With Friday night’s game fresh in my mind, let me tell you some thoughts about how the Yankees and the A’s matched up in Oakland’s 7-2 win.

First, Tim Hudson dominated the Yankee hitters just as effectively as he did last Saturday in NY. Other than a walk to Nick Johnson, who has a great eye at the plate, followed by a high pitch to Jason Giambi that he hit out in left, the A’s righty was flawless.

Eric Byrnes continues to ignite a lethargic A’s offense. Say what you want about Byrnes’ lack of ability to hit off speed stuff, when he gets his pitch he doesn’t miss it very often. Friday night he tripled to right center, not easy to do in this park, driving in the first run, then scored the second run on a following ground out to tie the game 2-2.

Click read more and I’ll tell you how the A’s won the game and Joe Torre fell asleep at the switch.The Yankees and A’s battled 2-2 into the top of the eighth. Tim Hudson had thrown 96 pitches through seven innings and seemed to have one more inning at best, in him.

The Yankees helped him out in the top of the eighth by making the first two outs on two pitches, assuring that Hudson would finish the inning, thus not getting into the A’s pen with the game on the line.

Poor hitting plan for a smart team.

Now the pivotal part of the game. Mark Ellis fell behind Jeff Weaver leading off the home half of the eighth inning. Facing a two strike pitch, Weaver tried to jam Ellis high in the zone, and the tough second baseman muscled the ball into short center for a leadoff single.

Big hit for the home nine.

With Weaver clearly tiring and his pitch count in the 100’s, Joe Torre had a quiet bull pen.

Scott Hatteberg laid a perfect bunt down moving Ellis to second with one out.

Good fundamental baseball with the right man at the plate to execute this basic manuver.

Now lefthanded hitting Eric Chavez strode confidently to the plate with first base open. Chavez had narrowly missed a home run to right center his last time up against Weaver.

Torre could have walked Chavez and pitched to Tejada. Torre could have walked Chavez and brought in a new righty to pitch to Tejada.

Torre obviously has no confidence in any rigthy in his bull pen because he never got one up.

So, instead of working around Chavez with a tiring starter in the 8th, Torre allowed Weaver to pitch to Chavez.

Boom! Sharp single to center, a no doubter, Ellis scored and the A’s were up 3-2.

Now Tejada and Durazo get on, lefty Chris Hammond still in the pen. No righty up. Ramon Hernandez scorches a hanging slider to right center scoring two more runs now 5-2.

Is Joe Torre watching this?

Hammond now comes in and Bernie Williams makes a half hearted attempt at a show string catch on a dying single hit by Terrence Long. Ball goes to the wall, and Long ends up with an inside the park homer.

A’s now lead 7-2 game over.

If this is Yankee baseball, then the postseason is not going to be pretty for the New Yorkers. The A’s starting staff has the better of the Yankee batting order. Hudson did it again Friday, Zito and Mulder take their turns Saturday and Sunday.

More importantly, the Yankees don’t have the bull pen to match up with Oakland.

Mariano Rivera is fine, but you can’t bring him in without a lead. The A’s starters go deep in the game ( 7+), thus taking the pressure off their pen. Jim Mecir, Ricardo Rincon are called upon to get the ball to Keith Foulke. They can do that for one inning.

Right now the Yankees are undermanned late in the game. The A’s have them on the run.

Sorry, NY fans this is a fact and it became clear tonight. The A’s did more little things to win the game than the Yankees and that is good for Oakland and bad for NY.

Will it be this way in October?

Perhaps. Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, and David Wells, may face the A’s to open any series between the two teams. These three can go eight innings.

But will it be enough if the Yankees can’t hit the big guys for Oakland?

Those three may or may not be a match for Hudson, Mulder, and Zito, only time will tell.

But I will tell you this. Tonight the A’s showed they can beat the Yankees with small ball and top notch starting pitching and the 150 million dollar New Yorkers were lagging behind from the start.

Not bad for a series in May.

Saturday it’s Roger Clemens and Barry Zito, unless the Yankees score four to five runs off Zito it will be more of the same, especially if it comes down to the bull pens in the seventh or eighth inning.

The Yankees lack of any real bull pen depth is devastating to them when trying to hold off quality teams in championship games.

Jose Contreras is being groomed to be the 8th inning guy, for Joe Torre’s peace of mind, the high priced Cuban better make the grade.

Until then, advantage Oakland and the big three.

The A’s are playing better baseball and becoming more confident about beating their tormentors than ever before.

Oakland is a better team right now, believe it or not.