(Photo: jamesfleeting/Flickr)

It’s another 2-game series for the A’s, this time they face the Texas Rangers (23-14) for the first time this season.  It’s never easy facing the Rangers, especially in Arlington, and it doesn’t help that the A’s will also be facing pitching phenom Yu Darvish for the first time.  The Rangers are 5-5 in their last 10, they’re 10-8 at home this season and lead the entire league in runs scored.

Wednesday 5:05 PM PST:  (LHP) Tom Milone (5-2) Vs. (RHP) Yu Darvish (5-1)

• Tom Milone collected his 5th win of the season in his last start against the Detroit Tigers.  He only allowed 1 run in 7 innings on 5 hits, struck out 6 and walked 1.  Unfortunately he has had very poor numbers on the road this season, he has a 2-2 record with a 7.84 ERA, a 6.06 FIP and a 1.75 SO/BB ratio.
• Yu Darvish had his shortest outing of the season in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but still was credited with the win.  He lasted 5.1 innings, allowed 3 hits, 3 runs, walked 3 and struck out 7.  On the season Darvish has a 4.9 BB/9  and  10.4 SO/9 (YIKES) rate.

Angels:  4  Athletics:  0

It was a role reversal today in Anaheim, the A’s only managed to collect 5 hits over 9 innings while striking out 11 times.  Ervin Santana continued to dominate the A’s, like he usually does, striking out 9 and only allowing 4 hits over 7.2 innings.

Lines of the Day:

• Cliff Pennington:  3 AB, 1 H, 1 BB.  This was tough, because no one was really that impressive in today’s game, Cliff Pennington wins for having a double and taking a walk.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• A’s Offense:  32 AB, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 11 SO.   The A’s were also 0-9 with runners in scoring position today, it was pretty ugly.

A’s Extras:

• Bartolo Colon wasn’t great today, but he was a lot better than his previous start.  He allowed 4 earned runs on 12 hits over 6.2 innings while striking out 3.
• Jemile Weeks stole his 10th base of the season, he also went 1-4 today.

Athletics:  5  Angels:  0

The A’s got on the board early with a solo home run from Josh Reddick (his 9th of the season) in the first inning and although they scored 4 more times, that was the only run they needed to win the game.

Lines of the Day:

• Tyson Ross:  6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO.  This is exactly the kind of outing Ross and the A’s needed, he threw 94 pitches, 60 for strikes and 10 of his 18 outs were ground balls.
• Seth Smith: 5 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 2 RBI.  Seth Smith and Kurt Suzuki were the only 2 players to have a multi-hit night. Both of Smith’s hits were doubles one which included 2 RBI.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• Jemile Weeks:  4 AB, 0 H.  Weeks was the only player in the starting lineup to not reach base tonight.  I was hoping he would never fall below the Mendoza Line again, but he is now batting .198 on the season.

A’s Extras:

• Brandon Inge and Kila Ka’aihue both sat out of the lineup again due to their injuries, both are not considered to be serious and Ka’aihue could be back in the lineup as early as tomorrow.
• The A’s now lead the majors with 5 shut outs, the Angels also lead the majors being shut out 8 times.
• Josh Donaldson went 1-3 today, he had a double, scored a run and hit a sac fly.
• Ryan Cook threw another clean inning tonight in the 9th, he allowed 1 hit and struck out 1.

(Photo: Kwong Yee Cheng/Flickr)

The A’s are headed to Anaheim…err Los Angeles for a short 2-game series to face their division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (15-20). The Angels have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, their offense and pitching have been pretty inconsistent this season so far, but should be due for a break out any day now.

Monday 7:05 PM PST:  (RHP) Tyson Ross (1-3) Vs (RHP) Dan Haren (1-3)

• Tyson Ross was pretty mediocre in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays, but it also happened to be one of his better starts of the season.  Ross lasted 5.2 innings, allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, walked 3 and struck out 3.
• In his last start, Dan Haren had his shortest outing of the season against the Minnesota Twins.  He allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 1 in 3.2 innings.  Haren believes his troubles in his last start were due to back spasms and is now feeling better.

