw strikes, even away from Arlington? What a parade of futility!
So congratulations to Cunningham and Ziegler and the A's -- and to Jack Hannahan and Daric Barton, who, despite going hitless for the day, not only worked 5 walks between them, but contributed a handful of sterling defensive plays.
A's have a home off-day tomorrow before hosting the Slegna on Tuesday.
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Yay Aaron!
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
Man, in your eyes, we can't win for wining
In a 162 game season, you get some nice wins and some ugly ones.
Take it, love it, and do it.
did you watch the game today?
That was painful to sit through. More so with respect to the Ranger pitching than anything else, but just ugly baseball for the most part. Give me a game where the A’s lose 2-1 in 1:52 any day of the week over this.
cocky whacko @('.')@
Nope
went to the school picnic at 1, left at 4:31, just in time to hear the last out.
Was perfectly fine for me, I don’t know what you guys are bitching about.
I flipped past the game when it was 4-3....then 4-4....then I caught the last couple of outs....
And I still can’t remember what happened in any of the games I watched today, but at least the A’s won. And the niners won. And if I’m wrong on both of those, please don’t tell me until tomorrow – I like this winning feeling….
There's no crying in baseball!
Today's game
was a perfect game to watch from the stands at Phoenix Muni in March, when you’re emerging from months of baseball hibernation, the Arizona weather is fantastic, and your expectations for the quality of competition and specifically the pitching are not high. It’s just great to be there watching baseball; who cares whether it’s a decent game or not. In fact, the longer the game lasts, the better.
In mid-September, this was 3 hours and 25 minutes of torpor. Thank goodness for Aaron Cunningham.
that description is 100% on
And congratulations for what is apparently only the seventh use ever at AN of “torpor.”
cocky whacko @('.')@
Someday I hope to work "mend*city" into a comment
Deliberately omitting the middle vowel there. I would be honored to join you, salb and FSU in that AN pantheon.
Yes, congrats to him
Nice to see the talent coming thru.
I hate unproductive outs and the A's are producing them at record production
Missed the Cunningham HR
as I was busy watching the Niners somehow fail in their efforts to hand Seattle a win. Seattle was the more determined loser today. God, that division sucks.
Anyway, yay for Aaron, and let’s hope it’s the first of many more for him.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I was surprised Cunningham's ball got out
because it didn’t look like he got that much of it. Whether that means he’s more powerful than he looks, or that the ball was carrying well, or that he got more of it than it seemed, I don’t know. An 2009 OF of Cunningham, Sweeney, and Gonzalez, with Buck trying to prove in spring training that he’s more ready than one of those guys, plus Rajai as super 5th OFer and pinch runner extraordinare, is looking pretty solid right now.
Now we just need an infield!
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
the weather forecast for the game
mentioned that the wind was blowing gently towards left field — which is what Cunningham’s HR looked like it was doing.
With Sweeney and Carlos it's a pretty good defensive OF, but nothing special on offense.
They need Buck to come through to make it an offensive strength.
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
by WaddellCanseco on Sep 14, 2008 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions
How about sending Davis
to a winter league to learn to play some infield. Not so much so he could start, but so that he could be turned into a more versatile utility man.
In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!
We should send him to the Instructional League to learn how to play catcher, and then move him to 2B
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Why? His speed is wasted as an infielder.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
Hmm...Not sure about the lefty throwing 2Bman
Might have to be Cunningham at 2B (Cust at SS, Frank Thomas back to play 3B).
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
Charlie Hough could teach him how to turn the DP with his patented "back-hand flip"
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Come on, you're being ridiculous
Clearly, Thomas would play first, Cust second, Cunningham short, and Barton third with Chavez splitting time between DH and all 4 infield positions when guys need a day off. We’re trying to be realistic here.
by thejd44 on Sep 14, 2008 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions
just got back from the game
a long, sunny, and often frustrating game did end up happily. The A’s remain at 80 losses for now.
I agree with Bill King that you shouldn’t fall in love with players in March or September. That said, Cunningham hasn’t done anything this September so far to make us pessimistic about him (as Barton didn’t do anything to dampen our hopes last September).
In other Coliseum news, I was treated to a bbq ribs dinner — yum!
BBQ ribs at the Coli are the best!
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
eh, I'm not sure about Cunningham
He, Not-Corey, and Hannahan all have real trouble simply making contact with major-league fastballs.
cocky whacko @('.')@
I'm not sure of any of the new young guys
except perhaps Ryan Sweeney. So I’m not going to anoint Cunningham or the others for 2009.
(Not Corey and Hannahan really can’t be considered prospects, while Cunningham and Gonzalez can.)
I'm mostly with you on that
After Buck and Barton, I’m even waiting on Sweeney, though.
cocky whacko @('.')@
Sweeney seems like a pretty sure thing to be what he is.
