Well, that was a weak attempt.
I’m not going to dwell on it and go over the things Oakland could have done better, but here are the areas I think the A’s need to address to win:
- Macha needs to use his deep pen. Zito was done an inning before he was pulled, and the Oakland pen shut out the Tigers for the rest of the game.
- Oakland’s failure to score with runners in scoring position. They get on base, but then are erased by double plays and untimely hitting. Macha should really get the runners moving a little more often, but with free swingers like Swisher, Jimenez and Payton in the lineup, that may not be a great idea, either.
- Mental mistakes need to stop, now. The A’s played error-free, perfect baseball against Minnesota. The loss of Ellis really hurts, but even Chavez and Swisher made mistakes, which is unlike them.
- Hope Jerry Crawford doesn’t get back behind the plate. His strike zone was awful tonight. There’s a reason his 2006 stats were so out of line. His strike zone is terrible.
It’s a seven game series, though. There is plenty of baseball left to be played, and Oakland has home-field advantage. I’m still confident that the A’s can pull it out.