Athletics Nation - Game #108: Athletics vs. Blue JaysAn SB Nation blog for Oakland Athletics fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47025/an-fave.png2013-07-31T16:54:48-07:00http://www.athleticsnation.com/rss/stream/43403512013-07-31T16:54:48-07:002013-07-31T16:54:48-07:00Game #108: Sun not enough help, A's fall 5-2
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<figcaption>His problems are not solved with sammiches | Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
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<p>The Blue Jays had one of the worst fielding days you can have as an MLB team. Their errors and lost balls in the sun led to two A’s runs. Unfortunately, that’s all the A’s would manage today against R.A. Dickey and the Blue Jays bullpen.</p> <p>For once, this was a battle of the bullpens that the A's did not win. After <span>R.A. Dickey</span> and <span>Bartolo Colon</span> both racked up pretty significant pitch counts over each other's 6 innings, each team would trot out its relief corps to attempt to bring this one to the house. It wouldn't be the A's day, though, as after <span>Ryan Cook</span>, <span>Sean Doolittle</span>, and <span>Grant Balfour</span> pitched a perfect 7-8-9, <span>Jesse Chavez</span> and <span>Jerry Blevins</span> would combine to let the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> blow the game open in the 10th inning. Those three runs proved to be the difference.</p>
<p>On the starting side, Bartolo Colon clearly did not have his best stuff today. He uncharacteristically walked 3 batters, and seemed to be living in the mid-to-high 80s with his fastball all afternoon. Amazingly, however, he powered through 6 innings and continued his team record streak of going at least six innings and allowing 2 or fewer runs. He got through innings 1 and 2 with a single and double allowed, respectively, recording his only K to end the second. In the third, however, he would wriggle out of a second-and-third and one-out jam, almost literally. After a <span>Brett Lawrie</span> walk and <span>Jose Reyes</span> bunt single, <span>Maicer Izturis</span> sacrificed himself to move the runners over, and left the actual hitting to <span>Jose Bautista</span>. He would lineout sharply to <span>Jed Lowrie</span> for the second out. In stepped <span>Edwin Encarnacion</span> for the Jays, who laced a sure hit up the middle were it not for Colon's body. His deflection to Lowrie ended the inning and kept the game scoreless.</p>
<p>Again, were it not for some Yakety Sax Blue Jays moments today, the A's would have been shutout again. One of those happened in the third, when <span>Eric Sogard</span> would reach on a single. He would score on a massively airmailed throw by Bautista on a single by Lowrie, also sending Lowrie to third. Another moment came in the fifth, when Dickey simply let a ball drop, again putting Sogard on. I don't know how this works exactly - elf magic, something - but apparently Sogard's mere presence on the field makes defenders drop the ball. Perhaps it's his steely good looks. In either case, those distractions would bring him around to score again, as with Brandon Moss batting with two outs, Maicer Izturis dropped a routine pop up to tie the score at 2-all.</p>
<p>After that, the game ceased being amusing. The A's offense would be quieted by Dickey, <span>Aaron Loup</span>, and <span>Steve Delabar</span>. Their only real threat came in the eighth, when with one out, <span>Josh Donaldson</span> and <span>Seth Smith</span> would reach on Loup. Enter Delabar, the All-Star, who came on to strike out Chris Young and <span>Stephen Vogt</span>. Grant Balfour would come in to strike out the side in the 9th, and then left, leaving the horrible realization that the only guys left in the bullpen were the B team relievers. No matter, of course, as the A's would pie their way to victory in the bottom of the 9th.</p>
<p>Except they didn't. <span>Casey Janssen</span> came on for a 1-2-3 ninth inning to send this game to free baseball territory. And when it did, and Jesse Chavez came in, it was a quick end. A single and another passed ball by Vogt led to a run-scoring double by Bautista. After an IBB to Encarnacion, Jerry Blevins came in to give up a walk to <span>Mark DeRosa</span> and a bases-loaded single to <span>Colby Rasmus</span> to push the advantage to 5-2 Jays. The meringue pie that was this game's comeback hopes would collapse with the B team bullpen. Only <span>Pat Neshek's</span> quiet two outs would keep this game from being an embarrassment.</p>
<p>Despite the solar power today, the A's couldn't muster enough offense or pitching to top the Jays. Nevertheless, the team will surely enjoy an off-day tomorrow before starting a pivotal series against Texas at home. In the meantime... Go <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>?!?</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/7/31/4576852/recap-sun-not-enough-help-as-fall-5-2Alan Torres2013-07-31T15:50:36-07:002013-07-31T15:50:36-07:00GameThread #108: A's vs. Jays (4)
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<p>A's down 5-2, last stand...</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/7/31/4576702/gamethread-108-as-vs-jays-4Billy Frijoles2013-07-31T14:49:09-07:002013-07-31T14:49:09-07:00Game Thread #108: Athletics vs. Blue Jays (3)
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<p>More like BLOW JAYS, amirite??? Some awful, awful defense coupled with help from Mr. Golden Sun has led us to a tie game, 2-2, going to the bottom of the 8th.</p>
