It’s a dirty job putting up a gamethread for a game like this, but somebody’s got to do it.
Fuck’em and break’em. Â The Royals are a herd of WalMart greeters as far as I’m concerned.
My prediction: Â A’s 3, Royals 1.
782 thoughts on “Win 1 of 12- We eat the Royals”
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dammit. they’re pulling out all the dirty tricks. looks like they filled their stadium with slo-mo fans. why can’t WE have slo-mo fans??
let’s go oakland!
comon coco
Do not like the cap patch.
Me neither, looks like a banner ad.
fuck yeah
Nice
Coco is a badass, he would kick ass with no neck at all.
He’s like Fat Clemenza.
Cal says the bats started to get going the past few weeks, I don’t quite remember that…
I think maybe he meant the brats. Fosse’s been plying his ear with Chef Rodney propaganda all morning.
“he usually takes it and nice hold.”
regular season game? that radio is off already.
I’m listening to the regular guys on the regular radio station with the regular commercials, which in Sacramento means:
“Hi, I’m Grant Napear here to act slimy and sell you some crap!”
Relative to the four weeks before that they did.
Yes yes holy shit yes!
mossome!!!!!1!!!!
*edited down a notch.
Cortisone FTMFW.
winter?
MOSS YOU FKING BOSS.
MOSSOME!!!
Whoa!
Thank you Ernie! Jinxed the fuck out of Shields there.
Good start
There’s your runs Lester, now shut them the fuck down.
I want more runs than that.
You get what you want
Well, I’ll be damned. A Moss home run at a very good time.
Crisp + Moss doing things bodes well.
That Crisp hit was one that would seemingly be caught.
That was awkward.
8 ≠20
Fucking Lowrie…
I doubt he throws out Escobar even if he fields that clean.
I could accept that outcome. But I want Lowrie to field the groundball.
C’mon, Lowgard. Get your shit together.
come on eric. you have one job
The be the face of MLB?
Ripken is not…um…how do you say…eloquent.
Man, I keep expecting him to randomly stumble into saying something, anything useful, but it’s not happening.
Ron Darling on the other hand needs to come to Oakland.
I liked him on the mets games
Yeah, Darling’s good, his education notwithstanding.
I really like him. I like Ernie too.
That’s a bullshit time out.
Come on Lester. I believe in you.
Get it together Lester.
Thanks ump.
lester…
Not good.
I can’t figure out why he kept trying to come inside to Butler.
TOOTBLAN
That was among the worst TOOTBLANS of all time.
It makes me happy to know that whatever other maddening flails the A’s might give us, they would never do that.
whew.
They learned!
There’s hope for us all.
TOBLAAN!
OK boys, add on. We’re scoring early and often tonight.
Still, get your shit together lowgard and Lester
Eric and jed both owe us a run
Absolutely not a strike
give us that one too, mr. miller
Has Sogard ever gotten a hit in the postseason?
Nope. He has walked though.
Of course he has!
You need to cut away from the game for that, TBS?
LOL I enjoyed Infante falling flat on his ass.
It is not possible to be more struck out than that. He was as struck out as possible.
it’s like, how much more struck out could he be? the answer is none. none more struck out.
Infante with one of the funniest looking strike three swings I’ve seen all year.
Ok, that’s more like it. No more ground balls, let’s just have pop ups and Ks…
Welp. I hope Vogt brought his catching feet.
Soto looked really pale in the dugout, he’s in serious pain I think. Catching an inning with a broken glove hand thumb has to be agonizing.
World Series MVP: Bryan Anderson.
That would be fun!
Finally, an upside to waking up at 2am with jetlag!
What the fuck, Fuld.
Tough play for a runner. Yeah, your first step is supposed to be back, but that’s hard when you have a healthy lead and the ball is hit solid.
Any runner scores from second easily if a ball hit in that area gets down. No need to jump off second like a dumbass.
He looked way too far off the bag on that one though.
yeah hes trying to score there… tough play
That’s Stanford baserunning for you…
Yum, free outs.
WTF
Seriously
Royals are just getting the A’s ready for Sciosciaball.
Next time BEAN the hitter the next time they do that.
Doesn’t look comfortable in the stretch.
doublefuck.
Dangit.
Get your shit together Lester.
Ten run inning please.
did someone really jsut say that the most important thing (most. out of two things) isn’t to add on but to keep the royals from scoring more? please tell me that’s what they said so my rage can at least be justified, if misplaced? then confidence. and shutdown inning. and confidence.
it was SO MUCH easier to take VC and RF’s stupidity and vocal illiteracy half an inning ago.
The A’s better figure out a way to score in the next three innings, or they are pretty much screwed.
And Lester, you’re pointing up the flaw in the Trade for One Stud Starter hypothesis.
Lester looks good to me, says here KC’s done scoring off him.
Maybe so. But is it too late?
No! (Maybe.)
(No.)
Someone’s going to have to crush one of those pitches at their shins.
had to be a vince inning
Slusser shout out.
This strike zone has expanded for Shields.
Very much so
Miller’s strike zone is not helpful now that the A’s are behind.
that was sogards last at bat, right?
if you win, the puppy’s gonna fuck you both in the ear while you sleep.
not that you won’t like it. kansas city freaks.
Pets should never be given as gifts. Callous KC jerks.
I know Shields is pitching well with a huge strike zone. But this upcoming inning still seems like the A’s best chance to at least tie the game.
the lucky bloop that turns the play-in around! again.
There’s the bloop.
Did you think you’d live to see them in the playoffs again? Because you’re pretty old.
With hardened plains state arteries no doubt.
Here we go boys!
i hate shield’s windup more than i hate verlander’s.
Bullpen now. Who is this guy? All I know is that he throws hard.
Yordano Ventura. He’s a starting pitcher, and a good one.
he is sunday’s starter. I am not sure what ned yost is doing. I suppose since I think its idiotic, its going to work out for yost
Oh, he pitched two days ago! That’s nuts.
My wife said we’d make him pay for that, and she was right.
He’s getting fired tomorrow.
WHY IS HE STILL IN THERE THIS IS CRAZY
Yeah, it was a little weird that he got another batter.
He’s getting fired buy the 7th
Hold on. You think he’s going to make it that long?
Well. Here we go. This guy shut us the hell down last time, as I recall.
Did he not go to the lefty Duffy here because he’s afraid of Gomes? Because that would be dumb.
Make him throw a strike.
in your face!@!!
FUCK YEAH!!MOSS
MOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Wow. Incredible.
if i wasn’t hearing fosse on the radio i’d guess he just (heard about this thing called computers) and hacked your account.
Yosted
Yost is going to be crucified for this.
Correctly
Yeah, insanely bad decision. Shields is pitching reasonably well, you have a well-established bullpen, and you still bring a rookie starter with one lifetime relief appearance and control issues into a postseason elimination game. Shockingly, recklessly bad decision.
If he doesn’t get fired, you’ll know that the fix is on. And you won’t complain about it.
They should have fired him two weeks ago. Milwaukee style.
Agreed.
Not to mention he has three of the best relievers in baseball one of whom he’s just using now.
A rookie starter on one day’s rest!
that pitched 2 days ago!
