Welcome to game 25 of the 2014 Major League Baseball season.
Oakland Athletics (15-9 1st Place) at Houston Astros (8-17 5th Place)
Your starting pitchers…
Tommy Milone  (0-1 4.24 ERA 1.53 WHIP)   vs   Collin McHugh (1-0 0.00 ERA 0.45 WHIP)
Lineups
Oakland
Crisp (CF) .273/2/10
Lowrie (SS) .291/2/11
Donaldson (DH) .286/7/20
Moss (LF) .278/4/20
Callapso (3B) .268/3/12
Reddick (RF) .232/1/5
Jaso (C) .224/1/4
Barton (1B) .167/0/3
Sogard (2B) .216/0/3
Houston
Altuve (2B) .284/0/7
Fowler (CF) .238/2/5
Guzman (1B) .182/2/3
Springer (RF) .186/0/2
Carter (DH) .176/3/8
Dominguez (3B) .229/4/10
Hoes (LF) .162/1/1
Corporan (C) .154/2/3
Villar (SS) .216/3/6
Enjoy the game…GO A’s!
I’ll just apologize in advance for my game thread introduction being much less cool an interesting as elcroata’s. We went from the penthouse to the outhouse in game thread authors today.
taking the penthouse to the outhouse just means you need a little privacy.
All I know is Outhouse Forum wasn’t as much fun to read as Penthouse Forum.
…and for those keeping score at home. I’ve heard of three of the Astros playing today. That’s not bad…for me.
Where are the VORP stats?!
I have my staff of 12 working on that right now.
Do personal catchers exist anymore?
Only in Hollywood.
Hooray for Hollywood.
I’m really not much of an NBA guy anymore but I sure hope the Warriors beat the Clippers in the playoffs.
I was stunned to find out that Donald Sterling is still alive.
It’s so Clippers that they finally get a pretty good team and then this happens…that franchise is cursed.
taking care of itself…
penthouse…
staff of 12…
personal catchers…
beating [the clippers in the play]offs…
not sure if overt theme or repressed subconscious.
…wait….wait….YES!…okay, what were you saying?
i’d read it again but i seem to’ve gone blind suddenly. probably something about hands on experience.
Always remember kids…full arm motion. It may save your life one day.
Well, I guess tornadoes might be headed our way today…if I die at least it’ll be watching the greatest rivalry in sports. A’s vs Astros.
You and Miss Hawaii and the kids have a nice day, Bed. Maybe take a baseball bat outside to swing at some of that hail.
Thank you…I’ll get Baby Phil out there to take care of the hail with a Louisville Slugger…really, hail is what I’m most worried about. Thank goodness we have a garage so the Ford’s won’t get busted up.
My parents came and got my new ride. We had quarter sized hail. Then a tornado warning and had to move all the patients to a safe location.
I think it’s going to be an interesting weather day…what did you get for a new car?
2014 Jeep Compass
Cool…that’s a nice SUV.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgtOs83CMAAvTEn.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bgt3V-iCEAARwx7.jpg
I like it…good looking vehicle.
so liverpool doesn’t depend on itself anymore…
go everton! go aston! go west, young ham! and norwich and cardiff for good measure!
Losing the league on goal difference will suck.
That was a painful game to watch, as some who was tepidly, sleepily supporting Liverpool. Then again, Mourinho’s dickish, bevested celebration was kind of worth it.
you got up ay 5 for footy? that’s more than tepid.
It started at 6. I missed the beginning. I love watching soccer in my jammies while the rest of the house sleeps.
(oh right. my streaming site forgets i’m in daylight savings. and now i’m doubly glad i didn’t try to get up at 5…)
otherwise i was right, cozy is more than tepid.
My enthusiasm for the game was more than tepid. My rooting interest in Liverpool was quite tepid. I’ve had a soft spot for them since the first time I saw Gerrard play back in the early 2000s, so I was rooting for him more than for Liverpool. He and Scholes are the two players that always made me get up early to watch the EPL.
A’s bullpen – leading the AL in ERA, 13th in Fangraphs’ “Clutch” rating. Bleh
its odd. I would say its more on the offense for not scoring more, but..
That was a not a good AB, Josh.
Vince on Reddick after the catch “he’s the complete package.”
I am thinking maybe a pakage from overstock dot com.
hey o.co!
ok, second time through the order. Runs please.
Is it me or does Collin McHugh’s delivery remind anyone of Brandon McCarthy’s?
From what I have seen, yes. Its exactly teh same.
From what I have seen its exactly the same as luis tiant too
From what I have seen, yes. Its exactly teh same.
From what I have seen its exactly the same as luis tiant too
He actually reminds me of old Louie Tiant..but it could be just me.
Obnoxious time to start a game.
looked out…
He was.
Yup. But would have been ruled inconclusive.
I thought it looked pretty clear.
Jaso needs to go back to that open stance.
I get Glen and Ray not knowing about advanced stats. Sure its their job, but it is math and some aren’t easy to do in your head or whatever.
But we just had a whole half inning where they apparently made it clear they are unaware you can buy replica jerseys from previous seasons. When they see them at EVERY GAME do they think they are all game worn?
Yes. Especially the ones with the fan’s last name on them. Oh, and some fans make those themselves at home. It’s called dedication, 5Aces. Sheesh, kids these days. No appreciation for the game at all.
I hate when pitchers throw strikes to Barton.
