Game #21: Lifeless A's swept by Rangers

I'm going to recap this game because I have to, but also so you won't have to go back and watch it. Or see the box score. Or, really, think about it again. Because there is nothing uglier than having your Division rivals come into your home park and sweep, and make you look bad in the process. And to add insult to injury on the statistical side of things; i.e. the opposite of the Texas manager who clearly doesn't see the value in what the A's have been trying to do in Oakland, Ron Washington got away with two absolutely asinine bunts in the series that the A's should have made him pay for. And they didn't. Oh, and add yet another error (and it should have been two!) to the A's total today.

And I'm not exactly going with the "I told you so theme", but c'mon. Today's lineup was crap from the start, and it didn't disappoint; the lineup managed three hits. The A's can ill-afford to put two black holes in the lineup, with Moss sitting on the bench, but somehow they did it anyway. On the radio broadcast, our announcers talked about how Melvin defended sitting Moss: a) he could be used as a high leverage pinch hitter after Perez left the game (nope!) and b) with the ground ball pitcher on the mound, Barton's defense was better suited to the game. I bet Sonny Gray himself would have disagreed. The only way I want Moss to sit is when he needs a day off, or we need some amazing defense in the ninth. That's it. Congratulations to Lowrie, Donaldson and Norris, all of whom had one hit today. That's literally the entire recap for the offense.

And it's not like Sonny Gray was a slouch today, turning in 7 innings, allowing 3 runs, while striking out 8.  He issued an uncharacteristic four walks, and was also helped by a replay review in the first inning that was overturned on what would have been the Rangers' fourth run. But three runs allowed is a winnable game, especially when you lost a heartbreaker the night before, and you're about to get swept by the team with whom you will be going down to the wire in September. A 6-game swing, even in April, is no small thing, and the A's had better find a way to regroup in Houston before they meet the Rangers again for some payback.

Tomorrow's game is against the Astros at 5:10PM. We'll see you back here. I think our best best is to forget this series ever happened and move on. The "what-if's" won't be kind.