Moss hasn’t done this since, uh, a long time ago.
Wow.
Bringing in a wild-throwing rookie was just a mistake. He got behind and grooved a pitch that Moss crushed.
He hit the absolute shit out of that.
What a glorious outcome (so far).
I figured Yost would be worth a run to us, but three!?!
I hesitated for a second, because it looked like a no-doubter. But the announcers were totally silent. It threw me off for a moment.
I kept watching the centerfielder and thinking “Damn he’s got it. Wait… he’s watching… HOLY SHIT!”
Be MO’
This Moss. Damn, it’s like finding a long lost friend again.
ik,r?
that says it perfectly
My bad. I was wearing a blue shirt. Changed into a green one just before the second bomb.
Naw, it was me. I took off my hat to wear a helmet to pick up the kids. put the hat back on when I got home
Shouldn’t it be your kids that wear the helmet? In case you drop them?
My pizza just arrived just before the homer.
That’s gotta Hurt.
Cal, Donaldson isn’t on third. What game are you watching?
He doesn’t seem smart. (i am not wathcing)
Damn. Vogt just couldn’t catch up with that fastball.
He’s got to be still hurting.
NORRIS!
ALL STAR
Norris comes through with a seeing eye single. Quiet crowd.
vargas and shields looked like they were voting yost off the island.
“How fast can Ron Gardenhire get here.”
He’d probably be a good fit for them.
Agreed.
Now there’s a beard I’d hire to deliver
3 cubic yards of dirta 2-out RBI.asvd
It’s good to be back!
You always knew how to make a great entrance.
I have to, otherwise I would get…ahem…overlooked.
dmoas won’t believe in the team unless they score in one more inning
Let’s go
Co-co
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!
first-half A’s, hopefully.
Muhahaha! I was hoping we’d bat around before the inning started an lo an behold!!!!
Coco! I remember this team.
I want Moss to bat again this inning!
Coco!
Did anyone ask for six A’s run mojo?
Yeah, about two months ago.
I thought this inning was their best chance to tie or go ahead.
OK, Lester. This ought to be enough runs for you.
Ron, darling, had it been a double play, there would have only been two out so the inning wouldn’t be over.
Chip Hale’s like “should I drop off my resume while I’m here?”
Alright. Outs. We need outs. Lots of them. And more runs.
This game needs to get very dull, starting now.
Phew. I feel better.
That was a nice inning.
Can’t say they didn’t get their runs in this one.
Even if you’re going to bring in a reliever there, you have to bring in a lefty.
baffling. Duffy?
I haven’t seen their roster for this game, but really anybody. Rookie stuff notwithstanding – not only do you not have the platoon advantage, but a 100 MPH mistake is a really bad pitch.
they have a great bullpen. But if Yost doesn’t want to bring in his relievers out of thir 7th 8th 9th slot he could go with duffy
I’m not going to second guess Yost’s decision making. I thought it was perfect.
If they wanted to bring in a starting pitcher for some reason, they had Danny Duffy, a lefty. And they have another lefty in the pen.
Does Lester have the big-game confidence to step on the shut-down clutch?
Lock and Load, Lester. Lock. And. Load.
i’m fairly astounded that with an inning like that someone can still find a way to snark on their own team.
Really? Are you new here?
Wow – butthurt much, Jane.
She’s into anal? Cool.
BOOBIES
Also, FK YEAH MOSS (I’m a little late – so what?)
And you’re in the wrong thread.
There. Boring, boring, boring.
YOU’LL GET NOTHING, AND LIKE IT.
we’re on a wavelength. i was gonna ask if you were a little late… for not being pregnant.
No Vince, the A’s didn’t “chase James Shields”
No, Shields chased Yost.
It’s too soon to feel this way, but I feel a bit bad for the KC fans. That kind of managerial malpractice must be hard to watch. Like, how do you mismanage a pitching staff this good, this badly?
There’s still lots of baseball to play. Save the pity for if the A’s actually win.
yes, now is the time to step on the clutch and get through the next 3 innings
I am screaming an inappropriate amount at work
Union organizers have a rich tradition of screaming at work, go with it.
I work in politics now… I aint no union thug (anymore)
Good thing political organizers never scream.
this caused many laughs here
Tell your lefty friends that Republicans *can* be funny.
I’m just dropping by to say hi and I’m sorry and that was easily the worst, most inexplicably bad pitching change in the history of MLB; surely Yost is moldy toast if this score holds. I called what happened, texting with my KC pal up north, who is from there and a huge Royals fan… that dude just pitched two days ago and throws nothing but fastballs and watch out.
Sit down and stay awhile.
there’s DJ equipment in the corner and 4TB of Kool&The Gang FLACs.
Hi. Don’t just make a cameo.
This. I was just thinking this.
Wow, cool.
wow. dumb
Posnanski’s post on that game. Yost pulled Shields for Downs to face Jackie Bradley, Jr. with two on in the sixth. The Red Sox put in Gomes who hit a three-run homer to give them the lead, and eventually the win.
I’m just dropping by to say hi and I’m sorry and that was easily the worst, most inexplicably bad pitching change in the history of MLB; surely Yost is moldy toast if this score holds. I called what happened, texting with my KC pal up north, who is from there and a huge Royals fan… that dude just pitched two days ago and throws nothing but 100 mph fastballs and watch out.
Boos of respect? Really?
How you can boo your team after a great season, three decades of non-playoffs, and in a one-game coinflip is beyond me.
That’s making me less sympathetic to their long-suffering fans.
The boos were at Moss when he came up to bat again after the 2nd homer.
Oh, that’s understandable.
Probably some Cards fan that snuck in.
Probably some Cards fans that snuck in.
I’m now remembering that the resurgence of the whole franchise coincided with Moss’s arrival in Oakland.
I mean is there a better example of the island of misfit toys?
Probably not. Moss really is emblematic of this A’s epoch.
which is why after Donaldson hes probably my second or third favorite A’s with Coco
The Moss/Carter platoon in 2012 combined for 37 homers…from June onwards.
It’s rather silly to connect Moss’s poor second half performance with Cespedes’ departure. He was hurt, it turns out. And even if he hadn’t been hurt, there’s no reason for Cespedes’ absence to have that much of an impact anyway.
Gotta work in the notes from the pregame broadcasters meeting.
ZOMG BUT BUT BUT CHEMISTRY CLUBHOUSE UNITY and all that stuff.
As the resident somewhat-chemist on FK, I certify that this statement is bunk.
can i have some acid?
Vinegar.
Hi.
Did you wear your A’s shirt?
Yes. Dr. Asshole said the A’s had the worst uniforms in MLB. We had nachos and rice crispy treats and peanuts and popcorn and green and blue punch.
He has no taste.
Everyone at Rickey’s says hi
caught you all year… you mean the last 10 starts LOL darling
of fucking course Gerry davis doesn’t know the rules
6
More pleasant tedium.
Tedium is my favorite chemical element.
I am on the radio. comcast has this thing they are pushing that allows you to see scores of games you are not watching.
Can’t you just check the internet without muxing up your tv screen?
Now they’re trying to come up with excuses for Yost’s inexplicable decision. Maybe Shields asked out? I doubt it, but I guess we’ll find out.