Tuesday 4:05 PM PST: (RHP) Bartolo Colon (3-3) Vs Ervin Santana (1-6)

• In his last start, Bartolo Colon only lasted 2.1 innings against the Detroit Tigers.  Colon allowed 8 runs (7 earned) on 9 hits, the good news is he did not walk a batter, but he also did not strike one out either.
• Ervin Santana recorded his first win of the season in his last start against the Minnesota Twins, but his record really does not reflect how he has pitched this season since the Angels have been shut out 5 times in his 7 starts for them.  Over 7.1 innings he allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, walked 3 and struck out 1.

Keys to Success:

I think the obvious key to winning right now is getting the team back to being healthy.  With Yoenis Cespedes on the DL and 4 players sitting out with [insert body part] pain the A’s absolutely cannot win games.

Tigers:  3  Athletics:  1

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t feeling good about this game when I saw the lineup and the tweet from Susan Slusser that said “Melvin’s bench today is … No one”.

She was not kidding.  Kila Ka’aihue was out of the line up again because of his hamstring injury, Kurt Suzuki was out of lineup today because of a hand injury, Brandon Inge was out of the lineup because of groin soreness and Jemile Weeks was out of the line up because of the ankle injury he suffered from yesterday.

I can’t even be mad about today’s loss, Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers in baseball and the A’s lineup was pretty… subpar.

The A’s combined for 2 hits in 28 at bats, walked twice and struck out 11 times.

Lines of the Day:

• Seth Smith: 2 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR.  Seth Smith hit his 3rd home run of the season off of pitcher Justin Verlander, he single handily prevented the A’s from being shut out today, so for that he is the player of the day.  Honorable mention to Josh Reddick for being the only other player to get a hit today, which was also the first hit for the A’s.
• Jordan Norberto:  1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 SO.  Norberto was the only A’s pitcher today to not allow a base runner.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• A’s offense:  28 AB, 2 H, 1 R.  Two hits says it all.

A’s Extras:

• Jarrod Parker wasn’t terrible today, but he wasn’t great either.  He continues to struggle with his control having walked 4 and it took him 112 pitches (61 for strikes) to get through 5.2 innings.  Parker was charged with 2 earned runs today, but to be fair to him he left the game having only allowed 1 as Grant Balfour walked in the 2nd run when he came in to relieve him in the 6th.
• Overall, I am happy with how this team finished the home stand, splitting a 2-game series with the Blue Jays and a 4-game series with the Tigers. Frankly, I am tired of hearing about how “terrible” this team is and how they are going to start losing “any day now” especially from other A’s fans.  Just be happy that the A’s are finding ways to win and enjoy this run while it lasts.

For more on the Detroit Tigers please visit Motown Lowdown.

Athletics:  3  Tigers:  1

There was no offensive explosion in Oakland today, but the A’s didn’t need 11 runs to win (not that they did yesterday either) because Brandon McCarthy was on tonight.  The team has now at least guaranteed they split the 4-game series and will finish this home stand at least 1 game over .500.

Lines of the Day:

• Brandon McCarthy:  7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 SO. Apparently Brandon McCarthy was not kidding when he said he was feeling better because he had his best game of the season tonight.  After going 0-3 in his first 5 starts of the season he has now won 3 straight in his last 3 starts and has only allowed 3 earned runs in his last 20.2 innings pitched.
• Jemile Weeks:  2 AB, 2 H, 1 R.  There was really no offensive stand outs today, but Weeks was the only player to have a multi-hit day.  Weeks did have to be pulled from the game after he rolled his ankle running out of the batters box and right now not a lot is known about his injury.

I am skipping the “Ugly Lines of the Day” because the only thing ugly going on in Oakland right now is the injury bug.

