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Bartolo Colon gave up 4 runs in the 4th, on 5 consecutive hits to open the inning and a sac fly, and by the time the A's came to bat in the bottom of the 6th it was 5-0 O's. Even in rallying in the 6th for 4 runs, capped by a 2-run double from Josh Donaldson that followed 3 fouls with the count 3-2, the A's were frustrated when Eric Sogard popped out with the bases loaded and one out and Adam Rosales bounced weakly back to the mound.
Down 6-4 in the 7th, with a man on Smith launched an impressive HR to CF off LHP Troy Patton to tie it. That's when the Orioles tried to show they could beat the A's with one hand. Chris Davis, down 0-2 to Sean Doolittle, got a slider that had Davis so far out in front he just flicked at the ball trying to avoid striking out. The ball landed in the right-center field bleachers.
Grant Balfour allowed another run in the 9th and it was 8-6 Orioles when Derek Norris singled to open the 9th against LHP Brian Matusz. Smith struck out and then Cespedes got a 1-2 changeup and golfed it. Deep, far, and gone. Maybe that's why the A's have such a better record when he's in the lineup!
Jerry Blevins worked a 1-2-3 top of the 10th and Sogard led off the bottom of the 10th with a solid single off of Pedro Strop. Rosales laid down a bunt that Strop threw to 2B with about the same control he showed to the plate all series: The throw went into CF and the A's had runners at 1B and 2B with nobody out. So Crisp dropped a bunt to 3B and Manny Machado tried to get the force at 3B. He did get the force in the A's bullpen -- or at least that's where he threw the ball.
Sogard had no idea where the ball was. Imagine being Mike Gallego, wanting to just pick Sogard up and carry him to home plate. Sogard lay on his belly for what seemed like an eternity -- kind of like the A's recent skid, which has seemed to last approximately forever. Then he finally got up and beat Nate McClouth's throw to the plate.
Here's the thing about Miss .500. She has a solid job and a good personality. She averages exactly a 5 on "amihotornot.com". And she's really ok. And I really don't even want to be friends.
14-12. It's not nearly as sweet as 12-4 but it's a heck of a lot better than 13-13. Oh, Miss .538, have you done something to your hair? Because my oh my you look fine right now.
