"So far, so good" when the A's have locked horns with the Whitesox, as Oakland has won both previous series from baseball's winningest team. However, this time around the Whitesox lack the psychological disadvantage of playing in Oakland, and enjoy the physical advantage of throwing their "big three"--Jon Garland, Mark Buerhle, and Freddy Garcia--at the A's. Suffice it say, it is unlikely that the A's will have 10 walks and 3 wild pitches gift-wrapped for them in any of the upcoming games.
And so, on this eve of Chez Nico II, as dead animals everywhere run for cover and dress in camouflage posing as zucchinis and turnips, Kirk Saarloos takes the mound for Oakland while Ricardo Rincon desperately tries to free himself from a straitjacket that bears baseballgirl's fingerprints.
The starting lineups are as follows:
Kendall
Kotsay
Crosby
Chavez
Hatteberg
Byrnes
Johnson
Swisher
Scutaro
Podsednik
Harris
Everett
Konerko
Pierzynski
Dye
Perez
Crede
Uribe
