While the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics both sit on the verge of being eliminated from the 2012 Postseason, both still have at least a chance of making it to the greatest summit in all of baseball: the World Series.
Here is a rundown of the possible World Series matchups if either the Giants or A’s can win tonight, and eventually make their way to the Fall Classic.
The Detroit Tigers took Game 1 of the 2012 ALDS, beating the Oakland Athletics 3-1. Though the team is down one game in a five-game series, there’s no reason for worry—yet.
The game opened up with excitement as leadoff batter Coco Crisp hit a home run against Tigers ace Justin Verlander.
However, Verlander regained composure as the game progressed, striking out 11 A’s batters along the way. Jose Valverde came into for the save.
It was a pitching duel—one decided by defense.
Though the A’s didn’t hit particularly well, there was still plenty of positive takeaways from the Oct. 6 ALDS opener.
Here are nine reasons A’s fans should remain calm.
The Oakland A’s were quite good in the second half of the 2012 season. So good, in fact, that they had us all asking the same question every time they actually lost a game:
“Wait a second, how the heck did that just happen?”
Here we are on this Saturday night asking this question after Oakland’s 3-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. What the heck kind of person/thing/ominous force sucked the life out of this A’s team?
It was mostly Justin Verlander’s doing, of course. He was better than we’ve ever seen him in the postseason, as he pitched seven innings and struck out 11 while allowing only three hits. He was virtually untouchable after he gave up a leadoff homer in the first inning to get things started.
There’s no shame in losing to Verlander, so I’m not about to sit here and scold the A’s for falling flat in embarrassing fashion on the grandest of stages. They lost, but they still have their dignity.
The only complaint I’m prepared to make is that the A’s we saw on Saturday night in Detroit didn’t look anything like the A’s team that won the AL West on the strength of the 51-25 showing in the second half. Those A’s were a live wire. The A’s we saw on Saturday night looked more like mummies doing battle with, well, actual tigers.
Their dignity may be intact, but the question now is where the A’s youthful energy has run off to. It was clearly missing on Saturday.
Perhaps Oakland’s youthful energy wasn’t there because the club’s youthful players failed to show up.
Cleanup hitter Brandon Moss, a player with no previous postseason experience, went 0-for-4 with three punchouts. Josh Reddick, another player with no prior postseason experience, also went 0-fer with three punchouts. Josh Donaldson went 0-fer with three punchouts.
Star rookie Yoenis Cespedes managed to get a hit, but it was a mere single that probably should have been caught by Tigers left fielder Quintin Berry.
The only player who did any real damage at all was elder statesman Coco Crisp, who gave the A’s their only run. He looked like a guy who wasn’t experiencing his first rodeo, which make sense seeing as how he won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2007.
Another player who showed well was Stephen Drew, who collected one of Oakland’s four hits and made some nice plays in the field. He, too, has been there and done that in the postseason before, as he was a star in the 2007 playoffs with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Beyond the two of them, the rest of Oakland’s lineup was largely helpless against Verlander and the two relievers Jim Leyland conjured up to finish things off. The A’s looked a lot like they did early in the season, when they were just another young team trying not to embarrass themselves too badly.
Granted, the one youngster who was quite good on Saturday night was rookie righty Jarrod Parker. He scattered seven hits over six and one-third inning, striking out five and walking only one. He gave up only two earned runs.
But even Parker looked a little rattled by nerves at one point. He put an unearned run on his pitching line in the third inning when he shoveled a weak ground ball off the bat of Berry up the first-base line into foul territory, allowing a run to score.
Parker could have easily just tagged Berry or ran the ball to first base from where he was. He can’t be blamed too much, however, as his decision to flip the ball to first base with his glove would have worked out just fine had there actually been someone on first base to receive it.
There wasn’t anybody there because Brandon Moss found himself in no man’s land on the play, frozen somewhere between “I got it” and “I don’t got it.”
That play was a microcosm of Oakland’s collective performance in Game 1. They may have entered the playoffs looking like a fiery underdog, but they have certainly begun the playoffs looking like an underdog out of their league.
