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Don't Scuff My White on Whites...An A's Dynasty


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Bullpen Blows it Again

Blanton Solid in First Start of Season

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Kotsay homers to put the A's up 3-2, but Baez gets the last laugh.

It was Joe Blanton's first start of the season, and he pitched pretty good. He scattered 11 hits, allowing four runs over six innings, and striking out four. However, when the bullpen took over, that was when the wheels started to fall off.

Tampa Bay took the lead when Devil Ray DH Josh Phelps doubled in 1B Aubrey Huff to take a 1-0 lead. Oakland answered when SS Bobby Crosby drove a triple over CF Rocco Baldelli's head to tie the game at 1-1. Then, to make the score uneven again, Tampa Bay 2B Jorge Cantu hit a sac fly to center to drive in the second run of the game.

In the top of the third, with a man on second, OF Mark Kotsay hit a bomb to left center, to give the A's the lead at 3-2. Oakland added two more in the 6th as 1B Scott Hatteberg and C Adam Melhuse drove in runs to put the A's up 5-2. However, that was all the A's would score this game.

After Blanton gave up a homerun with a man on first, the score was 5-4 with Oakland on top, that is when the bullpen was called into the game. Yabu made easy work of the D' Rays in the 7th, but setup man Kiko Calero gave up a three run bomb to BJ Upton to lose the game for the A's, as Danny Baez made easy work of the A's in the 9th.

The A's look to rebound after losing 2 in a row at the hands of mediocre teams.

Game Notes:

Kotsay 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

Blanton 6 IP, 4 ER, 4 K

Gathright 2-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI

Boxscore:




	 R  H  E


OAK  5  6  1


BAL  7 12  2




WP: T. Harper (1-0) LP: K. Calero (0-1)

Around the League:

-Shannon Stewart sidelined for 12 days with a strained ribcage.

Game 2: Kirk Saarloos (0-0) vs. Hideo Nomo (0-0)

*****PRESS RELEASE*****

It has been announced that former A's closer Octavio Dotel and setup man Kiko Calero have been moved to the league wide Trading Block after blowing two saves this year. Billy Beane has issued a zero tolerance policy and this kind of performance will not be tolerated.

It is rumored that Beane is actively undergoing trade discussions with Minnesota GM Terry Ryan about reliever Jesse Crain, and Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro about a deal involving reliever David Riske.

These rumors haven't been labeled as facts, but they will be when Billy Beane makes a move to get either one or both of his guys. Usually, it doesn't take long for Beane to find a guy he wants with the brilliant staff he has working under him, but he will find the right guy or guys to sure up his bullpen before it gets out of hand.

i wouldn't want to join oakland if i was a closer, the fear of the sack if i had a few bad games would put me off my pitching.

but if thats the mentaility under Billy Beane then good luck with it.

its not the best confidence booster for your new closers, since they are 2 blown saves away from the trading block lol :D

*****PRESS RELEASE*****

Oakland GM Billy Beane wasted no time today as in a plethora of moves solved the bullpen problem. Here's how it all went down:

To Cincinnati:

Octavio Dotel

Kiko Calero

To Oakland:

Billy Koch

Ben Weber

Koch was immediately placed on Oakland's major league squad, while Weber was sent down to AAA to close up the ballgames there.

In other moves, RP Chad Bradford, who was currently playing for the Sacremento River Cats, was called up to replace Kiko Calero on the major league squad. Along with pitching phenom, Jairo Garcia, who Beane said, "is more than ready to pitch in the big leagues." To make room for Garcia, LRP Juan Cruz, who hasn't been performing up to expectations, was sent down to AAA Sacremento where he could start some ballgames.

This looks like all of the moves Billy Beane will make for now, but no one knows when it comes to this guy.

Bullpen Looked Promising, Rookie Blows It

Koch Beastly In A's Debut

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Above: Swisher saying after the game, "I told you it would happen again", and Keith Ginter's defense can't keep the A's in it.

Oakland starter Kirk Saarloos pitched great today, keeping his team in the game, but not pitching long enough to get a decision, as the Athletics and Tampa Bay Devil Rays went 12 innings to decide this thriller.

Both teams exchanged solo shots as Devil Ray 2B Jorge Cantu went deep, followed by Oakland RF Nick Swisher to knot the game up at one. The D'Rays took the lead when CF Mark Kotsay overran a ball, allowing it to get to the wall and put Tampa Bay on top 3-1.

The A's were able to climb back in late as 3B Eric Chavez hit a two run home run to tie the game in the eighth. When the bullpen took the mound in the bottom of the eighth, no one expected them to shut down the Devil Rays until the the bottom of the twelfth, when RF Aubrey Huff hit a cluch solo shot to tie the game, followed by consecutive hits by CF Rocco Baldelli and DH Alex Sanchez to win the game for the D'Rays.

Oakland has now dropped three in a row, but the bullpen showed promise, which is the more important thing.

Game Notes:

Chavez 3-5, R, HR, 2 RBI

Shwisher 3-4, 2 R, HR

Huff 4-6, HR, 2 R

Saarloos 7 IP, 3 ER, 4 K

Nomo 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 K

Oakland Bullpen 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 K

Boxscore:




	 R  H  E


OAK  4 10  0


BAL  5 14  0




WP: J. Colome (1-0) LP: J. Garcia (0-1)

Around the League:

-Eric Byrnes is sidelined 3 days with a dislocated finger(<---What a baby! :lol: )

Game 3: Barry Zito (0-0) vs. Dewon Brazelton (0-1)

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