It looks like Mark Kotsay will start in center tonight and resume his usual place in the leadoff spot. Keep an eye out for any extraneous grimacing or movement in regard to his right shoulder. Skootch is on the bench and Mark McLemore will be playing 2nd base and batting in the two hole (we don't know why - the numbers just don't match up).

There might be some extra curricular activity tonight with Dewon Brazleton starting. Brazleton hit Erubiel Durazo with a pitch Sunday that started some odd reaction from the pitcher and Tampa Bay. Will there be any pitches above the neck tonight? Probably not.

Justin Duchscherer nailed Toby Hall last night in the top of the 5th. Hall is a catcher. There were two outs. Duchscherer had smacked down the Devil Rays after Mark Redman did his best Mark Redman impression at the Coliseum. It was a safe time to hit a batter with the 9th place hitter coming up after Hall...though, Geoff Blum didn't act like a No. 9 hitter last night (3 for 5, 3 RBI, two runs a 3 Run HR and a double).

You don't think Duchscherer was hitting Hall intentionally?

The A's exploded for four more runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Maybe it was just poetic justice, then.