It was a strange sight to behold given how well the A’s played down the stretch. But at the same time, it was not an entirely unprecedented sight. The A’s looked out of their league the last time they visited Detroit in mid-September too, when they lost two out of three to the Tigers. They were the victims of an offensive onslaught in one of the losses, and a victim of Verlander’s right arm in the other.
And therein lies the rub. The A’s got a reality check the last time they visited Detroit, as it was clear that they weren’t the better team on the field. It was a reality check that took a while to wear off too, as the A’s weren’t the better team on the field when they went on to do battle with the Yankees in New York and the Rangers in Texas.
It was a crucial 10-game road trip that saw the A’s compile a 4-6 record. They didn’t look like themselves again until they returned home and proceeded to rip off six straight wins to finish off the regular season.
The A’s could look like themselves again when they return home to Oakland for Game 3 on Tuesday. But before they can worry about that, they need to worry about being the better team on the field in Game 2 on Sunday afternoon.
And good luck with that. The Tigers made good on their home-field advantage in Game 1, and the A’s are looking at a pitching matchup for Game 2 that favors them even less than the pitching matchup in Game 1.
Parker was a fine argument for Verlander, but Tommy Milone and his 4.83 road ERA don’t look like such a fine argument for Doug Fister, who went 8-4 with a 2.67 ERA in the second half of the season.
We know that the A’s are a better team than they showed in Game 1, but whether or not this better team is going to come out and play in Game 2 is going to be a matter of the A’s rediscovering their power source.
It abandoned them on Saturday, and they were left looking like deers in headlights as a result. All Verlander had to do was run them down.
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Pat Neshek came into Saturday night’s American League Divisional Series game in the same tight situation that he’s seen many times before in his six-year career.
With men on first and second for the Detroit Tigers, the Oakland Athletics reliever’s main job was to escape the jam with a two-run deficit intact.
At first glance, it seemed like a regular appearance for Neshek. However, when you look at what Neshek has had to go through in the past week, it was so much more.
The reliever has had to go through a lot in his career. After beginning with his home town Minnesota Twins in 2006, Neshek soared off to an 11-4 start with a 2.68 earned run average in his first two seasons.
Armed with a quirky delivery, he had 10.6 strike outs per nine innings and looked to have a bright future with the Twins.
In 2008, Neshek felt something pop in his elbow and needed to undergo Tommy John surgery.
After missing the entire 2009 season, he returned in 2010, but didn’t have the same velocity that he had pre-surgery.
Since his return, Neshek has bounced back-and-forth between the minors and the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics organizations.
Although Neshek had been bruised, cut, and demoted, there was the joy of expecting his first child with his wife, Stephanee.
As the Athletics began their rise from the ashes late this year, the arrival of his son drew closer and closer. The day finally came on October 2nd, and Gehrig John Neshek was born.
The following day, after a 12-5 victory over the Texas Rangers, the Athletics became the third team in major league history to win a division after being in soul possession of first place for a single day.
With the playoffs on the horizon, this had to be one of the happiest moments of Neshek‘s career.
But things turned sour quickly and just 23 hours after Gehrig’s birth, Neshek‘s infant son died “with no explanation.”
The days following were excruciating as he continued to get congratulatory messages after Gehrig had stopped breathing. With that, Neshek announced the news on Twitter.
According to Susan Slusser’s article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Neshek said that the support after Gehrig’s death was “amazing” and that the one day with his son was “probably the best day I’ve ever had.”
It’s hard to imagine what was running through his mind as the Athletics manager, Bob Melvin, decided to make Neshek the first call out of the Oakland bullpen Saturday night. But the 32-year-old righty was able to compose himself and get the Athletics out of a jam.
As he walked off the field, he smiled toward the sky and tapped the patch the Athletics had added to their uniform in Gehrig’s memory.
The pain was still there, but the healing process had started.
Many of us will never know what it’s like to lose a newborn child, and hopefully never will. To see Neshek on the field after all of that is amazing.
If he can lead the Athletics to complete their Cinderella story, it’s something that all of us could use as an inspiration outside of baseball.
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The bottom line of Game One in Detroit: Justin Verlander continued his dominance of the A’s offense.
