We may have had our frustrations with the A's this month, but it seems like there is no cure for a losing streak quite like playing Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland.
The A's have now won 6 out of their last 7 games since the Cincinnati series, and are playing some pretty good baseball.
Gio Gonzalez was a little wobbly tonight; giving up 5 hits and 4 walks, but the end result was 6 2/3 scoreless innings, and it's hard to ask for more than that.
Breslow relieved Gio with two outs in the seventh and threw the eighth as well (with three right-handed hitters scheduled). He was exceptional; striking out three of the four batters he faced.
Bailey pitched a perfect 1-2-3 ninth inning for the save to lead the A's to their league-leading 9th shutout of the season.
Perhaps the difference in the game (and Gio's toughest jam) came in the sixth inning with two outs. Gio gave up three straight singles to load the bases, and he gave up a sure single to right field, but an incredible heads-up play from Sweeney to Barton resulted in the uncommon 9-3 putout--the runner was thrown out at first from right field.
The A's put one run on the board in the very first inning on a bases-loaded walk to Jack Cust and scored two more on a bases-loaded double by Ellis. Daric Barton--who wasn't even scheduled to start tonight--went 2-5 today. The A's couldn't score more than three, but with tonight's pitching, that's all they would need.
So we are officially half-way through the season, and one game under .500. Right now, that doesn't sound half bad.
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