Last night, the A's had the benefit of facing a #5 starter who was pitching badly and Oakland was unable to convert it into a win. Now, the A's send their #5 starter, Josh Outman, to the mound to face the Mariners' ace - and one of the toughest pitchers in the league - Felix Hernandez, with Erik Bedard going on Sunday.
Memo to Bob Geren: Ryan Sweeney against a LHP, and Orlando Cabrera against a RHP, do not belong at the top of the batting order. Jack Cust, meanwhile, continues to do what Jack Cust always does and that is get on base. Also, since the Mariners do not have a left-handed reliever in their bullpen, in this series you do not need to worry about how many left-handed hitters you bat in a row.
I'll post the lineups when they're available, and I fear they won't look like this one - even though in my opinion they should:
Sweeney - CF
Cust - DH
Giambi - 1B
Holliday - LF
Chavez - 3B
Suzuki - C
Buck - RF
Ellis - 2B
Cabrera - SS
C'mon, Bob - lineup order may not be that important, but can we just put our best feet forward?
Real Lineup:
