As Danny Haren goes, so do the A's. From May 4th to May 26th, Oakland was 0-5 in Haren's 5 starts and 4-15 overall. Oakland is 5-0 in Haren's last 5 starts, and the A's are 15-8 in that span. Haren goes for the A's today against former Pepperdine teammate Noah Lowry. When the two matched up at SBC Park, Haren lost 3-2 thanks to a three-run first inning sparked by a lead-off walk to Jason Ellison. "Bad idea," Haren concluded, and so Danny did not walk a batter in any of his next three starts. An Oakland win today would assure the A's of five consecutive winning series.
I want to use today's game into for a couple acknowledgements. Recently, I have noticed more posts from less familiar names, and I just want to say how much I enjoy seeing a wide variety of people add to the discussion. We love our lurkers, too, but I just want to put out a welcoming vibe to those who are venturing, occasionally, into the land of visibility. Whether you post once a minute or once a year, everyone on AN has equal importance and their opinions have equal validity--so your presence is always appreciated and your comments always valued.
And ohad, welcome back to America. It Israeli great to have you here.
The starting lineups are as follows:
Sanchez
Vizquel
Feliz
Alou
Niekro
Durham
Linden
Matheny
Ellison
Kendall
Kotsay
Crosby
Chavez
Kielty
Byrnes
Johnson
Swisher
Ellis
