I was there, hanging on the ledge with you. Wondering if the A's were about to embark on a difficult road trip after being swept by the feeble Mariners. But it didn't happen. This game was a microcosm of the A's entire season. They were punished early. They fought back, made it close and then were left for dead again. An A's fan has to feel like they are having an affair with the team right now. It's always promising it will be in the playoffs, and there are so many indications it will, but you just can't be sure what will happen at the end of the day.
For once, Danny Haren struggled. The game appeared out of reach early, especially with the on-again, off-again offensive woes of this team. And then when Chavez hit the bomb I was thinking, well maybe now that will energize the boys a bit. But no, Juan Cruz gave the bomb right back to Sexson. Then the A's score two runs and it's within reach again. Then Huston gives up a run and it appears over.
The A's showed some fight to get back in the game. I'm telling you, every time this team's pulse slows to a crawl and you think it's dead, it comes back again. This year's version of the Oakland A's are like a werewolf or a vampire...you need a silver bullet or a stake in the heart to kill it. Every single time I feel like I'm about to give up on 2005, call it a great year and beginning thinking about 2006, they do something shocking. Yes, it was against the Mariners, but it was still a huge victory today.
And it was emblematic of the 2005 season. Down...way, way down. A little closer. A fade. And then...well, we'll just have to wait and see if the season ends as beautifully as today's game did.
I'm still a little skeptical. But maybe that's just self-preservation because I want to protect myself against the heartbreak of an unkept promise.