No chance that happened. None.
Switched to the KC radio feed, and so far the announcers are pretty good.
Davis’ performance is the reason I was so desperate for the A’s to at least tie the game in the 5th and 6th.
And what makes Yost so inexplicable … they had 7/8/9 locked down.
In terms of “Which guy that won’t be with this team next year did better,” Lester has outperformed Shields.
Yost making a late entry into the club.
Ole
ole. (we are one.)
parrino is on the bench because….
Lowrie is made of glass.
Lowrie is still in the game because…
i hate him.
If being here jinxes the game I promise to leave immediately. And Hi ya’ll!
ATTI!!!
hi again.
Yay! Glad you’re here!
Hi Kay. Glad to see you. Sorry I can’t muster a smiley face.
Get an out jon
Fuck it!!!! I’m out. Love you guys.
Obviously foul.
Is this too much Lester?
Yes.
I wish they would tell us who is warming up.
Funny that TBS manages not to have a good replay on a classic right down the line ball.
don’t give in though jon
and no ken that wasn’t risky.
Can we have some outs please.
was that a strike?
No.
Time for Gregerson.
Gregerson for Butler. Doolittle for Gordon.
If the A’s win this game, it certainly won’t be because Lester gave up 4 runs (hopefully no more).
This would seem to be more an Otero situation, no?
oh come on, fours.
christ
GAH
OUTS DAMN IT
fucking lowrie. Dunn better hit for him
That stolen base was a given. Concentrate on the hitter.
freakish DP, please.
dammit norris
Really missing Soto right now.
It’s Oakland A’s playoff elimination game baseball. Bring in Doolittle now. They need a strikeout.
This is a familiar feeling.
is hatty available to PH in the 9th?
Man, DeNo is killing us.
regular DP, please.
My season long uneasiness about Gregerson is vindicated.
i blame norris more
My gut feeling about Gregerson is that he’s been terrible when coming in mid-inning, and nothing so far has changed my mind (other than the strickout of Perez – FK YEAH).
They can send the runner. Gregerson still in. I know they’re hoping for a double play, but he hasn’t been effective.
effective when it finally mattered the most. whew.
That was a terrible at-bat.
It was like he tried to only make one out.
Of course it comes down to Infante.
direct descendant of palonco
lol
That was a good pitch to hit.
YES
FK
YEAH
Holy FK …
Wow. Survival. But now it’s high drama.
Melvin left Lester in one batter too long. I wonder if O’Flaherty would have faced Hosmer if he were alive.
2 batters. I leave him in for hosmer. Maybe abad, then gregerson?
Now I’m uneasy. Ten run 9th please.
You’re uneasy? In an Oakland A’s playoff elimination game? After a four-run lead has shrunk to one? Whatever for?
Fuck you (ik,r?)
More runs pls
Big time K, Luke.
Sweet Jesus.
Do we know if Soto is out for the post-season?
I haven’t seen anything, too preoccupied with this game to look.
KC in their half of the 9th: Moustakas (or pinch hitter), Escobar, Aoki, Cain hitting fourth
Willingham
Oh god no.
yup
Our old friend. But would they have him hit leadoff?
This is terrifying
bakesale betty is a KC fan?
Shoot. Off the end of Donaldson’s bat or broke it.
Still a double if not right at the OF
Yeah, it looked good off the bat.
C’mon, Reddick!
that was a funny squirter. seemed to slow down in the glove and then speed up on its own to get out.
Seems like I’ve had the experience a lot.
TAHT’S EXACTLY WHY YOU’RE PREGNANT!
reddick gets on, dunn has to hit, right?
Apparently not.
Yes.
Oh no, not loaded bases.
Y NO DUNN?
Holland seemed like he was pitching around Reddick, which probably wasn’t the worst idea. Now it’s Lowrie.
mother fucking bob melvin. what the fuck is lowrie doing in the batters box and for the love of fuck at short?
i hate him.
Parrino should come in for defense.
dunn should have hit for lowrie and parrino in for defense
No way in hell Melvin brings in an ice cold lightly-used Andy Parrino to the ninth inning of a one-run elimination game.
Who would have thought the lack of competent middle infielders would have come back to haunt us?
At least Dunn would have taken a few pitches, potentially drawing a wild pitch, before striking out.
let’s go oakland!!!
do the doo!!!
3 outs and in!!!
Wild pitcher, loaded bases, swing at the first pitch?
Looked like a good pitch to hit.
The trouble with Norris catching and the Royals playing is that every walk or single is a double.
Haha this viagra ad. The patent must be running out soon.
the flags were flagging. bad attention to detail. back when palmeiro was trying to attract the older gentlemen (that’s what he was doing, right?) his bat was never on screen at an angle below horizontal.
this inning started suddenly on the radio
Compliant Pig makes me nervous
Figures.
Scared
fuck. the tying run is on second
Third, probably. This guy is really fast.
can score on a ground out
Give me a break.
Crap. Willingham does the A’s harm again. Here comes the steal.
pitch out
out. more please
1.
2 3 whatever. 10.
fucking norris
That was on Doo
lowrie. this game would be over right now.
JFC.
fuck
fucking noris
I can’t blame him for that steal.
I can blame him for not bocking the ball in the 8th
And the billion other steals.
This is shaping up to be the A’s season in a nutshell.
Man is that ever the case.
Meaning we muster just enough at the end to salvage it!
Upside, they’ve taken out all their hitters. Butler, Pork, etc.
Plus their big three ‘pen arms.
and herb washingtons
All this talk about awesome pitching and they can’t a hold a fking 4 run lead for two innings.
Lester, Gregerson, Doolittle. Fail.
If Gregerson had started the 8th we would be winners by now.
I wanted Lester to start the 8th.
And I had absolutely no faith in Gregerson when he came in.
I’ve always liked Gregerson more than the average FKer
I FKing hate this season. Please let the misery continue for one more series.
I can’t blame Norris. He made the throw he had to make. Hard to blame Doolittle for Willingham’s ball, which wasn’t hit very well.
Fosse or KK suggested that Dyson may have scored from second on that flyout
We got this.
oh undoubtably
There once was a man named Brandon Finnegan?
Finnegan versus Freiman in the biggest game of the year. WTFK?
way to see some pitches norris
I think he just wanted to get back behind the plate faster so he could fail to throw out more basestealers.
FLAIL to throw out more basestealers.
. will save us here
FKing Lowrie.
These have to be the luckiest FKing guys ever.
dear doo, make like the good announcer, and KK.
duffy coming in?
These sons of bitches are gristly for sure, but I think they’re almost out of blood.
yeah foss. it’s the twolfth inning. keep talking.
Crisp hurt his leg on the foul ball.
Bad bunt by Fuld.
Good idea though. Slightly better bunt and he’s on.
Is it me or is the strike zone… flexible?
JD4MVP. this is how it starts.
Nice strike zone. He’s giving the rookie a Clemens or Glavine zone.
I’m just going by the TV zone, but LEster wasn’t getting some of these calls.
And now Gomes in LF.
Fuck.
Red squares are called strikes for the KC pitcher, correct?
Correct
Thanks.
Sure looked outside to me.
no. you can’t wait your “whole life” for something and then keep living after it happens. literally.
