So, stud-pickup Jon Lester gave up two runs today--back-to-back solo home runs in the seventh inning--and the Oakland A's lost at home, 2-1, to the Seattle Mariners as mighty Adam Dunn struck out on three pitches to end the game. Dunn's solo home run was one of three Oakland hits today.
The A's are now further out of first place in the American League West (5.0 games behind Los Angeles, which plays at Houston tonight) than they are ahead of third-place Seattle (3.5). Furthermore, Detroit (which plays at Cleveland tonight) is now just 2.5 games behind Oakland for top position in the A.L. wild-card race. Seattle is third place in that, too.
I'm very sorry about all of this. That move does not seem to have worked out.
ReplyDeletePeter Gammons noted via Twitter today that Jon Lester has a 2.67 ERA over his last four starts and that the A's are 1-3 in those games.
ReplyDeleteI imagine I will be in the minority among A's fans on this one, but I still like the trade. We've gone to the playoffs plenty in the last decade, and Billy Beane is trying to get us past Justin Verlander to the World Series. Well, if Oakland can somehow just make it to the playoffs, we might yet get a Verlander-Lester matchup in the wild-card game--and, if we can somehow get Adam Dunn four at-bats in that game, maybe he gets three solo home runs and only one strikeout and we win, 3-to-2.67.
I agree with you. You had to try something different, and I think this was a risk worth taking.
ReplyDeleteBesides, as you say, the season's not yet over. If you can survive that wild card game, then anything can happen.
Thank you for the support. Failure is table stakes in innovation, and you're unlikely to win in Oakland without being innovative.
ReplyDeleteA's have Thursday off, but Angels, Mariners and Tigers all win. With Houston in Oakland for series starting tonight, A's trail Angels by 5.0 in American League West and lead Tigers by 2.5 and Mariners by 3.0 in A.L. wild card.
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