Game Day Diary – Orioles @ Athletics, 9/14/12

Pregame: Friday night and complete exhaustion equals a game day diary in an effort to stay up through the conclusion of tonight’s big game against the O’s.  I doubt anyone reading this is living in a cave, so you know that these are the biggest surprise success stories in MLB this season.  The O’s come in a half game behind the A’s record wise and to state the obvious, this is another huge series for this franchise.  Tonight’s matchup pits Tommy Milone against Joe Saunders.  To be honest, I have way too much confidence in the A’s winning tonight. 

Again, we’ll be keeping an eye on the out of town scoreboard.  At around 9:45, the Angels and Rangers both have 1 run leads about half way through each game.  In the AL East, the Yankees are down 5-2 against the Rays and I don’t have any feeling one way or the other on who to root for in that series.  Ultimately, I would prefer to play Baltimore in the play in game vs. either NY or TB.  There’s way too much baseball left to start thinking about this. 

Finally, two quick updates on the A’s injuries mentioned last weekend.  The A’s twitter feed announced that Brandon Inge had successful surgery on his right shoulder and there isn’t a timetable for his return, which is obviously not this season.  Second, from Mrs. McCarthy, the McCarthy’s are at the stadium tonight!  A little extra inspiration never hurt anyone, right? 

10:01pm US EST – We’re live for Glen Kuiper’s opening montage!  Kuiper and Hatteberg sitting with the crowd for tonight’s game.  Fosse is still in the radio booth and will be there until Tuesday?  Come on!  We want Fosse!  Nothing against Hatteberg, he’s been good, it is just … just … Fosse!  Who doesn’t want this …

10:09 – The Orioles starting lineup has just as strong of an average as the A’s.  That’s not a compliment and they don’t play in this albatross of a stadium.  What a bizarre year of baseball. 

10:12 – After two quick outs, Adam Jones breaks up Milone’s no hitter with a double to the corner. 

10:15 – Josh Donaldson with a nice play at third to end the inning without any damage.  At the same time, scoreboard alert – The Royals put up a few runs on the Angels and take the lead in the bottom of the 6^th!

10:18 – An early “Bernie Lean” with Coco leading off the game for the A’s!

10:21 – A’s go down pretty quickly and in order and we’re scoreless after one. 

10:27 – Milone gets through the second without any noise at all.  A quick game would be nice here. 

10:31 – Cespedes is back in the lineup but gets called out on strikes.  If the prior pitch wasn’t a strike, I have no idea how that one was.  See: make up call. 

10:32 – Chris Carter is back in the lineup and flies out on the first pitch.  It’s good to see Carter back in the lineup though. 

10:33 – Donaldson breaks up the no hitter with a single.

10:34 – Derek Norris flies out to end the inning though and we’re scoreless through two. 

10:40 – Teams are now openly tagging up from first base against Coco’s arm.  Ugh

10:46 – Hardy hits a ball to Donaldson that ricochets off of him and to Drew.  However, the play at first isn’t in time and the Orioles are able to take the lead, 1-0 on the error. 

10:47 – The inning ends there with another fly ball to Coco.  Scoreboard watching – KC is up 7-5 on the Angels, while Texas still leads Seattle 2-1. 

10:53 – Again, CSN must do more to show the outfield bleachers when Coco is coming up to the plate.  As I finish that complaint, Coco lines out to end the inning.  1-0 O’s through 3 innings. 

10:59 – After a walk, Carter makes a nice over the shoulder catch for the first out. 

11:00 – Donaldson makes a potential low-ranking web gem (does ESPN still do that, I feel like I haven’t watched ESPN in seven years) to start the inning ending double play.  Nice play!

11:06 – After Gomes leads off the inning with a single, Glen sends it to the studio.  Is it just me or does MLB.TV never show this? 

11:07 – After a terrible Reddick at bat, Cespedes hits a HR to left field!!  Yes!!  2-1 Oakland

11:08 – Carter walks on four pitches.  Let’s go Oakland!

11:14 – After Donaldson flies out and Carter doesn’t tag up on it, Norris gets an infield hit so we have 1^st and 3^rd with 2 outs. 

11:17 – Stephen Drew strikes out for the second time tonight, leaving the score 2-1 at the end of the 4^th inning. 

11:20 – Milone gives up the lead quickly, with Davis hitting a leadoff HR to tie the game.  Joy.

11:21 – Machado quickly follows the HR up with a single to RF.  Let’s get someone up in the bullpen. 

11:23 – Thankfully, Milone gets the 6-4-3 double play to clean this inning up a bit. 

11:25 – Milone gets his first strikeout in the game to end the top of the 5^th. 

11:27 – First: Rosales leads off the inning with a double.  Second: The “2” key on my keyboard is misbehaving and I have to pound on it to get it to work.  #Firstworldproblems 

11:30 – Coco gets a single putting runners on 1^st and 3^rd with no one out and the heart of the lineup coming up!  Let’s go Oakland!

11:33 – Gomes comes through with another single, and the A’s retake the lead 3-2!  (Annoying key)

11:35 – Reddick can’t catch a break right now.  He crushes a ball and it’s grabbed by the first baseman.  That had two runs written all over it.  Instead, runner on seconds with two outs and they are intentionally walking Cespedes. 

11:36 – Glen makes a “Cespedes for the restivus” joke and I immediately hate that I didn’t think of that first.  Meanwhile, Carter grounds out to end the inning.  That rally was short lived. 

11:45 – Milone is not doing a good job of producing ‘shut down innings’ after the A’s give him the lead.

11:47 – Donaldson starts another double play and CSN cuts to someone in the crowd banging a bell almost the size of the Liberty Bell.  How and why did he bring that into the stadium?

11:54 – Scoreboard alert: Angels and Rangers both won tonight, making tonight’s game that much more important. 

11:57 – It might be a good time to give Drew a couple days off and put Weeks back at second base.  Drew strikes out for the third time tonight.

12:05 – Melvin comes and pulls the hook on Milone after 6.1 innings of pretty solid pitching.  Nice job Tommy!  Neshek is on his way to the mound. 

12:11 – Another double play turned by the A’s defense and we go to the bottom of the 7^th with the A’s still up 3-2!

12:15 – Pinch hitting with Cliff Pennington isn’t necessarily what I would call a strong game plan.  Rosales is out of tonight’s game and Pennington strikes out.

12:16 – Ask and you shall receive apparently, as CSN shows the right field bleachers as Coco comes to the plate. 

12:26 – Ryan Cook has a nice, quick top of the 8^th with two strikeouts and a real nice bare handed play from Donaldson.  Can you say insurance run?

12:30 – Reddick leads off with a single.  Let’s go Oakland!!

12:34 – Cespedes strikes out and then the catcher hits his arm on Cespedes’ bat and helmet, so Reddick is also out at second base.  Rally … killer.

12:35 – I think Angel Hernandez wants this game to end more than I do.  A very high strike is called on Carter to expedite the inning.

12:36 – Similar comment from directly above, two pitches later.  We’re going to the top of the 9^th with the A’s up one and turning it over to Balfour. 

12:44 – After a quick hit to lead off the inning, Balfour gets Chavez on a strikeout .

12:45 – Reynolds just missed a HR and it sounded like it had a chance on the TV.  2 outs. 

12:46 – Crowd has risen to its feet (good crowd tonight!). 

12:47 – I love when Buck Showalter does dumb things!  The O’s try to steal second base and Norris throws the runner out to end the game!  Yes!!

The player of the game is tonight’s starting pitcher, Tommy Milone!  Let’s go Oakland!!