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Post-Game Show: A’s 4, Rangers 2

Posted on April 30th, 2009 4:19pm by Evan Grant
Filed under Uncategorized

I’m not sure why Michael Young was going to third base on a one-out double in the ninth inning with the team down by three runs. There is no reason for that. Zero. None. Nothing. I guess I’ll be asking some questions about that because it re-emphasizes this team’s inability to play fundamental baseball at the most key moments. Not sure the play makes a difference in the outcome, but that’s the point, I’m not sure.

Other stuff to discuss:

• April is done with a 10-11 record. Good? Bad? Indifferent?

• Compare and contrast RHP Vicente Padilla’s start today with RHP Kevin Millwood’s eight-inning, 121-pitch outing on Tuesday.

• Chris Davis had 34 strikeouts in April, second only to Brad Wilkerson (37 in 2006) for the month of April. The Rangers are playing in a winnable division this season. How does that impact the handling/care/patience associated with Davis’ development.

23 Comments to “Post-Game Show: A’s 4, Rangers 2”

Doug Fu @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:28 pm

As much as we talk about the pitching, the hitting is starting to be troublesome to me. We have some guys that just flat aren’t hitting.

Padilla only gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. That should be enough to get this team a win.
blalock @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

can you talk about the fact that this game might be the last one i see? Are you kidding me? that was the most heart wrenching regular season game i’ve ever watched
Mick @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

MY’s fine for his base running blunder should be commensurate with his inflated salary. Also, it’s time to release Guardado.
jwise @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

I agree with Doug Fu. The Rangers situational hitting this year has been awful. How do we not score a run in the 5th inning? Padilla looked bad in the 1st but settled down and pitched a good enough game for us to win….

And can we please get rid of Eddie G. He just doesn’t look right this year.
KJ @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:55 pm

The base running blunder was bad and shows just how unorganized this ball club really is.

The fifth inning was an absolute embarrassment and compounded by the fact that the A’s executed the runner on third with less than two outs and got their first run the next half inning.
Chris @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm

IMO, Rudy Jaramillo is still VERY over-rated. He can get a hitter to put a few out of the yard, but when it comes to needing a single. He can’t do it.
Doug Fu @ April 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm

Oh, and to answer the first question, I’m disappointed in a 10-11 record in April. I thought it would have been better.
rob m. @ April 30th, 2009 at 5:02 pm

I had the Rangers at 12-10 for April so 10-11 is OK.

Didn;t see the game but followed it online. I am concerned about Padilla’s FB velocity.

Davis is going to K alot. He has been looking better at the plate recently so I don’t have too much concern about him.
Time to Roll @ April 30th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

Gotta keep ridin’ things out with the youngsters … they are the future of this club. Things will settle in, and even out as the season unfolds … the pitching isn’t there yet, and the hitting will come around.
Patience … it’s not about this year, anyway.

Go Rangers !!
wahouma @ April 30th, 2009 at 5:16 pm

the young running play is merely today’s example at the major league level of what i asked mike about yesterday. i bet we’ll have other examples at every minor league game today in the organization. and even with servais’ preaching, it just seems never to change…no one is ever seemingly held accountable.
Stephen R @ April 30th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

I think Chris Davis should be given another month. But, if he fails to show signs of turning it around, I absolutely think he needs to be sent back down to AAA. He looks over-matched right now. In addition, we can always slide Blalock over to 1B and play Jones everyday at DH.

I still believe Davis can be our 1B of the future, but I think you made a very important point: This is a very winnable division. We need to be fielding the best team possible.

On that same note, Derek Holland needs to be in the rotation in the coming weeks. He notched 150.2 IP last year and he needs to notch about 160-170 IP this year, if we expect him to be in the rotation from day one next season. He not only gives our team a better chance to win (over Benson, Feldman, etc) but his development is vital to our future.
Auditor @ April 30th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

For anyone who cares, here is more detail on the “tip” pitches by Arod.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/04/30/roberts.qa/index.html?eref=si_topstories
becca @ April 30th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

the hitting is killing me. we had some of our best guys up with bases loaded. guys that knows their job is produce at the plate. it’s frustrating.

i hate that everyday eddie had a bad outing. i missed the play by play on that due to a work retirement party. foreshadwoing maybe?

but most importantly, did padilla bean anybody?
Auditor @ April 30th, 2009 at 6:43 pm

Funny you should ask becca, HBP by Padilla was the 5th batter in the first inning.