Well that figures. But I think I’d prefer Burns out there instead of Gomes.
I assumed it’d be Burns.
Crisp out. Defensive specialist Gomes in left.
That was a strike against us.
Fucking pesky.
Another leadoff hit for the Royals.
I feel like I’m just waiting for the inevitable Playoff Elimination Game loss. Maybe I’ll be wrong.
I’m pretty much serene. Coming into the game it was either “what I expect” or “something better”, no potential for disappointment, and four-plus hours later it hasn’t changed.
This team has caused me so much stress that I’m pretty much OK with being able to focus more on other stuff.
oh crap! they have ibanez
Yep.
that is the thing about the playoffs ray, there is no clock
I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL SCORE.
I don’t think I can take much more of this. GET SOME FUCKING RUNS. AND FINISH THIS THING.
Well, it’s 12th and not the 6th (somehow I thought the game was starting at 10:05 EST), but we’re together now!
WE WERE JUST WAITING FOR
GODOTECAnd Reddick provides Finnegan’s Wake
You didn’t miss much.
totally uneventful.
Yeah, a boring game, huh?
TBS graphic fails to share a rather important detail: the date.
now i need a little panther burns.
and by now i mean vince inning.
ok fine, that sounds totally soulless out of computer speakers. back to the original.
come on reddick. ain’t nobody else gonna.
They used both Davis and Holland, right?
Yes.
Yep.
I assume the Royals have a right-hander in the bullpen, but they haven’t shown us.
A’s get a leadoff walk.
Can Lowrie bunt?
Sort of.
Just said to Mrs. N: “At least we aren’t dumb enough to bunt here… Oh, it’s Lowrie. Never mind.”
I’ll take meh.
Just barely well enough, apparently.
Nice start JR.
can dunn play first?
callaspo?
Callaspo is due.
My hands are shaking. And I’m supposed to run some calculations that are due tomorrow after this.
oooo, a terrible ex royal
Ah shit. Not Craptastico.
Why not take a shot with Dunn and let Callaspo play first in the bottom of the inning?
Exactly.
Callaspo is unlikely to hit into a double play here.
Did Dunn step on Melvin’s dog or something?
Callaspo is a typical crappy hitter I would hate to see against the A’s in a situation like this
Good point.
Excellent point.
Love you EC
exactly
i see what you mean
If anybody could find a way…
Callaspo played for Scioscia, he’s probably well versed in suicide squeezes.
Well now.
Wild pitch. Oh, c’mon. Gotta score here.
fuck vince call the fucking action
Oh thank you God that this game is in KC.
More please!!!
Never a doubt!!!
ALBERTO!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Craptastico!!!
I LOVE YOU ALBERTO! I always have. I swear.
callaspo!?!?
wooooo.
norris, keep the line moving for Dunn
Two run homer please.
It would be deeply, hysterically ironic if Callaspo ends up with the game-winning hit. Credit where it’s due.
Otero in the bottom of the inning, I assume. More runs would be nice.
Reddick with the walk, after all the hate he’s been getting from A’s fans.
He’s been great.
that’s like the best hit he’s had all season.
that’s like the only hit he’s had all season.
The elcroata that turns the season around!
Seriously. If that FKer had really joined us in the 6th….
Wide strike zone.
What happened to Soto?
looks like a broken finger, but no one has said anything
possible broken thumb on play at the plate.
Hurt thumb tagging someone out at home
Might have broke a thumb on a play at the plate. Runner was out… than Soto was out.
Banged up thumb in the first – they’ve been running Norris ragged.
Runners on first and third, Butler is caught off first base. As they catch him in the rundown, runner breaks from third as is tagged out on a play at the plate. Soto hears a pop and has to come out.
Hurt thumb on tag play at plate in 1st inning (on badly botched fake steal/rundown play by KC).
Got his thumb racked up on a play at the plate in the first inning.
He’s an A.
When elcroata asks a question the entire FK universe answers him.
Not a strike. Grr.
Nope.
I hope Otero gets the same wide zone.
Who’s gonna pitch?
The Primer thread is going to be epic. I’m going to have to block out some time on my calendar.
Gotta hand it to these Royals fans. They’ve been in this thing since the beginning and have been rooting hard.
now vince says “we think dehydration” I think referring to soto, but who the fuck knows with that guy
Wouldn’t that be Coco?
dehydrated coco
Hope so.
stupid bucket challenge used up all the gatorade i guess.
Gotta take Gomes out now, right?
Or not
sigh
Cain, Hosmer, Colon for the Royals.
TBS is really bad at the mechanics of broadcasting a baseball game. They never say who’s on deck, who’s warming up, etc.
I have to keep checking my phone.
No pitch count either.
It’s in their pitch location box.
Also the timing of the cuts from the production truck are horrible, a half second too late, making it seem really jumpy at the worst times.
They were the idiots who’d show us weird camera angles for the entire pitch.
PxP guy just said Pomeranz was coming in for Abad, which makes no sense, even for Melvin.
I think I’d put Moss in at first and Burns in left.
and the sick burns continue…
Vince, I knew the out was recorded because of fosse chuckling. that is not good for you
The world has gone crazy. Callaspo made a nice play. Not elegant, but an out.
as so happen oftens…
That first pitch was a strike for KC’s pitchers.
Just saying.
Seriously?
FKFKFKFKFKFKFK
WTF?
For the love of FK
Fucking Gomes
Not Gomes’ fault. He saved the game.
what the fuck
The A’s are coming up with new and excruciating ways not to win.
idiots!! talk to each other.
oh, i thought at least one of them had a bead on it and the other guy took him out. they weren’t even good enough to get that much.
Nothing’s easy.
Nope.
man
this game is never going to end.
And the shit luck continues.
This is excruciating.
i’m about ready to turn it off and read about it tomorrow. can’t see the benefit of watching the end, even with a win.
That’s my stance as well. I’m turning it off now
i shoulda had your fortitude.
I just…
Softball single.
Unreal how this bullpen can’t perform in high leverage situations.
And Gordon coming up.
Chop single for Colon… not a bad pitch by Otero but no fucking luck.
What a FKing perfect microcosm of this season
That means we win it in 13, right?
I didn’t see the fly, and its a vince inning, so I don’t know what happened, but I assume gomes had no business going for it and should have turned his back to the plate to play it back for a double? am I correct?
You are correct.
They both went up for it. It was over both gloves. Reddick gets that ball if it’s hit his way
Maybe, but given the circumstances I don’t blame him.
Agreed, impossible to know if he might have a play, or if Fuld might have a better play. Ball exactly in between them and just out of reach of either. No criticism here.
Both had a shot at it. Unfortunately both took a shot at it. And both fell to the ground afterward.
On top of each other
nah. he had the better chance, but it was still a few inches above his glove when it bounced off the wall. then collision. a real outfielder probably gets that though. and barring that, cespedes gets the runner at 3rd.
Remember when Lester got a dozen outs in a row till the umps blew the call?
One run games. Just fucking shit.
So we couldn’t use Abad for Hosmer?
No, because…reasons.
They took out Abad after one guy, who he retires on one pitch, in favor of another lefty who hasn’t been pitching out of the bullpen most of the season?