I hate when Barton is wearing a uniform.
This lack of runs will not stand, man.
This game is moving at a fast pace.
Is this Astros pitcher a top prospect or do the A’s hitters just suck today?
Career 7.83 ERA, recently DFA’d by the Rockies
Ah…so it’s the latter not the former then.
In his next outing he’ll get lit up like midnight in Las Vegas.
Good line.
fking pathetic
The astros bullpen is so bad, I would send this guy out for the 8th. and maybe the 9th. but Ken and vince seem to think the astros are doing a 2 times through the order thing.
I’m sure Josh “The Total Package” Reddick and Daric “Shallow Horizon” Barton will save us.
Well… he’s been throw the order more than twice now already.
For the record, I thought Callaspo did the right thing taking the sure out on the play where the run scored.
Okay, I have this comment now on the record.
Yup. I think he COULD have nailed him, but it would require a perfect throw on the run and a misfire would have cost us a lot more.
i’m back. remembering the thread theme… looking at the score… solo shot?
If you’re scoring at home or even if you’re alone…
single single ground out
good thing they don’t have astroturf. that’s a helluva rugburn.
L.J. Hoes…are we sure this is a real person?
Log Jammin’ Hoes.
It’s part of the theme.
It’s all starting to make sense now.
these color tops are my favorite thing about the astros. seriously. a lil F1 pitcrew, but i still dig ’em.
Way to push your luck with Tommy, Bob.
BALLS!
good corner for the waste management sign.
This game has me thinking nap time.
there’s still 2 innings to score with. i say the astros are only making it 50/50 now.
Yeah, but I hung some drapes earlier so I’m all tuckered out.
Come on, its not like the A’s can’t get a 7 run 9th
I consider a split in Houston to be a failure for these guys.
Oh boy.
Any chance Bo will bring Jerome Williams in to pitch today?
I’m pretty sure when I get to the end of my life my last thought’s are going to be, I just didn’t eat enough apple fritters.
He may be batting eighth but he’s number one in our hearts…here comes Daric Barton.
And there goes Daric Barton.
You beat me to it.
…and there goes Daric Barton.
I think I’m to the point where I’m just going to leave the room during Barton at bats.
with a 5 run lead, you gotta throw him out there again, right?
I would. This is probably the best pitching performance this guy is ever going to have so let him complete it.
Colin McHugh: Athletics Killer.
I wonder how many playoff teams over the years have gotten almost no production from 1B and RF? Those seem like offense first positions to me, but then I’m old and not very bright.
Jim Johnson: 10 Million Dollar Mop Up Man
omg…
Pyrrhic victory!
Before the game, fosse had brown “Brownie” on his show. Brown is the tv pxp guy for the astros. in the last two series the tv people have been terrible human beings fluffing porters shenanigans, calling for actual blood. now they showed no concern for moss as the astros inexplicably threw to 2nd on that steal.
Naturally, ray called him one of the greatest.
I think Ray is just a nice person. I’m sure he thinks most people are the greatest.
Anytime I want to protect a lead in the ninth I like to bring in a lefthander in his mid thirties with 9.00 era…Astros Baseball: Catch the Fever!
Just a bad performance all around. Hopefully Moss is ok because I cannot stand any more Barton.
I’m sure things will get easier with Darvish, Perez, Ross, and a trip to Fenway coming up.
Well said.
Things are looking grim. A split against the Astros is always a failure, and none of the pitching matchups against the Rangers is favorable, even though the A’s have lined up their top three starters.
It is for this reason that I feel less enthused about the team’s chances.
Well, you folks know this team better than I do, but when I look at the guys we’re throwing out there it’s hard to see a World Series title coming to Oakland this season.
15-10 is a solid start to the season but going 2-2 in Houston seems like a bad weekend.
So basically this team is relying on Kazmir and Chavez to pitch at ace level…that should work.
Stealing second with two outs in the ninth while trailing 50-50 is unwise, unless you don’t much care about the possibility that one of your few offensive power threats might get hurt.
I’m not sure what the point of a steal is there. The last two games were my first games of the year that I watched. I wasn’t over the moon about some of the decisions Bob made.
Not getting shut out in Houston?
(It’s kind of like a football team trying to score a touchdown in the final two minutes while down 27-0.)
That’s a good analogy, James.
first bvaseperson wasn’t holding. it should have been indifference. I have no idea why the astros threw. that is not how baseball is played. the game has a way of policing itself
I think it’s fully expected at that point that they wouldn’t throw. It’s almost like an unwritten rule.
Okay, go away negative thoughts. Remember, Brian…the A’s are still a lot better than the Raiders.
A quadruple bypass is lot better than the Raiders.
The Oakland Raiders: Still better than a frontal lobotomy.
…but in need of one.
The San Francisco 49ers: Where felony arrests happen.
…and are dropped to misdemeanors
Thanks, and go As.
I stopped watching A’s and switched to Warriors. I think that was the right call.
But what happened to Moss?
Kicked in the head while stealing but seems to be ok.
Looks like I picked a good day to skip baseball and hack weeds in my backyard.
Five hours of softball yesterday and a seven mile hike today, now tired and achy. But my ass is turning heads.
A red one will do that.
As if the series wasn’t bad enough…
um… The Onion?
Thanks, and go As.
Clearly satire.
No Cespedes again tonight. Maybe pinch hitter.
You still have barton to kick around
MLB.TV free game today.