IT'S MONDAY!!! TRADING DEADLINE!! Bring on the trades!! Let's see some action!
Lots of things are going right in Sacramento these days. They got back both Dan Johnson and Jason Windsor, and new signee D'Angelo Jimenez are all playing extremely well. Between Friday and Saturday, Johnson went 6-for-9 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBI. Since getting sent down he has driven in 25 runs for the River Cats. Jason Windsor picked up a win in his first start back, improving his record to a nifty 9-0. He gave up two runs over five innings, striking out seven and walking two.
D'Angelo Jimenez was signed in the middle of last month, and after a slow start in which he bottomed out at an .077 average after 12 games, he has started to come alive. He has hit safely in his last seven games, improving his average more than .100 points in that span. In his last 10 games he has hit .500 with 13 runs scored and three home runs. Jimenez is a major league journeyman, playing for four different teams (most recently Cincinnati last season). His career major league OBP is .350, although he provides no power. The second baseman is one of many quad-A type players in Sacramento who can came up in a pinch.
Meanwhile in Midland, Kurt Suzuki is scuffling. In his last six games he is 5-30 with just one extra-base hit. The backstop has just one home run since June 24th and just four doubles in that span.
Teammate Kevin Melillo has started to pick it up, though. He has 15 hits in his last 10 games and has started to walk more. In his last 17 games he has 12 walks, and his season total has increased to 46 against 68 strikeouts. His homerun total of eight is certainly discouraging, though. The left-hander has seven of his eight home runs against right-handers, but his average against righties is just .268, compared to .310 against lefties.
Despite the Major League debuts of both Shane Komine and Jason Windsor, the A's lack pitching prospects. Dallas Braden's return gives home, especially after his last start. Pitching for Stockton on Sunday, Braden tossed five hitless innings in his team's 16-1 win. Over his five frames he walked just two and struck out eight before being relieved.
Also close to returning is Dan Putnam. He has started playing in Arizona, and should be back in Midland in a week or two. He is hitless in his five at-bats with the club. In 43 games with the RockHounds, Putnam batted just .217 with two home runs. He did walk 18 times against 22 strikeouts, but he need to find his power stroke.
