Game #84: A's 2, Tigers 1 (updated)

Fourth of July, 2006 | A's vs. Detroit

I love these kinds of games! Haren start... pitchers' duel... low-scoring game... extra inning... A's win! To be honest, I was so down from the Arizona series that I was considering taking a break from baseball.

And to make it even more special, I went to this game and so did my kid sister who's never been to a baseball game before. Well, she said she can follow spectator sports — e.g., soccer, golf, tennis — and she knows the basics such as strikeouts and walks.

Not only was she able to follow the game without soliciting commentary, she had a good time soaking up the atmosphere. She enjoyed the crowd, the Cap Caper, the 7th inning stretch. Seeing the game through her eyes rejuvenated me.

• Dan Haren throws 101 pitches in seven innings, giving up only four hits and one earned run, the home run to Detroit catcher Vance Wilson. That HR tied the game at 1-1. Haren got his third straight no decision. He remains at 6-6, but his ERA is 3.40 and WHIP is 1.11.

• By the way, from where I was sitting on the second deck in left outfield, I saw Vance Wilson's home run ball hit the top of the out-of-town scoreboard and bounce back down to the field.

• Detroit starter Justin Verlander was mighty impressive on the mound. He's got 10 wins already, a 3.01 ERA and 1.17 WHIP (if ESPN.com stats are accurate as of this writing). He can throw a pitch as low as 81 mph and as high as 100 mph!

• RHP Joel Zumaya pitched the 8th and 9th innings and did his share of three-digit mph pitching. At one point, the pitch speed display flashed 103 mph then disappeared immediately. At any rate, he is exciting to watch.

• Meanwhile, the A's have Kiko Calero pitching the 8th, then Huston Street for the 9th. When we go into the 10th, Ron Flores comes out and immediately walks Carlos Guillen. Mercifully, Macha yanks him out before further damage is done. Chad Gaudin is brought in.

• And mercifully, Zumaya wasn't going to pitch more than two innings. Fernando Rodney pitches for Detroit and this is what I saw: Kotsay grounds out and Crosby draws a walk. Chavy strikes out. Frank Thomas is up! Just when he gets his fourth ball, Crosby successfully steals second. A good just-in-case move on Macha's part, I think.

Now comes Jay Payton. Payton, is, in short, hot. ESPN reports that Payton has been either tying or winning games for the A's lately. I have a good feeling about Payton. And on a 1-2 count, he hits the ball to right field where no one can get it without doing some running.

Crosby takes off from second and I know we're going to win. I see Crosby crash into Vance Wilson and as the catcher falls backwards I also see the baseball lying on the ground near home plate. The rest of the A's come out of the dugout, I jump up to my feet, and the crowd goes wild...

• This is exactly what the Associated Press reported on Jay Payton: "Eleven of his 16 RBI since June 13 have either tied the game or put the A's ahead."

• Also: Kotsay had two singles in this game, ending his 0-for-29 hitless streak.

Updated 7/09/2006:
I just want to remember that these were my sister's only questions, which I thought were rather intelligent for someone who'd never been to a ballpark before.
a. Are they allowed to bring those drums in? (Referring to the drummers in the Left Field bleachers. The answer is yes, but George Steinbrenner asked the same thing in 2001.)
b. So how does someone win? (Asked when we went to extra innings. I explained the top and bottom innings and the position of the home team in it which she got immediately.)

Also, she was amused by a man wearing a (fake) Zito jersey standing in front of the second deck railing. He was dancing and waving a white shirt 'round and 'round. When another guy carrying a beer wanted to pass, the Zito fan merely pointed to his back with his thumb as if to say, "Just walk around me 'cause I'm not gonna move."

She also pointed out to me a young teenage boy sitting a few seats away who "claps louder than you." This made me prickle and for the last two innings, I tried to beat him. He was, however, really good.


(Game experience: Sec 232, Row 9, Seat 3)

A's record: 44-39 | streak: W-2 | well-A-meter: 3