Some random thoughts about the closing game...
- Kenny Rogers owns the A's. And I hate that.
- We held the Tigers' offense down until today, which was why winning yesterday's game--even only scoring two runs--was so important. Not to mention, we seem to have the personnel for the marathon-inning games; get to extras and it is truly a whole new game.
- Saarloos was no match for the Tigers today. However, I'm not sure Halsey is the ultimate solution (that, of course, would be Harden). I'm seeing shades of Halsey's relief work when he came in for Saarloos his last time out-- 1.2 IP, 3ER, 2BB. But yes, it wouldn't have taken much to do better than `Loos today.
- I think we need to hire food-tasters before our players have anything to eat. The A's are injury-prone enough without adding "food-poisoning" to the list of reasons players are scratched from the lineup.
- I think I hate leadoff walks almost as much as anything else an opposing batter can do.
- It is very important that we at least split the upcoming four-game series against LAAAA. With fans of our division rivals in Texas posting this, and Seattle fans ready to stage a mutiny against their manager, more and more, it appears that it's boiling down to us and the Angels for the second-half run, as Nico has predicted all along, and our offense, as it currently stands, is not good enough to sustain us the whole way.
- I would think the A's short-term goal is to get to the All-Star break by playing .500 ball and reevaluate at that time.
- What do you all think? Roster adjustment? A trade?
