October 06, 2006
Top of the Ninth
The A's go quietly in the 8th, and now Street is on to get the last three outs in the top of the ninth. The bottom of the order is due up, White, Tyner and Bartlett.
Update: White lines a 1-2 pitch into center for a single to start the inning. White is 3 for 4 today, and is hitting .417 for the series.
Update: Tyner grounds into a double play. The Athletics are one out away from the win.
Update: Bartlett dumps one into right for the single. They need to keep those coming.
Update: Castillo flies out to Payton in left and the Oakland Athletics advance to the next round. Congratulations to the Athletics on a very impressive sweep.
Many people said the Twins were the scariest team in the playoffs, mostly due to their great pitching. That was there in the first two games, but Oakland managed to pitch just a little bit better, and hit a bit better.
Oakland also took advantage of the Twins mistake. The Hunter missed dive and the Morneau error stand out. The opportunities for Minnesota to score were there, but they just couldn't connect for the big hit.
Eric Chavez had a big day, and getting his bat back in order will be big in the next round. Oakland will either head to New York or host the Tigers on Tuesday. It's nice to see a Billy Beane team finally win a playoff series.
Congratulations to Brad Radke as well, who pitched a gutsy if unsuccessful game to end his career.
I must admit...I completely underestimated Oakland this time (I picked them for World Series trips in 2000-2003). I guess I just wasn't paying much attention to them this year and just wrote them off as the same A's who couldn't win a few years ago.
Now I'm thinking...wow, these guys are really really good. They could give everyone a run for their money this year.
I feel sort of the same way as Devon but I followed them pretty close this past year. Here is what I can't believe:
1. They played much of the year with injuries to many of their starters. Crosby was picked by Gammons to be the AL MVP this year and he wasn't that good. Ellis, Chavez (though he played through his tendinitis), Harden, Thomas, Kotsay, Bradeley and Street all missed time.
2. I remember a series they went into Boston and were batting as a team around .240. I was flabbergasted that they were still in the AL West race.
3. I firmly believe that Thomas carried this team to the playoffs. He stepped up his game and was finally able to turn on the inside fastball, something that had plagued him in last couple of years.
4. Dan Haren and Loiza pitched incredibly at times when they needed them. Zito looked bad a lot this year and Harden was out. It was extremely impressive to watch what they were able to do.
In the end they played there butts off and got lucky when the Angels and Rangers started to fade. Oakland does this every year though, start slow and make it a race come September. I was a pessimit when I saw them early but man it all came together for them.
Congrats to Oakland and Minnesota for a hell of a run in their own right.
Good comments, Jason. People had tagged the Oakland-Minnesota series as being evenly matched beforehand, but the Twins just didn't look good at all this series.
