A's Try Sleeping For 8 Innings, Then Waking Up. It Doesn't Work.
by Nico on May 9, 2009 3:54 PM PDT
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PrintFinal Score: Blue Jays 6, A's 4
Pitching, hitting, fielding. Generally it helps to do at least one of those things well, or at least not to do them all badly - as the A's showed today for 8 painful innings before making a last-gasp scramble for respectability in the 9th.
Pitching: Of the 10 hits Sean Gallagher allowed in his 5 innings of work (4 runs, 3 ER), some were bleeders but one was a homerun by Lyle Overbay and it's hard to construct a context in which Gallagher's performance was overly inspiring - except for the fact that he did not walk a batter, perhaps the one pitching-related positive the A's can take away from this game. In relief, Kevin Cameron threw 28 pitches, only 16 strikes, a ratio that was still slightly better than it was for his throws to first. Jerry Blevins, aka "The Centerfield Foul Pole," served up the last two runs and four hits, as Toronto had 15 hits overall.
Hitting: Through 6 innings, the A's only hit of Brian Tallet was Matt Holliday's bloop single, and Tallet finished 7 innings with only 2 hits and 1 run (a 7th inning HR by Jason Giambi) on his ledger. The one hitting positive for the day? Giambi HRed again in the 9th, giving him 399 for his career and 2 in his last 2 ABs. But overall, the A's got 5 of their 8 hits in the 9th inning, far too little far too late.
Fielding: Good grief. A high pop fly fell in between Ryan Sweeney (started back) and Orlando Cabrera (big yellow circle in sky! where ball?), leading to an unearned run off of Gallagher, Kevin Cameron uncorked a wild pickoff throw and Ryan Sweeney missed the cutoff man as the Blue Jays scored their 6th run.
The 9th was fun. With the A's trailing 6-1, Cabrera singled and one out later Giambi HRed. Then after Holliday flied out, Cust singled, Sweeney singled and Crosby walked to load the bases. Adam Kennedy, representing the winning run, singled for his first A's hit to make it 6-4 and keep the bases loaded for Landon Powell. However, Powell swung at the first pitch and fouled out to right.
Winning series is crucial and the A's still have a chance to win the series behind Dallas Braden tomorrow. However, when you start out in a 9-16 hole you need to string some wins together at some point and the A's need to sweep some series if they're going to get back in the hunt for real. And they'll only do that by playing well for more than one inning on a given day.
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So if Bailey had pitched in place of "the center field foul pole"
we might be in extras right now, right?
Your 2009 Oakland Athetics: This time, it's personal.
And Bailey would be on the DL, but yeah.
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
Availability
and use of pitchers are a definite problem the A’s are struggling with this year. I agree with the non-use of Bailey tonight. I also believe that Blevins should be labeled the “we give up” pitcher until he can show us otherwise. There is no reason until a pitcher has pitched 4 times in one weeks time, he cannot be ready to go. That goes for any pitcher that pitches 1-2 innings at a time. And if you have to sacrifice a pitchers availability for the next few nights to preserve a lead, you do it. Tonight was not the case. Maybe Wuertz would’ve been a better choice, or anyone else for that matter, but, Blevins has now been given his chance. I also believe that once you warm up one pitcher you have to warm up a second. Always. I don’t like, “this is so and so’s game to win or lose”, after we’ve had a lead. You’ve got to be ready for someone not to have their best stuff.
by SFBAsportsfan on May 9, 2009 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions
I think dispite the 10 hits and 4R and no BBs...Gallagher pitched okay.
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 3:58 PM PDT reply actions
Yeah - I'm hoping it's the start of some better pitching as he regains confidence and rhyhtm and strength
and not the zenith
It's never too soon to jump to conclusions
by alea iacta est on May 9, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe it was Powell catching! Has anyone thought of that?
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions
3 in a row.
I’m too lazy to look this up / too stupid to remember, but has Oakland managed to win three in a row yet this season?
