A's VS DRESE

Oakland	AB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
Mark Ellis	10	.300	.300	.500	.800	3	2	0	0	0	0	2
Scott Hatteberg	9	.333	.400	.444	.844	3	1	0	0	0	1	1
Eric Chavez	8	.125	.125	.250	.375	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
Erubiel Durazo	7	.429	.429	.429	.857	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bobby Kielty	7	0	.125	0	.125	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
Jermaine Dye	6	0	.143	0	.143	0	0	0	0	1	1	1
Eric Byrnes	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Mark McLemore	3	.333	.500	.333	.833	1	0	0	0	2	1	1
Billy McMillon	3	.333	.333	.333	.667	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mark Kotsay	2	.500	.500	.500	1.000	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Melhuse	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Marco Scutaro	2	.500	.500	.500	1.000	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bobby Crosby	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	65	.215	.261	.277	.538	14	4	0	0	4	4	10

RANGERS VS ZITO

Texas	AB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
Mark Teixeira	16	.313	.500	.313	.813	5	0	0	0	0	5	3
Herbert Perry	20	.350	.435	.500	.935	7	0	0	1	1	3	2
Eric Young	9	.333	.400	.333	.733	3	0	0	0	1	1	0
Michael Young	45	.267	.313	.378	.690	12	2	0	1	4	3	8
Hank Blalock	18	.278	.300	.278	.578	5	0	0	0	2	1	4
Alfonso Soriano	25	.160	.250	.160	.410	4	0	0	0	2	3	8
Kevin Mench	23	.217	.208	.261	.469	5	1	0	0	2	0	1
Rusty Greer	5	.200	.200	.200	.400	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
Gerald Laird	11	.182	.182	.273	.455	2	1	0	0	1	0	3
David Dellucci	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Gary Matthews Jr.	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Laynce Nix	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Totals	187	.235	.296	.289	.585	44	4	0	2	13	16	37

The A's are in trouble if Barry Zito can't pitch into the 7th inning. The bullpen is spent with only Chris Hammond and Octavio Dotel available after Friday Night's debacle.

As far as the offense is concerned, the A's would be wise to get to Drese by working his pitch count and getting into the bullpen early. The A's need two wins and to deplete the Rangers before they pre-board, then board, then de-plane, on a voyage to the Big Apple.

The AL West has an odd string of games for August with Detroit, Kansas City, Baltimore and Tampa Bay lining up for the slaughter. The key differences will be who can string along winning streaks. The A's and Angels have shown they can do this. The Rangers, maybe it's the Texas heat, or the wind, or the fact that it's Texas, have not been this far over the .500 mark this deep into a season in 10 years. It is highly suspect that the Rangers patchwork pitching staff can keep up its mirrors and more mirrors and a whole lot of smoke show.

If the A's can get Tim Hudson back for a decent start in New York on Thursday, the AL West can be won by the first week of September. Barring any Ken Macha thinking sessions, the A's could string together double-digit win streaks and snare 22-25 wins in August. Making September a time for the River Cats to win the AAA Championship and the A's to get their pitching rotation lined up for the post-season.

That's how important the next two games are.

Funny, you don't hear a lot of talk for A's players recently how dropping a game here of there is not so much a big deal. Earlier in the season it was okay to just take two of three from a team. Suddenly, it's not okay. Every game is important and the repercussions are dire.

Who said baseball wasn't intense?