Athletics 5, Twins 2

Right after two of his Minnesota teammates hit back-to-back home runs, Torii Hunter tried to be the hero.

Instead, the Gold Glove center fielder made an ill-advised dive for a sinking line drive. Sprawled on the turf, he could only watch as Mark Kotsay circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run that lifted the Oakland Athletics over Minnesota 5-2 Wednesday for a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.

"It was the worst feeling in the world. You can't do anything about it," said Hunter, who blamed himself for this devastating defeat.

A's starter Esteban Loaiza slipped in the sixth inning, surrendering consecutive solo homers to Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau that evened the game at 2.

But with Jason Kendall on first base, two outs in the seventh and reliever Dennys Reyes pitching, Kotsay hit what should have been a single. Hunter, bothered by a sore left foot this season, charged forward.

"There's only one person in this league that can make that catch, and it's Torii," said Cuddyer, who watched from right field. "Although it's as close as you come, he's not Superman."

The five-time Gold Glover missed -- by a lot -- and the ball rolled to the wall. Kotsay raced all the way around to give Oakland a 4-2 lead.

"Once you commit, you're kind of in no-man's land, and it's best to go," said Kotsay, also a center fielder. "He went, and for his sake, unfortunately, the ball took off."

Said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire: "When he goes after a ball, I don't second-guess him. Ever."

The A's handled the Boof -- Bonser, that is -- and here's the truth: These perennial playoff underperformers have arrived at yet another elimination game. They're 0-9 in those since 2000, losing four straight first-round series.

"This team knows what to do," said Eric Chavez, a regular on all four of those clubs. "We're hard-nosed baseball players that like to play the game. I don't think anybody here, regardless if they've been in this position, is going to take Game 3 lightly."

The series shifts west Friday, with Twins right-hander Brad Radke taking his broken shoulder socket to the mound for possibly the final time of his 12-year career. Dan Haren, in his first postseason start, will pitch for Oakland.

Bonser, a rookie, struck out three in six innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. Sidearmer Pat Neshek, who took the loss, started the seventh before yielding to Reyes.

The A's -- who got an RBI double from Marco Scutaro for the second day in a row -- tacked one more on in the ninth when Nick Swisher doubled against Juan Rincon and scored on Joe Nathan's wild pitch.

Huston Street worked the ninth for his second save in as many days after blowing 11 chances during the regular season. He gave up a single to Jason Bartlett and a walk to Luis Castillo, but retired Nick Punto on a popup on a 3-2 pitch with AL batting champion Joe Mauer on deck.

Minnesota won championships in 1987 and 1991 without winning a single road game in either of those World Series, and the Metrodome -- with the deteriorating, dust-colored ceiling and the din of a sellout crowd -- is a difficult place for opponents.

But the advantage for the Twins seems outdated now. They've lost seven straight at home in the postseason, with their last win coming in Game 1 of the 2002 AL championship series against the Angels.

Bonser, who arrived from the Giants with Nathan and All-Star Francisco Liriano in the lopsided trade for catcher A.J. Pierzynski, settled in as a reliable member of the rotation when his third stint in the majors began in mid-August. The Twins were impressed by his aggressiveness, and his anger when prospect Matt Garza was promoted ahead of him following the first revelation of Liriano's injury.

Bonser attacked the strike zone like he was supposed to, being careful with Frank Thomas on a second-inning walk for his only four-ball count of the afternoon. A ground-rule double by Thomas, 4-for-7 in the series, didn't lead to anything in the fourth, and it wasn't until the fifth that Bonser had trouble.

Swisher started with a double, and Scutaro drove him in with a two-base hit to the exact same spot -- in the right-field corner. Kendall's one-out RBI single gave the A's a 2-0 lead, just like the one Barry Zito had by the second inning in Game 1 to beat Johan Santana.

