Athletics Nation - Game Thread #123: A's vs. IndiansAn SB Nation blog for Oakland Athletics fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47025/an-fave.png2013-08-18T16:55:36-07:00http://www.athleticsnation.com/rss/stream/43982092013-08-18T16:55:36-07:002013-08-18T16:55:36-07:00Game #123: The Young And The Rest Help A's Win 7-3
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<figcaption>Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
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<p>There were many heroes in today's 7-3 win over Cleveland, ranging from Alberto Callaspo's "goat (key error) to hero (key HR)" routine to "the entire A's bullpen" (4.1 IP scoreless), but perhaps no key contributor needed a big game more than Chris Young. Denied on the homestand by a foul pole and a <span>Robbie Grossman</span>, Young singled in a run, hit the tie breaking HR, and made a circus catch -- I hope they were taking notes next door -- to lead Oakland.</p>
<p>The A's scored early on <span>Scott Kazmir</span> with 2 in the 1st, as out of the gate <span>Jed Lowrie</span> singled and Derek Norris doubled. Lowrie scored on Josh Donaldson's bouncer to SS and with two outs Young delivered a solid single to knock in Norris.</p>
<p><span>Tommy Milone</span> looked good early, not so good later, betrayed only by the long ball early, then by his defense later. Ryan Raburn's HR to CF made it 2-1 in the 2nd but outside of that Milone was very sharp through 3 IP. The A's got him an insurance run when Donaldson singled home a run in the bottom of the 3rd, but Milone labored in the 4th and 5th and lasted only 4.2 IP.</p>
<p>Leading 3-1, Milone loaded the bases in the 4th but struck out <span>Yan Gomes</span> to turn back the Tribe, and by all rights he should have gotten through the 5th unscathed. With one out, <span>Drew Stubbs</span> hit a routine two-hopper to 3B to Callaspo that Callaspo threw wide of 1B. <span>Nate Freiman</span> doesn't so much stretch for bad throws as he attempts to collapse on them and subdue them. This is a practice that works better in law enforcement than in baseball. Nick Swisher bounced out for what should have been the 3rd out, but instead moved Stubbs to 3B with 2 out. At this point Milone didn't do his part, serving up an RBI single to <span>Jason Kipnis</span>, who then stole 2B on Milone's high leg kick and scored the tying run on a <span>Carlos Santana</span> double into the LF corner.</p>
<p>Enter the A's bullpen, and exit the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> in the scoring column. <span>Dan Otero</span> finished the 5th, worked a scoreless 6th, and retired Stubbs on one pitch to start the 7th, lowering his ERA to 1.42. <span>Sean Doolittle</span> finished the 7th, thanks in part to a terrific throw by <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> on <span>Nick Swisher's</span> blast off the LF wall, cutting Swisher down trying for 2B. <span>Ryan Cook</span> stir-fried a scoreless 8th, and <span>Grant Balfour</span> stunned the baseball world by working an efficient 1-2-3 9th.</p>
<p>Balfour did not get a save, however, because the A's scored 4 unanswered runs for their bullpen. With one out in the 5th, Chris Young launched a HR that was, if you can believe it, both fair <i>and</i> uncatchable. One out later, Callaspo atoned for his costly error by tomahawking a HR to LF, just over the leaping try of <span>Michael Brantley</span> -- if ever there was a near recreation of the Robbie Grossman catch, this was it.</p>
<p>Leading 5-3 in the bottom of the 8th the A's tacked on a pair of insurance runs, gifted by Swisher. With Callaspo at 2B and 2 outs, Derek Norris hit a routine bouncer to SS that <span>Asdrubal Cabrera</span> flipped to 1B in plenty of time, and Swisher simply missed it. E3, Callaspo home, Norris to 2B, where he came around on Donaldson's single -- his 3rd RBI of the day.</p>
<p>All in all, a good day for the green and gold. With 2 hits off Kazmir today, Norris continues to punish LHP and has quietly brought his season OBP right up near .340. Callaspo had 3 hits, Lowrie and Young 2 apiece, Donaldson the 3 RBI, Cespedes the great throw.</p>
<p>The A's certainly got some help from Seattle this weekend, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> took 2 out of 3 from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>. Seattle comes to town starting tomorrow night, with <span>Aaron Harang</span> matched up against Jarrod Parker. The A's got their 70th win today, 70-53. The Rangers? 71-53. Who will be left standing at the end? Drop by later for analysis of the AL West race as it goes down to the wire...</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/8/18/4634708/the-young-and-the-rest-help-as-catch-rangers-in-the-loss-columnNico2013-08-18T15:50:26-07:002013-08-18T15:50:26-07:00Game Thread #123: A's vs. Indians (3)
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<p>On to the 8th, 5-3 A's, knowing that Texas has already lost...</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/8/18/4634188/game-thread-123-as-vs-indians-3Nico2013-08-18T14:44:49-07:002013-08-18T14:44:49-07:00Game Thread #123: A's vs. Indians (2)
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<p>Kazmir and Milone have wobbled at times, but survived and as we go to the 5th it's 3-1 A's in a game in which both bullpens will figure prominently.</p>
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/8/18/4634182/game-thread-123-as-vs-indians-2Nico