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<p>Someone get on the phone to Nation's. I think we'll need to order soon.</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/7/31/4576512/game-thread-108-athletics-vs-blue-jays-3Alan Torres2013-07-31T13:50:58-07:002013-07-31T13:50:58-07:00Game Thread #108: Athletics vs. Blue Jays (2)
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<p>Colon seems a little awry. Not hitting his spots. A's got one run, Jays answered right back with 2. 2-1 Jays going to Bottom 4th.Game Thread #108: Athletics vs. Blue Jays (2)</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/7/31/4576320/game-thread-108-athletics-vs-blue-jays-2Alan Torres2013-07-31T11:50:54-07:002013-07-31T11:50:54-07:00Game Thread #108: Athletics vs. Blue Jays (1)
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<figcaption>Looks almost svelte from up high. | Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's a battle of old guys today, as the knuckleballer and noted scribe R.A. Dickey face off against Bartolo Colon and his noted two-seam fastball movement. It's a tough assignment for both teams' offenses, as Dickey has recently found success, and Colon is having historic success at age 40. Contrast that, however, with the day game conditions at the Coliseum, the Blue Jays homer-happy ways, and a knuckleball's tendency to hang if it doesn't dance, and there could be some scoring after all today.</p>
<p>The rubber game of the series finds the A's needing one more win to equal each of their previous month's total, and bringing them back to 20 games over .500. The Blue Jays are just surviving, having not traded anyone (as of this writing), and trying to find bright spots in a lost season that started with such promise. Or, at least, such contracts taken on from the Marlins.</p>
<p>You know who else is just surviving? <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130731&content_id=55367988&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Bartolo Colon.</a> Not sure one can say the same about Nelson Cruz or Jhonny Peralta.</p>
<p>Here are the lineups. Note Adam Rosales' absence (via DFA) to make room for Callaspo off the bench, and Chris Young in right for Reddick, who is still feeling woozy after taking a Stanford man's knee off his head.</p>
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<table class="tlineup"><tbody> <tr class="lheader"><td colspan="4"></td></tr> <tr> <td></td> <td> <div>1. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/1736/Jose+Reyes/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Jose Reyes (S) SS</a> </div> <div>2. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/2437/Maicer+Izturis/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Maicer Izturis (S) 2B</a> </div> <div>3. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/1887/Jose+Bautista/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Jose Bautista (R) RF</a> </div> <div>4. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/2151/Edwin+Encarnacion/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Edwin Encarnacion (R) DH</a> </div> <div>5. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/8027/Adam+Lind/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Adam Lind (L) 1B</a> </div> <div>6. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/9893/Colby+Rasmus/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Colby Rasmus (L) CF</a> </div> <div>7. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/3708/Rajai+Davis/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Rajai Davis (R) LF</a> </div> <div>8. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/9689/Josh+Thole/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Josh Thole (L) C</a> </div> <div>9. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/5247/Brett+Lawrie/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Brett Lawrie (R) 3B</a> </div> </td> <td></td> <td> <div>1. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/1572/Coco+Crisp/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Coco Crisp (S) CF</a> </div> <div>2. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/7927/Eric+Sogard/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Eric Sogard (L) 2B</a> </div> <div>3. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/4418/Jed+Lowrie/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Jed Lowrie (S) SS</a> </div> <div>4. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/13110/Yoenis+Cespedes/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Yoenis Cespedes (R) DH</a> </div> <div>5. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/4467/Brandon+Moss/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Brandon Moss (L) 1B</a> </div> <div>6. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/5038/Josh+Donaldson/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Josh Donaldson (R) 3B</a> </div> <div>7. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/7331/Seth+Smith/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Seth Smith (L) LF</a> </div> <div>8. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/3882/Chris+Young/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Chris Young (R) RF</a> </div> <div>9. <a href="http://razzball.com/player/5000/Stephen+Vogt/" title="Click to view split stats on Razzball" target="bref">Stephen Vogt (L) C</a> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
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<p>Play ball! Game starts at 12:35 PM.</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/7/31/4575782/game-108-athletics-vs-blue-jaysAlan Torres