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
by WaddellCanseco on Sep 14, 2008 6:33 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Cunningham will be better than Sweeney in the long run
(though Sweeney has duly impressed me lately). I just think Cunningham has more speed and more power. That being said, with a runner at third and one out, there’s no one I want up more than Sweeney.
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
But Not-Corey and Miley have trouble making (good) contact with much of anything
Cunningham seems to be able to hit something at least. Plus, he clearly has a whole lot of upside.
by thejd44 on Sep 14, 2008 7:40 PM PDT up reply actions
"whole lot of upside" seems to be overstating it
Is it any more than Xavier Nady?
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
by WaddellCanseco on Sep 14, 2008 7:57 PM PDT up reply actions
I got to the park horrendously early
to be sure of my Ellis jersey — but the crowds were not huge. They were still giving them out to people strolling in at 11:45 AM.
Don't blame me, I voted for Bill King.
I was there way too early too. I was expecting a bigger crowd.
by justarebelheart on Sep 14, 2008 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions
but getting there early
was good for those who wanted a size medium jersey — they ran out of those pretty early
I missed the first few innings....
But I think Eveland deserves some props for putting a ball squarely in the back of one of the Rangers. No doubt in my mind it was intentional, considering that there were two outs and his pitch count was climbing. I’m sure his team mates appreciated his sentiments.
Not that bad a game. There are some positive developments going forward.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
absolutely
I like what the radio guys said about it, too — that instead of smacking him as the leadoff batter in the inning immediately following, they waited until a safer, two-outs-nobody-on, situation to plunk him.
cocky whacko @('.')@
What's interesting is that the entire Rangers' dugout,
coaches and players both, seemed totally not upset about it, like, “Yup, Padilla got one of our guys drilled again.”
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
I think because it was Padilla, the Rangers know they can't complain
The guy clearly hits people (for no reason), and the team seems to be resigned to the retaliation.
I also think the A’s wouldn’t have done anything if it were another pitcher.
by thejd44 on Sep 14, 2008 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions
My sentiments exactly alox!
You know, it’s about fucking time somebody had the balls to retaliate when the A’s have been nothing but pussycats when it comes to that sort of thing. No disrespect to Wash, but he had to know that in a season where neither team has anything to lose that payback was coming………and boy was it sweet!
p.s. Padilla is douchebag loser!!!! Go A’s!
We seem to have a lot of 5-inning-type starters.
I think the bullpen as currently assembled is my favorite thing heading into ‘09. It’s gonna have to be very good if we have any chance of competing next year.
Congrats to Cunningham!
Looking forward to Spring Training and the hope of another World Series title.
by ohtobe21likehuston on Sep 14, 2008 5:54 PM PDT reply actions
Another name for "5 inning type starters" is
“Young starters who aren’t all that good yet.”
Check.
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
They're 5 inning starters mostly because they're wild (for varying reasons)
And are around 100 pitches at that point.
With a few of them, I think that will change with maturity and just learning how to pitch in the majors.
by thejd44 on Sep 14, 2008 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Can you blame Padilla for hittin' Ryan's ass?
[wink, wink, nudge, nudge]
But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.
Ziggy's homerless streak
I was listening to the radio PXP while cleaning/cooking in the kitchen today, and after Byrd’s double off the top of the wall Ken mentioned that Ziggy hasn’t given up a homer since, IIRC, the 2005 season.
I’ve never thought that anyone could match Greg Minton’s homerless streak (270.3 IP without a homer). It’s still probably impossible in the current game, esp. in the AL, but I think Ziggy could possibly do it, which is just incredible.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
The last HR Ziggy allowed was August 17th, 2005,
before he started throwing submarine. That being said, he’s given up 3 “near HRs” already in the bigs (two off the top of the wall, fair, and one HR distance but just foul).
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
It was in 2006. He's only been throwing this way since 2007.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
Carter slam puts Ports up 7-1
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
Please explain this
I just woke up from a dream where the last sequences went like this:
I was jogging home from work (not sure why) and came to an overpass. It took me forever to get up this thing. I could actually fell the pain in my calves. Young ladies in shorts passed me coming the opposite way. They must have been in training because I heard the last one to pass me scream "I can’t!" I assume that she was speaking to her coaches, who shouted back, "you have to!" As I came down the overpass, I looked at my feet to see that I was not wearing any shoes. I was in black socks, the good kind. The kind I wear to church. But they were all twisted and I had to stop to realign them.
I ran some more and suddenly I was no longer on a street but coming down the stairs of what appeared to be an apartment complex. As I neared the first floor, I saw a man with a crew cut and a thick-rimmed glasses walk toward his car (Now I think about it, it could have been Greg Minton, with shorter hair). He looked way too suspicious for me, so I waited to watch him drive off from where I was on the second or third floor. As he passed me, I noticed he had a Styrofoam head in his lap, with a blonde wig on top. Just then a door opened from the floor above me, and a man emerged wearing a sheriff’s uniform. He rushed to the rail and screamed "Is there no loyalty anymore?!" Later he was being consoled by another man. They appeared to me in the film industry. The man doing the consoling told the man in the sheriff’s uniform that it was a good thing that the man with the crew cut and thick-rimmed glasses left, because it "was like having a box as a producer". The man with the sheriff’s uniform said, "Really? Do you think that I hired a box"?
