Kouz Klears Bases; A's Win Wild One in Baltimore

Let’s win the other road series now!

…and a bad hop ended up working better for them with him delivering the big hit.

and I tweeted back “CLA!!!”

7 wins on the road now..BOOM!!

HUGE hit for Kouz..

I packed up all the stuff from my dorm today, drove to my parents’ house and watched the game. After the Orioles took the lead I decided I should unpack my car in my fury. After all that I turned on the computer and saw the result.

I will gladly take responsibility for this win today.

On a serious note, this win was much needed. The team has had its road woes this season, obviously, and losing 2 out of 3 to Baltimore would not have been good for the psyche of the team. But now, coming off not only a series victory but also an improbable comeback win there should be some confidence in the clubhouse going into two tough series.

I left to get a burrito and they were out of shrimp, so I hopped on BART and headed to Berkeley for a slice of Arinell pizza on Shattuck, headphones + KTRB in tow. At least today the friendly BART patrons were spared my usual, energetic (and basically correctly-played, given that I am doubling a drum-humunculus like Phil C.) air drumming to Genesis tunes like “Get ’Em Out By Friday” and “The Fountain of Salmacis” for a day LOLOLOL

I got up to the pizza store and got my mushroom-anchovy-olive slice (the usual… I am such a habitual person, aren’t I? aka b-o-r-i-n-g) just in time to hear the bad hops and drinbblers got Gio down 3-2. Then I ate and walked through campus whilst Geren pulled GG (ridiculous, given the idea that Tyson Ross has looked like crap lately and Gio — who had just K’d Corey Patterson and still looked like he had petrol in the tank — is supposed to be learning to take the game like it belongs to him) and things got awful in a hurry as we know.

By the time I got to Amoeba Berkeley we were down 5-2 and I was so angry I was about ready to smash my face into the pillars by the International Rock section. Steam emitting from my ears, I picked up a used copy of the new Now Again compilation called California Funk, featuring all sorts of obscure funk nuggets from all sorts of one-off Cali bands from 1968-77. One of my friends who works there tried to talk to me and I was so mad I just kind of brushed him off, whatta d-bag I am sometimes.

Anyway I walked back on Haste to Shattuck as the 8th began & things got going… I sat down on a bus stop bench on Shattuck as the 2nd out was made. It must’ve been the lucky bench because a few minutes later this game had been miraculously delivered from the (utterly dispiriting) “L” column to the (exultant) “W” one, thanks to some breaks and the Kouz stroke to clear the bases.

So much about what happened today felt like a regression-to-the-mean on the road that we have been waiting for… as I just said to CT, an 18-9 home team is NOT as bad as these guys have played on the road: it’s the same dudes with the bats and the gloves so it can’t be as bad as it’s been and eventually some of these heartbreaking disasters we have seen away from the Coliseum will start to drop our way, it’s only statistically right for god’s sakes.

Of course, there were things that remain utterly maddening about this game (Jack Cust: 3 ABs, 4 pitches seen? What have you done with Jack, Jim Skaalen?), but you could say that about any game with this team, built as it is to barely win games by the hair on the skin of its teeth. Now these guys have to roll into Detroit and take this sh*t even MORE seriously because another lousy and inept road trip is NOT gonna get it, especially against tough clubs like the (get ready to drink, AN!) MOTOR CITY KITTIES and the BloSox, who are heating up just in time, lucky us O_0

though this was primarily due to a) being in class, b) MLBTV crashing again a minute later (in which it goes on, at least at school, these 5-10 minute pauses before working again) and c) it was close to time for class to end, so just didn’t bother turning on for the 9th after getting home.

and why does it seem every game I go to this year Ben Sheets is the pitcher.

…when Ross walked the bases loaded, but I’m glad I didn’t! Yes, it’s agains the Orioles, but having some timely hitting was nice!

And, Dear Rajai, please stop popping out. Thank you.

Did I hear correctly on the radio broadcast that barton’s sac bunts are his call, not geren’s. Ken and vince were repeating what geren said on his pregame show. Wowzers!!

I have to keep remembering what Nico said ^^^^^^^ It ain’t over until the last out is recorded…..Being a fAN means NEVER giving up on your team even when it looks soooooo bleak…..Sometimes we will not prevail. But there will be great nights like tonight when we have a win that gives us the series!!! One game at a time – one series at a time…..Let’s go A’s!!!

Uni Watch has an article on monochrome uniforms in baseball, featuring this photo:

That is several kinds of awesome. Don’t worry, I’m not advocating for all-green-all-the-time (yet), but we definitely need a monochrome throwback day.

to post a picture from last night’s game, and there is still not one available; the most recent being from the previous night’s game. Seems like no one though this one would be played.

my prediction on Gio’s night was pretty accurate. Great game A’s keep it up lets not get back to .500 again.

The A’s were down 4-2. ANers were disgusted and one by one they were quitting and going on to other things. Gio had started well, but the outlook was not good. There was only duo who could save this game.

The Girls.

I rushed home from the supermarket to put the plan into motion, and found the A’s down three runs in the bottom of the 7th. I quickly called up the images… Which one do I pick? Tattoos? Gothy? Legs? Yes! Legs! Cut & paste the URL, and Post. 6:14pm, top of the 8th.

Some hits and two more RGG pictures later, They score 5 runs. BAM BAM BAM BAM KOUZMABAM. Coincidence? I think not! Hurray for Rally Gilmore Girls!