Gio Masterful as A's Avoid Sweep
by 67MARQUEZ on Jul 5, 2009 1:03 PM PDT
39 comments
Right from the start, we saw a determined and focused Gio Gonzalez today.
Throw in a wicked curve, and it was enough to earn the young southpaw his first victory of 2009.
Gonzalez pitched only one 1-2-3 inning (the first), but masterfully wiggled out of danger by coming up with a big strikeout time and time again. In the second inning, with runners at the corners and one out, he K'd Ben Francisco swinging, and Chris Giménez looking. After issuing a two-out walk (his only free pass of the day) to Jamey Carroll and allowing a run-scoring double off the bat of Grady Sizemore, he reared back to strike out Friday's hero Shin-Soo Choo to end the third. In the fifth he wrapped three K's around an Asdrubal Cabrera single, the second time in the game he struck out the side. He retired Choo on strikes leading off the sixth, his eighth of the game.
Meanwhile the A's offense gave Gio just enough runs to work with. RBI singles by Kurt Suzuki in the first and Matt Holliday in the fifth, and a sac fly by Adam Kennedy in the sixth staked Gonzalez to a 3-1 lead.
After Jhonny Peralta went deep to bring the Indians to within one run, Gonzalez' day ended on a pair of ground-outs, and he handed over a 3-2 lead to the pen to close it out.
And close it out they did, but not until after the A's had tacked on a couple of insurance runs (a double-play grounder by Bobby Crosby and a solo shot in the ninth by Orlando Cabrera). Cabrera was one of three A's to collect two hits on the day, Landon Powell and Rajai Davis being the other two, as the A's pounded out eleven hits overall.
Michael Wuertz came on in the seventh and pitched a perfect 1.2 innings, striking out three.
New All-Star Andrew Bailey relieved Wuertz in the eighth, and allowed only a two-out double in the ninth before Crosby snared a smash off the bat of Víctor Martínez, and walked to first base for the final out.
A nice win for Gio, a save for the All-Star, and a little momentum heading into Fenway tomorrow.
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Can we PLEASE annihilate the Fenway Fucktards.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
by Blicks on Jul 5, 2009 1:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
they're gonna be 6-12 after today against the AL west
Roy Steele is the voice of God
by cuppingmaster on Jul 5, 2009 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The age differences are massive though
Change of the times. Young promising guys >>>> old vets
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
by Blicks on Jul 5, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes but boston is also stacked in the minors
it’s going to them and the rays in the AL east for a long time. hopefully we will return to dominate the AL west for years to come with our pitching, too
Roy Steele is the voice of God
by cuppingmaster on Jul 5, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know.
It’s just asinine that the Buchholz and Bowden aren’t in MLB NOW. When Smoltz and Penny are gone next year, they don’t have any AAA pitching depth.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
by Blicks on Jul 5, 2009 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gonzalez: 1-0 in red hats with the A's
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jul 5, 2009 1:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Again, congrats to Bailey
A look back on A’s All*Stars, this decade:
- 2000: Jason Giambi, Tim Hudson, Jason Isringhausen
- 2001: Jason Giambi
- 2002: Miguel Tejada, Barry Zito
- 2003: Keith Foulke, Ramon Hernandez, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito
- 2004: Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder
- 2005: Justin Duchscherer
- 2006: Barry Zito
- 2007: Danny Haren
- 2008: Justin Duchscherer
- 2009: Andrew Bailey
I'm a happy seal
by SwisherThresher on Jul 5, 2009 1:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Interesting how pitcher-heavy that list is!
Next year, Suzuki!
by paris7 on Jul 5, 2009 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not so surprising when the offense is so bad
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jul 5, 2009 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also, position players are voted on by fans
which means more position-player slots are taken up by unworthy players on popular teams. That makes the pitching staff an easier avenue for good players from teams with small voting-bases.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on Jul 5, 2009 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No A-Roid this year though
That must be a plus.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
by Blicks on Jul 5, 2009 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
But Jeter is the starting SS
So, it’s not totally a plus.
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
by mrod on Jul 5, 2009 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, 2003... a good group of All Stars.
(You know, back when I actually liked Foulke.)
And 2002, our MVP and Cy Young winners. Good times.
by whiteshoes40 on Jul 5, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hope Travis Buck is in the lineup in all three games at Boston.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 5, 2009 1:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I think Buck only recently started dipping...
…and it affected his play the other day in right field where the ball popped out of his glove on that great diving catch.
Give up the dip, Travis. Mouth cancer makes it hard to pick up chicks.
by Technotofu on Jul 5, 2009 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
When are the starting pitchers announced?
I’m thinking Greinke & Cain (or Lincecum)
Any thoughts?
I don't always blog. But when I do, I prefer AN. Stay thirsty my friends.
by Kallus on Jul 5, 2009 1:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I want Greinke and Haren.
Any of Greinke, Halladay, Haren, Johan, Cain, or Lincecum for the two spots would be nice.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
by Blicks on Jul 5, 2009 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll take a stab at it:
LINCECUM VS. HALLADAY
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
by mrod on Jul 5, 2009 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lincecum vs. Halladay
But it SHOULD be Haren for the NL.
WordUpThome: THE HEY-DAY OF RONALD REAGAN-O-NOMICS IS A FINE TIME FOR BIRTH, NUMA NUMA DANCE STAR JOBA CHAMBERLAIN WAS ALSO BORN IN 1985
by Gallagher's Watermelons on Jul 5, 2009 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just got back...
from Cleveland to watch the A’s play the Tribe (Friday and Saturday nights). Boy, was I let down. :( I’ve seen the A’s, in person, some twelve times. They’ve lost ten of those meetings. I think I’m going to quit going to A’s games in person.
PS. I hate the Indians.
"It's never 'just a game' if you're winning" - George Carlin
by bluelightrain84 on Jul 5, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Are you related to 67MARQUEZ?
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jul 5, 2009 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah
We’ve got the same luck, huh? :(
"It's never 'just a game' if you're winning" - George Carlin
by bluelightrain84 on Jul 5, 2009 5:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wait, Giménez spells his name with an accent mark, and
they still pronounce it “Gym-uh-nezz”?
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
by iglew on Jul 5, 2009 2:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Never underestimate American ignorance.
"All your baserunner are belong to Greg Smith" ~ walk off bunt
by Philip Christy on Jul 5, 2009 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Certainly never misunderestimate it.
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 5, 2009 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Irregardless, it is what it is.
This is just unacceptable. People are paying good money to go to the ball park. -Ken Korach
by Leopold Bloom on Jul 5, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank you, defenders of the English language.
by Technotofu on Jul 5, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
your welcome
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 5, 2009 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
pft.
U been told once—its UR, stupid.
This is just unacceptable. People are paying good money to go to the ball park. -Ken Korach
by Leopold Bloom on Jul 5, 2009 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wish you wouldn't of used that word.
I realized I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as a goat.
by Elvez on Jul 5, 2009 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ken Ko usually knows.
If he says it that way, I assume it’s because the player himself says it that way.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
by iglew on Jul 5, 2009 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
A's just acquired Scott Hairston?
That’s what I’m hearing.
by jefeboy on Jul 5, 2009 6:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Yep...
Padres have acquired RHP Ryan Webb, RHP Craig Italiano and a PTBNL from Oakland for outfielder Scott Hairston
by jefeboy on Jul 5, 2009 6:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Matt's a goner
i’m thinking befor the AS break
by dawg24 on Jul 5, 2009 6:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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