Multiple positive storylines suggest themselves as ledes for today's wrapup:
- Chad Gaudin's
67 innings of 1-hit ball - Rich Harden's apparently noninjurious 2 innings of 0-hit mopup work
- Home runs from favorite AN whipping boys Jason Kendall, Dan Johnson, and Shannon Stewart
- Stewart's continued unconscious hitting on the road trip
- The continued implosion of the Yankees' wretched bullpen and expensive imported starter
- The positive mojo magic of the Cranky Pants
But I think it's obvious that the A's good fortune today was due to the confluence of the birthdays of AN diehards FreeSeatUpgrade and (allegedly) GreenNGoldGirl and davestewart ... and Lena Horne (her account isn't activated yet).
Now, you all get out there and each have another 82 birthdays!
Now, any anomalous (positive or negative) pitching outcomes with Angel Hernandez behind the plate have to be taken under serious caveats, but Gaudin was on today. He's looking more and more like a sage decision by Beane and his brain trust and a key contributor to the A's rotation for the next several years.
And after witnessing the Yankees' pitching today, does anyone still want to argue that Cashman wouldn't be interested in offering something of value for Joe Kennedy?
The tail end of the A's offense (that is to say, everyone except Swisher and Cust) jumped all over Igawa's mistakes today, in a rare display of top-to-bottom power from the lineup. And while Mutant Crosby's Radioactive Tentacles keep pushing him further and further from the plate, at least Chavez is seeing the ball well and driving it the other way.
So: what a difference a day makes, eh? The A's send Your American League ERA Leader Dan Haren to the mound tomorrow looking to win the away series against the Yankees. I think I'll keep the Cranky Pants on all weekend.
