I think we could probably dig up almost every recap since the All-Star break and substitute it for this game’s, and you would never know the difference. The A’s had good (not great) starting pitching, excellent bullpen work, and little to no offense; losing the game, and the series.
That about sums it up.
In other A’s news, the rumor is that both Duchscherer and Gallagher have been shut down for the season (no real surprise on either).
If you’re looking for the good news today, Dallas Braden looked competent out on the mound, keeping a pretty good line through five until getting into a jam in the sixth, and Huston Street looked like the pre-2008 Huston, as he got out of the bases-loaded jam in the sixth (saving Braden further damage), and pitched a perfect seventh, as well.
Embree came in to pitch a perfect eighth, and with that, the A’s pitching did their job, holding the Twins to 3 runs over 8.
However, pitching really wasn’t the problem today. That honor rests solely with the A’s offense.
The A’s scored an unearned run right off the bat in the first on a single by Cust, but despite scoring chances the rest of the game, the A’s couldn’t plate another run. In fact, they didn’t get another hit after the fourth. The highlight of the late innings was Suzuki taking Nathan to a full count before flying out.
For those of you keeping track, the A’s have been held to 2 runs or fewer in thirty-five games this year. Correction: Despite what our announcers claim, we think it is actually fifty games at 2 runs or fewer. That’s almost unimaginably bad. That even overshadows their eleventh consecutive series loss.
The silver lining, I guess, is that the A’s now play the one team they might have a chance to beat; the Seattle Mariners. The A’s and Seattle hook up for four games this weekend, starting tomorrow night.
I recommend finishing the Olympics first.
