GAME 3 - HARDEN v BATISTA (RECAP)

A BALK IN THE PARK

Goose: It's the bottom of the 9th, the score is tied it's time for the big one. Iceman: You up for this one, Maverick? Maverick: Just a walk in the park Kazansky.

The A's came up big against Miguel Batista who helped by giving up a snowman (8 runs) in 4 innings plus of work. Batista was all over the place, on the mound, with the strike zone, in the dugout. He didn't look all together there in any sense of the word. Or the phrase "all together".



Bobby Crosby was lifted in the 7th and whenever there is a late game substitution you have to start looking for your curiosity hat. The A's are always very indignant about verbalizing their in game moves due to injuries or injuries in general. It used to be that reporters would just hang out in the trainer's room to get their info. I suppose that would require actual leg work and take time away from getting the "one game at a time", "pitch, play defense, hit the ball" quotes.



Milton Bradley is talking a lot with the media and having a good time. If the A's can stay consistent then he'll continue to do that. If they struggle and he struggles, he'll get grumpy. And we all have layers and levels of grumpy and how we react with our blood pressure rising. MB's just happens to have a threshold of grumpy that would kill most men in their 40's. You don't want to see him get angry. He's wearing green and gold. Maybe he will turn into the Incredible Hulk.



Rich Harden was very good. That is good, that he was very good. Not great. Do it for 30 consecutive starts and I will get excited.



THE GOOD STUFF: MB, Crosby and Piazza getting on base, Mark Ellis' clean-up hitter impersonation, and Sean Marshall.