Loaiza, who had an up-and-down year marked by a trip to the disabled list in May, a drunken-driving arrest in June and an outstanding August, scattered six singles over the first five innings and had flawless infield defense behind him from Swisher at first base, Scutaro at shortstop and Chavez at third. He was looking strong until he left a 3-2 pitch over the plate for Cuddyer to crush into the seats.

Morneau came next, sending a 1-2 delivery soaring into the upper deck. Suddenly, the game was tied and Loaiza was leaving the mound, replaced by Kiko Calero -- who got three outs and the win.

Peek at the Week: Interleague intrigue

Are you ready for some more Interleague Play action?
The 10th season of National League vs. American League teams during the regular season continues on Friday when 28 of the 30 MLB teams resume Interleague Play.
Everyone except the Cardinals and Rockies go out of their league in an attempt to make inroads within their own division pennant races, and don't we have some dandy division races going on?
Eight teams are within three games of first place in their respective divisions, and the top four teams in the five-team NL West went into Sunday's games within two games of each other, adding further significance to the Giants' three-game series against the struggling Diamondbacks that starts Tuesday night in Phoenix.
As we take our regular Peek at the Week, the return of Interleague Play brings back some World Series memories.
For starters:
* The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Oakland Athletics for a three-game series starting Friday night and Kirk Gibson will not throw out the ceremonial first pitch. You probably remember that "I don't believe what I just saw" home run Gibson delivered in the 1988 Fall Classic, a lightning bolt that ignited the Dodgers' unexpected Series championship in five games.
But A's fans have fonder memories of the 1974 World Series when the "Mustache Gang" completed their three-peat with a classic Series performance against the Dodgers. Rollie, Catfish, Vida and Captain Sal led the way.
* A few hours before the Dodgers and Athletics play their series opener on Friday, the Mets and Orioles begin a three-game weekend series at Shea Stadium, where the 1969 Miracle Mets stunned the baseball world by upsetting the heavily-favored Orioles to capture the organization's first World Series title.
* For some really seasoned baseball fans, the three-game series between the Tigers and Cubs at Wrigley Field beginning on Friday jogs the memory bank. It was only 61 years ago that these teams met in the Fall Classic. The AL champ Tigers won the best-of-seven series four games to three. Ten years earlier, in '35, the Tigers also beat the Cubbies, four games to two.
Going back even further -- most of you probably don't remember -- the Cubs and Tigers played in back-to-back Fall Classics in 1907 and '08. The Cubs won eight of the nine games and, well, have been in a little World Series drought ever since.
Now, peeking a little further ahead during the upcoming 17-day Interleague Play period, former Series foes Astros-White Sox (2005), Marlins-Yankees (2003), Angels-Giants (2002), Braves-Yankees (1999), Blue Jays-Braves (1992), Cardinals-Tigers (1968) and Red Sox-Phillies (1915) play each other.
Thanks to some thorough research by MLB.com colleague T.R. Sullivan (a former paperboy for the San Jose Mercury-News in the Fort Ord, Calif. area), we can inform you that right-hander Omar Olivares, who retired at the end of the 2001 season, is the all-time batting leader for pitchers in Interleague Play. He went 6-for-13 (.462) in stints with the Mariners, Angels, Athletics and Tigers.
Athletics left-hander Joe Kennedy is 4-for-11, making him the leader among active pitchers.
When it comes to striking out, Angels right-hander Bartolo Colon gets a taste of his own medicine. He has struck out 26 times in 79 at-bats during his career as a "hitter," 11 more whiffs than Kevin Appier, who recently was released from his Triple-A contract with the Tacoma Rainiers.
The mythical "Rickey Henderson Award," which goes to the pitcher with the most stolen bases, currently is shared by Kenny Rogers, Ismael Valdes and Kip Wells. They have one stolen base apiece.
Also, the Cardinals' designated hitters have the best batting average (.318) among NL teams playing in AL parks. The Twins pitchers, with a .180 mark, have the best batting average among AL teams playing in NL parks.
As of today, the Athletics own the lowest batting average (.083), going 14-for-168 with no home runs and five RBIs.