No
I think our ceiling is two in a row.
by ElQuesoCapitan on May 9, 2009 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions
the bottom teams feed on us
what does that make us?
by ElQuesoCapitan on May 9, 2009 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions
butts.
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions
OW MY EYES
emperor nobody: "can ben copeland play third will the mcgwire throwback jersey be sponsored by balco labs i think i am having non-nerve-damage related chest pains well there’s holliday’s homer for may"
Clayton Tanner. I have nothing witty to add.
by walkoff baltimore chop on May 9, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions
YOu know the husband is going to lie. :D
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions
she's asking a question...
that she clearly doesn’t want the honest answer to. why tell her the truth?
I sure would not ask it! ;D
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions
blackout restriction.....so.......No.....I didn't...I heard it. :D
It’s only a joke. Chillax! :D
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions
i know!! :D
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Applause.
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions
YES HONEY, IT MAKES YOU LOOK FAT.
FAT AS AN ELEPHANT.
by ElQuesoCapitan on May 9, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Douche!!!
;D
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I speak the truth and nothing but the truth
So help me, Billy.
by ElQuesoCapitan on May 9, 2009 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Just reflecting on this game
there’s a case to be made, that if Gallagher goes one more innings, the A’s win this game. Assuming it were a scoreless inning. Which is clearly not a given, but still. It would have pushed the bullpen back one slot, so no Blevins, so the A’s rally to win in the ninth.
Small comfort, obviously, but still – they might be closer to winning games than it would appear.
Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you scrape the barrel for any sort of hope
It's never too soon to jump to conclusions
by alea iacta est on May 9, 2009 4:15 PM PDT reply actions
I love it! Optimism is PRIME!!! ;D
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions
How about tomorrow the a's actually take batting practice.
Going without it today, didnt seem to really work out that well.
They didn't have bp today? rEally??
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions
No time, or what?
Travis Buck's hair: "Wash me!"
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 9, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Nah they just chose not too.
there was nothing special going on or anything. When it was the A’s turn to take BP. They just had some relievers playing catch in the outfield.
I know sometimes managers cancel a BP
when they feel that their players have been pressing too much.
But they might have at least taken BP from a lefty…
I'm tired of Blevins
I was tired of him after his ST performance (or lack thereof), tired of his early season performances, tired of his less-than-stellar performance in AAA, and extremely tired of his performance today. For his sake I hope he pulls it together and re-learns how to pitch.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
Was Buck available in 9th?
If so, i do question Geren’s decision not to pinch-hit him for Powell and put Suzuki at catcher. He has been hitting better lately and Powell has not. Yeah I know we lose the DH, but that would be at least two more innings away and I think Hannahan and Davis would still be able to pinch-hit
Geren got ejected.
"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."
Ehh prob can blame Geren still
Most managers will still make the call from the clubhouse after they get ejected
Yeah, I thought about Buck PHing
but there were no great options – Powell, Buck, Hannahan, Davis against a LHP? Buck might be the best of the bunch but coming off the bench cold vs. Powell already in? Probably a wash.
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
You need a catcher
Moving Suzuki behind the plate costs you the DH.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on May 10, 2009 9:28 AM PDT up reply actions
I have no doubt that had Nomar been available,
he would have been used there. Giving up the DH is no big deal. First of all, it is guaranteed that if the next hitter gets out you will lose, so getting the best hitter up is far more important than losing the DH even could be. Plus the pitcher won’t come up until the 11th inning, at which point you would choose a one-inning pitcher for the top of the 11th and then pinch hit Hannahan or R. Davis. It’s not some huge problem, like Powell getting out was.
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
You'll never see
a manager voluntarily take the DH out of the game. If there’s an injury sure, but not if everyone’s healthy. And he sure as hell wouldn’t have put Buck in there then because he hasn’t been starting him vs. LHPs so he’s not going to throw him in there against a LHP reliever.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
At this point id say Buck is a lot better
Projection-wise, experience-wise. The only argument is that its too small of an upgrade if you factor in being cold off the bench and losing the DH.