The Tigers won 3-1, largely on Verlander’s powerful right arm. But in a series that could very well be a matter of Oakland needing to win the three games he doesn’t start, there was a positive to take away—the poise of rookie starter Jarrod Parker.
The overall line won’t blow you away: 6 1/3 innings, seven hits, three runs (two earned) with a walk and five strikeouts. But it was not the numbers as much as how well Parker managed to limit Detroit that gives Oakland hope for tomorrow’s matinee.
Early on, the Tigers had a chance at a big inning. First and third with no one out and the Triple Crown winning Miguel Cabrera at the plate. Yet Parker promptly induced a double play to limit the damage. Though he rarely had a clean inning (only going 1-2-3 in the second and sixth innings), Parker made high quality pitches time and time again.
And with a big assist from the inspirational Pat Neshek, the A’s very nearly kept themselves in the game long enough. In the bottom of the eighth, Brandon Moss hit a moonshot that off his bat seemed like it may have tied the game. Instead, the ball died at the base of the right field wall and the A’s best chance was gone.
So give credit where credit is due. The Tigers held their home field, powered by their ace, a potential back-to-back Cy Young Award winner. And yet, the A’s where close to tying the game late.
Now the onus shifts to Tom Milone, who has not performed well on the road this season. His last start in Detroit was a poor outing, taking the loss while allowing three runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
For the A’s, the hope is that Milone can look more like the guy who kept Texas at bay in his last road start (September 25th). Better yet, the pitcher who beat Detroit on May 11th, going seven strong innings.
It’s the biggest start of the year, but today’s effort showed it won’t be about the A’s youth as much as their ability to simply execute.
Tomorrow is another gut check for the Oakland A’s. Something tells me they will respond once again.
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Coco Crisp boosted the Oakland A’s early on, giving them a lead four pitches into the game. Then, the A’s couldn’t do anything right on offense.
Despite struggling to keep his pitch count to a minimum, Justin Verlander struck out 11 through seven strong innings as the Detroit Tigers beat the A’s 3-1 in Game 1 of the ALDS. Verlander picked up the win, while Jarrod Parker, who allowed three runs (two earned) in over six innings, took the loss.
Parker made an error that brought home a run for the Tigers, and he allowed a home run to Alex Avila. Despite having decent stats for the game, he didn’t pitch well. A lot of good contact was made, and his defense made some nice plays behind him. Yoenis Cespedes couldn’t make a great play on the ball that Avila hit, though. Parker made one of many mistakes, and Avila pounced.
He threw a high fastball, and Avila hit it the opposite way. It was a first-pitch meatball, right in Avila’s wheelhouse (it was right over the plate, too). The ball went over the left field fence for a home run, doubling Detroit’s lead.
Parker allowed two early hits to Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry to start the game, before inducing a double play to Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. However, it brought home the tying run and negated Crisp’s home run.
Verlander woke up after his mistakes, although it took him a lot of pitches. He made some mistakes early, but he took advantage of a large strike zone, got ahead of counts and finished off hitters. He settled in during the middle innings, striking out five batters total in the sixth and seventh innings. More than half of the outs he got were by way of the strikeout, which isn’t rare for Verlander.
Joaquin Benoit came in during the eighth, and he struggled. Cespedes singled and Brandon Moss hit the first pitch he saw to deep right field. However, Andy Dirks caught it at the warning track, as Moss just got under the pitch.
Jose Valverde, who is known as an exciting but erratic closer, located his pitches and struck out two batters while jamming George Kottaras on a pop-up to finish off the game.
In the third, Berry hit a slow grounder to the right side, and Parker fielded it. He flipped the ball to first base only to realize no one was there.
Omar Infante rushed home with the go-ahead run, although a spectacular running catch by Cliff Pennington allowed Parker to escape further damage. Parker got a lot of help from his defense, as they made three great plays behind him.
It wasn’t enough for the A’s to win, though. There weren’t many bright spots aside from the defense in this game, but Pat Neshek was one of them. His son lived less than 24 hours and died suddenly Wednesday night, which deeply saddened Neshek, his family, the A’s, MLB and the baseball world. However, he bounced back and was able to pitch.
