I'm not a Ken Macha hater. I've said repeatedly that managing a baseball team is a thankless job because you go unnoticed when a team does well and you get all the blame when the team sputters.
But I blame this loss squarely on Ken Macha because there is no way that Joe Kennedy should've faced Cuddyer in the eighth inning. Justin Duchscherer HAD to be the pitcher there. Who cares if you burn all of your pitchers out tonight? The A's needed this game since they are facing Liriano tomorrow.
Yes, I know the players have to perform and Kennedy has done well all season long in shutting down the opposition. But Duchscherer should be your eighth inning man in this situation. He HAS to be. I wanted the A's to take at least one out of Minnesota and this was the one they needed to get.
I know I shouldn't write when mad, but I'm pretty ticked off right now. I don't care if Cuddyer is 1-2 against Duchscherer because Morneau is 0-2.
Any way, I really hate those two players. Morneau is like freaking Mola Ram from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom...while we stand back and watch the horror. Cuddyer is the same thing. Up until this year, those two hadn't been much to the rest of the league, but they've both pretty consistently destroyed ripped the arms and legs off our lovable muppets. Good God, there goes Cookie Monster's googly eyes and Elmo's plump orange nose in a river of stuffing and string.
So the A's could've reduced that sweet magic number tonight, and instead they have to hope the White Sox can do it for them. It's unfortunate that they could've really turned things around a bit tonight and it's opportunity lost.
