Athletics Nation - GameThread #66: A's vs. YankeesAn SB Nation blog for Oakland Athletics fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47025/an-fave.png2013-06-11T23:24:46-07:00http://www.athleticsnation.com/rss/stream/41856452013-06-11T23:24:46-07:002013-06-11T23:24:46-07:00Game #66: A's hang on to win 6-4
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<img alt="The freshly mulleted Derek Norris unloads for a 3-run (lumber)jack off CC Sabathia." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v9kmodv2szMVmAXpq061asgYwaI=/0x589:3181x2710/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14636575/170357438.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The freshly mulleted Derek Norris unloads for a 3-run (lumber)jack off CC Sabathia. | Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
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<p>The A's were coasting to a shutout victory...until they weren't. But all's well that ends well.</p> <p>Prior to the game, Derek Norris showed off his new mullet. What he didn't show off was his newfound hitting stroke. Sporting a batting average of .194 coming into the game, all he did was get two hits and four RBI off C.C. Sabathia to lead the A's to a victory in the series opener.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1656055/norrismullet.jpg"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Norrismullet_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1656055/norrismullet_medium.jpg"></p>
<p style="text-align: center; "><i>The pregame mullet was key [via <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/athletics/files/2013/06/norrismullet.jpg">blog.sfgate.com</a>]</i></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The game had the makings of a potential pitchers duel between <span>Bartolo Colon</span> and Sabathia. Colon started off with a scary 27-pitch first inning that included a very uncharacteristic two walks. However, he was able to work his way out of the jam unscathed, and for the rest of the way held up his end of the bargain. <span>Coco Crisp</span> ensured that Sabathia wouldn't do the same, crushing the second pitch he saw for a laser home run straight into the left field BBQ Terrace. It was his 8th home run of the year.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Nate Freiman</span> started the A's off in the second inning with the first of three hits on the day. After Reddick reached on a force out, Norris stepped to the plate with two outs. A's fans that begged for a lucky bloop were rewarded. Norris skyed a flyball right in no man's land; perhaps an actual major league rightfielder could have gotten a better jump and caught the ball, but the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> had career infielder <span>Lyle Overbay</span> (he had literally never played in the OF until this season) manning the position. Meanwhile, the A's rightfielder got a huge jump, and with his speed and alert baserunning, Mike Gallego never hesitated in waving him home. 2-0 A's, and the mullet was working its magic.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Seth Smith</span> came into the game for <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span>, who tweaked his hamstring trying to hustle down the line in the first inning and had to exit. However, the A's didn't miss a beat.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Colon continued cruising through the Yankees lineup, and it seemed like Sabathia was settling down after his 1-2-3 bottom of the third. However, the mullet struck again in the fourth inning. Freiman started the action with a one-out single. Chris Young, the subject of much consternation among the A's fanbase, lined a solid single to center. Norris came up to bat with two on, two out. He responded by cranking a hanging curveball from Sabathia over the jagged edge in left-center. 5-0 A's, and the party was on.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In the sixth inning, a <span>Josh Donaldson</span> double, productive out by Freiman and a wild pitch by Sabathia combined to give the A's another run, making it 6-0. So how did a 6-0 lead in the 6th inning turn into this?</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Gotham SSm A', 'Gotham SSm B', Arial, sans-serif;" id="comment_title_167486287" class="title collapse_toggle"><a style="outline: 0px;" id="comment_167486287">that was possibly the least fun win ever</a></h2>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; font-size: 12px;">by </span><a style="font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; font-size: 12px; color: #424242;" class="poster" href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/McKara">McKara</a><span style="font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; font-size: 12px;"> on </span><a style="font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; font-size: 12px; color: #424242; margin-right: 8px;" class="date" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/6/11/4421802/gamethread-66-as-vs-yankees-3#167486287">Jun 11, 2013 | 10:14 PM</a></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Colon was over 100 pitches, so <span>Sean Doolittle</span> came in for the seventh. Doolittle reverted to form. He continued throwing fastballs for strikes, but unlike his previous few outings, he got an easy 1-2-3 inning.