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Friday, May 02, 2008

AP: Cust’s homer starts 8-run fifth, A’s beat Angels 15-8

Jack Cust went 4-for-4 with a go-ahead homer that triggered an eight-run fifth inning, Emil Brown had four hits and an RBI and the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 15-8 Thursday night to gain a split of the four-game series.
...
Cust, whose two-out error fielding error in left field led to five unearned runs in the Angels’ second inning, gave Oakland a 7-6 lead in the fifth with his second homer of the season and first in 40 career at-bats against Angels pitching.
...
Los Angeles starter Nick Adenhart, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake after middle infielder Maicer Izturis went on the disabled list with a strained lower back, gave up five runs, three hits and five walks over two-plus innings in his major league debut.
...
Pitching on three days’ rest, Adenhart got the side out in order in the first but walked four consecutive batters during Oakland’s four-run second.

Of Adenhart’s 37 pitches that inning, 24 were balls. But the Angels grabbed a 5-4 lead in the bottom half with five unearned runs. Cust opened the door with a humiliating two-base error, as Garret Anderson’s lazy flyball popped out of his glove when he camped under it.

NTNgod Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:45 AM | 17 comment(s)
  Related News: GeneralLA AngelsOakland

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   1. hunting for a halo-red october Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:53 AM (#2766202)
So remember earlier when I said calling up Adenhart was a "win-win" situation?

Yeah. I was wrong.
   2. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:57 AM (#2766205)
That was particularly upsetting to Mickey Hatcher, who simply stared out of the dugout, mumbling "home runs kill rallies" over and over.
   3. NTNgod Posted: May 02, 2008 at 02:02 AM (#2766209)
The A's put up 15 runs with 18 singles, a double, and a homer (solo shot) on the game.
   4. Rich Rifkin I Posted: May 02, 2008 at 02:16 AM (#2766211)
I realize, as an avid A's fan, that over 162 games the Angels are a better team and should easily win the AL West. However, it's a great thrill for now seeing the A's playing as well as they are and standing tied for the division lead (and tied for the best record in the American League)....

Rich Harden pitched in Sacramento tonight in a rehab start. He went 3.7 innings and gave up one earned run. Sacramento, of course, whipped Omaha.
   5. Al Kaline Trio Posted: May 02, 2008 at 02:23 AM (#2766212)
Why bring up Adenhart to get embarrassed on 3 days rest? Screams desperate to me? Angels better hope Erving and Colonel Sanders keep it up until SlingBlade comes back.
   6. Halofan Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:03 AM (#2766220)
I called Adenhart starting a win/win before the game and I will avoid playing rationalization roulette on this one.
   7. AROM wants you off his lawn Posted: May 02, 2008 at 09:12 AM (#2766275)
I questioned it before the game and am not happy to see that I was right. It wasn't desperation, they could have given the call to Nick Green instead. Green isn't as good a prospect as Adenhart but a pretty good one in his own right, has better control (especially important against this team) and most importantly, would have been pitching on normal rest.

In this day and age there are very few excuses to pitch anyone on 3 days rest. Sure, maybe at one time pitchers were used to it but that is not how pitchers are trained. Baseball America the other day published an article showing a pitcher's ERA is 0.50 points higher on 3 days rest.

If you have a veteran pitcher and are facing an elimination playoff game, sometimes it can be justified. A 22 year old, who had TJ surgery a few years back, making his MLB debut, is about the worst situation imaginable to throw a guy out there on 3 days rest. I don't know if he would have done any better if he had 4 days rest, but this looks really bad, shortsighted, and stupid.
   8. Shredder Posted: May 02, 2008 at 10:24 AM (#2766340)
I don't know if he would have done any better if he had 4 days rest, but this looks really bad, shortsighted, and stupid.
Ervin Santana - Major League Debut: 4 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 2 HR, and he gave up the cycle to the first four batters he faced.

