sal·vage [sal-vij]: noun, verb, -vaged, -vag·ing.
1. the act of saving a ship or its cargo from perils of the seas.
2. the property so saved.
3. compensation given to those who voluntarily save a ship or its cargo.
4. the act of saving anything from fire, danger, etc.
5. what the Oakland Athletics ballclub must do in the third game of every series in the second half of 2008
Well, we all knew this stretch in August would be tough. It doesn't get any less so today, as the A's face Daisuke Matsuzaka. The rejuvenated, un-Mannyed Boston offense gets its first look at Dallas Braden.
Beane's apparently stopped tinkering around the margins of the 25-man roster for now, and is now focused on oddly timed moves seemingly designed to publicly shame certain individuals: swapping third- and first-base coaches, not-really-quite-officially-demoting the closer, giving Geren the latitude to express frustration with Leftcakes' surrendering two first-inning homeruns ... is there any chance at all we could see Crosby in the stocks someday soon? Time to start giving Petit some starts, guys.
Early-morning West Coast start time for the game: 10:35. I'll be watching the game through a self-medicated haze of maple syrup and Peet's.
Also, in relatively late-breaking news, as folks point out below, Leftcakes has been sent down to Sacto (thereby using up his last option, which apparently means it's impress Beane in the spring or bye-bye Dana) and The Last Tattered Remnants of the Huddy Trade has been called up -- and Braden is feeling under the weather and might possibly not start.
