by The GM on April 28 at 11:34AM
After a long draft weekend, normalcy will settle back in and my normal routine will get back on track. While I was watching 15 hours of NFL draft coverage, the Oakland A's were quietly taking care of business in Seattle.
Oakland took two of the three games against the Mariners to win their sixth series on the season. The two wins also put Oakland into a first place tie with the Angels.
The way Oakland is playing right now is a little reminiscent of the playoff teams that included the Big Three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. They pitch great, but on offense they don't do anything great. They do a lot of things good, but nothing stands out in what they do at the plate.
Currently Oakland leads the American League with a 3.22 ERA and total runs allowed (92). When your pitching is allowing just over three runs a game, winning gets a lot easier. However, Oakland's offense still leaves a little to be desired. Nobody has really shown any power this season, but that's OK, because everyone is hitting when they need to. Some of the old Athletics' teams relied on the three-run homer, but not this team. They are using walks and station-to-station fundamentals to manufacture their runs. I am really enjoying watching this team play right now. I hope it continues that way.
If Oakland wants to stay in first place, they have to get past the Angels during the next four games. Both teams are 16-10 on the season. The match up should be a good one. Oakland's pitching against the Angels' hitting. I am hoping that Oakland takes 3 of the games, but as long as they come away with a split, I'll be pleased.
Here are the pitching match ups for the series:
Oakland took two of the three games against the Mariners to win their sixth series on the season. The two wins also put Oakland into a first place tie with the Angels.
The way Oakland is playing right now is a little reminiscent of the playoff teams that included the Big Three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. They pitch great, but on offense they don't do anything great. They do a lot of things good, but nothing stands out in what they do at the plate.
Currently Oakland leads the American League with a 3.22 ERA and total runs allowed (92). When your pitching is allowing just over three runs a game, winning gets a lot easier. However, Oakland's offense still leaves a little to be desired. Nobody has really shown any power this season, but that's OK, because everyone is hitting when they need to. Some of the old Athletics' teams relied on the three-run homer, but not this team. They are using walks and station-to-station fundamentals to manufacture their runs. I am really enjoying watching this team play right now. I hope it continues that way.
If Oakland wants to stay in first place, they have to get past the Angels during the next four games. Both teams are 16-10 on the season. The match up should be a good one. Oakland's pitching against the Angels' hitting. I am hoping that Oakland takes 3 of the games, but as long as they come away with a split, I'll be pleased.
Here are the pitching match ups for the series:
- Chad Gaudin vs Jon Garland - Don't know which Gaudin will show up.
- Greg Smith vs Joe Saunders - Smith needs to continue his impressive rookie showing.
- Dana Eveland vs Ervin Santana - Ditto for Eveland
- Justin Duchscherer vs Dustin Moseley - Moseley's ERA (7.30) almost as high as his jersey number (58).
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