When Padilla starts Evan needs to change the Home Run pool to a HBP contest.
becca @ April 30th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

YES! my boy padilla never lets me down! thanks auditor!
JustSaying @ April 30th, 2009 at 6:56 pm

A little disappointed with the record…..after a 3-0 start I was more optimistic….but I still think we can compete this year in “this” division….but we still need another bullpen arm or two….

Millwood should be an inspiration throughout the system cause I really think his off-season work is what has pushed him to this early success…….Padilla is a mystery and I think we need an astrologer or a psychoanalyst to take a look at him………

If we are in a winnable division then we have to put the best possible line-up out there……and despite my pre-season dis-belief Jones sure looks like he needs to be in almost every day….
Jolly @ April 30th, 2009 at 7:06 pm

The A-Rod story just rubs it in on Rangers fans faces………ie it was our owner who gave him the $252mil contract and it bothers me that if he didn’t display fiduciary responsibility then why would he suddenly possess that skill now? And that’s a much bigger problem than being short two arms in the bullpen……..that keeps me from being overly optimistic……
alan @ April 30th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

I thought this team was supposed to be about fundamentals…situational hitting, base running and defense….Those have been SO bad that the pitching weaknesses are almost irrelevant..Everybody give MY and Kinsler such high marks and praise for their key hits this season that they all overlook fundamentally TERRIBLE mistakes that they make you wonder who the young guys are supposed to learn from
T Coleman @ April 30th, 2009 at 9:03 pm

I appreciate how hard the everyday guys play, but I echo what has been said above…the team is not fundamentally sound. Frequent base running blunders, the inability to score from third base with less than two outs, stranding a lead-off double. Three of the four runs Oakland scored today were not the result of a base hit. The majority of the Ranger runs are scored from a home run.
Tim Perkins @ April 30th, 2009 at 9:51 pm

Kinda makes you wonder what the team used spring training for.
b.money @ April 30th, 2009 at 10:13 pm

This game was summed by runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. . . three stranded and zero runs across.

I can’t believe Mike couldn’t keep it on the ground to the right side. . . Blalock I believe, he swings for homerun or bust every pitch.
Mac @ May 1st, 2009 at 12:54 pm

I agree with Chris who I think hit the nail on the head. Rudy J. is way overrated and overpaid. There are some things he has done right i.e. his ability to fix a swing of a given player. But overall I really think he is weak. Last year for example you could see his work paying off as Rangers hitters took a more disciplined approach by going deeper into counts. This year that has vanished as you see a lot of first pitch swinging pop ups or weak ground outs in key RBI situations.

The Rangers do not hit situationaly very well, do not execute the bunt well, and have too many young guys struggling at the plate whcih is all a direct reflection on your hitting coach. It’s great that Rudy has helped Andru Jones improve his swing, but Chris Davis, David Murphy, and Taylor Teagarden struggle mightily and I am just not observing anything signifcant from the coaching. When you add the fact that Josh’s swing does not look as fluid or consistent as last year one has to look at the hitting coach and his approach. There is too much love thrown Rudy’s way and not enough discernement of the day to day and the end result. He seems to work well with veterans but I am not at all impressed with his work with young hitters. Rudy—-way overrated.
wahouma @ May 1st, 2009 at 2:45 pm

it’s always interested me that the loudest praise for jaramillo comes from the players. did you see laird’s comments last week from detroit?

i think he’s very good at teaching what he sees as the correct hitting approach and philosophy. it seems to me to be the baseball version of “nellie-ball” though. go for the fences (3-point shot) with all your might every time you see a pitch you like. what player didn’t love nellie? what player and his agent don’t love large power stats?

i wonder how washington/brown are with the “la vida grande” philosophy. ryan/daniels?