Game 135: Win please ← FREE KRAUT!

Game 135: Win please 198

A’s need a win, both to stay in the race and to avoid peak Eeyore.

Fuld, Vogt, Donaldson, Moss, Norris, Reddick, Callaspo, Sogard, Gentry
vs. Cory Rasmus, who has not gone more than 51 pitches this year.

Samardzija on the hill.

198 thoughts on “Game 135: Win please

  1. mother pucker Aug 30,2014 6:20 pm

    The downfall of Moss is just sad.

    • Soaker Aug 30,2014 6:30 pm || Up

      I think there was a synergy among Donaldson, Cespedes and Moss that can’t be replicated now.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  2. Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 6:31 pm

    Very ample strike zone for Rasmus.

  3. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 6:37 pm

    those shots of the beach? Further from the big A than SF is from the Coliseum

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  4. Jennifer Aug 30,2014 6:41 pm

    I’m refusing to comment on this game.

    • East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 6:42 pm || Up

      I can’t reply to that.

    • Soaker Aug 30,2014 6:43 pm || Up

      Peak Ostrich annoys me more than Peak Eeyore. When you think the team sucks, say so.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 6:49 pm || Up

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Jennifer Aug 30,2014 6:51 pm || Up

        I just meant to be annoying. I’m not even watching right now.

  5. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 6:46 pm

    Well if Donaldson, Moss, and Norris =/= runs, surely Sogard, Gentry, and Fuld will provide them.

  6. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 6:50 pm

    they had him at over 30 pitches. Fuld needs to take till 2 strikes and then hit his home run

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  7. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 6:53 pm

    well, good at bat at least, but can they please score runs next inning? please? like 4?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  8. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:01 pm

    Sogie! STFD Trout.

  9. East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:02 pm

    Nice, Sogey.

  10. batgirl Aug 30,2014 7:03 pm

    C’mon A’s. This is the inning. I feel it.

  11. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:05 pm

    Pretty smart move by Scioscia…bringing in the crappy lefty when there’s no way the A’s would take out their lefty hitters.

  12. East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:07 pm

    Solid PA, Stephen!

  13. andeux Aug 30,2014 7:07 pm

    Great AB by Vogt.

    TINSTAAFK
  14. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:08 pm

    please hit it to fullerton Josh

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    • lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:10 pm || Up

      close enough

      • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:12 pm || Up

        plesse hit it to orange brandon

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        • Jennifer Aug 30,2014 7:13 pm || Up

          New acquisition?

          • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:13 pm || Up

            orange is another city in orange county

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • Soaker Aug 30,2014 7:15 pm || Up

            Ed’s geography is better than his spelling.

            What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
            • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:19 pm || Up

              please hit it to yorba linda jonny (that’s dead center)

              I have $5. No I don\'t.
              • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:24 pm || Up

                little more umph on it Jonny

                I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • andeux Aug 30,2014 7:14 pm || Up

          I would have settled for contact.

          TINSTAAFK
    • colin Aug 30,2014 7:11 pm || Up

      What the FK! Gameday said “In play, runs” for Josh’s at-bat.

      • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:12 pm || Up

        went out of play but bounced back in, initially vogt scored

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • andeux Aug 30,2014 7:13 pm || Up

        Bad throw bounced into the stands and back, dead ball so runners had to stop.

        TINSTAAFK
      • East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:13 pm || Up

        Such is GameDay…

  15. mother pucker Aug 30,2014 7:09 pm

    Solid AB there by Vogt.

  16. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:15 pm

    I am not sure I agree with this bob.

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:18 pm || Up

      Reddick in high leverage situations: .182/.250/.321
      Reddick in low leverage situations: .272/.326/.488
      Reddick with the bases loaded:. 146/.152/.341

      • colin Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm || Up

        Jonny Gomes vs RHP (career): 223/307/415

        • lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:22 pm || Up

          Not agreeing, just showing the rationale. FTR, I think BoMel was stuck choosing between two terrible options.

          • colin Aug 30,2014 7:26 pm || Up

            The one silver lining is that the Angels don’t have any LHP left. Fuld, Vogt, Moss, Sogard need to pick us up.

