A’s Get 10 Spot, AL West

Barry Zito waited and waded through a two and a half hour rain delay to get his 18th win and the A’s 10th in a row. Zito, a creature of habit, was not in tune until a bases loaded jam in the 1st. Zito quickly set the tone for the evening by striking out Carlos Pena looking with Lord Charles.

Ray Durham collected four hits and Miguel Tejada added two hits and three RBI. John Mabry added the interjection for the game with a two run homer in the 4th and a three run Jimmy Jack in the 7th. The Tigers home stadium, Comerica Park, is huge. Mabry’s blasts were launched well into the soggy night.

Ramon Hernandez has started all the games on the current winning streak and got a whole inning off last night when Greg Myers pinch hit in the ninth and donned the gear for the bottom of the 9th. It’s worth mentioning because the A’s lost the shut out in the ninth.

Greg Myers: slacker.

Crash hadn’t caught an inning in so long he might have actually lost a few bruises, regained feeling in his calves and been able to run as fast as a DH.

The life of a catcher is that of a sea wall. Constant pounding with dead gripping calms that allow for moments of embrace before the coming storm.

Crash is in a different league than most catchers. The fact that he is still playing at age 36 is a testament to his work ethic and personality. It’s a great advantage for Ramon to have Myers to lean on for support and never to expect an ounce of pity. Anything Ramon offers as an excuse would be met with sobering reality of what lies ahead.

Ramon might be struggling at the plate but he is excelling behind the dish.

A’s starting pitchers have got the win in the last eleven wins and won ten in a row. The last starting rotation to do that was in 1974 by a couple of Baltimore Orioles; Ross Grimsley, Mike Cueller, Dave McNally and some guy named Jim Palmer in the era of four man rotations.