The combination of the A's clearly having fallen out of contention, and their usual unfair share of injuries has led us to a point where we're as excited about seeing the new guys Cliff Pennington and Eric Patterson play as we are about the potential outcome of the game. Given 14 straight games at 4 runs or less, and a ridiculously lopsided W-L record since the All-Star Break, it's quite clear that it's the "game within the game" we're trying to get excited about now. (Oh yeah, and Ziggy.)
So... wait. (Looks down and scans lineup)
No Pennington. No Patterson. (Scans again)
Well, at least we've still got Carlos Gonzalez and a venerable veteran lineup that's come up HUGE for the A's in games past. Right?
Pitcher Sean Gallagher and his 1-1 record, with a 4.26 ERA, hopes to take advantage of the California sunshine and get his teammates' bats warmed up. He'll be opposed by James Shields, sporting a 10-7 record and 3.65 ERA. You might recall Shields last faced the A's on July 23rd, when he won 4-3 after pitching into the 9th inning. The A's definitely remember, and hopefully, they've been planning some revenge.
Go A's