I miss Chad God
Nah they just chose not too.
there was nothing special going on or anything. When it was the A’s turn to take BP. They just had some relievers playing catch in the outfield.
I guess you can't totally blame Gallagher or Blevins for giving up all those runs.
Granted, I didn’t watch the game with my own eyes (only through Gameday), but it seemed like both were peppering the strikezone pretty heavily, which is what the coaching staff has been hoping the starters at least would start doing a lot more of. It’s not pretty to see all those hits fall, but if Gallagher especially can go out his next start and throw a few more quality strikes instead of just strikes, and then builds off of that, then I think he’ll be trending in the right direction…
Basically, I’ll take outings like those from the young starters just as long as you can see some sort of effort to improve and make adjustments the next time out…
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
there are just some games that you're supposed to lose...
the Jays are a pretty damn good hitting team. they have patience and hit for power.
the no walks is the big takeaway for gallagher
Gallagher definitely had a mixed night
Holding those hits down to three earned runs and not walking anybody, combined with 3 strikeouts is certainly not great nor horrible. I think there’s some good stuff to take away from it. He threw 60 out of 92 pitches for strikes. A bit more run support for him earlier on and it may even be viewed as a start of higher quality relative to how it’s perceived now. That being said, he did get 10 hits knocked off him…
Also, it was nice seeing Giambi knock those two out to pretty much the exact same spot. I’m glad that with his return to Oakland I can wear my old A’s t-shirt from 2000 with Giambi’s name and number again after kinda avoiding it for seven years.
I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: "What the hell good would that do?"
I was at the game
and it felt nice seeing Giambi hit not one, but two no-doubt HR’s. Just wish the rest of the offense came out today also. On a side note, I got to the game at 1 PM and they still had TONS of Duchscherer bobbleheads left. Seemingly small crowd today, seeing as there were 15,000 bobbleheads for the giveaway.
the team was supposed to be an optimistic mix of productive veterans and talented rookies...
we were also supposed to have our first bonafide superstar in some time in Holliday…
instead the rooks play like rooks, the old guys play (if they play at all) like one step slow vets) and our superstar has been more cold than hot…
who can blame the fans for staying away on a gorgeous day in the Bay Area
indeed
last weekend was cold and wet, so schedules postponed from last weekend bumped up to today. So, no walkup crowd.
"if you think that was a clear answer, you weren’t paying close enough attention." Larry Summers on Freddy/Fanny within the current economic crisis
by One won lost won on May 9, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Let's hope that when
Gio comes back up that Blevins goes back down. From ST to now is nothing but a disaster. We have so many talented arms for the pen, we can do without gascans such as Blevins I would think. Let him work his struggles out in AAA where it does not matter as much
sound thinking
Blevins did NOT deserve a call up at this point. Because of the struggling SP, he got caught up in “numbers” situation, the reverse of the usual bad effect.
"if you think that was a clear answer, you weren’t paying close enough attention." Larry Summers on Freddy/Fanny within the current economic crisis
by One won lost won on May 9, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions
I think you have to blame the A's offense for Blevins being in
He’s mop up right now – just an extra arm – and that’s who you go to in a game you’re trailing 4-1 in the 8th when your bullpen is taxed. In a game you’re trailing 4-3 you might go to someone a little higher up on the “depth chart.” Heck, 4-4 and you probably see Ziggy.
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
This is true
I never thought of that.
Good to see Giambi hit a couple.
We are seeing someone new tomorrow so either we score 10 or get 1 hit.
I hope it’s the first.
Wow, looks like I missed some late inning drama...
oh well……same result for the A’s anyhow. They did not really deserve this game so no real disappointment there.. I’m pretty sure Gallagher is on his way back from his early season doghouse thing…and he is pitching very well, in my opinion. Good to know Giambi is starting to find that power stroke again and tomorrow is a new day for the GNG. Here’s to better fortunes on Sunday afternoon!!!!!!!!_MRod
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
"Assets. Expendable assets." - Carl Weathers in "Predator"
I think Blevins falls into this category.