            • mikeA Aug 30,2014 7:33 pm || Up

              The current lineup is most likely better against LHP.

      • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:22 pm || Up

        a strike out or a pop up would have been fine

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
  17. mikeA Aug 30,2014 7:16 pm

    This is a stupid move.

    • colin Aug 30,2014 7:19 pm || Up

      Yep. Melvin just took the better defender out of the game so that Scoscia would pull his terrible pitcher. And it leaves the A’s with an even worse platoon split. Plus the entire Angels bullpen is RHP (except for the guy they just took out).

      • andeux Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm || Up

        Yeah, Gomes against RHP is significantly worse than Reddick against LHP.

        TINSTAAFK
        • East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:29 pm || Up

          Reddick (Career)

          vs L 88 wRC+ in 530 PA
          vs R 104 wRC+ in 1303 PA

          Gomes (Career)

          vs L 134 wRC+ in 1462 PA
          vs R 92 wRC+ in 2250 PA

          • andeux Aug 30,2014 8:11 pm || Up

            And?
            Gomes has a 91 so far this year, and projections put him around 100 for the rest of the year (overall).
            Reddick has 109 so far this year, and his projections have him keeping that up.

            Plus Gomes (as your numbers show) has the larger historical split.

            TINSTAAFK
    • Soaker Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm || Up

      aaaand fuckity fuck

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  18. East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:20 pm

    Sigh.

  19. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm

    no, vince I never thought the A’s would get a run there

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  20. mikeA Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm

    Looks like I picked the right day to stop worrying about the division…

  21. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm

    the good news is they a’s keep getting players on base.

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  22. doctorK Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm

    This

    Team

    Sucks

  23. JediLeroy Aug 30,2014 7:21 pm

    I FKing hate the Angels. Detest. Loathe.

    az di bobe volt gehat beytsim volt zi geven mayn zeyde
  24. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:25 pm

    BENCH:

    Parrino
    Soto

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:26 pm || Up

      too bad Milone and doolittle are not options

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Soaker Aug 30,2014 7:26 pm || Up

      Can Sonny Gray play second base?

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • colin Aug 30,2014 7:27 pm || Up

      Let’s see if Melvin can move Moss into the outfield and lose the DH.

      • colin Aug 30,2014 7:28 pm || Up

        That comment just felt too eeyore, even after that top of the 4th.

    • mikeA Aug 30,2014 7:34 pm || Up

      why the fuck isn’t parrino playing by the way

  25. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:29 pm

    fk you billy

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  26. Soaker Aug 30,2014 7:31 pm

    This “defense” is just brutal.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  27. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:31 pm

    sogard and melvin are to blame

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  28. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:33 pm

    Nice throw, Norris.

  29. Soaker Aug 30,2014 7:34 pm

    It’s a full-on collapse, and if you think that’s “Eeyoring” you’re ignoring all the evidence before you.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  30. bear88 Aug 30,2014 7:36 pm

    The team is falling apart.

    Melvin pulled Reddick, and that ended with a double play by Gomes against a righty. And now Gomes will remain in the game against a bunch of righty relievers.

    Sogard is just plain incompetent. I don’t want him playing at all after tonight.

    Fuld, playing right because Reddick is gone, blows his fielding situation in multiple ways.

    Samardzija, trying too hard for the K, throws it to the backstop. But Norris, with a good hop, throws it away.

    Bunch of bad little leaguers at this point.

  31. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 7:42 pm

    Help is on the way!

    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:43 pm || Up

      you saw the pop up to left, yeah?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
  32. nowBodhi Aug 30,2014 7:45 pm

    does this team win another 10 games? Doubtful.

    Never suck on a Blow Pop with the microphone open.
    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:48 pm || Up

      I agree, they will not win 10 games this month

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
  33. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:47 pm

    you know, at first I was gonna say cowgil shouldn’t be allowed to walk that far out of the box after the inside pitch, then I remembered his injury and thought I was being mean

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  34. East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:48 pm

    Good play, Craig.

  35. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:51 pm

    trout likes to complain

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  36. East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 7:51 pm

    Siddown, Trout!

