Escape From New York
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by user Theidiotchronicles
This is a repost from my blog " The Idiot Chronicles ":
The A's just finished a sweep in New York but they were the ones who got swept. 2 of the 3 games weren't close and the middle game of the series was a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the bottom of the ninth. However, the problem was the same in all three games. The weakened pitching staff is a problem. You could argue the hitting was shit too.
The core starting staff is still solid: Dan Haren, Chad Gaudin and Saturday's starter Joe Blanton. Blanton held the Mets in check...of course the A's didn't score. So when Blanton left in the ninth, the A's lost. The starting staff has been great all year but lately Joe Kennedy and retread Lenny DiNardo have had problems.
There are some guys at Sacramento who might help. Isn't Brad Halsey healthy yet? What about the Hawaiian Punch Shane Komine? Can we give Dallas Braden another shot? How about we start the Jason Windsor era? Any of these guys could provide a boost. While I think DiNardo is out when Harden regains his strength, the A's need to get Kennedy on the right track.
The pen lost yet another guy when Kiko Calero said he has a "dead arm". Calero has been awful all year long so this might not be a bad thing. He is headed for the DL. The rest of the pen is kinda scary except for Alan Embree, who has been a godsend. Having Harden there, even temporarily, will help.
I give the Mets a lot of credit, especially their pitchers. The A's really had a hard time with them. This series exposed the weaknesses this team has if nothing else!