• Yoenis Cespedes has been placed on the DL retroactive May, 7th.  Cespedes was expected to be back in the lineup today, but during batting practice he was still experiencing pain in his hand.  Josh Donaldson has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replace him.
• Before tonight’s game Bob Melvin announced that Kurt Suzuki was dropped to the 9th spot because he also is dealing with a sore left hand and he would like for Kurt to see as little at bats as possible.  (Suzuki was eventually moved up because of the late scratch of Cespedes and Ka’aihue)
• Kila Ka’aihue was a last minute scratch from the lineup because of a hamstring injury that apparently happened last night while he was running the bases.  As of right now the injury is not thought to be serious.
• Although he was pulled from the game with an ankle injury in the 4th, Jemile Weeks tells Susan Slusser he believes he will be able to play tomorrow.  I personally don’t see this happening, nor would I really want it to, but at least it sounds like this is an injury that won’t land him on the DL.

A’s Extras:

• Ryan Cook pitched another clean inning tonight for Oakland, he allowed 1 walk and struck out 1.
• Brian Fuentes collected his 2nd save of the season tonight.  It wasn’t a clean save for him as he allowed a double, a wild pitch and a run, but after the game Bob Melvin announced him as the new closer.
• Brandon Inge did not hit a home run today nor did he have 4 RBI, but he did go 0-3 with a walk.

For more on the Detroit Tigers please visit Motown Lowdown.

Athletics:  11  Tigers:  4

It was an offensive explosion for the A’s tonight, who scored a season high 11 runs on a season high 13 hits.  Almost everyone in the lineup contributed to the win, but Josh Reddick and Brandon Inge were responsible for 9 of the 11 runs scored.

Lines of the Day:

• Tom Milone:  7 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 Earned), 1 BB, 6 SO.  Milone had a nice bounce back after his 2 previous poor starts.  He started off the game by allowing a double to Austin Jackson who eventually scored on a double-play ball, but found his groove and eventually would retire the last 11 batters he faced.
• Josh Reddick: 4 AB, 4 H, 4 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 2 HR.  When you’re hot, you’re hot and Reddick is right now.  He had a career high 5 RBI, it was the first time he hit 2 home runs in 1 game and he now has a career high 8 home runs.
• Brandon Inge:  5 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 4 RBI.  Brandon Inge now has 4 home runs and 16 RBI in his last 5 games.  Oh and there’s this too:

• Seth Smith:  4 AB, 3 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB.  Lost in all the home runs and 4 RBI games is Seth Smith who has been quietly having a productive year for the A’s.  After tonight’s game he now has a .402 OBP in 30 games and hitting .385 in his last 10.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• Andrew Carignan: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB.  Carignan was called up today to replace Jim Miller who threw 3 innings in lasts game, his ugly line didn’t hurt the A’s today, but he proved exactly why he was pitching mop-up duty.
• Daric Barton:  5 AB, 0 H, 2 SO.  Barton was the only player in the lineup who did not reach base tonight.  His first base counter part, Kila Ka’aihue, went 2-5 with 2 runs and 1 RBI and both hits were doubles.

A’s Extras:

• Along with the Andrew Carignan call up, Collin Cowgill was also called up while Michael Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.  Cowgill played center tonight for the A’s and went 1-5.
• According to Jane Lee, every thing went well today for Yoenis Cespedes during batting practice and if everything goes well tomorrow he should be back in the lineup tomorrow night.

For more on the Detroit Tigers please visit Motown Lowdown.

More stem cells please (Photo: Keith Allison/Flickr)

Tigers:  10  Athletics:  6

Bartolo Colon lasted only 2.1 innings tonight, he allowed 8 runs (7 earned) on 9 hits.

The A’s scored 6 runs on 2 home runs, Kila Ka’aihue hit his first home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the 2nd and Brandon Inge hit his 2nd grand slam in 3 games in the 8th.

Not much else to say except it was an ugly loss.

There is a piece of good news coming out of Oakland, Brandon McCarthy had a successful bullpen session today and should be ready to start on Saturday.

Starting tonight the A’s will begin a 4-game series with the Detroit Tigers (15-15) who are 5-5 in their last 10 games and whose lineup is bolstered with the power of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.

