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It's July 1st, and Game #81. We've officially reached the halfway point. Congratulations to all. There were definitely times I didn't think we'd all make it, but we hung on! Here's to 81 more! (Or perhaps 92?)
This afternoon the A's take on the Rockies in the rubber match of the three game set. They will try to put last night's offensive disappointment behind them against 26 year-old righty Chad Bettis. Bettis is enjoying what looks to be a breakout season, as he is 4-2 with a 3.56 ERA (3.34 FIP) in nine starts, some very impressive numbers for a pitcher throwing half of his starts in the thin-aired Coors Field. He's not a huge strikeout pitcher, nor is he a control freak, but he is above average at both and has kept the ball in the park so far this year. Only time will tell if he is for real or just a mirage, and hopefully the A's can make him look to be the latter.
Opposing Bettis is 25 year-old righty Jesse Hahn. Hahn is the owner of a 3.57 ERA (3.55 FIP) despite a very low 5.76 K/9 rate. How has he done it? Hahn's 53.1% ground ball rate is seventh best in the American League among qualified starters. He has also shown the best control of his young professional career. Hahn is coming off a bit of a rough start against the Royals, and will look to reassert his dominance this afternoon against the Rockies.
Some notes...
- Athletics ace Sonny Gray, hospitalized with a major illness on Monday night, is recovering from severe bacterial gastroenteritis. He should be released from the hospital either today or tomorrow.
- Ex-Angels GM Jerry Dipoto has officially stepped down after conflicts with manager Mike Scioscia.
- If you haven't already, go check out the A's 2015 Trade Season Primer while you're waiting for the game to start. Some loser spent way too much time on that.
- The A's are, once again, operating with a three-man bench. They will be keeping Chris Bassitt in the bigs until they are sure Sonny Gray will be ready to go for his next start.
Game time is 12:35 P.M., PST. I hate to say it, but this one looks like a must-win if the A's want any chance of staying in the postseason race. If you want to bounce back into contention, you surely can't go around losing series to the Rockies. That being said, let's get that win today! Go A's!
Today's Lineups
