Hey, sometimes Kevin Correia just retires the first 14 in a row, tosses a one-hit shutout through 7 and combines on a two-hitter. It happens.
Too often, actually. Especially with Dallas Braden on the mound for the A's. Braden threw yet another gem, giving the A's a much needed 7 innings and a "good enough to win for most teams" 2 ER. Only an Edgar Gonzalez double in the 2nd, which followed a borderline pitch called ball four to Kyle Blanks, and an 0-2 mistake (solo HR) to Henry Blanco in the 5th, marred an otherwise superlative effort by the A's ace and warrior. Kevin Kouzmanoff's 8th inning 2-run HR off of Russ Springer (bad dog) would seal the deal.
For the A's offense, it was Orlando Cabrera's two out double in the 5th, the A's first baserunner, and Ryan Sweeney's RBI double in the 8th, also known as "the A's other hit," driving home Jack Cust, who had walked in his role as - yep, the A's "other baserunner." Somehow the A's were not able to parlay 3 baserunners into a win.
Braden has now gone at least 6 innings in seven consecutive starts. He has made 15 starts this season and he has allowed more than 3 ER in exactly one of them. He has been, in a word, everythingyoucouldask. He is also 5-6, which tells you how much W/L records mean. I hope Braden makes the All-Star team because he has been an All-Star in 2009 -- Pepe just needs to hire a hit man to join the A's lineup.
