Mark Ellis led off the game getting behind in the count 0-2. He turned it into a 10 pitch at-bat. He flew out to shallow center, but that's a damn good at-bat to start a game. Especially against a quailty starter like Mike Mussina.
New York media has found out about Miggi.
Terrence Long's play in center is coming into question. With runners on 1st and 2nd a base hit by Bernie Williams (why was Long playing so deep?) had both runners moving. Alfonso Soriano was on second. He has 31 stolen bases. Why the hell would you try to loop a throw to the plate? Throw behind the lead runner. Let the run score and keep the double play in order with Giambi coming up. Maybe even catch Jeter wandering too far past second. Instead, the ball hit Soriano as he crossed the plate and Jeter went to 3rd and Williams went to second. Terrence doesn't throw well to the plate, anyway so it was a bad decision all around.
In the bottom of the 1st, with runners on second and third, Jason Giambi was down 1-2. Mulder buzzed a fastball over the outside corner for a called strike three. Except, the homeplate umpire, Jim Wolfe, decided that he didn't like it. Tough break #1. It was called a ball and Giambi promptly singled in two runs. A's are down 3-0. The ball appeared to hit the back part of the infiled dirt where it meets the start of the outfield grass. It bounced off the lip and went over/at Eliis' head. Tough break #2.
Top of the 2nd, one out and David Justice took a breaking ball outside and went the other way for a double. Anyone else might of had a triple. But, still, GO THE OTHER WAY!
Jermiane just went to the right side for an RBI single. He WENT THE OTHER WAY!
WOW. T Long just unloaded on a ball to the upper deck in right. He drove the previous pitch a long way foul. He waited a tick longer and put it about ten rows deep in the upper deck. Similar to the ball Bonds hit. It's now 3-3. That breaks an 0 for 11 for long. They were pounding him inside and Mussina just floated one. It's nice to see Long turn on a pitch with aggression rather than style. T Long has a tendency to try and look good when he swings and misses. Aggro, baby, aggro. If you're going to turn and burn, turn on it.
Ramon Hernandez worked a walk and Ellis blooped a single to center. Mussina is not on the ropes, yet. He's backing up pretty furiously, though.
Ray Durham went the other way with a lined single to left. Bases juiced with two out. Miggi-Jack?
Nope, first pitch swinging soft fly to left. 3-3 in the middle of the 2nd.
The Moose has plopped 54 pitched through two innings. That's a lot.
In other games; Frank Catalanatto has a double and a triple in the third as Texas faces off against the Indians in Cleveland. Half way to the cycle.
Giambi singled in a run after Bernie Williams hit an RBi single. Two out hitting. 5-3 after 2 innings completed.
Chavez leads off the 3rd with a double to wall in right. Well, it's asingle because Mondesi is out there. Which, is just as well, since the A's are palgued by what Bill King referred lead-off extra base hits disease. The A's haven't got a runner in off a lead-off double or triple with any sort of regularity.
Runners on first and second with one out and T Long swings at the first pitch. Double play ball. Long's bat just became a pile of kindling, too.
The A's just went 1-2-3 in the 4th. Chris Widger led of the bottom of the 4th with a double. 1-4 hitters now due for the Yankees.
Dave Justice threw the ball away, then Eric Chavez threw it even further. On a single to left Justice took too long to get to the ball and tried to throw home, anyway. Chavy cut the ball and tried to get Jeter at second. The ball went into right and Jeter ended up on third. Bad baseball.
Seattle is down, it's 5-1 in Chicago after the second. That's about the only good news right now.
Strike 'em out-throw 'em out DP. A's erase Durham's lead-off single with a Miggi K. Chavy strikes out looking. End of five; yankess 6, A's 3.
Runners on first and second, nobody out. T-Long up. Just go the other way!... He swings at the first pitch. and the second. He grounds into the 1-6-3 DP. Jeez. just put a runner on and watch Long hit into a DP. Hatteberg follows with a single up the middle, 6-4.
Mulder is getting Hammered.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, another Ranger is threatening the cycle. Travis Hafner, has a single, double and HR (his 1st major league homer). Just a triple short of the cycle. Travis Hafner is a another 1st baseman/DH that the Rangers have in their back pocket.
Well, the A's lost. Despite outhitting the Yankees 14-12. Taking two of three might be nice, but the A's needed a win. Boston won, Anaheim won and Seattle has two on in the ninth with two outs down 6-4 against the White Sox. Village Idiot Sierra just doubled, now it's 6-5. Seattle lost.
So, they A's miss a chance to pick pick up a game on Seattle but lose ground on eveyone else.
The A's head to JFK then back to Oakland for a night game tomorrow against Toronto.
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