The Duke Spears some Fish
Oakland won two more games the last two days, though they're not the kind of wins you'd like to see over the Devil Rays. I predicted an easy 6-2 win for Friday; instead, the A's found themselves down 5-1 early, but came back and won 8-7, with a big boost coming from a four-run fifth inning that included Erubiel Durazo's 21st homer of the year. Mark Hendrickson got smacked around, as predicted, giving up seven runs on ten hits in just 4.2 innings, but Mark Redman got it worse, putting the A's in the aforementioned hole by giving up six runs on nine hits in just two innings. Fortunately for the A's, they've got one of the best long men in the game waiting in the wings, and Justin Duchscherer came on and pitched five scoreless innings, scattering four singles and a hit batter, to allow the A's to get back into the game. Arthur Rhodes and Octavio Dotel covered the last two innings, with Rhodes allowing an unearned run after Jermaine Dye dropped a ball in right field. Speaking of Dye, I think it's about time to drop him out of the fourth spot in the lineup. Yes, putting Scott Hatteberg or Erubiel Durazo there would create a three-lefty heart of the order (with Chavez hitting third), but Dye is a crappy hitter, with just a .324 OBP and .451 SLG. He's basically Bobby Crosby with three more homers (and, for those keeping count at home of Crosby's alarming strikeout rate, Dye has actually whiffed nine more times as well). As usual, lineup effects don't matter all that much in the long run, etc., etc. But I'd rather see Hatteberg, Durazo, and Chavez deal with a lefty reliever in a tough playoff situation than have Dye at the plate against any pitcher. Yesterday, Oakland overcame three errors and a four-run Tampa Bay fifth inning to win 5-4, largely on the strength of a pair of two run homers by Erics Chavez and Byrnes. Tim Hudson pitched another vintage game, throwing seven innings while allowing just two earned runs (four total) on four hits and a walk. He struck out four Devil Fish and got thirteen ground ball outs, compared to just four in the air. If this is the Tim Hudson we're going to see for the rest of the year and, potentially, in the playoffs, rather than the Hudson-in-pain we've seen the last two years, I think the A's might have their best chance yet at leaving the first round of the playoffs. Eric Chavez, meanwhile, is tearing it up. He's up to 27 homers now, which is 9th in the AL, his 71 walks rank him 6th, and his OBP and SLG put him seventh and 10th, respectively. Take an OBP fifty points higher than his previous best despite a batting average that's just five points higher than his career average and mix in what is probably still Gold Glove defense and you get what's been hoped for him all these years: an MVP-like season. He won't win it this year, as there are plenty of better candidates, especially because of his injury, but he should get some down-ballot votes.
