Game #143: A's 4, Twins 9 final
[Updated 9/11/2006 11:42 PM: I got the correct A's magic number at the bottom of this post, thanks to Al's sharp editor eyes!]
LIVE BLOGGING
5:55 pm
Top of the 4th, I take a peek at Gameday and the A's are on the board.
After reading the comments from GeneralChiang and Al about the A's and the post-season, and after having lunch with Tanner Boyle today, I'M NERVOUS!
This series with the Twins is so important, I almost can't watch! I'm scared of the Twins. They put the fear in me back in October 2002.
On another topic, I'm going to keep posting the A's magic number and if I get it wrong, please call me on it. I know amongst you are hawk-like scoreboard watchers!
7:00 pm
Omigosh isn't this what I was talking about? Blanton allows Torii Hunter to hit a HR. Blanton out, Halsey in. Halsey gives up two runs. Come on! This is a nightmare and a half!
7:22 pm
Going offline for a little bit. I'm still commuting!
~8:30ish pm
Cut off from any media and standing in line for cheap but good Japanese food on College Avenue, I call the one person I know for sure is watching the game, the one person who will answer the phone, the one person I can rely on no matter what. "Mom, what's the score?" To my surprise, it's still the 9th, the Big Hurt is up, and two are on base. But in the pit of my stomach I know the game's over and indeed the game ends with the score of 9-4 Twins.
• Blanton struggled tonight. Michael Cuddyer was the other Twin who hit a HR off of Blanton. Blanton gave up nine hits, six runs, one earned, over 5.1 innings -- ouch!
• And we had three errors!
• As Tanner pointed out to me at lunch today, Zito and Haren have had rough starts leaving August Pitcher of the Month Esteban Loaiza as our "ace."
(Game experience: Some MLB Gameday)
A's record: 82-61 | streak: L-1 | magic number: 14 | well-A-meter: 4.50
posted by blank book at 7:21 PM
5 Comments:
The Twins do seem to have our number when it comes down to crunch time, but the saving grace in this series is that the Angels are having to face the White Sox, who are even more desperate than the Anaheims. Magic number went down today, even with that ugly loss, so we're in pro-Tigers and pro-White Sox mode.
I'd love to see the A's go over 90 wins. The way Frank Thomas is hitting, that would be a big boost to his MVP chances. But I think he trails Santana and Ortiz at this point.
Thanks for subtly pointing out I got the magic number wrong, Al. I corrected it. Thanks!
As much as we love Frank Thomas, it's probably too late for him to be considered for MVP. He has a much better odds at being voted Comeback Player of the Year.
Thomas could've gone to the Twins, but they didn't want to sign him because his bum ankle wouldn't take the artificial turf. Remarkable.
That would've been an even scarier scenario. What if the Big Hurt was DH for the Twins this year? Would the A's have come this far?
The Twins are going full throttle this series. They want to win the AL Central because they would avoid having to play the Yankees, whom eliminiated Minnesota in 2003 and 2004, in the first round. Not only that, winning the division means they get to play the A's, whom they defeated in 2002 and have a history of playing well against. Who said that installing the wild card drained all the fun out of the pennant races in September?
Two things:
1. The comeback player of the year award is just as hard to win this year because Jim Thome is having a monster year for the White Sox. As with the MVP award, I think the overall team success of the A's will have much to do with Thomas' chances.
2. Tanner Boyle makes a good point. If you had to choose one closer for more than one game, series, or season, I think Nathan would be the guy (over Papelbon). But in the short run, you still have to choose Rivera, much as I dislike the Yankees, and even recognizing that his arm is questionable. Until he fails, he's the man for the short term.
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