(Image via flickr.com user mikelachance.)
Athletics 9, Rangers 3
Martin Perez got the call tonight and preceded not to get out of the first. It had to be one of the worst innings of the season as Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz didn’t help by misplaying two balls in the outfield and the Athletics put up five runs and never looked back. It was such a parade of ”relief” help out of the pen, I thought Ron Washington was going to summon Nolan Ryan into the game. They used six pitchers altogether and but the staff did issue only three walks. They also had eleven strikeouts.
The offense was just as bad. The Athletics started rookie phenom, Jarrod Parker, who wasn’t sharp, but didn’t need to be. The Rangers did cut the lead to 5-3 after two innings, on 2 RBI by Andrus and one by Moreland. But that was as close as they would get. The team was 0-7 with RISP and left eight men on base.
On Deck
Matt Harrison, LHP 17-10, 3.17 ERA, 126 K
Despite throwing eight innings of one-run ball against the Mariners on Saturday, Harrison took the hard-luck loss. The defeat snapped the left-hander’s 10-game winning streak against Seattle.
Travis Blackley, LHP 5-3, 3.75 ERA, 66 K
The southpaw has worked to a 3-1 record and a 4.47 ERA since the All-Star break, and for the season, he’s 4-3 with a 4.11 mark in 13 games as a starter.