He did well, too, which was great for the team. Unfortunately for the A’s, it wasn’t enough. They failed to figure out Verlander, who was able to throw heat in the later innings and stop the A’s while keeping his bullpen fresh. They couldn’t capitalize on a chance against Benoit, and they couldn’t start a rally against Valverde, who isn’t known for 1-2-3 innings.
They’ve been doing it all year, but they couldn’t do it against the Tigers. Will it matter? Will they learn from their mistakes? What’s next for the A’s?
Those are all reasonable questions, and they will probably be answered in Game 2. However, if the A’s can’t start capitalizing on chances, if they can’t stop striking out (they went down 14 times by way of the strikeout) and if they can’t figure out Verlander (who will start Game 5 if there is one), this magical season may come to an end.
This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.
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Pitching:
Detroit: A-
Justin Verlander headlines a pitching staff that has a nice mix of young arms and veterans with postseason experience. Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Rick Porcello round out the rotation, while Drew Smyly was added to the playoff roster for depth. As a group, they can pile up the strikeouts, but also can lose their command and issue too many walks. They should get plenty of run support with an offense that features Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Austin Jackson, so the pitching likely just has to be good, not great, for the Tigers to advance.
Oakland: B+
The power of youth is on full display in the Oakland rotation, featuring four rookie pitchers who have made seamless transitions to the big leagues. Game 1 starter Jarrod Parker led the team in wins, while A.J Griffin, Tom Milone and Dan Straily all pitched well in 2012. Oakland also has an injured Brandon McCarthy (head) and Brett Anderson (oblique) in the wings, both of whom could be called on to pitch at some point in October. Their assignment won’t be easy as the Tiger’s showcase two of the best sluggers in baseball in the middle of their lineup in Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder—both of whom have led the league in home runs at one point in their career.
Hitting:
Detroit: A
With the first triple crown winner since 1967 in Miguel Cabrera, a perennial 40 home run threat in Prince Fielder and an emerging centerfielder in Austin Jackson, Detroit has the building blocks for one of the best lineups in baseball. They also have veterans with postseason success like Delmon Young and reliable bats like catcher Alex Avila, infielder Omar Infante and Jhonny Peralta. Andy Dirks and Quintin Berry have also contributed as younger players in the lineup, while prospect Avisail Garcia has also been added to the playoff roster after an impressive September.
Oakland: A-
Live by the long ball, die by the long ball. It’s something Oakland has done on several occasions in 2012, ranking sixth in the American League in home runs, despite finishing near the bottom in team batting average. With a lineup that resembles this trend, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick and Brandon Moss account for a powerful middle of the lineup that lives off pitcher’s mistakes. Speedster and catalyst Coco Crisp ignites the offense from the leadoff spot, while third baseman Josh Donaldson and catcher Derek Norris have fared well as rookies for the A’s near the bottom of the lineup.
Stephen Drew and Seth Smith were both additions this season for the A’s and find themselves starting in October. It may be a case of when, not if, the A’s will hit their first longball in the postseason—Oakland fans are just hoping it comes with runners on base.
Momentum:
Detroit: B
While the Tigers had to play well at the end of the season to fight off the White Sox for the division, they don’t have anywhere near the momentum Oakland has on their side. Their best attribute is their veteran presence, which will be crucial in slowing the red-hot A’s.
Oakland: A+
No team in baseball had a more magical run to cap the season than Oakland, winning the division on the last day of the year and erasing a multiple game lead by the Texas Rangers that had been held for the majority of 2012. They are hot at the right time heading into October, riding a wave of momentum that could disrupt Detroit’s postseason plans.
The Verdict:
The 2012 ALDS will exemplify again whether it’s the better team or the hotter team that wins in October. The Tigers were built to be contenders, adding Fielder in the offseason to compliment Cabrera and acquiring Fister last year to bolster the rotation behind Verlander.
The A’s are the classic example of a team that is catching fire at the right time, a characteristic that often trumps talent in the postseason. It’s hard to imagine a staff of rookies shutting down one of the best lineups in baseball, but crazier things have happened in Oakland this year. I can see a good series unfolding, I just can’t see the upstart A’s taking down a seasoned Detroit team; not this year at least.
