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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC
    I'ma go ahead and take credit for this victory. I popped on ESPN Gamecast at the end of the 8th inning, while I was on a conference call for Duke DC. Had to mute the call a few times to shout at my screen as it told me that Rayburn homered and then AVILA! Both pinch-hit homers too! As soon as that happened, I knew we were going to win, and sure enough, kept the Gamecast on to see us get out of the jam in the 9th, take the lead in the 10th and then Valverde time.

    You're right weezie, it's hard to maintain a straight face through all of this. Magic number, by my recollection, is down to 3 and could soon be two since the Indians are getting bootstomped right now. We could have this thing wrapped up by the weekend! *knock on wood*

    And, the most important part of this: we just passed Boston by a half game for the 2nd best record in the AL. Still 5 games behind the Yankees for the best record, but we keep this up, we will have homefield advantage!
    Check out the Duke Basketball Roundup!

    2003-2004 HLM
    Duke | Mirecourt | Detroit| The U | USA

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California
    OK, Weezie. Calm down. Twelve in a row is great, particularly in coming from behind in 10 innings yesterday. Kudos to them.

    But they have a ways to go to match the A's 2002 20-game win streak. And while those A's were much better than this year's edition, today's short-handed crew, playing well below .500 and all, is nevertheless doing a fair job of spoiling others' fun.

    Anyway, I have tix for Sunday to watch Verlander do his thing to the A's. His opposite number, Guillermo Moscoso (8-8) has been a pleasant arrival as the original staff bunched up on the DL, but he's not a likely choice against Verlander. Plus, the A's are currently offering playing time to some late-season callups. (Furthermore, Ryan Sweeney, the backup CF, pulled a muscle today in his quad, and may be out, too. Maybe Crisp will be back, but I doubt it.) Still, it would not surprise me to see them snap the Tigs' win streak -- perhaps taking two of four. Even if they do, it won't slow the Tigs down much, if at all. I see Detroit as the best in the AL, even if some Eastern Conference teams have slightly better records.

    I can't root for them while they're here, but I've got no problem with them overall. They are due. If you want, I'll file a first hand report.

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim3k View Post
    OK, Weezie. Calm down. Twelve in a row is great, particularly in coming from behind in 10 innings yesterday.
    Ok Jim, I'll try. Keep me tamped down, good. Plenty of baseball left to play.

    Lucky you with tix to "The Justin Verlander Show".

    What's the favorite snack at your stadium? What kind of beer do they serve?
    I wish I was going with you!

  4. #24
    Looks more promising for me to be proven wrong - yesss! Hope they can play like this in the post season (I think their magic # is something like 1).

  5. #25
    All righty then!!

    American League Central Division winners be us!

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    All righty then!!

    American League Central Division winners be us!
    First team in the AL in the playoffs...love it!! And, with the Yankees loss, only 4 back of the best record in the AL and homefield advantage in the playoffs!
    Check out the Duke Basketball Roundup!

    2003-2004 HLM
    Duke | Mirecourt | Detroit| The U | USA

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    Ok Jim, I'll try. Keep me tamped down, good. Plenty of baseball left to play.

    Lucky you with tix to "The Justin Verlander Show".

    What's the favorite snack at your stadium? What kind of beer do they serve?
    I wish I was going with you!
    OK, Weezie, here's my report on the game. As you know, Verlander was the winner, with an 8 inning shutout, allowing only 3 hits. When he went out at the end of the 8th, the Tigs had a 2-0 lead, but the A's were matching up well. Two pitchers, Moscoso and Fuentes, had allowed only one hit--but it was a biggie--Austin Jackson's solo HR in the 6th. Moscoso had thrown 110 pitches over 6 innings, so he was done. Verlander threw 116 in his 8 innings. Verlander was clearly the more efficient pitcher, in terms of outs per pitch. Even so, I kept thinking that the A's were about to break through. Didn't happen. The Tigers' last two runs came against the A's bullpen.

    One thing bugs me about the game. I thought the A's lineup left some good hitting (to the extent the A's have any) on the bench. Their DH today was Chris Carter, a ne'er-do-well AAA player. He's been up to the big leagues at least three times, maybe four, and has demonstrated that he can't hit major league pitching even as he tears up the Coast League. He was three automatic strikeouts for Verlander, today, taking his bat off his shoulder maybe once in 3 ABs. Starting SS Cliff Pennington didn't make it to the field either, nor did Hideki Matsui.

    As for my report on Verlander, I must say that I'm not sure why he is so dominating. He did throw one 98 mph fastball, but mostly was in the 92 range. He mixes his pitches and speeds well. His strikes v. balls ratio, 66-50, turned out to be more impressive than I had thought, for in the early innings, he had thrown more balls than strikes. He got stronger as the game went on. He did walk three. I do think patience would be a weapon against him. In contrast, Moscoso, far from a star, threw 70 strikes v. 40 balls and walked two. He had a no-hitter going until Jackson's homerun, the only hit he allowed. I can't help but wonder whether the game would have had a different outcome had Carter not been such a cipher.