Why?
Hammel. They just suck at determining who’s coming in.
Because it’s Hammel and TBS screwed up.
Because…
Umm…
Wait… tis Hammel.
BoMel only plays the smart match ups when it’s too late.
Oh. Hammel. I guess he’s pitching the rest of the game?
Who else is left in the bullpen?
cook pomeranz
Unfortunately, he is
Just strike the fucker out.
A dropped pitchout. Of course.
LOL Norris
CATCH THE FKING BALL
vince that was a horrible call
Have a great offseason everyone.
That sucked. Go Royals
Yep. They earned it.
Well that makes sense.
It’s over. Mercifully.
The A’s didn’t really make the playoffs after all. Let the dismantling begin.
Offseason priorities
1. MI
2. A catcher who can FUCKING CATCH A FUCKING BASEBALL
Derek, you see why you didn’t start the game?
Shouldn’t have been dicking around with two strikes and two outs. Just strike the fucker out instead.
true, but the other steasl the not blocking balls
Please Hammel don’t hurt ’em.
Dammit.
glad it’s over. i hate baseball.
It’s the worst.
I’ll see the few guys who survive the winter at Ho Ho Kam Stadium in early March.
I was hoping that by trading for all that pitching, the A’s would actually be able to keep the other team from scoring 9 runs on them.
Oh well. Happy offseason, everyone.
It was a fitting choke to an epic half season of choking. Good riddance to one of the saddest years of A’s baseball.
Yep. This team has caused me more anxiety this year than everything else. I know it’s melodramatic and all, but this team caused me to consider quitting sports fandom. Why invest all this time, energy, and emotion into rooting for a team that’s not going to win it all? What’s the point?
I need to just breathe and let this season go.
Right there with you.
Unreal.
Not a good team.
Not even a real playoff team.
They avoided the humiliation of not even qualifying for the play-in game, but that’s about all.
I disagree.
This was a good team. And they won Game 162 to earn their spot in the play-offs.
And they had freaking Jon Lester pitching a winner-take-all game in the 8th with a 4-run lead.
One game on the road isn’t the real playoffs. It’s a tiebreaker. But there’s no point in debating semantics. MLB calls it the playoffs, so you’re right.
But I can’t say it is a good team. They’ve been bad on an epic scale for two months now. A lot of it is injuries, but the team that limped across the finish line had a terrible record for two months.
I agree. It’s a “play in” game not a “play off” game. Semantically, sure it’s the playoffs, but really it’s just another game to face to get into the real deal.
Seven different Royals stole a base. Wow
impossible. there are only 4 bases to steal!
Soto’s injury was game-changing.
Butler knew what he was doing all along!
In a game where Callaspo actually comes through with a clutch hit… the A’s still find a way to lose.
And Moss sets the all time A’s record for RBIs in a playoff game.
That about sums it up.
catcher? pitcher? who are we talking about?
yes
(I’m pretty sure he means catcher. I wish we had had one this game.)
We did. And the gritty KC Royals found a way to knock him out of the game.
Norris didn’t have a lot of help vs. the running game. KC is fast.
BUT CATCH THE FUCKING PITCH-OUT YOU GODDAMN COCKSUCKER!!!
I’m kind of over pro sports, and if you score 8 runs and play as fucking shitty as they did tonight, you deserve to go home.
Ken sounds like he’s about to break out the F-bombs.
I cannot think of a more depressing defeat during the Beane era. When you consider what was given up to the Cubs and to some extent the Sox in order to put Oakland in this spot, and to end it like that. I just. No words.
Straily in Game 4… maybe?
But you’re probably right.
2003 game 3 against the Red Sox and their umps.
Dude. That series led me to the worst night’s sleep I’ve ever had. I found myself in all four corners of my bed. Woke up to a loud grinding sound. Didn’t realize for a good five minutes that that sound was me grinding my own teeth.
This wasn’t the worst game. I can think of more depressing ones, but I’m not in the mood.
But it was arguably the most depressing season.
This was one of our better games in a while. We were in it until the very end. They were just more resilient and pesky. We made them earn their pass into the playoffs and they deserved it, winning despite a “Bob Geren” in the dugout. I hope they go far.
Yep. And we lost on the field, not to the umps. Which is more than I was afraid would happen.
One of the few plays I actually saw on TV was the ball that just went foul off Vogts glove called by Davis. At that point I felt totally confident-if GD wasnt going to ruin it for us, and the Ace on the mound…
I’m still blaming them for breaking Lester’s streak with the botched running inside the lines call.
It was correct. By the time the throw was made he was on the dirt and when it hit him he was in the line.
Agreed. That would never ever ever be called an out.
Also, throw to your god damn target, which gave him a several-foot margin of error.
Huh – I only had radio but the KC announcers certainly said it was a blown call, and even had a digression on its being non-reviewable even though everyone could see it on the replay.
He started well on the grass so I could see how someone could misunderstand the rule and think that, but he got into the path by the time he was half down the line and the ball was ready to be thrown.
The other problem with that rule is that the lane is in foul territory but the base is in fair territory. The runner isn’t required to have his entire body within the lane. I think there should be a third stripe in fair territory which couldn’t be crossed.
Well, they have the box there at first to show the lane, so I think that’s good enough.
On the bright side, we don’t have to worry about the fucking Angels eliminating us.
Or about having Russel in our future. Or Céspedes. Or…
Well, those are now officially shitty trades. I mean, they were unofficially pretty fucking shitty trades. But now this is that nail in the coffin.
Lester was acquired to win a game like this. And he got loads of run support. He didn’t win. The A’s were eliminated. The A’s could have kept Cespedes and done little worse. And he would have been trade bait at least.
The Samardzija/Hammel trade will haunt them even longer. Hammel was crap, and of course Melvin had to bring him into an unfamiliar situation so the stupidity of his acquisition could be hammered into our brains.
Samardzija pitched well, but you see what he would be like if they resigned him to a long-term deal and he lost velocity in a few years. He would be a stikeout pitcher who gave up too many home runs. But of course, they’re not keeping him. Beane will trade him for whatever he can get.
But it won’t be what they gave up to get him.
To be fair, Lester didn’t have his command today and still gave us a 7 inning QS. The 8th was pushing our luck, especially with enough quality RP to get 6 outs and a pitcher who gets worse late in games.
Lester gave up 6 runs in 7 1/3 innings. If you want to let him off the hook for the runs that scored after he left, that’s still four runs. Yeah, the defense was terrible, but Lester doesn’t bother holding runners anyway.
In a normal A’s game of the past two months, that’s a loss.
This is a pass/fail test. Lester was a rental. You pay him to win a game like this, especially when he has ample run support.
Now that he is gone I feel a little better saying Lester was one step better than Steve DeBerg. His last 2 starts were must wins and he didnt show up. And for the “Ace” that he is supposed to be he did not put the team on his back for even 1 game. Hindsight being 20/20 I would have preferred him at TX and Sonny last night.
I was mostly unimpressed by Lester this season with the A’s. He wasn’t bad by any means. Definitely not average either. And he did quite a bit more than what we could have expected from the alternative. But I really did figure he’d show up for this game in a way that he most definitely didn’t.
