Touring the American West Conculsion

The Bay Bridge Rivalry -  The Athletes love this series because it fills the Coliseum with Giant fans.

Game 1 -  The Giants rallied with four runs in the ninth inning to overtake the A's.  Lincecum is the story.  In the first inning he had allowed three runs, the base were loaded and still none out.  He then proceeded to strike out the next three batters and went on to pitch hit less ball until taken out after the sixth inning.  Is Lincecum back?

The Giants won this game in spite of  their strategy.   In the A's eighth Lopez had two out and then walked a batter.  Hensley was brought in to pitch to a right handed hitter.  Sorry, I would never replace Lopez with Hensley regardless of the situation.  Hensley proceeded  to load the bases bringing up Crisp.  The count is 3-2 and the next pitch is two feet inside and the umpire calls him out.  A big break for the Giants and a call that probably costs the A's the game.   In the Giants ninth the first five Giants got on base with walks and hits.  The A's were desperate to get an out and the Giants obliged by having Arias bunt demonstrating how to kill a rally in one easy lesson. The Giants managed to score one more run which they needed but could have probably easily scored a few more. If I managed in the American League with the DH rule the team would probably not bunt once during the entire season. 

Game - 2   The A's scored four runs in the ninth but fell one run short of catching the Giants.  Hensley replaced Lopez again and got the final out with the bases loaded.

Game - 3  A three run homer in the last of the ninth enabled the A's to salvage the last game of the series.

Notes - The Giants won the season series from the A's 4 -2. . .  It is hard to expect the 'Three Amigos' (Cabrera, Pagan and Blanco) to continue their hot streak which has carried the Giants for most of the first part of the season.  They cooled in the A's series going five for 32. . . The Yankees play in a stadium built for home runs which is one of the reasons the 2012 Yankees already have more round trippers then the Giants had during the entire 2011 season. . .  We reported that the Giants were ready for their road tour but they lost five of nine to  American League West teams proving that we can't be right all of the time.

Homer Sweeney