    But the final proof is the pudding. Verlander won, going away. He shut the A's out with 3 hits over 8, getting 6 SOs in the process (3 on Carter). He looked good doing it.

    However, looking at the four game series, I can say my guess was borne out--the A's won two, while the Tigs won 2. Detroit's first win gave them the division championship and they should be congratulated. Now they have to keep it up.

  8. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim3k View Post
    As for my report on Verlander, I must say that I'm not sure why he is so dominating. He did throw one 98 mph fastball, but mostly was in the 92 range. He mixes his pitches and speeds well. His strikes v. balls ratio, 66-50, turned out to be more impressive than I had thought....He got stronger as the game went on...
    ..Verlander won, going away. He shut the A's out with 3 hits over 8, getting 6 SOs in the process...He looked good doing it.
    OK, thanks! From the tv angle, the ump was all over the place with the strike zone, as you probably noticed by the jawboning coming from JV and Leyland on the field.
    JV's sinker hook is a nasty, sweet piece of work. Who was the A player who had his batting helmet come off as he drove himself into a corkscrew? That was funny.
    Lately, JV has had some moments of distraction, true. Chalk it up to a long season and the pressure of being the best and the loud MVP/Cy Young chatter that accompanies him across the league. I predict he'll be very well focused once the playoffs begin.

    But, you forgot to tell me what kind of snacks are popular in Oakland and what kind of beer they serve..come now dear Jim3K!

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    OK, thanks! From the tv angle, the ump was all over the place with the strike zone, as you probably noticed by the jawboning coming from JV and Leyland on the field.
    JV's sinker hook is a nasty, sweet piece of work.
    Looks more like a change-up to me. It's about 76 mph. Used properly and in a good location. I think his fastball has a lot movement, so it's difficult to pick up.


    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    Who was the A player who had his batting helmet come off as he drove himself into a corkscrew? That was funny.
    I don't remember seeing that. Neither does Carol. It's common enough that all teams have it happen. Hard swing and miss or just being badly fooled. I've learned that major league hitters who are badly fooled on one pitch usually do fine in the long run. Laugh at him for the moment; fear him the next. That's baseball.


    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    But, you forgot to tell me what kind of snacks are popular in Oakland and what kind of beer they serve..come now dear Jim3K!
    Ha. We probably can't answer for popularity as we bring our own sandwiches. They do offer BBQ if you get there early enough. I see a lot of people having nachos w/ jalapenos. I like the Polish dogs, myself. Dibs ice cream is fairly popular. Better food is available on the top level in the Westside Club restaurant.

    Beer is $9 a cup, so we eschew it. The A's allow fans to bring in small coolers, so we generally bring ice and a quart of Trader Joe sparkling mineral water w/ lime. Keeps us fresh in the sun. I hesitate to drink beer at the Coliseum, not only due to the price and the hassle (see next graf), but due to the 25 mile drive home afterwards on I-880 and CA 24, both majorly busy and cop-heavy freeways.

    The Coliseum offers several brands--Budweiser being the big one, but also three or four micro-brewery options. Unlike other stadiums, they do not hawk beer in the stands, so getting it is a hassle exacerbated by long lines. You must go up to the main, interior walkway to the vendors' stations. I think that is required by the liquor control people, probably to enforce the age 21 rule. (The last time I tried to bring a tray of beer cups to my seat was last year in the new Nationals Stadium in DC. I managed to spill enough walking down the steps to soak the cheap paper tray so badly it collapsed. Beer all over the stairway. Klutzy looking old fart with a sheepish mad on trying to act like nothing had happened... Good thing I was from out of town and no one but my son knew me. What a waste!)

  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim3k View Post
    ...The last time I tried to bring a tray of beer cups to my seat was last year in the new Nationals Stadium in DC. I managed to spill enough walking down the steps to soak the cheap paper tray so badly it collapsed. Beer all over the stairway...
    Oh dear, that is sad!

  11. #31

    Brad Penny

    Too late to call someone up?

  12. #32
    Ugh...
    Leyland just seems to get these massive man crushes on certain players.
    It looks like Brad doesn't even want to be out there anyway!

  13. #33
    Sure looks like that if Boston somehow manages to make the playoffs (and at this point, I don't think they will), they look like the team that is going nowhere, because their pitching has totally stunk up the joint lately, and the Yankees are hardly interested in helping them out by beating the Rays.

    Detroit is looking good and Fister is a big part of that. Amazing how bad his record was in Seattle relative to his quite respectable ERA. He must have had no run support there.

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