I know it's been said before, but this time it counts. After last night's loss (which swung the A's from a possible 6.5 game deficit to 8.5), the A's need to win tonight. And not just tonight; if the A's have any hope of catching the Rangers, their comeback needs to start now. The Angels were dealt another injury today, losing Piniero for 6-8 weeks. The all-bullpen start resulted in a loss when Scutaro hit a grand slam to give the Red Sox the game.
Trevor Cahill will look for his 10th win of the season tonight as he tries to make up some of the ground for his team. MLB.com reports this quote from Ron Washington, who clearly still considers the A's a threat.
"[I'm] not surprised," he said of the A's hot play of late. "They've certainly changed their game plan. They're not sitting back waiting for three-run homers anymore. They've got speed at the top of their lineup. They've got a lot more contact hitters in that lineup. The young starting pitching is starting to come into its own, and they've always had a good bullpen. They play a different game now. They're not going any place.
Let's hope not. Facing off against Cahill today will be Colby Lewis. He's not Cliff Lee, but he has been a solid part of the Rangers rotation this season, and has pitched well as of late.
Here are your lineups:
LET'S GO OAK-LAND!