Back home, I felt something between my teeth. I went to pick at it and realized that there was a large gap between my two front teeth. Think Hendu, only wider. I was horrified. I looked in the mirror, and now all I had were my two front teeth!
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Sep 14, 2008 7:21 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
You and Stomper went on a pruno bender after today's game?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
I had a weird dream on the airplane today
I’ve been away from A’s news for the past four or five days, yet my dream was about Elly and his shoulder….then I got home to find out he’s pondering two surgeries….weird…
There were a couple other players in the dream, and some ANers too…
Going to the airport on only two hours sleep causes weird weird dreams….
There's no crying in baseball!
I was one of the ANers, right?
Gotta be. Let me guess: I was performing labrum replacement surgery on Ellis’ left shoulder while Poppy was frantically screaming, “WRONG SHOULDER!!!” and PaulThomas was criticizing my technique. All the while, salb918 kept jumping up to try to see what was happening on the operating table.
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
and I had one last night
this move has upset my long standing routine big-time (duh) and this place I leased for many months as I get to know the area is too freaking small and “what was I thinking?” when I signed….Anyway, so small that I won’t put a washer and drier in it as I need the space.
So I gotta use the complex’s laundry room which is a good walk down some walkways. The dream involved taking my clothes down there to wash, and taking what I was wearing off too and throwing that into the machine.
How bout that no hitter.
alaska A (now in Colorado)
I had a nightmare of sorts the other night
about my upcoming job interview. They wanted me to read them my resume, and I thought I had a copy of it but it turned out to be something different so I had to use the copy they had… it was strange. I was quite glad when I realized it was all a dream.
by whiteshoes40 on Sep 14, 2008 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Yay Ports and River Cats!
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
Rivercats will be on ESPN2 Tuesday Night
Facing the International Champs (Yankees AAA) on ESPN2 at 6 p.m.
Ian Kennedy on the mound for Scranton-Wilkes Barre.
I hear they make really good paper at the Scranton branch, too.
"Some of the men didn't wait for the women and children to jump off the sinking ship that is our season." - 67MARQUEZ
by notsellingjeans on Sep 14, 2008 8:59 PM PDT reply actions
Nice ThX!
I prob woulda missed that. Now i got it set on my DVR,
"With 16-year-old Dominican righty Michel Inoa in tow, Gio Gonzalez improving at Triple-A and lefty Brett Anderson carving up Double-Abatters along with Simmons and Trevor Cahill, Oakland’s pitching depthis officially the envy of baseball." - BaseballAmerica.com
Best things to come out of this season are Ziggy and Devine
Devine’s numbers are incredible. Great guy to have.
The A's colors are green and gold.
Suzuki too.
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
by WaddellCanseco on Sep 14, 2008 11:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Disappointing power, and too many gidps..... I worry the BA will drop....
Still probably the team mvp, though.
The A's colors are green and gold.
Tough grader!
[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo
by WaddellCanseco on Sep 16, 2008 3:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks for an excellent recap, Nico
I’m rehearsing a show that opens this weekend, so I haven’t had time to follow any of the games in ages. It’s nice to read a recap that actually gives me a feel for what happened in the game. I do appreciate it.
P.S. “Warner Madrigal” is an awesome name!
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
Agreed -- one of Nico's better efforts.
Sometimes less really is more.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Sep 15, 2008 5:14 AM PDT up reply actions
No problem, Jennifer - I understand
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
Oops
OK, so I had a little trouble reading the author’s name….
Thanks for an excellent recap, Monkeyball.
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
What show?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Sep 15, 2008 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Dog show - iglew is actually a toy poodle
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
That would explain his taste in recaps.
Wait — you didn’t. Did you?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Sep 16, 2008 6:42 AM PDT up reply actions
"1776" with Seattle Musical Theatre
If you’re in the area you can Google for more info. I play Rutledge.
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
BTW, did anyone catch a replay on the ump's call at third in the A's 6th?
It looked like one of history’s worst to this partisan.
/calling New York …
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
It was actually a good call, only because
Barton never got to the bag until he was standing. He could have been safe but wasn’t.
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
Good lord.
Hey Daric: wanna get away?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Sep 15, 2008 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions
different perspectives from the 1st/3rd base sides
The shot from the 1st-base camera made it look like he was clearly safe.
The shot from the 1st-base camera made it look like he was clearly out.
Flip a coin. (FWIW, it looked to me like he was out — I agree with Nico’s description.)
cocky whacko @('.')@
So, it depends on your elgna?
yawynA, kcuf eht slegnAs!
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Sep 15, 2008 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions
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