Never doubt the Newbob. His lineup was a bit unexpected against RHP Aaron Cook, with the hot Chris Carter sitting and LH Seth Smith sitting, because Bob Melvin wanted to get Brandon Moss and Jonny Gomes in. Moss had been 4 for 4 against Cook, Gomes 7 for 14 with 3 HRs, and Melvin liked their chances.
All Moss did was start the evening 4 for 4 with two doubles, a HR, and 4 RBIs. Gomes drove in runs with RBI singles his first two times up. Melvin continues to push all the right buttons (while Bobby Valentine continues to look strangely Geren-like in the dugout while no one seems to want to talk to him).
By the 3rd inning, Cook was gone. And then it just started getting ridiculous. The A's hit 5 HRs, two by backup catcher George Kattaras and one a grand slam by Josh Reddick against the team that traded him this past off-season. Not to be outjoshed, Josh Donaldson also left the yard, homering for the third consecutive game. In the only negative development, Donaldson also left the yard when he was lifted for a pinch runner in the 7th after going 1B to 3B on a single and coming up lame. But, if nothing else you have to like the timing, since Brandon Inge is expected to be activated from the DL tomorrow.
Speaking of the 7th inning...The A's scored 9 times that inning, capped by the Reddick grand slam. 20 run games, 9 run innings -- it's kind of getting to the point where it's difficult to find words to adequately and uniquely describe what these 2012 A's have become.
That's why I'm going to make some up. It is nothing short of guptorious the way this team has managed to murrify in the face of valpumtion. It's enough to make you downright brazzy.