Thursday 7:05 PM PST (RHP) Max Scherzer (1-3) Vs (RHP) Bartolo Colon (3-2)

• In his last outing against the White Sox, Max Scherzer pitched his best game of the season having only allowed 1 earned run on 4 hits over 7 innings, he also stuck out 9 and walked none.
• Bartolo Colon only lasted 5 innings in his last start against the Rays, he allowed 8 hits, 3 earned runs, struck out 2 and walked 2.

Friday 7:05 PM PST (RHP) Rick Porcello (3-2) Vs (LHP) Tom Milone (4-2)

• In his last start Rick Porcello pitched pretty well , he lasted 6.1 innings, allowed 4 hits and only 1 earned run, while striking out 5 and walking 2.  After having 2 poor starts against the Rangers and Mariners, he has came back and won his last 2 outings.
• Although he struggled in his last start against the Rays, Tom Milone was credited with the win.  He allowed 5 earned runs, 5 hits, walked 4 and struck out 1 over 5 innings.

Saturday 5:05 PM PST (RHP) Doug Fister (0-0) Vs TBA

• After being sidelined most of the season with a rib-cage strain, Doug Fister made his first start back against the Mariners.  He pitched 7 shut out innings, only allowed 4 hits, walked no one and struck out 3.  In 10.2 innings this season Fister has yet to allow a run.  In his 10 starts against Oakland, Fister has a 5-3 record with a 2.55 ERA and a 2.77 SO/BB ratio.
• If all goes well with Brandon McCarthy today we should see him pitch on Saturday, if things don’t go well we should expect to see Graham Godfrey again or perhaps Brad Peacock will be making his Oakland debut.

Sunday 1:05 PM PST (RHP) Justin Verlander (3-1) Vs (RHP) Jarrod Parker (1-0)

• Justin Verlander’s last start was against the Seattle Mariners, over 6 innings he allowed 3 earned runs, walked 2 and struck out 6.  In his 11 starts against the A’s he has a 5-5 record with a 2.68 ERA and 8.4 SO/9.
• Jarrod Parker had some control issues in his last start against the Blue Jays, he only allowed 2 earned runs over 7 innings, but walked 5 and only struck out 3.

Keys to Success: 

In their series against the Blue Jays the A’s got on base, but struggled to drive in runners who were in scoring position.  They really need to capitalize in situations when runners are in scoring position, especially facing pitchers like Doug Fister and Justin Verlander.

It’s important for Tom Milone to have a bounce back start, not only in order for the team to win, but for himself.  Hopefully being in the confines of the O.co will turn him back into the pitcher we had seen earlier in the season.

The game to watch in this series will be game 4!   It will be very interesting to see how rookie Jarrod Parker will fair against the reigning AL Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander.

For more on the Detroit Tigers please visit Motown Lowdown. 

(Photo: ucumari/flickr)

Jays:  5  Athletics:  2

What is there to say?  The A’s left 20 on base today and when you leave that many players on base, there’s probably a decent chance you are going to lose the game.

This game was pretty frustrating from start to end. Tyson Ross wasn’t as bad as his last 2 games, but he wasn’t great either.  He pitched 5.2 innings, allowed 5 hits, 3 earned runs, walked 3 and struck out 3.    He threw 88 pitches, 55 were for strikes, but was pulled from the game after he allowed a run in the 6th.   Normally, you would expect your starting pitchers to go a bit deeper in the game, but at least it wasn’t the Tyson Ross who allowed 16 earned runs in his last 2 starts.

The A’s struck out 14 times today, each player collected a strikeout and Daric Barton lead the pack by striking out 3 times alone.

There were a couple of bright spots in this game, Jemile Weeks had another multi-hit game, he went 2-5 and stole his 6th base of the season.   Jonny Gomes and Josh Reddick continue to be the A’s offense, each going 1-4 and each collecting a RBI.

A’s Extras:

• Yoenis Cespedes did not play today, but after the game it was announced that he has a sprain on the back of his hand and is listed as day-to-day.  He will take swings tomorrow and if he is feeling better he will be in the lineup tomorrow night.
• Brandon McCarthy played catch today and had no problems.  He will throw a bullpen session tomorrow and is still expected to pitch on Saturday if that goes well.