Game #76: A's 10, Giants 4
June 25, 2006 | A's @ San Francisco
Thank goodness the A's won or I would've been in this funk for a couple more days.• I'm very excited that the A's bats are alive and well. When the Giants tied the A's at 4-4, what happened afterwards is exactly what I want to see every time: the A's responded by scoring ahead in the next inning, then continued to pile on a bunch of insurance runs.
• Loaiza's 97-pitch complete game victory is not lost upon me. I commend his accomplishment. Today's was an especially good win. Now keep it up, 'Teban, and don't drink and drive.
• As Celeste commented yesterday, there was a triple in the 9th on the Friday and on the Saturday game. Jay Payton (4-for-5 today, natch!) must've heard her because he hit a triple in the 9th this afternoon. Amazing coincidence. This series must be skewing the stats for the folks at The Hardball Times; they think the triple is an endangered species.• Antonio Perez is getting my attention. He got a double — a double! — in today's game. Uh, yeah, he was 1-for-4, but I'm happy for him when he gets a hit. And didn't I see him execute a good defensive play by throwing from third to first and getting a runner out?
• I read in the Contra Costa Times that Mark Ellis's broken thumb is healing. Ellis could be back in the line-up as soon as this Friday. I really like the depth we have this season. As many guys as there are on the DL (Harden, Thomas, Bradley, for instance), Macha can manage with who's healthy. Three cheers for Billy Beane!
• Matt Cain, 21-year-old Giants pitcher. Fourth youngest in franchise history. Despite his loss today, I take him as a good sign for the Giants. They need to start adding young blood to the team. As GeneralChiang described it to me yesterday at AT&T Park: The Giants are like those aging actresses who keep adding plastic surgery.
• I also want to call out Steve Finley who appears to have bloomed since leaving the Angels. Excellent performance in this series. He was all over center field, he was making contact and driving in runs, he was scoring... Sometimes you just have to tip your hat.
• Looking back, I was anguished by yesterday's loss (we had a five-run lead!), but for what it's worth I did get to see the only Barry Bonds home run of the series. He left the game early with a limp. It's easy to forget that despite Bonds having 719 career homeruns to date, he's only hit 11 this season and only four in the last five weeks. This is Barry Bonds I'm talking about. He's batting .252 and if he misses any games because of this irritated left knee, it means he gets fewer at-bats and fans get fewer opportunities to witness him hit a HR. (Yes, my magnanimity which started just before Bonds hit #715 continues.)
(Game experience: Some FSN Bay Area)
A's record: 41-34 | streak: W-1 | well-A-meter: 3
posted by blank book at 6:15 PM
2 Comments:
A fabulous game, and not just due to weather Goldilocks would've been pleased with. Still managed to give myself a good shoulder burn though.
I was sitting in the bleachers (Sec. 138) with my buddy Q from Stanford and we witnessed two serious brawls. Or rather, we witnessed the complete distraction of the fans around us to those two brawls. I kept scoring and muttering darkly about how I'd paid to see the game, not drunken yahoos. Besides, I really only expect that kind of behavior from Yankee bleacher fans. The young ones.
Favorite cheer of the game: to the tune of "Let's go Oakland!", disgruntled Giants Fan sang instead: "Go Home Oakland!"
I was initially chagrined that we were leading off with our catcher, but Kendall sure packs a punch. Got on base 4/5 times. Both of Swisher's walks led to runs scored. Two plate plays that (at least from where we were) looked pretty close. And Perez's double in the 5th was key -- two men on base, two outs, and the pitcher up next. Totally clutch.
I'm officially a Loaiza fan (okay, until he screws up his next game). Lights out starting in the 5th inning, his only runner getting on because of the ball lost in the sun in center field.
For a while there we thought Cain might have a reverse Star Trek movie problem - odd innings bad, even innings good. He didn't make it throught the fifth. If only Paramount had had Alou calling the shots. (Just kidding, Trek Fanatics!)
Lastly, I was very amused to walk past the detritus of Pride on my way to and from the ballpark. The leftover scraps of tinsel, glitter, confetti, streamers, and (of course!) boa feathers made me smile. A few floats were being deconstructed by scantily/colorfully clad folks with leather accessories. Empty Starbucks containers were piled near the curb. I could hear distant samba drums. A few ballpark attendees wore their Pride beads to the game. I love living here!
Excellent commentary, Celeste! Thank you!
I'm sure a few of us here enjoyed the Star Trek reference. :-)
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