  37. bear88 Aug 30,2014 7:52 pm

    Baby steps.

    Score a run. Let’s try to achieve that, boys.

  38. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 7:59 pm

    put your phone away. you are draining your battery

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  39. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:02 pm

    huston available tonight?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  40. bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:03 pm

    It doesn’t matter who is pitching, does it?

    This game feels so hopeless and dull.

  41. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:07 pm

    i don’t get the earned run on Samardzija. do they assume the out at first not second?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  42. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:07 pm

    yes, please, we’ll take any catcher

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  43. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:16 pm

    I don’t like the phase “grounded into the shift” I don’t think it really adds to the description of the action

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:19 pm || Up

      Depends. Sometimes, it’s relevant, if the shift has a fielder someplace he normally wouldn’t be. A routine groundball to shortstop that’s fielded by the third baseman doesn’t qualify.

  44. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:17 pm

    CONFIDENCE METER! going to the angels!

    nice vince

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  45. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:20 pm

    bloop and a blast in the 9th, have jesse take 4 scoreless and score 8 on chris ianetta

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • andeux Aug 30,2014 8:26 pm || Up

      Excellent. Can you give our hitters some quick instructions on jib-cutting?

      TINSTAAFK
  46. bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:20 pm

    The A’s hitters just look like they’ve given up.

    Or else the Angels’ bullpen is the greatest of all time.

  47. East Bay Evans Aug 30,2014 8:23 pm

    “Freezes David Freese”

    Oh.

  48. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:24 pm

    wow, when you lose fosse…

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  49. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:25 pm

    this should be a 0-0 game

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:27 pm || Up

      Of course. Aybar’s hit would have been with two outs after a forceout that didn’t happen. I agree. There shouldn’t be an earned run.

  50. bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:25 pm

    Too bad. Samardzija has pitched very well.

  51. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:28 pm

    wow. there is your even out call

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  52. Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 8:29 pm

    So the first two pitches to Callaspo were not in the strike zone. Umpires aren’t even fucking watching the games, are they?

  53. Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 8:30 pm

    I have to find something else to care about. I cannot watch this team anymore.

  54. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:31 pm

    eric, you owe up 2 runs. you are not helping yourself

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  55. Soaker Aug 30,2014 8:31 pm

    It’s certainly occurred to me that Billy Beane may wish to “spend more time with his family” after this calamity.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:34 pm || Up

      you really can point to the middle inf. failure as somethinhg that would have changed the outcome. More than Sam fuld.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • MikeV Aug 30,2014 10:31 pm || Up

        I hate that I was so fucking right about it

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

  56. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:37 pm

    cool huston

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  57. ozzman99 Aug 30,2014 8:37 pm

  58. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:38 pm

    OBSTRUCTION!

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  59. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:39 pm

    trout takes too much time out of the box

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  60. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:42 pm

    what a great game by Samardzija. He should have no earned runs

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  61. mother pucker Aug 30,2014 8:43 pm

    FSWest just had Shark hitting 100mph on ball 2 to Trout.

  62. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:45 pm

    don’t swing at anything please

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  63. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 8:47 pm

    Street’s one blown save for the slegnA came when he pitched 3 or 4 games in a row…

  64. bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:47 pm

    A hit!

    Well, our best hope is that Street is tired and leaving everything up.

  65. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:47 pm

    great ab

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  66. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:49 pm

    josh please

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  67. bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:51 pm

    Street isn’t going to give Donaldson anything he can drive. He will take his chances with anyone else in the lineup unless Donaldson chases something.

    • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 8:53 pm || Up

      Two hanging sliders. Seemed drivable.

      • bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:58 pm || Up

        Street was gutsier than I thought he would be, and played with fire given that Donaldson is the only A able to hit at all.

  68. lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 8:53 pm

    Please wake up Brandon.

    • andeux Aug 30,2014 8:55 pm || Up

      zzzzzzzz

      TINSTAAFK
    • lenscrafters Aug 30,2014 8:55 pm || Up

      At least have a decent fucking at bat.

    • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 8:55 pm || Up

      I’M SORRY I THOUGHT YOU MEANT SWING AT THREE PITCHES OUT OF THE STRIKE ZONE

  69. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:53 pm

    that’s bullshit

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 8:54 pm || Up

      Bullshit is all Mike Scioscia understands.

      • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 8:56 pm || Up

        the umpire was in position, the batter was in the box the pitcher was on the rubber.

        What part of that is time out

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:15 pm || Up

          Literally no reason Scioscia did that other than he is an enormous gaping asshole.

          • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:17 pm || Up

            nevermind scioscia, the umpires, who have been massive failures this series, capitulated and were wrong AGAIN

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
            • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:37 pm || Up

              This series really has been a clinic in terrible umpiring. The strike zone tonight was the size of a blue whale’s vagina. If Sogard doesn’t make that error, it’s probably still a 0-0 game in the 18th inning because hitters can’t fucking do their jobs when pitchers can throw the ball anywhere in the physically observable universe and get a strike call.

  70. bear88 Aug 30,2014 8:56 pm

    Well, I’ll concede it. The Angels are the better regular season team, and they’re going to be AL West champs.

    The rest of the season is about the Wild Card play-in game and remembering how to hit.

  71. Soaker Aug 30,2014 8:57 pm

    If you’re one of the No Eeyores folks, you really need to head for the hills.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:00 pm || Up

      I am pumped. this is the team I root for, not the polished machine devouring all opponents.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
  72. Thunderbutt Aug 30,2014 9:02 pm

    In my experience there is no such thing as peak eeyore.

    There is always a score.
  73. bear88 Aug 30,2014 9:07 pm

    I may be in the minority, but I didn’t like the Cespedes trade when it happened and I think it’s killed this team.

    Cespedes wasn’t as good as many people portrayed him to be, and his on-base percentage was a problem. But he had two important attributes. He’s a run producer, a hitter feared by opposing pitchers because of his power. And he shined the brightest on the biggest stage. Last year’s playoffs, even the silly Home Run Derby. The man wasn’t afraid.

    His departure has put pressure on players who are currently slumping, and Lester – who’s a good pitcher – only shows up once every five or six days. And you must score to win games.

    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:27 pm || Up

      It was a shocker for sure, but better than the Samardzija deal.

      When moss starts hitting, we’re cool

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:38 pm || Up

        Yeah, then we’ll have TWO guys who can still hit.

  74. bear88 Aug 30,2014 9:18 pm

    I like Bip Roberts. He’s a smart guy, and he doesn’t sugarcoat things.

    • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:39 pm || Up

      I think Bip Roberts is a pretty cool guy. He talks about intangibles and doesn’t afraid of anything.

  75. nowBodhi Aug 30,2014 9:18 pm

    I’m not really that upset, not crying any tears. That’s because I cried my tears, for several hours, on a morning exactly one month ago. When I heard of the trade that I knew, certainly and without a shred of doubt, would lead to precisely what has happened. That’s when I got upset.

    Now it’s just numbness, knowing that the window has slammed shut and you can forget about this even being relevant until the middle of the 2020s, when a ballpark that can satisfy ownership’s primal lust for more billion of dollars is built.

    Never suck on a Blow Pop with the microphone open.
    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:26 pm || Up

      well, you shouldn’t have cried. this team is not scoring runs and its not because of cespedes and his 4 August HRs.

      moss isn’t getting on base, donaldson has sucked until recently, coco out, lowrie out, jaso’s bell rung, norris suck, sogard suck and suck some more, there is not part of the non pitching game that has been remotely OK and Hammel has sucked

      one guy would not make any difference, we would just be complaining about how we still have tommy milone and the two weeks with shane peterson

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • James V. Aug 30,2014 9:30 pm || Up

        I agree. The team averaged 5 runs per game before the trade, 3.64 since. The overall combination of everything you mentioned with the rest of the lineup has just as much to do with this as anything else.

        The A’s have pitched well enough to win any of these three games, but it’s the offense that’s failing. Cespedes might have pulled a win or two out of thin air for them, but in spite of how bad the offense has been this month I don’t buy that he made THAT big a difference to this offense.

