Whats worse than a loss? Having the other team's fan right next to you.
by Zonis on May 15, 2011 4:36 PM PDT
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In a sense, this was a very prototypical A’s game. At home, against the White Sox, the A’s should have been able to win this game in theory, with Cahill on the mound. Instead, they ended up losing the game 4-3, with plenty of chances to score left on the bases (including a 9th inning tease featuring a 1st and 3rd situation with 2 outs).
There were some highlights, though. Conor "One N" Jackson made a stupendous catch in Right Field, with the ball popping out of his glove and back into it, confusing the runners and leading to a double play at 1st base.
Mark Ellis and Cliff Pennington both turned several more double plays that tried to prove their worth to the team even if they could not carry it with the bat, as the team completed 4 double plays in all. Incidentally, Ellis and Pennington did come through today, going 3-4 and 1-3 with a walk respectively.
The highlights of the game on the offensive side came from Coco Crisp, who hit a solo homerun in the 5th to tie the game up, and Daric Barton, who came out from under his slump on a 2-5 day to knock in two runs to the tie game in the 7th after the White Sox had gone up two in the top half of the inning.
The A’s ended up with 10 hits, outhit by 1, and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts.
So Cahill lost his first game of the year, allowed 2 Earned Runs (mainly due to his own error), and raised his Cy Young competing ERA to 1.82. But what I am concerned about is that before he was taken out of the game, commenter’s in the game thread mentioned that Cahill was grimacing and holding his elbow. Please tell me this isn’t true. Please?
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What!!!!
You’re scaring me right now
by oaklanda'sfannotsj on May 15, 2011 4:41 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I didn't see anything, nor was anything said on the air.
I think he just didn’t have it today. You would think if he was grimacing and holding his elbow someone (Ken, CSN cameraman, CT…) would have noticed.
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 said it due to what I saw on TV
A shot during the A’s offensive side, he stretched his arm out and grimaced. No more no less.
More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/
Good teams aren't mediocre at home
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
Interesting
Jane Lee
Ozzie: “I don’t know about the National League, but in the American League I don’t think anybody out there has better stuff than [Cahill].”
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Wow. Funny time to say that, in that Cahill didn't have anywhere near his best stuff today.
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
lots of inside strikes on right handed oakland batters
maybe willingham had a legitimate beef on his 4 strikeout/1 ground out day.
Oh is that how it works? Oak means Oak hitters?
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
Does this suggest Cahill got squeezed?
Honestly, watching I didn’t have that impression. He had no snap on his curve and left too many sinkers up.
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
No, it suggests the ump was was giving the Sox pitchers a wide zone, which they took advantage of
The triangles are pitches thrown by Chicago.
Cahill had a few sinkers low in the zone called as balls, but that’s nothing new for him this year.
AT least the moron (Geren) recognized Cahill's velocity was down
he big hit when we needed it eluded us," A’s manager Bob Geren said. “Trevor pitched deep into the game. He wasn’t quite as sharp as normal. His velocity was down.”
That was from ESPN recap
What is he talking about?
Barton got the big hit exactly when we needed it. The problem was we were down by three when he got it because Geren left Cahill in too long on a day when is velocity was down and he wasn’t sharp. I’ve never had a problem with Geren before, but he is really trying my patience this year.
by Glorious Mundy on May 15, 2011 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions
And Coco didn't get the big hit because he made an out on purpose.
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
Yeah...the ever useful sacrifice bunt.
I was pretty disappointed while following on gameday to see that’s what happened.
For all the crap we give Geren...
over normal day to day moves, which are annoying as all get out, actually leaving Trevor F’n Cahill on the mound for three innings In May when he’s five mph off normal is so stupid, it’s nearly unbelievable.
by AgitationStation on May 15, 2011 5:47 PM PDT reply actions
Yes.
With a very fresh bullpen that includes Ziggy, who is throwing and ready in the 6th when Cahill pitches into a 1st/3rd one out situation with a RH (Quentin) up.
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
Was Balfour available?
Going to Ziggy there is clearly the right move either way, but I get the feeling Geren is terrified of pulling his starter when he doesn’t have Balfour and Fuentes set for the 8th and 9th. I’m hoping that he will get over this stupidity once he has Devine (and later Bailey) at his disposal.
by Glorious Mundy on May 15, 2011 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Because he needlessly used Balfour two days in a row, maybe not.
Everyone else was definitely available.
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
Where do you get 5 MPH from?
Cahill’s sinker has averaged 89 MPH this year. Here’s the average velocity for his sinker by inning tonight:
1) 88.5
2) 88.4
3) 87.2
4) 87.6
5) 87.0
6) 87.4
7) 87.2
That’s a small drop, but not one that would seem to necessitate pulling him.
It's a a drop
Even the dumb ass that is at the helm noticed it.
Maybe he has a little dead arm. The fact is he should have been pulled way eralier so as to be OK for the next start.
What if it were perfectly normal for Cahill to lose a bit of velocity as the game goes on?
What if, for example, he lost an average of 1.8 MPH over 100 pitches?
Because, according to Brooks Baseball, he only threw one four-seamer and one slider
People don’t generally look at changeups for drops in velocity, but there’s no real pattern there:
INN VEL
1 81.6
1 82.3
2 81.5
3 78.5
3 84.9
3 81.2
3 77.4
4 85.1
4 84.5
4 80
4 79.8
5 82.8
5 83.7
5 83.8
6 82.9
6 77.5
6 80.3
6 81.2
6 83.3
6 80.8
6 79.6
7 84.4
7 85
7 84.6
7 77.1
7 78.8
Are you using the MLBAM classifications?
I only watched Cahill’s last inning, but it was calling several sinkers as changeups, because they were 84-85.
