The A's are Against the Ropes
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The Detroit Tigers look like a team of destiny. It's usually a bad sign for any opponent when a team finds several ways to beat you. Instead of completely shutting the A's down like they did Tuesday evening, the Tigers matched each A's offensive threat with a flurry of runs of their own without a blink or stammer. And they showed us all why they, indeed, have the best bullpen in the Major Leagues. They slowed the A's momentum down just enough to deliver a decisive knockout blow in the eighth and ninth innings, a tribute to their indomitable will and Fernando Rodney's 96 mph fastballs and Todd Jones' craftiness. They are clearly this year’s Chicago White Sox, able to find the slimmest cracks and crannies in a team’s defenses and exploiting the hell out of them.
For A's fans, however, last night's game was not business as usual. Milton Bradley became a big league star last night with his prime time base knocks off Justin Verlander. If there is any consolation, Bradley showed that Verlander and Zumaya are mere mortals who can be slapped around with the right mental approach. Whether other A's players noticed is another matter. Big Hurt, are you listening? They should be emboldened by his fearlessness, as well as Mark Kotsay's gamesmanship. Is there hope for a turnaround this weekend? Probably not! But the real measure of a team is how they deal with adversity. And this weekend, we will all bear witness to how the Oakland A’s of 2006 conspire to tempt fate and redirect the flow of destiny.
SFist Kevin contributing