The A's now tied for the second-most number of victories at home in the majors. The team has excelled at the Coliseum.
Now, after a huge victory today against the team with the best record in baseball and, in my mind, the midseason favorite for the AL Cy Young, they take the act on the road to Toronto and Chicago before the All Star break.
Today's game was a story of a renaissance and redemption. The renaissance of Mark Kotsay (4-5) and the redemption of Mark Ellis by getting a huge hit after making an ill-advised bunt. Jason Kendall also had a key hit and Eric Chavez shouldered the load with three hits and now sits at .278.
But ultimately, Barry Zito kept the walks down, which was crucial because if he didn't, those solo home runs could've made the game out of reach. Zito continues to knock that ERA down and prove that he can pitch like it's 2002.
At 4 p.m. today, on ESPN the All Star selection show is on. The A's representative will be picked. I imagine it will either be Kotsay or Chavez, with the likely nod going to Eric Chavez. This pick wouldn't have been a difficult choice had Rich Harden been healthy, but I'd like to throw my support out there for Danny Haren. Haren leads the team in strikeouts, complete games and victories. Chavy is a good pick, but consistency needs to be considered. Haren wasn't great in May, but he never sunk to the depths that Chavez did and he was 5-0 in June with a 3.09 ERA.
The A's now will find themselves on a plane heading to Toronto on Indepedence Day. Finish the first half at .500 or better and we'll see what happens from there.
By the way, the Mariners designated Bret "Bat-Flippin'" Boone for assignment today. All-in-all, it's been a great day.