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>Jerry Blevins</span> came in for the 8th inning, and then the "Yankees were the Yankees." A couple of groundball hits by <span>Brett Gardner</span> and <span>Robinson Cano</span> put two on, and a soft flyball off the bat of Mark Texeira plated a run. <span>Travis Hafner</span> stepped to the plate and got every bit of the skinny sinker. Reddick made an amazing read on the ball and somehow got to the line to steal extra bases and RBIs from Hafner.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">With two on and two out, <span>Vernon Wells</span> pinch hit for Overbay. With a 6-1 lead, Melvin decided to stick it out with Blevins; unfortunately his faith was not rewarded. Wells lined a single to left. At that point Melvin made the change and <span>Ryan Cook</span> got Ichiro to quietly ground out. Crisis averted.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cook stayed in for the 9th, and he sandwiched two outs around an innocuous Chris Stewart single. With the game almost wrapped up, Cano smashed a double. No worries though, Balfour was coming in to save the game. But first he had to allow a two run single to Texeira on a straight fastball right down Broadway. Damn Yankees being Yankees again. The crowd suddenly got loud as the multitudes of Yankees "fans" in attendance finally had something to cheer about with the score now 6-4. Travis Hafner stepped into the box representing the tying run. Like his last at-bat, he absolutely crushed a pitch (this time to left center), but Seth Smith made a game-saving catch with a small hop and his back against the wall.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">EXHALE.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A's win.</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/6/11/4421904/as-hang-on-for-6-4-victory-over-yankeesBilly Frijoles2013-06-11T21:48:04-07:002013-06-11T21:48:04-07:00GameThread #66: A's vs. Yankees (3)
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<p><a href="http://abcnewsradioonline.com/storage/sports-news-images/Getty_S_82212_Bartolo%20Colon.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1361382774385"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1656025/Getty_S_82212_Bartolo_20Colon.jpg"><img alt="Getty_s_82212_bartolo_20colon_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1656025/Getty_S_82212_Bartolo_20Colon_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>What a loveable guy.</p>
<p>Colon sparkled, Coco and Norris pummeled Sabathia, Reddick continued his very nice baserunning and fielding...but a few not-so-hard-hit balls and then some hard hit balls against Blevins in the top half of the inning put the Bronx Bombers on the board.</p>
<p>6-2 A's going to the bottom of the 8th. Let's bring it home, boys. </p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/6/11/4421802/gamethread-66-as-vs-yankees-3Billy Frijoles2013-06-11T20:18:46-07:002013-06-11T20:18:46-07:00GameThread #66: A's vs. Yankees (2)
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<p>We go to the bottom of the 4th! A's up 2-0!!!!</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/6/11/4421618/gamethread-66-as-vs-yankees-2Billy Frijoles2013-06-11T18:45:04-07:002013-06-11T18:45:04-07:00GameThread #66: A's vs. Yankees
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KzBJrJMCAZKeEZTtHjnGRHBtjiM=/0x17:4000x2684/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14622217/169824787.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
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<p>Colon vs. Sabathia in a heavyweight matchup for the ages.</p> <p>Across the Bay, <a href="http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/problems-starting-to-mount-up/Content?oid=2447811">people are fretting over Pablo Sandoval's weight</a>. I can't imagine complaining about a player who was the World Series MVP last year and has a career slash line of .303/.353/.489 but whatever.</p>
<p>Here in Oakland, we will celebrate our big bodied brethren tonight as <span>Bartolo Colon</span> takes on C.C. Sabathia in an extra-large matchup of AL Cy Young winners and former teammates (both with the <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indians</a> and the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a>). </p>
<p>Colon comes in on a roll, allowing only three earned runs in his last four starts. The recent run has his ERA down to a cool 3.14. Sabathia started off the season strongly, but has displayed some chinks in his armor in a recent stretch of up-and-down starts. He has had an extra day of rest since his last start (a four run complete game victory over Cleveland) so he may come out with some extra firepower. </p>
<p>My main memory of Sabathia in Oakland was sitting by his mom at the Coliseum as I watched him mow down batter after batter. I think that's why I always imagine him to be dominant in Oakland. However, for his career he is only 4-5 with a 5.02 ERA pitching in front of his hometown crowd. Good news for the A's.</p>
<p>Regardless, the A's will have to hit better than they did over the weekend if they hope to repeat the success against CC. </p>
<p>The Yankees have won six out of their past seven, and the A's, as you know, have come off a recent 18-4 stretch of dominance. Two high powered teams playing well, separated by one game in the standings. Should be fun!</p>
