The A’s lost another, this time 6-3 to the San Francisco Giants. It’s tough to watch the cross-bay rivals dominate the A’s in this years inter-league play to the tone of 5-1, their best ever against Oakland. This was one of the poorest showings I have see in a while, what’s next? More Gio Gonzalez getting lit up by the GIANTS! Please no more Gio.

What are A’s fans supposed to be thinking right now, positive thoughts? Good luck. The product put on the field has looked nothing like the previous most A’s fans are accustomed to. To the A’s management: we know the pitching will be good, Mazzaro, Cahill, Anderson and Outman have shown that much, the question is what will the offense consist of? RIght now the only thing certain on the offensive side is Ryan Sweeney, Kurt Suzuki and Jack Cust. This team is in disarray and personally, I’m a little worried about what the future Athletics, specifically the offense, will consist of.

Is anyone else a bit skeptical about next year and beyond?

Dallas Braden went seven strong innings giving up only two runs but the A’s offense couldn’t come through for their starting pitcher, losing a pitchers duel to the San Diego Padres, 4-1.

You can say the bullpen didn’t help out either, as Craig Breslow and Russ Springer each gave up a run in relief. Springer served up a two-run home run to Kevin Kouzmanoff that basically closed the door on any chance of a comeback for the Athletics.

Ryan Sweeney drove in the lone run for the A’s on a double to left that scored Jack Cust.

Next up are the Bay Area rival orange and black. The A’s will have a tough chance scoring any runs off their pitching staff if they can’t hit today’s opposing pitcher, ex-Giant, Kevin Correia.

Go A’s!

Ryan Sweeney drove in the tying run in the six and Mr. clutch Kurt Suzuki gave the A’s the go ahead run with a two-out RBI single to right propelling the A’s to their second straight win against the Padres 6-3.

Starting pitcher Brett Anderson lasted five innings but was replaced having thrown only 68 pitches. Anderson was decent tonight, getting out of jams when needed. The rookie lefty surrendered three runs on five hits striking out three and walking one.

Some more crucial insurance runs were manufactured by the A’s in the eighth inning, this time of back-to-back home run variety. Adam Kennedy hit one to right and Jack Cust completely annihilated one to deep left center to give the A’s their final runs of the night. Kennedy went 4-5, Ryan Sweeney had two hits as he gets re-aquaitned to baseball activities and Jack Cust had two hits.

Four-pack of A’s tickets still up for grabs! Read below for more info, Go Athletics.

Another nail-biter led to an A’s win as the insurance run in the sixth proved to be the difference. The A’s beat the Dodgers in the second game of the three-game series 5-4.

Rookie pitcher Trevor Cahill was doing his job until the Oakland defense began to meltdown with costly errors leading to two runs. Cahill (4-5) allowed two runs (zero earned) on four hits in 51/3 innings. He struck out three and walked four.

The offense was led by home runs by Jack Cust and least likely Rajai Davis. Davis’ home run was a solo shot to left and Jack Cust, a two-run shot to left center. The A’s had a 4-0 lead until the fifth, sixth and seventh inning led to four runs for the Dodgers. If not for the insurance run in the sixth this game might have ended up as a defensive loss.

Orlando Cabrera continues to pile up the errors making him the worst defensive shortstop in the Big’s. He sure hasn’t materialized. Bobby Crosby is beginning to look better and better to me.

The game ended with Andrew Bailey shutting the door for his sixth save.

Now to the free tickets…

The game is for july first, versus the Detroit Tigers, four tickets and here’s what we want to see from you A’s fans.

The commenter who brings the most traffic via message boards, blogs, face book, my space whatever will win the tickets. Make sure that anyone who comments on Athleticshomeplate.com references you by name so we can keep a count, and that’s it good luck and go A’s!

The contest ends on June 25th!

Black Jacks! A’s win again!

The two Jacks, Hannahan and Cust, put the A’s over the top to give them the win 4-3.  Backed by what else, but another solid pitching performance by Josh Outman who received timely run support to give him his fourth victory.

After the Twins put up a three spot in the top of the fourth, Jack Hannahan matched it in the bottom half of the inning by driving in three with a bases-clearing double to left center. This all came after Aaron Cunningham was drilled in the head by fastball to load the bases. The next inning proved to be the difference as Jack Cust crushed a solo-shot to right to give the A’s the final score of 4-3.

Outman was roughed up in the third but that was it. Outman (3-3) went six innings, striking out seven and surrendered all three runs on four hits, he walked two.

The draft begins tomorrow, what position would you guy’s like to be filled with the first pick? pitching, offense?

Take it easy A’s fans, seven straight is nice but eight is better!

Offense check, Pitching check.

That’s what we all expected coming into this season, three-run homers, and good pitching. The A’s took the first game of the series versus the Baltimore Orioles 9-1, backed by a solid pitching performance by Dallas Braden.

Braden was the lucky recipient of a bunch of runs, all nine in the first five innings and Braden didn’t look back. Braden evened his record on the year (5-5) and struck out a career high seven in seven innings of work. He gave up one run on just five hits, a solo shot to right off the bat of Baltimore outfielder Luke Scott, who is extremely hot right now. Has anyone noticed Braden’s tattooed-right index finger? Rollie Fingers esk. and he uses it extremely well I might add.

Braden was a little unhappy when Bob Geren removed him after the seventh inning with only 102 pitches. Braden began showing up Geren by doing pull-ups in the dug-out. Gotta love it!