Totally agree. All we heard was the ultimate competitor, bulldog, etc.
And I have heard nothing the past two months but “well you cant expect him to go out and throw a shutout every game”. BULLSHIT. Throw the ball to first base and put the team on your back when they are hurting-thats what an ace does.
And it’s funny, why is the world (including me and Billy) seems to forgotten that this ultimate gamer was there for the whole chicken and beer collapse in 2012? I never hear his name when that is brought up.
Meanwhile, both Gray & Sammy stepped up in a big way when it counted. Even when they didn’t have their shit together, you could still see it. Even Kaz felt like he had more invested in what was going on.
AS much as I trashed Kaz and wanted him off the ALDS roster he was the one guy that would go out and say “someone step the F up”. He may have been misplaced, but someone had to do it.
Lester conducted himself professionally but I wasn’t surprised that a rental might not be fully “invested”. In the back of his mind there also had to be a thought that the more starts he had this October, the more opportunities he’d have to get hurt right before free agency.
What I mean is: he should have been taken out after seven. Gregerson/Doolittle don’t blow that lead.
This. That was an epic screw up.
Yep. Hell, I wouldn’t necessarily go Gregerson for a full inning either. I’d be prepared to mix and match that shit. You just need 6 fucking outs.
I still dont necessarily agree you pull Lester He had been cruising.
But yes, if you do go to the pen hell use 6 pitchers to get the 6 outs for all I care.
I don’t mind him facing the first batter, but I would have had a VERY quick hook. Batter gets on, he gone.
I agree. I wouldn’t care if he wsa pulled or not, but that wasn’t a managerial fuck up, like not getting lowrie the fuck out of the game in the 8th or evern the 9th
Well, the fuck up was letting him face way too many hitters in that inning. One or two, fine. But it was pretty clear things weren’t going well. Earlier in the game, fine, let him work it out. But there’s no sense in letting a guy work it out in the 8th.
I agree with this also
That’s okay. I didn’t really want to see the Angels stomp the A’s in the ALDS anyway.
I would have liked to see an A’s/Angels series. I still think Oakland had the talent to beat the Halos in a 5 game series.
Although admittedly, I’m not sure whom would have been the #2 catcher!
I’m angry and frustrated, but kind of relieved. This really hasn’t been enjoyable, and chewed up an awful lot of time.
It’s been nice to share the pain with you folks, though.
ditto to all this
And Dunn didn’t even get to bat. Booooo.
That’s the staggering thing. Hope he says some entertaining things.
My fandom is tired and it needs a nap.
The worst thing is that sick feeling I have in the pit of my stomach that the Gnats are going to have one of their improbable runs and win it all, AGAIN.
And then there won’t be any A’s fans left.
After the late-season collapse and tonight’s epic fail job, I’d be surprised that any would be left next spring.
To be honest, I’m questioning why I even bother following pro sports any more right now. The ratio of disappointment to joy is skewed too far to the left for the vast majority of fans.
This. Especially given the teams I support. The worst part is doing the math:
-Raiders: yeah
-Fresno State: At best next couple of years will be a nice bid to an outback bowl
-Basketball, hockey, soccer: dont care enough. Almost thinking of getting a team just to bandwagon
And us. The window is probably closed. So 2-3 yr repeat of 2008-2011, then maybe we come back up and get to have this all over again.
I think an overlooked problem was melvin. Did a good job with the line up in the last week or so, but really bombed it for most of august and september. Managed poorly today. not as poorly as Yost, but lowrie playing every inning, and not doing situational match ups in the 12th.
Still rather have him than any other manager. don’t want to eeyore.
AND NO DUNN
As the reports come out of the coroner’s office in the next couple days it will be interesting to see how often his name is mentioned.
Agreed. Supposedly his greatest assest is working with the team and getting players to understand role and doing the right thing. Over the last 2 months it never felt like that happened. Other than the “talk” in anaheim did he do anything to right the ship other than say we are trying? I dont really believe that blowing up someone in the papers or having a tirade helps, but at some point we needed to try something different.
And to echo Ed on SS. When so much of the story was “use the whole roster, platoon to strengths, etc” and then leaving Lowrie in the field late innings is a fail plain and simple. Also does having Anderson catch in some mop up duty help Norris feel better and play better? Maybe not, but it sure didnt make Anderson more valuable to us going forward.
Please tell me that I won’t ever have to see Nick Punto in an A’s uniform ever again.
The Royals’ speed makes them a unique challenge, and I know he’s been banged up. But it feels like Norris was exposed tonight. His multiple failures make me question his ability to be anything more than a platoon catcher who would need to be replaced for defense.
That’s one of the many depressing things about this game. Norris was one of the guys I thought could be a building block for the future. It’s hard to imagine that now.
I think Norris as a platoon Catcher is an ideal fit. The problem is finding his platoon partner.
Norris was exposed but his pitchers didn’t help matters.
And of course… catch the damn ball!
guys. you don’t get it. NO MORE VINCE OR RAY FOR SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6 MONTHS AND A LIFETIME!!!!
Still, one of the greatest playoff games of all time. Too bad the A’s have lost like 5 of those since Beane took over. Soto having his thumb torn up was the determining factor. The Royals are awesome, I love how they play and force the action. If they had a slugger/feared type in the middle I’d say they’d win it all, but still.
I guess if I had to sum up this season and this game that was so indicative of the year as a whole, I’d say Be It Ever Thus. I had fundamentally disengaged from the emotional investment, and vowed to remain that way as long as this group owns the team, that last morning in July, knowing just what would happen, cuz that’s what always happens. I heard the words “small market” and that was it for me right there, I’m afraid… so I feel able to see this all with a sober, dry eye having cried my tears back then.
Tears shed not that Cespedes was dealt, but that the impetus for dealing him (whilst committing the obvious sin of not pursuing/getting Dunn right away to fill the intimidation void and as MikeV so adamantly insisted, middle infield help from the right or switch hitting side to relengthen the lineup vs LHP) was the same old poverty pleading, where they almost use the sort of dimestore, hobo chic mystique of “Moneyball” to shield themselves from real accountability for the excuses they make and the propaganda they spin about it all… well that was, in this most extraordinary season where at last the trophy was there for their taking, it for me on a certain intrinsic, essential level. From that day on, once the injury bug took over (tonight being a microcosm of that), I’m afraid I only got more sure the thing was cooked. Again, sad, but not shocking at all given what I was certain would transpire that morning at the end of July.
In a way, I am just glad it’s over and the players, their bodies undoubtedly aching along with their souls, can finally lay it down and rest and heal… Moss and now Soto especially. Congratulations to a marvelous KC team and I guess that’s all I have to say… it seems with this thing it’s always the same destination no matter the journey, under this regime. Be it ever thus.
Best wishes to all my friends here and I again apologize for my earlier snapping at people about how I see the bigger picture of it all. Have a marvelous winter and stay safe.
You too.
It tends to always stay the same. And sports tends to end in disappointing fashion for all but one team in the end anyway.
This is a major flaw of sports. We need either multiple championships, or a team that everybody roots for and gets the best draft picks every year, like the V-9 era Tokyo Giants.
the major flaw in sports is that it’s not music.
