A's Quiet 5-Game Winning Streak

I say that the A's have had a quiet 5-game winning streak because I haven't been able to see any of the games. For whatever reason (work, events, odd scheduling on MLB Extra Innings), I've missed the last few games, and the A's have done just fine without me. After this mini-surge, the A's are now 14-12 and a half-game behind the Rangers.

After 26 games last year, the A's were 11-15, had scored only 91 runs and had allowed 120. This year, the A's have given up about the same number of runs (122) but they've been able to increase the offense - scoring 121 runs so far this year. That's a 33% increase in runs scored over the same time period, but it only moved the A's from dead last in the AL in runs scored to 11th out of 14 teams. In order to make the playoffs, the A's are going to need more offense.

By the end of the 2005 season, the A's had climbed all the way up to sixth in terms of runs scored. We're going to need a similar performance again this year to pull away from our mediocre start.

The pitching, however, has been about the same this year as it was last year - 122 runs so far against 120 last year over the first 26 games and the 4th-best AL pitching staff so far in 2006 compared to a 4th-best AL pitching staff over the course of 2005. So, the A's are doing fine on the pitching front (injuries notwithstanding).

Here's the problem - last year, the A's went 11-15 in their first 26 games and 8-18 over their next 26 games with Harden and Crosby on the DL. Again this year Harden's on the DL for May, and the A's face a tough schedule with series against the Indians, at the Blue Jays, at the Yankees, at the White Sox and at the Rangers. (Although the Devel Rays ,Mariners and Royals come to Oakland over that same stretch.) So, we're left to hope the offensive explosion from yesterday carries on throughout May and carries the A's to a better record than 8-18 and a solid foundation for a playoff run.

(And by the way, you've gotta love the grit of Jason Kendall. He's a gamer, even if it does look like he's about to get pounded in that picture.)

Nice Win by the A's Last Night

A’s won 4-3 on the strength of Nick Swisher’s bat, Carlos Guillen’s errant throws in the 4th inning and surprisingly decent pitching.

Good News
- Loaiza didn’t look awful
- Swisher continues his hot start, both at the plate and in the field
- Defense looked solid, as it has all year. I love watching the A’s turn a double play
- Sloth Shelton stayed in the yard
- Huston Street bounced back from his tough outing on Sunday

Not Quite As Good News
- Bobby Crosby doesn’t look right at the plate. He went 0-4 to bring his average down to .205
- Huston Street had to throw a bunch of pitches again - 21 last night

Vin Scully is the Best

Over the weekend, a friend and I were lamenting the lack of quality baseball commentators on TV. We really couldn’t come up with anyone that was worth listening to – but we overlooked Vin Scully. I caught my first Scully/Dodgers game Monday night and it was a joy.

Scully is smooth, knowledgeable and fun to listen to. And he’s really not much of a homer. Scully couldn’t have been more excited to watch Greg Maddux twirl a gem for the Cubs. He kept marveling at how Maddux was teaching the Dodgers what pitching is all about – almost yelling out at times, “He might as well have a blackboard out on the mound with him” and, “These Dodgers should get a diploma after this lesson” (if you’ll forgive my paraphrasing). I can’t stand the Dodgers and I’ll never forgive them for 1988. But I love watching their games so I can listen to Scully. He’s an old fella’ but I hope he keeps covering baseball forever.

Ken Macha Cost the A's Sunday's Game

I have two thoughts about the following:

Street's streak of converted save opportunities came to an end at 21, tied for the second longest in Oakland history with Dennis Eckersley and Mudcat Grant. Street's last blown save was July 10 at Chicago, but it was the 22-year-old's first career loss in a save situation.

"It's good for him, toughen him up,'' joked third baseman Eric Chavez, who had four hits and all three of Oakland's RBIs. "No, it happens. I want Huston out there every day -- he's the guy. He's going to be the guy. He can't be perfect his whole career.'' - Street bobbles the save
After 21 straight successes, closer has first blown chance since July

(1) Sounds like the team isn't really taking this one so hard. That's probably a good perspective, especially for a young team.
(2) Huston Street looked tired yesterday - and I'm going to place the blame at the feet of Ken Macha. If Street hadn't thrown 25 pitches in a pointless Friday-night outing, I think he holds the lead and saves the game, even with the bobblehead curse.

Disappointing Series in MN

"Three fine starts by A's pitchers at Seattle were systematically rubbed out by three correspondingly poor performances at Minnesota." -Susan Slusser, on the A's last series

Well, that didn't turn out to be so much fun. I had suggested that the pitching matchups would favor the A's, but things certainly did not turn out the way I was hoping.

The A's get a chance to bounce back this weekend in Oakland against the Rangers.

Friday - Millwood vs. Zito
Saturday - Padilla vs. Harden
Sunday - Loe vs. Haren

Again, the matchups should favor the A's. Let's hope it plays out a little better this time around.

Twinkies Up Next

My least favorite Twin was always Brian Harper. He was never the best Twin, but he seemed to have a knack for killing the A's. From 1988-1993, it seemed like he could drop a flare double on the left- or right-field line against the A's at will, and his success drove me bonkers.

Here's his career line with the Twins: .306 BA / .342 OBP / .431 SLG
And against the A's: .351 / .404 / .490
(Thanks to Baseball Musings' amazing day-by-day database for the numbers)

Brian Harper was a quality major league catcher, but he had no business putting those numbers up against my A's. I guess the A's brought out the best in Harper, and Harper brought out the worst in me. I hated him.

No one on the Twins today makes my blood boil like Brian Hunter, but I'd like to see the A's sweep 'em all the same.

Tuesday: Haren vs. Radke
Wednesday: Loaiza vs. Silva
Thursday: Blanton vs. Lohse

The A's don't have to face Johan Santana (a now-perennial favorite for the Cy Young) and the Twins miss both Zito and Harden. So, it's really a battle of the back-end of the rotations, and I like the A's chances. Let's hope Haren, Loaiza and Blanton continue the 0.43 starters' ERA we saw over the weekend in Seattle.

Nice Start, Indeed

Bradley, Thomas making presence felt / Newcomers key A's win over Yankees

"It's a nice way to start,'' said A's third baseman Eric Chavez ... "Opening Night was probably more disheartening for the fans, but we were able to shake it off."

Chavez is right. A 2-1 series victory over the Yankees is a good way to start any season. Putting aside Monday's disastrous performance, the A's have won with good pitching, great defense, quality base-running and clutch hitting. Just as Tuesday morning was too early to write off the season, Thursday morning is too early to start printing the playoff tickets... But as an A's fan, you've gotta feel good about what you've seen the last two nights.

Next up, four games in Seattle:
> Loaiza - Meche
> Blanton - Felix Hernandez
> Zito - Moyer
> Harden - Pineiro

That Blanton-Hernandez matchup tomorrow looks to be the most interesting. A 25-year-old pitcher coming off a 200 IP / 3.53 ERA season against a pitcher one day shy of his 20th birthday coming off a phenomenal 84 IP / 2.67 ERA season. Two up-and-coming pitchers facing off early in the year - anything could happen. Should be worth watching.