Ervin Santana - Next Major League Start: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1BB, 7 K. That was against the eventual World Champion White Sox.

Something tells me that when a kid who is a top prospect is called up and stuggles in his debut, it's not the end of the world. It's May fer chrissakes. Can we please pull back from the ledge?
   9. Rodder Posted: May 02, 2008 at 10:37 AM (#2766357)
At one point last night Cust's BA was .188 and his on base % .398.
This wasn't the most enjoyable game to attend. At least my wife, who knows very little about baseball, enjoyed seeing all the home runs and base runners, no matter what color jersey the team was wearing.
   10. AROM wants you off his lawn Posted: May 02, 2008 at 10:45 AM (#2766364)
I'm not on a ledge, and I remember Santana's 2nd start like it was yesterday. But throwing this kid out on 3 days rest makes no sense whatsoever.
   11. Al Kaline Trio Posted: May 02, 2008 at 12:57 PM (#2766534)
It's not a big deal long term but why do something out of the ordinary against the team in 2nd place that night? Rex says if it was good enough for Sosh then it was good enough for him since Sosh would know best. I fail to see how the big league manager would know best (he probably asked the AAA manager I guess) that this young guy with strong ERA but weak peripherals so far this year would outpitch the guy who was struggling but was on normal rest. Moseley came in anyway but had to warm up during the game and was already behind.
   12. Mike Emeigh Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:11 PM (#2766556)
Lackey is pitching Sunday, also against Lancaster but this time at home, and he's supposed to stretch it out to 85 or so pitches. In his Tuesday rehab start in Lancaster, he pitched three innings, throwing 34 pitches - then the lights went out at Clear Channel Stadium (a bank of them anyway), and during the delay Lackey threw 26 more pitches in a simulated game.

-- MWE
   13. Los Angeles Waterloo of Black Hawk Posted: May 02, 2008 at 01:56 PM (#2766606)
Incidentally, the A's' patience had nothing to do with any of this. From the second inning on he was just all over the place; he probably would have had the same result in the PCL.

I'm with Shredder. It's May.
   14. Johnny Clash Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:24 PM (#2766687)
Cust's error was pretty bad. Looks to me like he lost the ball at the last moment because his glove was in front of his face. If he played it to the side a bit, to keep his eyes on the ball, would probably help.

I think the A's-Angels has become a really great rivalry. Division rivals, Bay Area - L.A. rivalry, teams built on pitching, exciting low-scoring games.

I realize, as an avid A's fan, that over 162 games the Angels are a better team and should easily win the AL West.

I'm not ready to admit the Angels have the better team this year, though.
   15. AROM wants you off his lawn Posted: May 02, 2008 at 03:52 PM (#2766725)
Angels should have the better team, they should run away with the division, but seem to be doing everything in their power to allow a pennant race. Like continuing to put Garret Anderson in the lineup when Juan Rivera rots on your bench, Reggie Willits is in AAA, plenty of DH's remain on the free agent market, and your rival gets a free Frank Thomas.
   16. Mike Emeigh Posted: May 02, 2008 at 04:06 PM (#2766741)
Reggie Willits is in AAA


Willits was just called up.

-- MWE
   17. Rich Rifkin I Posted: May 02, 2008 at 04:15 PM (#2766747)
"Angels should have the better team, they should run away with the division, but seem to be doing everything in their power to allow a pennant race."

Keep in mind that Anaheim is on pace to win 97 games. That's 3 more than they won last year, when they won the AL West by 6 games over Seattle and 18 games over Oakland. I don't think the Angels are quite that good. I think they will win somewhere from 90-95 games.

Oakland is on the same pace (as they are tied). However, I don't think my A's will keep this up. My guess is that Oakland wins between 80-85 games. (Before the season, I thought 78-83, but the hot start has altered my conclusion.) I do think, though, that in 2009 or 2010, the A's should be good enough to win 95 games and challenge for the division title (only to bow out in the playoffs where Billy Beane's #### doesn't work).
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