Jack Cust's improbable infield single lifted the A's to a 5-4, 11 inning victory in a game that will best be remembered for its walks and baserunning oddities. Final Score: A's 5, Tigers 4 (11).
In a game both teams tried desperately to lose - walking 11, failing to bring runners home from third, not knowing when to get back to third or when to get back to second, and so on, the A's prevailed 5-4 on...
...Something that happens even less often than an Ivan Rodriguez or Emil Brown walk - both of which happened tonight - and that is a Jack Cust infield hit. I guess it's four true outcomes now.
So the A's survive Dana Eveland walking seven, Oakland pitchers walking 11 and hitting a batter, the A's failing to score with runners at second and third and nobody out because Emil Brown won't take a ball and Travis Buck won't swing at a strike, Brown not going back to tag and score the go ahead run in the 8th, Rajai Davis acting like he's never been on second base (which makes sense when you see him hit).
Thanks to Eric Chavez' 3-run HR to tie the game in the 5th, Geren's gutsy decision to pitch to Polanco in the 10th and Miguel Cabrera in the 11th, and Gaudin's ability to come through both times, Bobby Crosby's terrific diving catch in the 11th, and Jack Cust's blazing speed.
Games like this are why you don't try to predict anything in baseball.
