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Happy 4th of July everyone! Today is the day that comes once a year when family and friends gather to grill, drink, and watch the A's snap a 6-game losing streak. I'm going to a Visalia Rawhide game later this evening, so this the first part of a double dose of baseball for me today. I'm hoping to start it off with a win, or at least to see Oakland play better than a single-A affiliate.
Daniel Gossett is on the mound for the (bedazzled) green & gold. He has probably pitched a little bit better than his 5.57 ERA indicates, and he has shown significant potential with a diverse arsenal of offspeed pitches. His strikeouts are still low, but then again so are his walks, so Gossett has had some things going for him.
In a mirror matchup from a couple weeks ago, Gossett is facing Big Game James Shield for the White Sox. Shields got torched in that incredibly fun game where Brugman, Olson, and Barreto each notched their first major league home runs. Will he serve up more BP today? His home run rate is sky-high as always, but he's coming off a strong start against the Yankees.
Today's lineup looks considerably better than yesterday's. Rajai is batting 9th, the top of or order looks legitimately decent, and we'll get to see some of our best rookies. There's a lot of potential there.
Game time is 1:05 PT. Go A's!
