GameDay: A's Start Crucial Stretch By Falling Flat Against Rangers
CBS 5 Sports Director Dennis O'Donnell hosts "Gameday" every Sunday night at 11:30pm on CBS 5 and offers his unique sports analysis here.
OAKLAND (CBS 5) -- This was the supposed to be the official coming out party of the ready-for-prime-time A's. Uh…not so ready.
On Tuesday night, Oakland began the first of six games against the two best teams in baseball, the Rangers and Yankees. They did so, however, looking more like a team that belonged in last place, not in the wild card spot.
Twice the A's failed to cover first base. It cost them. Brandon Moss took the wrong route on a fly ball and eventually dropped it. I'm guessing the scorekeeper was his brother, because it was ruled a double. It cost them.
Twice they failed with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. It cost them. Oakland bumbled their way to a 6-1 loss instead of jumping into the second wild card spot.
It was a disappointing effort, especially on the mental side, from a team that came in with baseball's best record in July. The next 12 days are critical for the rest of the season because it will likely determine if general manager Billy Beane becomes a buyer or a seller at the July 31st trade deadline.
Maybe Beane can trade the fan base. What's up with the attendance? The A's go 9-1 in July, climb into playoff contention, hit prodigious home runs in buckets, have great weather and 15,000 fans show up? Did school start on July 17?
See you on TV.
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