+1
I love you
I have vented over Norris’ inability to catch a freaking pitch-out. My gallows humor reminds me that if he had caught the ball there was still a chance he throws it into CF!
I don’t blame him for the loss.
Jon Lester, certified Ace, can’t hold a 4 run lead in the 8th. Gregerson, the designated set-up man, couldn’t bail Lester out. Doolittle couldn’t close the 9th. Otero needed to keep the ball down against Hosmer. Hammel didn’t make a bad pitch but the Gods of BABIP have been against Oakland for a while now.
Another 1-run loss. The A’s made it a habit in 2014.
I hope they break the habit next year.
There’s plenty of blame, and bad luck, to go around.
If you had told me the A’s would score 7 runs (in 9 innings), Lester pitched into the 8th, Gregerson finished it off, and Doolittle pitched the 9th, I would have felt pretty good about the A’s chances.
But aside from the team’s failings, injuries and mistakes, the A’s stopped having anything but bad luck a while ago.
I don’t know what it is anymore. Even the Perez single was just out of reach.
Meh.
G’nite.
good point on norris and the throw. But I think he is a below average catcher turned bad by over work this season.
I weep at the thought that if jaso could make it through an entire season, we would have 2 world series teams. Failing that, Vogt this year. If he can catch, this game is no doubt won.
Jaso wouldn’t have done better vs. the KC running game. And the idea of him making it through a season healthy is as whimsical as believing in non-Ellis unicorns.
G’nite.
Oh, for sure he is a worse catcher, but he would have been on base and would have been pulled for soto late in the game
Vogt is the one that kills me. If the roles had been reversed, I think norris could become a not totally incompetent C/1B/LF/DH and Vogt the workhorse. Even when they were all healthy I thought it was a bad play to have Vogt catch less because he is clearly the best of the original Catcher Voltron.
He couldn’t catch. He was hurt.
I am aware he has been hurt. I follow the team and everything. I even hang out on a website that talks specifically about the A’s. Well that and braiding back and sack hair.
But it still does hurt me that he was the one to get hurt in a way that he could still play, just not catch (which was what made him even better..).
Do you honestly expect me to read?
No. And sorry. Probably not a surprise but I’m a bit snappy today.
Last night I was losing it. Lil Miss Aces came in and tried to cheer me up. At one point I looked away and said “I dont know if I can do this anymore”.
all of a sudden she started bawling. I freaked out and immediately stopped the pity party. she looked at me and said ‘I DONT WANT TO BE ADOPTED!”
She had decided I meant that I either wanted to kill myself or stop being a parent. so at least this morning im doing better than that.
Aww.
ik,r? On the bright side. Walking. Dead.
YEES.
Time to go to bed – and not sleep.
Don’t see Post, just reply. Anyway, I wish I hadn’t posted when I did. Hope no one blames me.
I feel ill enough.
its not you. that’s crazy talk.
stop by more
Thanks, hun. Hope others feel the same. I’m already horribly depressed (about the game, the season, the A’s).
@susanslusser
Dunn, still in uniform at 1 am, says he still plans to retire
[checks bank balance]
Okay, how much do I owe you?
the A’s owe me a few hundred bucks
That’s the only silver lining. And it fucking sucks.
On a total side side note, LoneStarBall is uh infinitely? more pathetic than HH has ever been.
I’m exhausted. I don’t even know how I managed to drive back home.
And FK the Royals from here on out. All those bullshit calls for time when Lester was ready to throw, and that douchebag vacuum cleaner guy acting like he’d won the World Series when he scored. I’m not rooting for the Slegna, either, so I’m just going to hope for Baltimore vs Washington.
I am really annoyed with oriole fans.
I’m hoping for 2 things:
-a short winter
-a glorious 2015
Maybe with Ebola now in the US, they’ll have to shut down all travel around the time the WS starts, so there won’t be one this year.
I would also love a meteor strike on Disneyland tomorrow night around 7:00pm. And a very very localized earthquake right under Warrantless-Wiretap Park, so even if the Gnats advance, they won’t have anywhere to play.
So in the future, I don’t think we’ll ever trust a hot first half any more than we’ll trust a hot second half.
:(.
let’s see, [freechutney.net]
When does cricket season start???
if you’re not watching kings xi punjab against chennai super kings right now, what are you doing?
work :(
ah. the sport where everybody loses.
Golf?
Well, that was sad.
I’m still trying to understand how the fuck last night happened and why the Baseball Gods hate Oakland so. I’m not making light of anyone’s hurt but…
The positive side (for me) is this:
Now I won’t be distracted by post-season baseball as my October 11th wedding date approaches! My fiancee’ will appreciate this very much.
Priorities, you know.
One last thing about the Oakland A’s before I go: I don’t know if Beane is going to blow up the team and do a re-build; he could. Hell, maybe he should.
But he doesn’t have to. And anyone who says Oakland’s window has closed is wrong.
I’m mentally fan exhausted with this team. I know they could compete next year. The core is still there and with the right pieces. But I almost wish they’d spend a couple of years losing 100 games where I don’t give a shit for a while.
Congratulations on your wedding! A good woman trumps baseball every time.
Holy shit. I’m getting married???!!!!! Ooooh. I hope it’s to someone good!
Me. Surprise!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I’m going to have to find a dress to wear and when’s the date… oh man oh man oh man. Tons to do and so little time.
Do you need something blew?
Thanks.
(Im assuming your comment was meant for me… cause dmoas seems surprised.)
Reply fail. Enjoy the honeymoon.
my sister’s getting married on october 10. deep in the real heart of angels territory (riveside county). i was not looking forward to that. now i don’t care. though KC could do me the favor of making sure the groom and buddies don’t care either.
Congrats and good luck.
Thanks.
While I hate you not being around, can I say how wonderful it is that you found some one and seem to be in a really good place? I don’t know if I will ever be there again-cant see getting remarried, etc. But if I do, I hope I sound as happy as you have seemed the last few times you have popped up to comment.
And of course, if you find some free time on your honeymoon-I would love to hear a quick and dirty plan you think is needed. I know you dont have the time you used to, but your guesses are way better to read than most others hard work.
I dont think I’ve ever mentioned this, but since work blocks all youtube and a bunch of pics, one of my favorite things is going back to a post late at night and see what stuff you folks were leaving during the day that I had to guess about.
Vignette seems to have started the ball rolling.
rosterbaiting soothes all
Congratulations!
An interesting perspective on three decades of no playoffs vs. numerous cases of getting there and failing to win the decisive do-or-die game:
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/97182146/oakland-as-kansas-city-royals-wild-card-losers-long-suffering-fans
straight up mothefucking choke artists.
Thanks, and go As.
I don’t disagree on the whole, but I don’t view what happened last night as a choke. Mistakes were made by a number of people, but not in a routine, easy to get done manner, and those fucking Royals were just in it.
Sorry, but it was a chokejob. You couldn’t have asked to start the game any better with a 2-0 lead before OMFG THE AWESOME PLAYOFF PITCHER LESTER 3-0 WORLD SERIES RECORD RABBLE RABBLE even took the damn mound.