The offensive onslaught began with six first-inning runs. Jack Cust hit a three-run home run to center (must of been the new haircut), Aaron Cunningham drove in two with a single up the middle, scoring Suzuki and Giambi. The final run of the inning came from the least likely Athletic, Rajai Davis, his first of the season on a line-drive-single to right. The final blow came in the fifth, a enormous three-run home run to center. To trade or not to trade, that is the question.

Geren must be loving these wins, heck, he probably thinks he has a lot to do with it. Four straight is nice, but Geren, it wasn’t you man, in fact your still very much on the hot-seat.

Go Green and Gold!

Tonight we saw another glimpse of the A’s promising pitching future with Vince Mazzaro making his anitcipated big league debut in impressive fashion. This guy looks as he might be the best of the new “big three” (Cahill, Anderson, Mazzaro). With his family watching in the stands, Mazzaro-and the A’s-got the win 5-0 against the White Sox.

Vince Mazzaro (1-0) went 62/3 innings and allowed no runs on only three hits, his only blemish were walks, he issued four. Mazzaro also struck out a batter. This guy throws with ease and is fun to watch, and it surely keeps me tuned in for his next start.

Mazzaro was backed by his offense tonight for five runs on eight hits, the biggest blow coming with a walk in the fifth to Jack Cust which loaded the bases and brought hot-hitting Matt Holliday up to bat. Hollday wasted little time a nailed a bases-clearing double over the right fielders head to put the A’s up five nothing. Cust drove in the other two runs, one on a sac-fly, the other a solo-line-drive home run to right in the fourth.

Side notes, not too dwell on the negative, just observations…

Gregorio Petit continued to ride the bench as jack Hannahan started at third. Hannahan went o-3 with a run scored, but continues to struggle against right or left-handed pitching. Tonight it didn’t matter but when will the A’s realize Hannahan can’t hit. Petit has proven he can hit and play above average defense.

Mazzaro just got Creamed by Dallas Braden, hillarious!

Of course the A’s couldn’t keep the Rangers quiet all game, but hey, a wins a win and with this team we’ll take any they can get. The A’s salvaged the four game series with a win Sunday 5-4 in the top of the ninth on Adam Kennedy’s second home run of the day.He’s been the best offensive player since being acquired from Tampa Bay, no doubt.

Dallas Braden (no-decision)was in the middle of a dominant one-hit performance through six innings but as the seventh inning begun, back-to-back hits and an abrasion to Bradens pitching hand ended his day. After the bullpen was done with his runners, his line looed like this: Six-plus innings, two earned runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

The bullpen combined to pitch three innings and gave up five hits and two earned runs. Andrew Bailey got the win after Bob Geren chose to bring him in for a FIVE out save with two on. He gave up the game-tying single but hung in there to get the win in the ninth. Oh it was his 25th birthday too so that worked out well for him.

The offense was pretty anemic once again, aside from Kennedy’s two bombs and Jason Giambi’s solo shot. Through the first six innings the A’s had only five hits, after that a run scored on a balk and another on a bloop single by Jack Cust.

Bullpen fails, A’s lose 8-7 in eleven innings to the Diamondbacks.

Yeah, that’s how it’s going for the A’s, four home runs off one of the most dominant pitchers in the National league in Dan Haren, still doesn’t equate to a win. Way to go bullpen, especially you Springer.

After another shaky outing in the eighth inning by reliever Russ Springer-whom for whatever reason is still the setup man- the A’s saw a five-to-one lead erased in one inning. Springer never recorded an out, Chat it up guys, plenty to discuss here. Instead of having Brad Ziegler come in late in the game, Manager Bob Geren chose to bring him in for the seventh. Ask yourselves this, who would you rather have late in the game right now, Springer or Ziegler. Where was Casilla in the eight?

Too bad for recently-recalled pitcher Edgar Gonzalez who pitched a solid game but failed to pick up the win after leaving the sixth inning with a five to one lead. Gonzalez went five-plus innings giving up one run on four hits, he struck out four and walked two.

The bright spot in the game was obviously the long-balls, one more special than the others. Jason Giambi hit his 400th career home run in the fourth inning off Dan Haren. Jack Cust started the home run parade with a two-run shot to right center in the first, followed by solo variety’s from Giambi, Adam Kennedy in the fourth and Nomar Garciaparra’s coming in the fifth.

PS: Jack Hannahan and Bob Geren are spies.

It sure looked like the A’s offense was facing a stud-pitcher, Cy-young in the making, however, they weren’t. They faced a guy who basically has two pitches-fastball (not overwhelming), curveball (good)- and those two pitches have produced mediocre results so far this season. That is, until he faced the Oakland Athletics.

The A’s (13-22) lost 13-4 to the Tampa Bay Rays. The A’s offense managed nine hits, two hit games coming from Jack Cust, Adam Kennedy, and Travis Buck.

Notables:

Orlando Cabrera hit his second home run in as many days and Jack Cust hit a meaningless two-run home run in the eighth to give him six long balls on the season.

The pitching was again, horrendous and it looks like more changes will be made soon, as starter Sean Gallagher gave up seven runs (all earned) on THREE hits, FIVE walks, and one strike out in 2 1/3 innings. Replacement, and recently recalled pitcher, Gio Gonzalez allowed four earned runs on six hits, THREE walks (yep, more walks), six strike outs in 3 2/3.

My favorite moment of the game was manager Bob Geren’s bullpen, speciffiocally Gio Gonzalez. Remeber that game in Seattle where the A’s blew the lead in the 13th? The one where the bullpen seemed to be running with their heads cut off? Well, it happend tonight with GIo Gonzalez. Bob Geren, “get Gonzalez up…wait sit him down, no up..” How about you, Bob Geren, sit down!