ALCS Winner: Detroit in five games
ALCS MVP: Prince Fielder (DET)
ALCS Surprise: Avisail Garcia (DET)
ALCS Disappointment: Yoenis Cespedes (OAK)
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Last night, the Oakland Coliseum was rocking. And no, it wasn’t for the Raiders.
Because of their improbable, amazing second-half run, the Athletics had finally earned the fan support they strived for. It seemed inevitable that the A’s were going to miss the playoffs, especially after entering the All-Star break with a 43-43 record.
Oh, and September wasn’t going to be very kind to the A’s, either.
However, the A’s dominated in July and August, excelling in close games. They didn’t limp through September, when everyone thought they would crumble. The Rangers, Angels, Orioles, Tigers and Yankees were among the teams who faced the A’s, and Oakland dominated in those games.
Their poor hitting didn’t stop them. Their lack of experience didn’t stop them. Actually, nothing stopped them. Now they are in the playoffs, and they are just two wins away from winning the AL West.
In their game last night against the Rangers, Grant Balfour, Oakland’s inexperienced closer, threw a nasty, cut fastball. It hit 97 mph, and it was enough to fan Mike Napoli. Balfour struck out the side in the ninth, mixing his high heat with his nasty slider to KO the Rangers.
A whole city erupted with joy. Everyone in the country smiled. The A’s did it. A team without much talent or money came through in the clutch, just like the 2002 team that had a movie and book dedicated to them.
A’s fans were clamoring to bring in top prospects and make a big trade. After all, the Rangers and Angels were in their division, the Orioles and White Sox were doing well and the Red Sox were sure to make a run at the playoffs (they didn’t, though). And how could you count out the Rays, who had made an improbable run in 2011.
Then, their offense exploded against the Twins, as they swept Minnesota. The Rangers took the first of a two-game set, but a walk-off home run from Brandon Hicks propelled the A’s to a win in the second game.
The Yankees were next, and that was the series that changed the season for the 47-44 A’s. They won four consecutive one-run games, capping it off with a comeback win. Seth Smith hit a tying home run in the ninth, and Coco Crisp capped off the sweep with a walk-off hit.
Balfour, Ryan Cook and Brandon McCarthy were sure to stay in Oakland. The fans got into it. Everyone started talking about the A’s. Eventually, they climbed into the playoff race, winning nine straight at one point. Now, the team with 14 walk-offs is headed to the playoffs.
Despite having Cliff Pennington (or Adam Rosales), Derek Norris and Josh Donaldson in their lineup, Oakland’s offense exploded. Yoenis Cespedes performed well, Brandon Moss always came up with clutch hits, Crisp and Stephen Drew got on base a lot at the top of the order, Donaldson exceeded expectations while replacing Brandon Inge at third base and much, much more happened.
Jarrod Parker won 13 games while getting the win in the clincher and pitching like an ace, especially with the pressure elevated. Balfour, Cook and Sean Doolittle became a formidable relief trio, while Tommy Milone, Travis Blackley and A.J Griffin exceeded expectations as inexperienced rookies.
Now, the lights are shining even brighter. Blackley and Griffin are in charge of winning the AL West for Oakland, which would make them the top seed. Even if they can’t, there will be a one-game playoff at Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium or the Coliseum.
Playing in Yankee Stadium would frighten most young, inexperienced teams. But the A’s aren’t like those teams. They come up with big hits, key pitches and great performances. Usually, that leads to wins. It has certainly led to wins in the second half, where Oakland is 49-25.
Oakland has power, pitching and clutch hitting. This formula has been amazingly successful in the second half, and Bob Melvin has helped. He has mixed and matched his team to perfection, and his strategy is working perfectly.
Can the A’s continue their magical run? Certainly. The teams around them won’t overwhelm the A’s. They’ve had success against the Yankees, Rangers and Orioles, and the Tigers are definitely beatable.
Parker will have to pitch like an ace and continue to hit his spots. Griffin will have to keep his magic going. Blackley will have to piece together a decent performance, and Milone will, too. Balfour will have to be as dominant as he was against the Rangers, and Doolittle and Cook will need to lock down the seventh and eighth innings.
