By Chris Rahill
The Oakland Athletics are doing everything they can to avoid elimination in the American League West.
The A’s recently took two of three games from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but still trail the Angels by 10 1/2 games. Oakland has been awful since the break, losing nine of the last 13 games. The writing is on the wall in Oakland and if the A’s cannot win this weekend’s series against the Seattle Mariners, their season is most likely over. Some would argue that Oakland is already making plans for the offseason, as it made some big name trades and is rumored to be interested in dumping a few more salaries before the deadline.
However, amid all the rumors and speculation the biggest problem this season has been Oakland’s inability to stay healthy. The team has been plagued by injuries and could be riding on fumes the rest of the way. Oakland did show a small sign of life this week, taking two straight from the Angels only to drop the series finale. The A’s began the week with a 12-6 win over Anaheim on Monday night. Starter Chad Gaudin had a rough outing, surrendering five runs on six hits through just 3 2/3 innings. However, the A’s bullpen came through in the clutch, holding the Angels to just one run over the final 8 1/3 innings. Joe Kennedy was eventually granted the win after tossing a scoreless seventh and eighth inning. Oakland gave its bullpen plenty of support, hammering 13 hits in the win. DH Mike Piazza led the way, going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI.
Tuesday night’s game brought more of the same for Oakland, as it outlasted the Angels 4-3. Southpaw Lenny DiNardo was solid in the start, holding the Angels to just one run on three hits through 6 2/3 innings. The A’s bullpen ran into some troubles in the seventh, but came out on top as reliever Alan Embree recorded his 11th save of the season. The A’s put together another big performance at the plate, tallying 11 hits in the win as Travis Buck went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.
The A’s could not complete the sweep on Wednesday afternoon, losing to the Angels 7-6. The A’s mounted a comeback in the ninth, but were unable to recover from the poor showing of starter Joe Blanton. The right-hander was knocked around in the loss, allowing five runs on 11 hits through six innings.
Following the game Blanton discussed the teams attitude heading into this weekend’s very important series with the Seattle Mariners.
“We just need to go out and keep having fun,” said Blanton. “Have fun with [the Seattle series]. When you have fun, you play a lot more loose, more relaxed.”
KIELTY LATEST TO BE RUMORED IN TRADE
Outfielder Bobby Kielty may have played his last game in Oakland. On Monday afternoon Kielty was designated for a minor league assignment in order to clear a roster spot for closer Huston Street. Kielty’s designation will most likely result in a trade before the July 31st deadline.
Kielty has sparked the interest of a few AL contenders hoping to add another veteran before the postseason. The outfielder, who is batting just .200 on the season, has missed most of the year with injuries. He has played in just 13 games thus far, but seems to be back at full strength.
The trade rumors surrounding Kielty are just another sign of the A’s focus on the offseason. The team’s recent trades of outfielder Milton Bradley and catcher Jason Kendall were made in an attempt to unload some salary before both players reached free agency at the end of the season. Kielty is another player who will become a free agent at the end of the year. At this point the A’s seem more than willing to unload a portion of Kielty’s $2.1 million salary. By dealing the outfielder now, Oakland can save some money and perhaps add another player with value.
Kielty understands the business side of baseball and is excited about a possibility of being sent to a contender.
“Honestly, I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “I had a good time in Oakland. Going to the playoffs and everything was a lot of fun, and the guys in the clubhouse are great. But I’ve been here 3 1/2 years, I’m going to be a free agent next year, and they’re going in a different direction. It’s time that I move on and they move on. That’s just the way the game works.
PIAZZA RETURNS TO LINEUP
DH Mike Piazza returned to the A’s lineup on Monday after missing most of the season with a sprained right shoulder. Piazza suffered the injury on May 2nd and was only expected to miss five-to-six weeks. However, five weeks turned into three months and Piazza is finally able to give the A’s the bat they have been lacking in their lineup.
The future Hall of Famer signed with Oakland as a DH to fill the spot of the departed Frank Thomas. Piazza did just that before his injury, batting .282 with eight RBI in just 26 games. However, since his injury things have changed in the Oakland locker room. For starters the A’s asked Piazza to work some catching drills into his rehabilitation in hopes of using the veteran as a backup to then catcher Jason Kendall. Piazza tried to get back into catching shape during his time on the DL, but was unable to build the necessary arm strength. Even though Piazza told the A’s he would be unable to catch, the club decided to part ways with Kendall and are now playing rookie Kurt Suzuki.
Although he is expected to be used mainly as a DH, Piazza may also be asked to play some outfield to help fill the hole left by the departure of Kendall. There has been some speculation about a possible trade for Piazza, but at this time his $8.6 million dollar contract and health issues make him a high risk player for any team. Piazza is aware of the A’s position right now and knows that he could be traded at any time. However, the veteran is not bothered by the rumors surrounding his future.
“You know what? I’ve been through so many seasons and heard so many things,” said Piazza. “I look at it as, until something actually transpires, it’s not really advantageous to even think about it.”
Since his return Piazza has gone 8-for-21 with two home runs and seven RBI in just five games.
INJURY NEWS
Shortstop Bobby Crosby was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday after X-rays revealed numerous fractures in his left hand. Crosby injured the hand when he was hit by a pitch during Tuesday night’s win over the Angels. This injury is the latest in a series of health problems that have plagued the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year. Crosby has missed considerable time over the past two seasons and will be making his first trip to the DL in 2007.
Crosby is expected to miss at least four-to-six weeks with the injury, but should be able to return before the end of the season. Manager Bob Geren played down Crosby’s injury problems, blaming the latest setback on bad luck.
“What can you do?” Geren said Wednesday. “He got hit with a 90-mph fastball on the back of the hand. It’s just an unfortunate part of the game. … Bobby’s not injury prone. He’s just had some really bad luck. I feel terrible for the guy. He’s a great kid.”
WHO’S HOT
Despite the A’s struggles, leadoff man Shannon Stewart continues to put up big numbers. He has gone 12-for-37 at the plate over his last 10 games, including three straight multi-hit performances against the Angels. The outfielder has remained consistent all season, posting a .308 batting average with seven home runs and 30 RBI.
WHO’S NOT
Joe Blanton has been awful during the month of July, going 1-3 in five starts. He has allowed 10 or more hits in each of his last four starts and has just nine strikeouts in the last 25 2/3 innings. On the season Blanton posts a respectable 8-7 record with a 3.69 ERA.
ON DECK
The A’s will travel to Seattle this weekend for a four-game set against the Mariners. Dan Haren (11-3, 2.41) will take on Jeff Weaver (2-8, 6.19) in Thursday night’s opener. Friday night’s contest will be a showdown between Dallas Braden (1-5, 5.15) and Felix Hernandez (6-6, 4.02). Game three will take place on Saturday afternoon and feature Gaudin (8-5, 3.66) and Horacio Ramirez (5-3, 6.75). Sunday’s finale will be headlined by Dinardo (5-6, 2.41) and Jarrod Washburn (8-7, 4.05)
