Oh man – it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to use this graphic!
A nice sweep of the Oakland A’s last night concluded with a 9-4 win held up largely by a massive 7 run first inning. What’s really interesting about this 7 run inning is that all 7 runs were unearned. I’ve always felt that if an error leads to an unearned run, and the same error was committed by the pitcher, that it should then count as an earned run. I know that isn’t a terribly original thought, but one that I’ve held for a long time.
Was nice to see (well, listen, I couldn’t get the game due to my ongoing cable problems) the seven run first inning – we haven’t had one of those in a long time. We sent Kenny Rogers to the mound in the second inning with a 7 run lead. The last time I can remember this happening in the first was a game last year against KC where we scored 9 in the first. Still, it was nice to see, and we could have used some of these against Seattle.
Anyway, it seemed like just about everyone got in on the action in the first inning – I like it when the action is spread around, not just a big jack by one player with everyone else making an out. Everyone in the starting lineup scored at least one run (except Pudge). Mike Lamb continues to be my best surprise player of this year, going 3 for 5, and is nipping the heels of .300.
Pitching wise, Kenny Rogers was good, if not awesome – Crabtree wasn’t out there long enough to create another problem, and Zimmerman looked like Zimmerman – it seems like he’s coming around, finally.
Hopefully some of this can continue beyond this series, as all we did was pick up one game in the standings after going 6-3 against the AL West the last few games. We see the west again in two weeks when we visit Anaheim & Seattle. I’m hopeful we will be on a really good roll by then.
Well, as much as last night’s game was about Ryan Glynn, tonight’s game was about Eric Gagne. He shut down the Rangers with only a few hits, and when we had a chance, we couldn’t follow through.
The only good thing tonight was Pudge, who went 3 for 4 with a solo home run in the 8th for our only run. Most everyone else was silent. In fact only three Rangers had any hits at all – Pudge (3), Segui (2), & Raffy (1). That was it. Scarborough Green almost had his first major league home run, as he hit a ball, and it was called a HR. The fireworks went off, the music from the Natural played, and there was thunderous applause. However, about halfway through the trot, I saw the umps standing in the basepaths conferring, and I knew it would be taken away – it was. That was a shame, even if it really was a foul ball – it would have been nice.
I sat in one of two remaining places in the ballpark that I’d never sat in before. Far left field. I sat in Section 301 row 1. To tell you the truth, it wasn’t all that bad after the second inning. For the first two innings, I had to sit with my head down and my cap’s brim over the sun, as it was very sunny out there. But for $6, it wasn’t all that bad really – even though I missed seeing the out of town scoreboard. :)