But in all honesty, there’s no limit for the A’s. They are a great team, they play the game the right way and they come up clutch. So, while it might seem like the A’s are going to falter, they won’t. Because they aren’t going to back down. So unless the A’s are outplayed, they won’t lose. What does that mean?
It means that the A’s can win the World Series.
This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.
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As I first wrote back in July for Bleacher Report, the Oakland Athletics are the best show in baseball. Seriously, if the A’s are playing, watch them. Win or lose, it will be a spectacular show.
Take the game played today, Sept. 29. It looked like the A’s were going to go quietly and let the Seattle Mariners get the best of them. Going into the bottom of the 8th inning, Seattle was up 4-1 and cruising to a win.
Jason Vargas pitched seven strong innings and Seattle manager Eric Wedge handed the ball to the bullpen.
Then the A’s gave whichever fans stuck around for the end a show.
First baseman Brandon Moss, whose error led to the first Seattle run, doubled home Coco Crisp to make the score 4-2, but Stephen Drew was thrown out at home on the same hit to end the inning.
See, even their inning ending plays are worth watching.
In the bottom of the 9th, still down 4-2, Jason Donaldson launched a game tying home run over the center field fence off of Tim Wilhelmsen.
Then in the bottom of the 10th, it was Moss again. This time he hit a walk-off three-run shot to give the A’s a 7-4 victory.
The Athletics scored one run in the first seven innings and six runs in the last three.
The team that was supposedly in a rebuilding mode has won its 90th game and are, as of this writing, 2 1/2 games out of first place going into the last day of September.
And of their 46 home wins, 14 have been a walk-off victory. More than 30 percent of their home victories ending with the winning run crossing the plate in the final inning.
You may not know the names, you may not have any emotional attachment to the Oakland Athletics, but trust me. Watch their games. If you like baseball, you will not walk away bored.
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Monday, Fox Sports MLB writer Ken Rosenthal wrote a piece that described the Oakland Athletics as a “revolving door of misfits.” He also used a couple other not so inviting words to describe A’s general manager Billy Beane’s highly-performing team.
From Rosenthal:
If the “Moneyball” A’s were, in the words of author Michael Lewis, baseball’s answer to the island of misfit toys, what the heck is this bunch? An archipelago of All-American rejects, plus one Cuban defector?
Misfit toys?
Rejects?
Cuban Defector?
Come on!
Way to take an inspiring team that has defied expectations and rip it to shreds.
This was my initial reaction of course. But with a few deep breaths and a second read of Rosenthal’s article revealed subtle expression of how Oakland is beautiful for the game of baseball.
Spot on, led by Beane and manager Bob Melvin, this resolute cast of rookies and journeymen has truly been a blast to watch this season.
The Athletics are the West Coast version of the Baltimore Orioles. They are young. They are energetic. And they are a challenge to match up against every day because opposing managers rarely know who will take the hill or what the starting lineup will entail.
Like the Orioles, the Athletics do tons of things that will not show up in the box score.
What this team lacks in headline-grabbing names, it makes up for with outstanding leadership, excellent followership (i.e. leave those egos at the door) and more importantly—a young, vibrant renegade-like psyche that oozes quiet confidence.
Like the Orioles, the Athletics have mastered the art of resource management. Put the right players with the right skills in the right spots. Manage them effectively, mentor them with sincerity and watch them grow—both as men and as ballplayers.
This is called professional development. It is rare to see in sports driven by individualism, constant pampering and social networking. But Oakland and Baltimore have instituted this as a way of business.
Like the Orioles, the Athletics have also shown great ingenuity in the face of a troubled economy. Contrary to the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, Oakland and Baltimore have traded loading up rosters to win now for creative, outside the box thinking.
Last, like the Orioles, they make no excuses for injuries. When one man goes down, another picks up the flag, puts his chest out and marches toward victory.
All of this combined, it is no surprise the Athletics and Orioles are proving themselves as true contenders for the postseason.
As a baseball writer (and fan), it will be really exciting to see how loud these little engines will roar down the stretch.
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