      • bear88 Aug 30,2014 9:45 pm || Up

        Cespedes’ presence would not have prevented injuries. Obviously, the loss and ineffectiveness of Crisp has been a huge factor in the team’s struggles. Jaso’s loss has also been a significant problem.

        But I do wonder if the collective slump of the run producers is linked to Cespedes. I always thought one of the strenths of the team was that Donaldson, Moss and Cespedes didn’t all have to be hitting well. But usually, they all weren’t in hopeless funks. So now we have Moss, Norris and even Vogt not hitting. If Cespedes was still here, would they all be pressing so hard?

        Cespedes’ production in Boston is irrelevant. The Red Sox aren’t trying to win anything this year, so the “bright lights” factor in his favor doesn’t apply.

        I just think it’s a mistake to trade a power bat, and everyday player with a fantastic arm, away for a rental – even a rental as good as Lester.

        Beane changed the team, betting it all on the theory that he needed as many stud pitchers as he could get to hold off the Angels and win in the postseason. That isn’t crazy logic for a team that’s been stifled by Justin Verlander the past two years, and for all I know, it will still pay off in the end when Lester wins the play-in game and they go on and beat the Angels in the division series.

        But the A’s are going to have to do what they haven’t done since the trade, and that’s figure out a way to consistently score four runs in a game.

        • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:52 pm || Up

          angels in a 5 games series is not as scary as the tigers. so yeah, I am still optomistic

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:56 pm || Up

            It’s gonna be a three-game series if this team doesn’t remember who the fuck it is.

            • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:58 pm || Up

              with Jed Lowrie in the game, we win at least 2 of these games.

              I have $5. No I don\'t.
              • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 10:02 pm || Up

                With Derek Norris not lost inside his own beard, we probably win all of them. A lot of things suck right now, and I’m not saying we’re gonna lose the rest of our games. I do still think we make the play-in game. But we were supposed to win the division and I don’t see how that’s gonna happen. The Angels spent the month of August playing crappy baseball and somehow managing to win more games than they lost. We spent the month of August playing about the same level of crappy baseball and managing to lose more games than we deserved. I don’t really know what I’m getting at, but I have lost my ability to irrationally detach. I can no longer imagine a scenario in which these guys stop swinging at bullshit, in which Coco is back from his injury before January, in which Jason Hammel wins a game for reasons other than blind stupid luck, in which Nick Punto has the decency to just stay injured, in which Alberto Callaspo FUCKS OFF OF THIS TEAM, ugh, I’ll stop now.

        • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:53 pm || Up

          Score ANY runs in a game.

        • James V. Aug 30,2014 9:57 pm || Up

          There’s not really any one thing that’s caused August to be what it’s been. There are injuries. There are key hitters in prolonged slumps. Part of that is undoubtedly related to pressing at the plate. Cespedes was a factor in the offense being what it was, of course.

          But, some people love to narrow it down to something as simple as W/L with and without Cespedes in the lineup while he was here. It ignores the games he had, good and bad, and it ignores the games others had, good and bad. We know he was a key reason they won a number of games, and at times he was their primary offensive force in some of those. But, there’s more to the lineup than just him.

          Look at Donaldson. Back in 2012 the A’s were 61-53 when they recalled him in the middle of August. They went 33-15 the rest of the way. Was that because of Cespedes’ contributions? Was it because Donaldson suddenly learned how to hit at the MLB level? Was it better pitching? Was it Crisp helping set the table? Yes to all of that, to varying degrees.

          I have a very hard time believing this lineup, although not fully healthy right now or anywhere close to being a consistent threat, is over a whole run per game worse over the long haul just because Cespedes is gone.

          What we have right now is a lot of confirmation bias.

          • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:59 pm || Up

            yup yup

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
            • James V. Aug 30,2014 10:01 pm || Up

              For that matter, since he got his shit together at this level Donaldson has been much more valuable to this team than Cespedes as far as I’m concerned.

              • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 10:04 pm || Up

                I don’t think it has anything to do with Cespedes. I think our position players are just playing like a sack of bullshit right now. And every time they seem to have gotten it together, oh, poof, here, how about we get shut out by the ghost of Jered Weaver and some fucking nobody who hasn’t started a game since Obama’s first term.

                • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 10:05 pm || Up

                  Hold on, let me casually denigrate women and whine about horse racing so I can go full Trainman.

                • James V. Aug 30,2014 10:06 pm || Up

                  Missing Cespedes is a factor, but nowhere near being the main reason the A’s are struggling.

                • bear88 Aug 30,2014 10:29 pm || Up

                  I did not argue that Cespedes is better than Donaldson. And other things – the multitude of injuries, obviously – have played bigger roles in the August swoon. Another factor is reversion to the mean.

                  No one will ever be able to prove or disprove anything, so we can just argue forever. I admit to a certain irrationality, as I am watching these games instead of doing other things and having it ruin night after night.

                  But Cespedes did strike fear into opposing pitchers, even when he wasn’t hitting all that well. I just think that he contributed something hard to define to the team. That isn’t very helpful and sounds too old school, I know. But Cespedes’ swagger, I think, eased the pressure on some of the other hitters.

                • James V. Aug 30,2014 10:41 pm || Up

                  I wasn’t pointing fingers at anyone specific with the Cespedes/Donaldson part. It’s more me being a little tired of people in general when they act like this lineup was Cespedes then 50 feet of crap (contrary to current appearances).

                  I do believe intangibles are a thing, and that’s undoubtedly part of this.

  76. Glorious Mundy Aug 30,2014 9:27 pm

    This didn’t seem like a very fun thread.

    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:33 pm || Up

      Reddick has hit into 6 DPs in his last 750 plate appearances. the pitcher he was to face was a gimicky lefty that had just been recalled. and walked a lefty to start the inning.

      After melvin pinch hit for him, it was hard to be positive.

      NO way pujols scores on the single, and questionable that he scores on the wild pitch

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • bear88 Aug 30,2014 9:51 pm || Up

        Melvin is pressing as much as his players, but he wanted Gomes – who can mash lefties – up. He may not have expected Scioscia to counter with a righty so early, but Melvin lost the gamble.

        • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:54 pm || Up

          I don’t think Scioscia out thought Melvin. I think walking norris was a dumb dumb idea with a guy who threw 5 balls to Vogt.

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:58 pm || Up

          It’s the fourth inning. A little early for a gamble. That’s like going all-in on a poker hand when you’re still playing the previous hand.

  77. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 9:36 pm
    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:47 pm || Up

      What, someone will take Kelly Johnson but nobody’s biting on Callaspo? How can that be possible?

      • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 30,2014 9:48 pm || Up

  78. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 10:47 pm
    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • bear88 Aug 30,2014 11:18 pm || Up

      Donaldson sounds as aggravated as me – not sure that’s a good thing. Moss admits he’s pressing. Norris gets irritable when asked if he’s worn out from catching every day, and takes the “it’s just a cold” line.

  79. Future Ed Aug 30,2014 10:52 pm

    SO it looks like the A’s have been 100% successful this weekend

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 10:53 pm || Up

      Weaver, Wilson, Shoemaker, Santiago

      Not really a playoff rotation

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • MikeV Aug 30,2014 11:01 pm || Up

        Callaspo, Sogard, Punto, Parrino

        Not really a playoff middle infield

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • Future Ed Aug 30,2014 11:05 pm || Up

          only have to have one of them

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • MikeV Aug 30,2014 11:10 pm || Up

            and yet somehow we’ve had at 2 if not 3 at all times.

            And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

            Thanks, and go As.

        • Soaker Aug 31,2014 8:21 am || Up

          Callaspo should be the least bad of several bad 2B options; you would accept having the worst defensive 2B in baseball in order to benefit from his .775 OPS. (Looks up Callaspo’s 2014 OPS.) Combining a .600 OPS with atrocious defense, that’s worthy of the ’62 Mets. And Sogard is pretty clearly nothing more than an emergency option at shortstop. Until Lowrie gets back, I think you have to go with Parrino SS and Sogard 2B, accept the two outs every time through the lineup and quit pissing your pitchers off.