Oakland A’s vs. Cleveland Indians

Thursday, June 8th 2006 12:00 PM ET
Jacobs Field

By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.com
Contributing Writer

A’s catcher Jason Kendall hit his first home run in almost two years against Kansas City on Wednesday night in the 7-0 shutout. "Two more and I've got 70," Kendall joked after hitting his 68th career homer.

Blanton on the other hand pitched the complete game allowing only five hits with no errors and no runs in a great night for the A’s pitcher who’s 5-5 so far this season.

The Oakland A’s are now six games under .500 the worst record for them in the season. This week they get to travel to Cleveland to try and improve their record against the Indians that are playing really good; they’ve got the confidence to win at least one game on the road trip.

Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2. Nick Swisher, LF. 3. Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4. Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6. Jay Payton, RF. 7. Dan Johnson, 1st B. 8. Jason Kendall, C. 9. Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.

Westbrook pitched seven scoreless innings and Cleveland's bullpen finished up the Indians' third shutout in seven games, a 5-0 victory over the White Sox, who were blanked for the first time this season.

This is a very positive victory for the Indians who are struggling in third place in the AL Central behind Detroit and the White Sox. They’re .500 now and playing better everyday.

Cleveland has a very good lineup and the pitching department is one of the best in the league. They have the depth and the power to match against any team in the Majors. They might have a chance to go to the post season if they continue to play like they did against the White Sox.

They’ll match-up next week against the A’s another team that’s in urgent need of victories. That is why this series will be so exciting and many sports betting fans will want a piece of the action.

Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2. Jason Michaels, LF. 3. Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4. Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Victor Martinez, C. 6. Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7. Casey Blake, RF. 8. Aaron Boone, 3B. 9. Lou Merloni, 2B.

Oakland A’s vs. Cleveland Indians

Thursday, June 8th 2006 12:00 PM ET
Jacobs Field

By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.com
Contributing Writer

A’s catcher Jason Kendall hit his first home run in almost two years against Kansas City on Wednesday night in the 7-0 shutout. "Two more and I've got 70," Kendall joked after hitting his 68th career homer.

Blanton on the other hand pitched the complete game allowing only five hits with no errors and no runs in a great night for the A’s pitcher who’s 5-5 so far this season.

The Oakland A’s are now six games under .500 the worst record for them in the season. This week they get to travel to Cleveland to try and improve their record against the Indians that are playing really good; they’ve got the confidence to win at least one game on the road trip.

Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2. Nick Swisher, LF. 3. Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4. Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6. Jay Payton, RF. 7. Dan Johnson, 1st B. 8. Jason Kendall, C. 9. Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.

Westbrook pitched seven scoreless innings and Cleveland's bullpen finished up the Indians' third shutout in seven games, a 5-0 victory over the White Sox, who were blanked for the first time this season.

This is a very positive victory for the Indians who are struggling in third place in the AL Central behind Detroit and the White Sox. They’re .500 now and playing better everyday.

Cleveland has a very good lineup and the pitching department is one of the best in the league. They have the depth and the power to match against any team in the Majors. They might have a chance to go to the post season if they continue to play like they did against the White Sox.

They’ll match-up next week against the A’s another team that’s in urgent need of victories. That is why this series will be so exciting and many sports betting fans will want a piece of the action.

Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2. Jason Michaels, LF. 3. Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4. Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Victor Martinez, C. 6. Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7. Casey Blake, RF.8. Aaron Boone, 3B. 9. Lou Merloni, 2B.