Blowing three separate leads in a win or go home game is choking. Now sure how else you can put it, regardless of the way it happened. They were in position to win and choked. Lester wasn’t anything special, Doolittle blew a save, blah blah.
Thanks, and go As.
Lester was good. He shouldn’t have been allowed to go out for the eighth.
How many runs did he give up?
Thanks, and go As.
Few enough in the first seven innings.
Too bad he didn’t only pitch 7.
This was 100% the reason Lester was acquired. He ran out of gas and ended up being charged with 6 ER. Not good enough.
Thanks, and go As.
Right, that’s why I’m putting most of the blame on Melvin for not taking him out.
I actually missed a lot of the game. We had an appt with the eldest Ace’s school counselor to talk colleges, etc at the start so I came in mid innings. And from there I let my superstitions take over. Sure sign you are too invested in your teams. A part of me thinks it my fault for checking text messages after I said I was going to stay offline for the game. (I didnt think he would text me and talk Baseball…)
I’m not reading any of this thread for the time the game was going on. What little I saw and heard was painful enough. Maybe someday, but I doubt it.
What I’ve seen postmortem is pretty all spot on. Maybe it was mentioned during the game but the only thing I would add is Lowrie swinging at the first pitch with a pitcher who can’t find the plate with On-Star just totally encapsulates his season. I kmnow we have no MI options, but I would prefer SA and GG at this point. I’m tired of the 2014 always ready to make a bad play in the field or do the wrong thing at the plate with 2 on Jed.
So what now. As of 8:48 PT today I feel like the window is closing enough that Billy will now force it shut. I hope I’m wrong, but like DMOAS said above, a part of me might almost like a 74-88 team that I dont have to die with on every pitch. But I would prefer finding 1-2 more pieces and finish writing this movie script. I know this, I dont want this to be the last I see of Moss, Coco, JD, and Schlong. But in a way it is regardless. This is over. Things like IBISV, JJ=LD, rally possum, Reddicking are now in the closet of memories along with the forearm bash and the Bernie Lean.
And now the worry. Every year 1-2 folks disappear, and it ususally starts around now. In the winter we will have a chippy fight over something and someone will get ticked. We’ve said it a million times but we are a tiny and closed group. We arent going to go to yahoo and recruit people. I hope we stay strong this offseason.
Sorry this is sappy, but I have to get it out and this is the only place that gets it. I love you guys/girls and you have made following this team better than it ever had been before. If you need a break take it, but come back. I will try and post more in the offseason to keep things going and you should too.
Be ready-only about 150 days until pitchers and catchers report.
I honestly thought the A’s were going to win at two separate times:
1) Up 7-3 in the 8th with Lester having retired 13 straight.
2) Bottom 12 up by 1. I honestly thought we’d sneak by at that point.
My goats go like this:
1) Lester. You get 7 runs of support, you win. No god damn excuses. Did you fucking see Sonny 2 days ago?
2) Norris. You better get healthy and learn to throw out runners because you’ve got less than a half season at C left otherwise. Also, not mentioned much, but huge WP/PB allowed a run to score. Tough play, sure. But that was huge.
3) Lowrie. There were quite a few not quite errors that allowed runners on. Those became practically triples. Good bunt, though.
4) Melvin. I actually found almost every one of his moves defensible. Except why did Punto hit instead of Dunn? That’s who I feel worst about. Get the big guy one damn AB. Instead. Punto?!?!? Also, Callaspo, but when Reddick was at 3rd 1 out, I was glad about that decision.
I didn’t like the Gomes for Coco move. Burns should have been out there. Had his spot come up in the line up later and you still had Dunn avaiable or even Gomes *then*, go for it. I know he was there primarily for pinch running, but that late in the game where I single run wins it, you’ve got to go defense first. But man did that Gentry concussion hurt us there. Gentry in left catches that ball without colliding with Fuld. And if he misses, Fuld holds it to a double.
FK, you are so right about Gentry.
Bases loaded against Holland and two outs he should have hit Dunn for Lowrie.
Either that or tell Lowrie who spends 60% of his time watching strike 3 go by and giving a dirty look to not swing at the first fucking pitch he sees.
I’m waiting to see if the other shoe drops re Lowrie, meaning what injury was he dealing with most of the season besides the finger problem.
Dunn really should have hit at least once. And yeah, Lester didn’t pitch a particularly good game. It wasn’t even a matter of a condensed few baserunners and a home run. He let runs in multiple innings and couldn’t hold the lead
Not putting in Abad for Hosmer was inexplicable to me. Your Proven Closer was already out, you have an excellent LOOGY remaining, the guy you have on the mound had already given you one inning, and it’s a freaking do or die game. There’s no reason not to play the best possible matchups in that situation. There’s no reason to try to coax two innings out of Otero when you’re trying to close the fking game and you have plenty of pitchers still available given the expanded staff.
Hosmer is a lot better hitter than Christian Colon and more importantly, he can tie the game with one swing. And he almost did. Plus, after Colon, Gordon was on deck. So setting up Abad for Hosmer, Colon, and Gordon makes a ton more sense than leaving Otero in against Hosmer so he can face Colon.
Otero v L this year: .283/.329/.370
Abad v L: .191/.280/.247
Abad v R: .162/.217/.257
At one point the A’s had a >98% chance of winning this game according to the winexp graph. 98 fucking percent.
Yes. That was insane. INSANE. I mean, what the fuck. And he still had three pitchers left in the pen after Abad, so it’s not like he couldn’t match up for fear of running out of arms in the event it went 21 innings.
Well when you put it like that…
Absolutely they should have gone Abad at that point. I was too focused on rooting for an out to notice at the time. Thankfully, it’s not my job to make that call.
Good point.
Agreed. This is not one I saw in real time, but I’m persuaded.
Wait, are you talking about Hosmer in the 12th? They had already used Abad at that point (for just one FKing pitch!!).
Hosmer tripled, then Colon had the chopper that plated him. Abad was brought in for Otero at that point, Gordon fouled out, then he was removed for Hammel against Perez.
Oh right. For some reason, I was thinking that Abad’s one batter came earlier than the 12th inning.
Mistakes were made. By pretty much everyone. Seriously, just hard to pin it on one person. It’s really amazing actually. They truly lost as a team. Except Moss. He was fucking awesome.
And I bet he was the biggest question we all had going in.
Reddick and Abad did their jobs as well. And, shockingly enough, Callaspo
The title of this thread reminded me of how much I wanted to have this float in our World Series parade, after years and years of “Over? Nothing is over until we say it is!”
you’ll have to come back later. i’m doing the dishes.
We fucked up. We trusted them.
I think the take away here is that every weakness we had got exposed. There were failures all over the field, defense, offense, pitching, managing. This is one of those games where I don’t think you can truly look back and say it was “X’s” fault. This isn’t a Giambi game, or a Byrnes game, or a Tejada game, or whomever game. It was just a team failure. And they had, as a team, opportunities work past them, every last one of them, but the next guy failed after them as well.
Which is the perfect symbol of this year isnt it. More than any other A’s team I recently remember, this group seemed perfectly suited to always have someone there to let the team down.
Well, it took two months longer than we hoped for, but Oakland finally did beat KC.
Told a couple of friends that-as much as I dont want 0-16, I would have made the trade if given the option.