That being said, I dig his gutsy move to wear his uniform on the “snug” side with his physique. As somebody who is tall and thin as well, I respect it and must confess I would probably add a size or two’s worth of extra bagginess to fill it out a bit. But good on him. Now, if he can just use those highly visible flailing limbs to his advantage and confuse the batters with them.
I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: "What the hell good would that do?"
If Gio's start tonight is a sign, he's still not ready
5 IP and he gave up 6 walks while striking out 7, allowing 3 hits and 4 runs.
93 pitches. 45 strikes.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
Good lord.
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
If I had to pick, I'd much rather someone give up, say, 10 hits and no walks...
…instead of 6 walks and 3 hits. At least you’re around the plate and people are forced to put it in play rather than you giving them free passes. Granted, 10 hits over a handful of innings isn’t all that good either, but…
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
eveland...got crushed w/ rivercats last night
6.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
54 strikes, 84 pitches…decent strike %, but clearly he was hittable…of the 10 hits – 2 were doubles and 1 was a big fly.
84 pitches through 6.0 IP is decent but the other results were not
Garbage?
Who’s that? Can he play 3rd?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
He's actually platooning with Trash
Garbage starts against the recyclables (# 1 and 2 containers) while Trash starts against the non-recyclables.
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 refuse to dignify this with any more of a response than this.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
slegnA win due to KC inept hitting and execution
Yes, Saunders pitched a great game and the slegnA tried to give it to KC in the 8th but KC decied not to hit for Grienke. KC had two on and no outs twice and failed to score including having 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 8th.
There are two things I root for in a season
1) The A’s winning as many as possible
2) The slegnA losing as many as possible.
When the opposite happens, it is not a good day.
What does slegnA mean?
I mean, it’s the Angels…but what does it mean?
Just the name backwards
And it sounds better I guess.
The Angels beat Grienke while the A's lose to Tallet
The projected ultimate AL West standings in a nutshell.
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've always liked slegnA because it sounds like a medical condition.
Maybe a rash or something.
I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: "What the hell good would that do?"
The slegnA
Sounds to me like a race of hideous alien monsters in a cheesy low-budget sci-fi flick. The kind you might flip over to on a Saturday afternoon when the A’s game is in a commercial break.
Hope we win tomorrow
Would sure be nice to take this series. Those Blue Jays are tough. It’s sure nice to see Giambi coming around. Maybe we should start that guy Blevins so he can take the losses in the games he helps put out of our reach…. j/k Go A’s!!!
Sean Gallagher
sure built a nice little picket fence to start the game. He helped the Blue Jays keep up their batting average without letting them score a bunch of runs…. cooled off Aaron Hill, who was red hot coming into this series and all year for that matter. I think we are sure spoiled with our bullpen. They sure keep the opposing team quiet. If they don’t, they suck and get sent off to AAA. Most other teams bullpens give up more runs. It would sure be nice if Blevins figures out how to get outs and we don’t have to make another roster move.
by SFBAsportsfan on May 9, 2009 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions
as Giambi came up to bat in the seventh
I stood up in section 225 and yelled, “Hey Giambi, prove to me you’re not too old to play!”
It’s fun when they actually produce…
I think I heard you say that.
I was in row 11. Were you with the guy who said he loves Scutaro?
by LoneStranger on May 9, 2009 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
LOL...I love productive heckling.
I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: "What the hell good would that do?"
LOL
Joba Chamberlain is paying for striking out all those hitters last start.
Velocity down to 89, location terrible and getting torched 4 batters into game. The only out was a line drive and Huff judt hit a 3 run homer.
He broke a blood vessel in his right thumb during BP yesterday
It was unclear whether or not he’d make the start today – sounds like he shouldn’t have.
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 see he settled down a little
gone thru 5 and it’s still 3-1 Baltimore
LOL listening to slegnA announcer
He was talking about the staring pitching for them and said “Even when the horses come back etc etc”
How appropriate that he refer to Lackey as a horse. Of course he means for the innings he can pitch but we all know Lackey is a horse in a different way
Well hung?
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
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