Things getting ugly in Oakland

By most accounts, this season was supposed to be one filled with plenty of promise for the young Oakland Athletics.
After all, Oakland turned 2005 into one of the quickest rebuilding projects ever seen. And with a young nucleus largely intact, along with the arrival of veterans such as Esteban Loaiza and Frank Thomas, the 2006 A's were looking pretty solid on paper. That is, until the injuries started mounting and the offense went into a trance.
The misery came to a head this past week for the A's, who have lost eight of their last nine, including seven in a row until Saturday's 6-3 victory over Texas.
To describe the A's offense (.246 combined batting average) as anything less than dreadful would be an injustice. The lineup has not been able to string together hits, and the hitters who do manage to reach base usually end up getting stranded. Until recently, the A's have been able to get by with solid pitching and strong defense. But now the problems - and the losses - are beginning to pile up for the A's.
Oakland has dipped to 23-27 on the season. For those who like to look at the glass half full, the A's are still only three games back of the division- leading Rangers in what has been an anemic American League West Division so far in 2006.
If Oakland is going to stay in contention, the club is going to have to find a way to win the close games. Though they went 1-6 on their recent road trip, the A's lost four games by one run. In fact, last Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the defending champion Chicago White Sox was the only game in which Oakland lost by more than two runs on the swing.
Manager Ken Macha is not giving up hope on his club.
"We played the World Series champs and the division leader, and I think we played nose to nose with them, even all busted up," Macha told the Oakland Tribune. "As I look at us after 50 games, there's nobody we can't play with, regardless of how many we're under .500. It doesn't matter."

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST)

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:

NL WEST

Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.

Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.

Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.

The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.

The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.

So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.

Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.

With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title. Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.

Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.

The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.

The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.

First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.

The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.

So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.

By Kevin Rreavey
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

It’s been a good, bad and ugly kind of week for me.

I hit the trifecta at Pimlico--that’s good.

My Little League kids went 0-3 with Coach Reavy in attendance--that’s bad.

And Wednesday night, upon hearing of the reality demise of my “dawg,” Elliot Yamin, I was both sad to hear the news and disappointed in the realization that I had just watched 12 straight episodes of American Idol, spanning two months--that’s...well, you get the point.

Fortunately for me, however, the sports world is never without its good, bad and ugly moments also.

Here are the high (and low)lights of the week that’s passed.

The Good:

Barry Bonds’ 714th homerun ball--for Tyler Snyder, the guy who caught it. Surely the eBay--er, Bay Area-- faithful are proud of their slugger, and might even open up their checkbooks to make a bid for the historic blast. But, to me, nothing tells the story more beautifully than these four words uttered by Tyler, the soon-to-be rich Athletics fan (thanks to Bonds), after the game: “I hate that guy.”

The NBA playoffs. While the highlight of my basketball season is admittedly the NBA draft, I can’t help but marvel at the fantastic series that have been played up to this point. It really has made me forget that the NHL is on strike. (Editor’s note: Kevin doesn’t receive the OLN channel.)

After dropping five straight, the Phillies finally won.

The Bad:

After dropping five straight, the Phillies finally won.

Cubs catcher, Michael Barrett, punched AJ Pierzynski after a collision at home plate. This is a bad thing only because I think Barrett may have hurt his hand when delivering the blow.

NBC started airing episodes of the “National Heads-Up Poker Championship.” This might be a good thing had ESPN not decided to air roughly 300 episodes of World Series of Poker tournaments on a constant loop on ESPN channels 1thru 6. This would be cool if the World Poker Tour and Celebrity Poker Who Gives a Crap weren’t already force-feeding its addictive felt-and-clay-chip abundant allure down my throat. Instead, it’s overkill. Not because I hate watching poker shows on TV, but because I watch all of them. And I need my life back.

The Ugly:

Just one thing...
Kobe’s attire on "Inside the NBA" last Wednesday. Because nothing says street cred like a powder-blue sweater vest.

--
That will do it for this week’s edition of The Sports Column. If I can avoid the TiVo-limit hold ‘em barrage this week, I’ll try to keep an eye out for the top stories for next time.
Until then, enjoy the news as it happens.