19 JULY 2006

Here's a run down on what some of the media outlets had on yesterday's game.

• The SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Blah, Blah, Blah, Milton Bradley is a time bomb...oh, and there was a game.




• The OAKLAND TRIBUNE: Suchon says Swisher has mono (damn the facts - 'I'm Josh Suchon'). Suchon also focuses son Bradley but doesn't seem to have one clear game recap.




• The CONTRA COSTA TIMES: Joe Roderick has an interesting tidbit after focusing on Bradley:

'Center fielder Mark Kotsay, the team leader, said he's been privy to what the fans have yelled at his teammate.'


At least we now have a target to point to besides Macha when the A's play like sunburned kindergartners wearing wool sweaters deprived of naptime.





• The PRESS DEMOCRAT: Crap AP article.




• The MERCURY NEWS: Game recap syndicated with Contra Costa times; this is a piece on Kotsay's day at 1st base.




• The SACRAMENTO BEE: RiverCats - Hawaiian Punch-Out pitches well; Dan Johnson continues to make a mockery of Billy Beane's roster management.





• MLB.com: Urban seems to cover everything, albeit it convoluted and player-centric so you miss some of the actual game play.

SYNOPSIS:


Frank Thomas and Milton Bradley do that thing, you know what I mean, that thing that guys in the 3 spot and 5 spot in the batting order should do...produce. That's it. Produce runs. Zito snaps around, allows only six base runners through 7, and gets jacked up with Mark Kotsay's primer for how to make a bad situation worse. Zito only struck out two, but the Orioles were swinging early and often in the count. Zito has also shown a knack for getting groundballs when he needs to. The A's turned 3 double plays yesterday. The bullpen allows one base runner in two innings. Scott Sauerbeck is used correctly...in a situation with a four run lead against a team that just wants to get inside and jump in the cold whirlpool.


CRITICAL SEQUENCE:


Top of the 1st: Frank Thomas' single with two outs following a much too typical failure at the plate by Eric Chavez. At least he moved the runners up 90 feet. The first four hitters took the first pitch. Thomas leaped at the first pitch and fouled it off.


Top of the 6th: Milton Bradley stroking a double to deep left, then scaring the BLANKING BLANK out of me as his right ankle looked like Silly Putty in a tube sock.


NOTES:


Too much of the fan stuff with Bradley as the A's beat writers haven't been bothering to pay attention to actual play in the field. How about a mention of the three double plays, the low K rate...no, it's Bradley vs the Fans, Kotsay's misplay and Nick Swisher.