It's happening again.

 

Santiago.

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN 1h

 

For those asking if OAK can sustain this: Over their last 162 games (back to June 14 of last year), the Athletics are 103-59, best in MLB.

https://twitter.com/ESPNChiSox/status/34376...6503424/photo/1

Go Go Santiago !

Nice Start

Nice Start

 

Gas!

Gas!

Heavy gas.

Donaldson has already doubled his walk total for all of last season.

 

8th in the AL with 42 RBI's, 6th in hitting with RISP at 367.

On short rest again, weird scheduling with starting and relieving, who knows what we get today.

Donaldson has already doubled his walk total for all of last season.

 

8th in the AL with 42 RBI's, 6th in hitting with RISP at 367.

 

He wasn't even the main part of the Harden to the Cubs trade. He was supposed to be a catcher.

A's playing their final game in a stretch of 17 consecutive...

 

Flowers can't hold on to strike three on the foul tip.

 

A bit high with the pitch count, 21, of course, he had 3 k's in there...striking out a batter per inning, 3.28 ERA as of the moment.

Edited June 9, 201312 yr by caulfield12

Nice to see Alejandro really heating up.

De Aza's really got a good groove going with the bats right now, if only he could catch balls too.

Made Rios look bad there.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/pitching/_/so...type/expanded-2

 

 

Santiago averaging 9.82 K's/9, 52 K's in 47 2/3.

 

Would be 8th in the majors if he was qualified.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/pitching/_/so...type/expanded-2

Three Tigers (Darvish, Sanchez, Scherzer, Verlander, and our favorite Cubs/ND product ahead of him, as well as Dempster/AJ Burnett)

 

Pacing ahead of Harvey, Shelby Miller and Felix Hernandez.

Nice to see Alejandro really heating up.

 

2nd highest number of HR's from the lead-off spot, which seems to be a bone of contention with the coaching staff whether that's actually a positive change in his approach.

 

Dunn getting another muted smattering of boos from the home crowd.

Edited June 9, 201312 yr by caulfield12

They really need to work with Santiago on his offspeed pitches. He just doesn't get those pitches over enough or fool enough hitters. The screwball sounds cool in theory, but it's just not very effective.

They really need to work with Santiago on his offspeed pitches. He just doesn't get those pitches over enough or fool enough hitters. The screwball sounds cool in theory, but it's just not very effective.

 

Almost never throws it now. FanGraphs shows it at ~5% last time I looked at it. He told the Score in the preseason that he had to quit throwing it because he can't find his release point in a bullpen warmup. Throws a lot of changeups, which aren't very good.

Looked safe to me, nice throw though

Lots of walks and strikeouts.

 

Santiago says he wants to build an indoor baseball facility in Newark, NJ.

 

Great kid. Went to Newtown, CN, was also involved in the Hurricane Sandy relief, seems to really treasure the opportunity to be a big league player and using his fame/celebrity to help people in a genuine way.

 

 

Looks like we got very lucky with the call at 2B, probably was safe.

Looked safe to me, nice throw though

 

Agreed on both counts. Rumor had it that Flowers had some tendonitis in the shoulder in the early parts of the season and his throws have gotten eons better.

Almost never throws it now. FanGraphs shows it at ~5% last time I looked at it. He told the Score in the preseason that he had to quit throwing it because he can't find his release point in a bullpen warmup. Throws a lot of changeups, which aren't very good.

 

 

That's why he has to be a starter, and why you can make an argument we could survive and compete in 2014 without Peavy a lot more easily than if we traded Rios/Ramirez.

Agreed on both counts. Rumor had it that Flowers had some tendonitis in the shoulder in the early parts of the season and his throws have gotten eons better.

 

Flowers has had a lot of physical problems considering the lack of wear and tear on him over the last 18 months...back spasms as well.

Almost never throws it now. FanGraphs shows it at ~5% last time I looked at it. He told the Score in the preseason that he had to quit throwing it because he can't find his release point in a bullpen warmup. Throws a lot of changeups, which aren't very good.

 

Whatever that changeup/screwball is, it needs work

 

It's a shame, as he has a swing and miss fastball

Santiago has great stuff he just needs to challenge them and work off his fast ball better; so far in this game he isn't spotting it very well.