<p>Also <a href="http://instagram.com/p/ab9ooOyYK-/#">good to see that Rickey, unlike Reggie, has not forsaken the A's for the Yankees</a>.</p>
<p>Here are your lineups:</p>
<table class="tlineup" style=""><tbody> <tr class="lheader" style="font-size: 0.9em; background-color: #d0d0d0; border: 1px solid #a0a0a0;"><td style="padding: 5px 0px;" colspan="4"> <span style="font-size: 1.1em;">7:05pm </span> <strong><a href="http://baseballpress.com/lineup_team.php?team=NYY" title="Click to see previous lineups" style="color: #042f7e;">Yankees</a></strong> (<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=sabatc.01&year=Career&t=p" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: #042f7e;">C. Sabathia - L</a>) @ <strong><a href="http://baseballpress.com/lineup_team.php?team=OAK" title="Click to see previous lineups" style="color: #042f7e;">Athletics</a></strong> (<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=colonba01&year=Career&t=p" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: #042f7e;">B. Colon - R</a>)<div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em; text-align: right; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://forecast.io/#/f/37.7517,-122.201/1371002700" target="forecast" style="color: inherit;">Gametime Forecast: 63°F • Partly Cloudy • 0%PoP</a></div> </td></tr> <tr style="border: 1px solid #a0a0a0;"> <td style="padding: 5px 0px;"> <a href="http://baseballpress.com/lineup_team.php?team=NYY" title="Click to see previous lineups" style="color: #042f7e;"></a><div class="team t147" style=""></div> </td> <td style="padding: 5px 0px;"> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">1. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=gardnbr01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Brett Gardner (L) CF</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">2. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=canoro01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Robinson Cano (L) 2B</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">3. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=teixema01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Mark Teixeira (S) 1B</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">4. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=hafnetr01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Travis Hafner (L) DH</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">5. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=youklke01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Kevin Youkilis (R) 3B</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">6. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=overbly01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Lyle Overbay (L) RF</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">7. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=suzukic01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Ichiro Suzuki (L) LF</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">8. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=nixja01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Jayson Nix (R) SS</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">9. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=stewach01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Chris Stewart (R) C</a> </div> </td> <td style="padding: 5px 0px;"> <a href="http://baseballpress.com/lineup_team.php?team=OAK" title="Click to see previous lineups" style="color: #042f7e;"></a><div class="team t133" style=""></div> </td> <td style="padding: 5px 0px;"> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">1. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=crispco01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Coco Crisp (S) CF</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">2. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=lowrije01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Jed Lowrie (S) 2B</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">3. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=cespeyo01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">4. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=donaljo02&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Josh Donaldson (R) 3B</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">5. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=freimna01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Nate Freiman (R) 1B</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">6. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=youngch04&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Chris Young (R) DH</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">7. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=reddijo01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Josh Reddick (L) RF</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">8. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=norride01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Derek Norris (R) C</a> </div> <div style="color: #606060; font-size: 0.85em;">9. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=rosalad01&year=Career&t=b" title="Click to view split stats on baseball-reference" target="bref" style="color: inherit;">Adam Rosales (R) SS</a> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<p><br>LET'S GO OAKLAND!</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/6/11/4420226/gamethread-66-as-vs-yankeesBilly Frijoles