Game #62: A's 6, Yankees 5

June 9, 2006 | A's @ New York (A)

With regards to the A's, I try to be an optimist. Right now, I know Blanton is not getting it done and every Saarloos start is a coin toss. The bullpen has been savaged by injuries. The hitting is underperforming but we have the makings of a solid offense if everyone would just get healthy. Things could be better.

However, when I saw tonight's starting line-up I was depressed. Jay Payton batting third? Bobby Kielty batting fifth? Our infield was Swisher, Rouse (who?), Scutaro and Antonio Perez. Are you kidding me? The opposing pitcher: Randy Johnson. I think of him as a wounded lion. His health is not perfect. He is old, but still dangerous. How are we going to score runs?

Alas my momentary depression was soothed by the fact that our best, healthy pitcher was throwing, Dan Haren. Over his last five starts, he has a 2.05 ERA. Dan Haren, our best hope to hang in there against the best offense in baseball, a New York Yankee team that had shrugged off their own incredible string of injuries to win 9 of their last 12 games.

Chicks still dig the longball...
Frank Thomas leads off the second with his 15th home run of the season and I am glad we have a lead for Haren. Bobby Kielty and Antonio Perez each hit their first home run of the year in the fourth inning as Randy Johnson comes undone.

Now batting...Mike Rouse!
Mike Rouse is activated to fill our crumbling infield. A shortsop in Sacramento he is batting a pedestrian 273/363/399 (BA/OBA/SLG). However, tonight is his night. He starts his first game ever in Yankee Stadium, hears the legendary Yankee announcer, Bob Shepherd, say his name. He gets a hit off future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. Gets a second hit of Johnson. Steals a base. Scores two runs. 3-for-3 (first player since Ben Grieve to get three hits in his MLB debut), batting 1.000. Awesome!

Dan Haren, our ace?
Haren had thrown 122 pitches in each of his last two starts. He looked pretty good but when he missed he seemed to miss badly. Ken Korach thought he had the best movement he had seen on his fastball all year.

In the sixth inning, there are two outs, runners on first and second and Bernie Williams at the plate. Macha comes out for a gut check, just as he did with Zito a few nights ago. He asks Haren if he can get the out. Haren tells Macha what he wants to hear but gives up a single anyway. Can Haren say" no thanks, I am beat"? No. Does Macha think they will tell the truth? Do the pitchers think they have to say yes? Luckily Payton keeps A-Rod from scoring and Gaudin comes in to get the third out.

At this point, with Harden's season in doubt, I think Haren is our best pitcher. Zito has been excellent but I always have the thought that he might get shelled, perhaps too many memories of 2004. One game to win at all, right now, I would rather have Haren pitch. No bevvy of stats to back it up, just a feeling.

And then it rained...
The speed and ferocity of the rain caught me off guard. One hour and twenty-seven minutes later the tarp was pulled.

I missed the restart, as I was writing this. MLB.com Gameday shows that the game restart and former A's hero Jason Giambi dumps the second pitch from Brad Halsey in the seats. 6-4. The Yankees add another run but Calero and Street go an inning each without allowing a base runner to preserve the win.

(Game experience: Mostly TV but a bit of radio while running errands and Gameday to catch me up and check the facts)

A's record: 30-31 | streak: W-2