Yeah, it's from Brooks.
It showed him throwing 3 straight 84-85 MPH changeups during the sac bunt attempts in the 7th that look like they could be sinkers. It also had him throwing an 85 MPH changeup in the 3rd inning.
Looking at Cahill’s velocity chart, it looks like he often has a few 84-85 MPH pitches classified as changeups.
Try being an A's fan living in Chicago
These idiots try talking trash like their team still isn’t 7games under .500 and 9 games outta first.
I love this game
by Beanetown12 on May 15, 2011 6:19 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Just try being an A's fan, period.
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
note to self.
(reflecting on nico’s statement….sure noting new there..but wait, maybe the key to getting further ahead in my life is to quit being an A’s fan and pick a winner like say the Yankees for example…that way maybe just maybe those good things will finally stat to MANIFEST into my life…..the car, the house, the granite counter tops, the trophy-wife etc.)
alaska A in northern idaho
Definitely.
Oh by the way, the Yanks have lost 4 in a row and are currently trailing 5-4.
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
Wait, it isn't for everyone?
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 know this is crazy talk
but could we maybe work with our pitchers on making throws to first base?? You know, so we don’t have an error every friggin’ game that way?!
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
They need to focus on PFP
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on May 15, 2011 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions
I suspect it's kind of flukey
For one thing, the worst fielders (e.g., Anderson) haven’t been the biggest culprits. McCarthy has 4 of the 10, and while I don’t know if he’s a good or bad fielding pitcher I doubt he’s that bad.
We also happen to lead the league in pickoffs, by the way. A’s pitchers: Errors and pickoffs!
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
Frustration
Please tell me Why? Willingham was used 5 times when we had Sweeney to PH. Isn’t
the definition of insanity to do the same thing over and overagain expecting a different result? Sweeney has hit in 7 of the last eight games. Quillen only has confidence in
three relievers and yet we allowed him to use them perfectly in his two wins, despite
the fact that we had three lefties in reserve. The coach for the pitchers in the field is
not doing his job. Bob “leave them in one inning too long” Geren needs o improve
his handling of the pitchers. ps. do not pitch Alexi Ramiriz inside. Whew! I feel better!
So to answer your queries...
- No, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is not the definition of insanity. It’s more a definition of stupidity.
- Willingham struck out three times against Buehrle, a soft-tossing LHP. This has little predictive value towards Willingham’s chances of solving a hard-throwing RHP. Sweeney’s a good hitter but so is Willingham.
- I agree with you on Alexei Ramirez. Pitch him away, and don’t leave a pitcher who should have been yanked an inning ago in to face him.
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
Aaaaaaaaaaaagh.
Isn’t the definition of insanity to do the same thing over and overagain expecting a different result?
It's the definition of insanity to do the same thing over and overagain expecting a different result how many times I've read that.
"Some of us know him as the a-hole who piled into Ray Fosse in an All-Star game (it's why Ray is the way he is folks)" - OptimistPrime
by travdog6 on May 16, 2011 2:15 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I personally would have PH Sweeney for Jackson and Matsui for Willingham
I vibrated with joy that join A's. -- Kim Seong-min
by WaddellCanseco on May 16, 2011 5:55 AM PDT up reply actions
Maybe
This probably would have been more politically palatable. I’m guessing Willingham would have been annoyed had Sweeney pinch hit for him, but he would accept being replaced by Matsui in a “respect your elders” sense. The problem is that this leads to Matsui playing left field if the game goes to extras, seeing as how De Jesus had already been burned. The real solution was to let Coco swing away, pinch hit Sweeney for Jackson, and have Matsui ready to pinch hit for Suzuki if it came to that.
by Glorious Mundy on May 16, 2011 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes, it would have been bad with Matsui in LF in extras
I vibrated with joy that join A's. -- Kim Seong-min
by WaddellCanseco on May 16, 2011 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions
Disappointing Loss
It’s a shame that we couldn’t come up with a series win, and it would have been great to see Cahill start out 7-0. He just didn’t have his best stuff, and against a good hitting team like the ChiSox, you’ll have to pay. Unfortunately, a loss might have been avoided had Cahill not made that throwing error.
Sadly, the offense couldn’t come through with RISP; bad game by Willingham (0-for-5, 4 K’s)
but good job by Barton, Ellis and Crisp. It would be fantastic if that could be the start of a hot streak for Barton and Ellis, or at least an improvement.
What we need now is a sweep against LA.
So since we lost this series, we should be in line for a series win
Winning the Angels series wouldn’t put us more than a game over .500, so I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
If we win every ALWest series we might have a shot in the division even as a .500 club
We could be one of those mediocre .500 teams that sneaks into the playoffs then get’s hot at the right time and rides it to the world series…
by Oaktown Shutout on May 16, 2011 10:19 AM PDT reply actions
oh... gosh where's my pocket schedule...
I didn’t realize it was a 2 game set.
I guess that’s good news though since Weaver threw Friday ( I think). Meaning we’re avoiding both Weaver and Haren this time then.
Matchups look good on paper, if we can avoid errors on the infield.
by Oaktown Shutout on May 16, 2011 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Would have been nice
If Willingham would have waited until he gets a called strike. The pitcher just walked the previous hitter. The A’s could have easily swept the series.
I did learn a few things from listening (egads) to Hawk Harrelson this weekend:
1) Brandon McCarthy last beat the White Sox in 1969. My he sure ages well.
2) Just about every player and coach for the White Sox is “as good as it gets”.
3) Hitters don’t choke up with two strikes these days.
4) First pitch stike and pitching ahead in the count is sort of important.
5) A routine play in the field is worthy of web gem like praise.
You forgot #6:
6) Hawk Harrelson is an idiot.
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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