With some breathing room between themselves and their pursuers for a playoff spot, the A’s invested some innings and the game last night, to see if Ted Lilly could help them in the post season.

The Angels won the game 5-2 and Lilly looked like a pitcher who has a sore shoulder.

Now, the A’s will have to make a decision on whether or not Lilly gets another start this Sunday against Seattle. Lefthanders are important to the A’s staff, if things go well the rest of the week for Oakland, Lilly might get one more chance to show Art Howe that he can help him, either out of the bull pen or as a spot starter in October.

Cory Lidle matches up with Angel’s rookie John Lackey on Wednesday night.

As we reasoned yesterday, Kevin Brown is a shadow of his former Cy Young self and the Giants put him away early Tuesday night.

Today is another story, click below. [Read more →]

The Thunder Rolls – 09/10/02 by

Peter Elman

I’m away from home—far away—Sedona, Arizona, to be exact, and outside my

sister-in-law’s window is the most incredible sight—two gigantic red-rocked

mountains illuminated by bolts of lightning, and every few seconds,

thunder, not just your common summer storm variety, but the loudest,

scariest most primal sounding explosions found in nature are letting us

know once again who’s really in charge.

A few folks may be wondering why this normally effusive scribe has had

nothing to say during the Athletics’ remarkable run. Well, I have had lots

to say, but being the superstitious baseball junkie that I am, couldn’t put

it out there for the public. You see, my last column, dated August 12, was

the last game the A’s lost before the streak. They won, and won, and kept

winning, and there was no way that I would jinx them with my sophomoric

rants. So I waited until now, when the record is behind them and they can

hopefully get back to playing great baseball without the intense pressure

they have been subjected to lately.

[Read more →]

I look at the series between the A’s and the Angels and the Giants and the Dodgers as a playoff type match up. Meaning the whole pitching staff comes into play as well as the bench.

The A’s have seven more with Anaheim and the Giants have six with LA.

Today, Ted Lilly makes his bid for a meaningful role in the postseason for Oakland, while Kevin Brown replaces Andy Ashby for LA.

Both the A’s and the Giants played as they had for the past two weeks last night using clutch pitching, timely home runs, and great relief to win their games.

Both the Giants and the A’s should get to the postseason as the teams they are trying to eliminate are struggling at the wrong time, namely LA and Seattle.

Here’s a look at today. [Read more →]

The pennant race is on !

What is better in September than

the Dodgers in San Francisco in

a pennant race to the end ?

What other rivalry in the Bay

Area is more historic,more

important?

The Giants are guided again by

Dusty Baker, one of the very

best managers in all of baseball.

[Read more →]

Anyone who has been following the division races in the West has circled September 9th on the calendar.

The A’s open a four game series with Anaheim, and the Giants entertain the Dodgers for three in Pac Bell.

I have said many times the true story of baseball is getting to the postseason, and watching what happens over the course of 162 games spread over six months, one game per day.

The postseason is special, but the real story unfolds each day through the box scores.

Tim Hudson versus Kevin Appier and Odalis Perez against Livan Hernandez.

Let’s see what it looks like. [Read more →]

The A’s started a new winning streak behind lefthander Mark Mulder, the Angels continued their streak (9 in a row), and Seattle hit the ball hard in Kansas City.

The Giants proved that September baseball can be exciting with their win over Arizona, Houston got the best of LA, and John Smoltz recorded his 50th save for the Braves.

Sunday baseball in September may be the best of all.

Barry Zito goes for number 20, the Rocket tries to inch closer to 300, and Anaheim throws Jarrod Washburn against the Orioles and Pat Hentgen.

Let’s look at the games. [Read more →]

The season begins way back in February in Spring Training. February seems a distant memory when going into the stretch run in September.

The baseball season is a marathon and only the strong survive. The teams with the best pitching, hitting, and defense come to the head of the pack in September.

Watch the teams that have something left in the tank as September unfolds. If your team is running on fumes with 20 to go, there is trouble ahead.

Teams in trouble are Seattle, Houston, and Boston.

Teams cooking are Oakland, New York, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Arizona

The Giants are alive, but not hitting very much and St.Louis has injury after injury stalling their progress. The Braves and Twins are in with no worries right now.

The A’s streak is over, what does it mean today? [Read more →]

by Cathy Hedgecock

Wild Streaking Ride

Well, I never … Oh my God … Absolutely it was … the most bizarre and wonderful game imaginable.

I feel privileged to have attended Wednesday’s record-breaking game between the A’s and the Kansas City Royals. Both sides played superbly and horribly. No one gave up, not the A’s in claiming their 20th straight win, nor the Royals, who came so close in their role as spoilers. Nothing was normal or predictable, as befits a never-before situation. And yet, it all fit the A’s perfectly. [Read more →]

Miguel Tejada should remain with the Oakland A’s when his contract expires after next season.

Oh, I know everyone says the team needs him, but in reality he needs the team.

Miguel has grown up with his coaches (Washington, Quade, and Macha), his manager, and his teammates. They have been his support group. Miguel is still maturing as a person. He is very emotional as a player. The A’s understand him and his needs.

Tejada needs a comfort level to be successful, he has it in Oakland. Miguel is not Jason Giambi. He is a much more needy, complicated young man. He didn’t grow up in Southern California, he doesn’t have the immediate family behind him as Jason did when he made the jump to NY. He doesn’t have the self discipline that Jason has.

The A’s know this very well and have worked with Miguel on many of his issues, that is why he is successful today.

Miguel has a chance to be one of the best shortstops of all time. It will happen if he stays with the friends and family he knows in the A’s organization.

Money should not be the issue for Miguel. If the A’s offer two million less than the Cubs, Dodgers, or Mets, this kid should stay home.

Looking at this from the best interest of Miguel Tejada, he should remain an Oakland Athletic for the next ten years, without a doubt.

I hope someone makes this clear to him and his agent and soon because he is going to be an MVP this year.

Click below and let’s talk about tonight.

[Read more →]

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in

San Francisco for a four game set

against the Giants.

A very important homestand for

the Giants continue,after splitting

series of two with Colorado. They

get Bill Mueller back in a deal with

the Cubs

By Amaury Pi-González. [Read more →]