          What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • bear88 Aug 30,2014 11:19 pm || Up

        It may not win the World Series, but that rotation is good enough against us, especially with a lights-out bullpen.

        • Future Ed Aug 31,2014 6:58 am || Up

          they have been very lucky this series. they weren’t last series.

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 31,2014 8:57 am || Up

        Yet it’s a rotation that is almost certainly going to be in the playoffs.

  80. bear88 Aug 30,2014 11:21 pm

    The A’s still have scored the most runs of any team in 2014? Damn, they really were racking up huge wins earlier this year.

    Sadly, that seems like it happened in an entirely different season.

  81. MikeV Aug 30,2014 11:24 pm

    GUYS DON’T WORRY WE ARE TRYING TO GET ADAM DUNN FROM CHICAGO.

    because what we need is another fucking DH

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • colin Aug 31,2014 6:33 am || Up

      As frustrating as this offense has been, I just don’t think that Dunn will be any help at all.

  82. Glorious Mundy Aug 31,2014 8:42 am

    Dunn 4 2B

    • Future Ed Aug 31,2014 8:52 am || Up

      I don’t see why not.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • andeux Aug 31,2014 9:08 am || Up

      That was my immediate thought. He’s probably about as good as Callaspo.

      TINSTAAFK
  83. Future Ed Aug 31,2014 8:54 am

    line up today has auto outs 6 through 1

    Fuld Reddick donaldson Vogt moss Norris callaspo sogard parrino

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  84. Ben Folds' Nuts Aug 31,2014 8:59 am

    WHAT THE FUCK DOES GETTING ADAM DUNN ACCOMPLISH.

    Billy is insane. He has lost his mind. I cannot put faith in him anymore. Adam Dunn cannot play middle infield.

    • lenscrafters Aug 31,2014 9:07 am || Up

      It gives them someone who has a 130 OPS+ against right handed pitching this season. Since Jaso is out for an unknown amount of time, it allows them to not play someone like Fuld or Callaspo at DH who everyone agrees should not be playing.

      With the current state of the offense, anyone who can remotely contribute in any way is appreciated at a multitude of positions. That said, I agree it looks pretty desperate.

      • mikeA Aug 31,2014 10:23 am || Up

        Seems like bad news on Jaso, since they are both DHs… Good move if Jaso isn’t coming back.

    • Soaker Aug 31,2014 9:10 am || Up

      It reminds me of the last, sad days of the Finley glory era, in September 1976, when Charlie acquired the aging Ron Fairly and Willie McCovey in a desperate attempt to go back to the playoffs one final time.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • colin Aug 31,2014 1:41 pm || Up

      It makes more sense after I realized that rosters will expand tomorrow. Dunn is too one-dimensional to fit on a 25 man roster, but he can be useful with 40.

  85. Glorious Mundy Aug 31,2014 9:02 am

    As soon as Dunn lands at John Wayne announce him as a pinch hitter for Callaspo.

    • Future Ed Aug 31,2014 9:13 am || Up

      that would work if my parents house was the stadium, but the extra 30 minute drive to (55-5-57, or if you are my mom and afraid of the 5, 55-22-57) will take a little more cordination

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Kay Temple Kirk Aug 31,2014 10:23 am || Up

        That’s what chartered helicopters are for!

        \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
    • Soaker Aug 31,2014 9:18 am || Up

      He’s doesn’t have to (and won’t) be on the roster today, but will still be eligible for postseason play.

      Rule 40
      PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR POST-SEASON
      (a) PLAYERS ELIGIBLE.

      (1) Major League Roster Players. To be eligible to play for a Major League Club in a Division Series, League Championship Series, or the World Series, a player must
      (A) have been on a Major League Active, Disabled (subject to the exception in Rule 2(g)(2) (Major League Disabled List; Transfers)), Bereavement, Suspended or Military List of such Major League Club as of Midnight Eastern Time on August 31, or on such date be under control, but not yet reported, on assignment from another Major League organization

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  86. Future Ed Aug 31,2014 9:22 am

    COme on guys, this thread is unruly, who is gonna start the Adam Dunn Open thread?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.

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