It is official. The A's are now 16 1/2 games behind the Rangers with just 16 games remaining on the schedule. We are done - wait until next year is now official.

Today's game was close 0-0 until the fifth inning. In the fifth inning, MLB.tv's operators finally became convinced that my computer was not in Stockton but rather in Riverside and I got to see that tie broken. A leadoff triple to Craig Gentry followed by an Ian Kinsler single made it 1-0. A Josh Hamilton sac fly scored Kinsler who had made it to third. Before Michael Young singled and Adrian Beltre homered to make it 4-0. Worried in the bottom of the seventh that this game might be close, the A's left Andrew Carignan out for a second inning of work during which he surrendered the second home run of the day to Beltre, before the Rangers would tack on two more runs. In the eighth A's Craig Breslow would allow another run to cross the plate in case there was any concern the A's might mount a seven run comeback. 

With it 8-0 Rangers, the A's offense finally perked up as #3 hitter (he had replaced former #3 hitter Cliff Pennington) Eric Sogard created his own hole in the ozone layer with a moonshot to right. A's finish losers 8-1 ultimately C.J. Wilson who K'd 11 A's (who inexplicably failed to strike out Jai Miller two times) won the game for Texas. He pitched a heck of a game, and I hate him for it.

A's season is officially done. What do you want to see in the next 16 games?