The A's make their way back to the Coliseum after a difficult 2-4 road trip. Although given the opponents and the injuries, I'll take it. Smokin' Joe Blanton with a 3-4 record and a 6.38 ERA take on the Mariners and Felix Hernandez with a 2-4 record and a 4.58 ERA.
Blanton has only started two games at home and they've both been pretty ugly. He's given up 11 runs in 11 1/3 innings at the Coliseum. Luckily for the A's, Hernandez has been just as awful away from Safeco, giving up 13 runs in 14 2/3 innings.
So, when all signs point to a slugfest, it will probably wind up 2-1 or 3-2. That's just the way it goes sometimes.
UPDATE: Starting Lineups:
Ellis
Swisher
Kotsay
Chavez
Crosby
Payton
Melhuse (dh)
Kendall
Johnson
Suzuki
Lopez
Ibanez
Sexson
Everett
Beltre
Lawton
Johjima
Betancourt
An interesting note...if the A's can win tonight, they'd match their total for all of last May already.
LET'S GO OAK-LAND!!!!!!!
