Series Preview: 5/18-5/21 Oakland Athletics @ Tampa Bay Rays

by R.J. Anderson on May 18, 2009 10:00 AM EDT

5/18: Sean Gallagher vs. Jeff Niemann (7:08 SS)

5/19: Josh Outman vs. James Shields (7:08 SS)

5/20: Brett Anderson vs. Scott Kazmir (7:08 SS)

5/21: Dallas Braden vs. Matt Garza (4:08 FSF)

Another four-game set against another team better than their record suggests. Exciting.

Gallagher is the lone right-handed starter we'll see this series. His fastball sits in the low-90s and te throws it alongside a slider, curve, and change-up. In terms of batted ball profile, he's pretty equal, although so far his line drive rates are through the roof. Gallagher is a strike-thrower if nothing else.

Outman throws in the mid-to-upper 90s, has a slider, and a change, and throws a lot of strikes himself. None of his run average numbers are overly impressive thanks to 1.69 HR/9. He never really had a problem with the long-ball in the minors, so this seems like a short-term ailment. He too throws strikes.

Anderson is another lefty who throws strikes and has issues with the homer - surprise, surprise, right? - you may remember him from the Dan Haren trade. Anderson is a groundball inducing pitcher thanks to a heavy 90-92 MPH fastball/sinker, slider, and curve/change combination. When he's on, few things touch the sky, when he's off though, more than a few things touch the sky.

Braden has been extremely solid for the A's and still sits in the high-80s.

C Kurt Suzuki

1B Jason Giambi

2B Adam Kenendy

3B Bobby Crosby/Jack Hannahan

SS Orlando Cabrera

LF Matt Holliday

CF Ryan Sweeney

RF Aaron Cunningham/Travis Buck

DH Jack Cust

Yup, another injury depleted lineup.

Pre-Cleveland: 37%

Post-Cleveland: 38%

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Comments

Kennedy was 3-4 yesterday with a HR

by usfraysfan on May 18, 2009 10:07 AM EDT reply actions

Just Curious

What are our playoff chances at now?

by nolesblogger on May 18, 2009 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

PECOTA adjusted we are at

38.29317%

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Non-PECOTA we are at

18.46338% (though that’s a stupid way to look at things since it puts the Jays at 79.28405%)

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

MARCO SCUTARO

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

SCOOTER-O

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Here's the link

Link

by rays_world_champs on May 18, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Is it free? I didn't want to link it and have no one be able to read it.

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Free

by rays_world_champs on May 18, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

THEN I WANT MY $40 BACK

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Heh, we're in 2nd place in the division in 3rd Order wins

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Matt Holliday's ISO is 150.

Imagine how much the ConnorMannings and Raymondo’s of the world would despise Holliday had we acquired him. I think the internet might shut down.

I kind of wish we’d kept Kennedy, particularly since Aki has not been good this year, but I suppose Aybar, Zobrist, and Brignac can handle it should we trade Akimora.

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

Tim McCarver is a baseball genius!

get him a front office job now

by BJ the Bossman on May 18, 2009 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions

That was a BLOWN HIT AND RUN BY THE WAY

by ReasonableDoubt on May 18, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Bad in what way?

His wOBA is just a point lower than his career high. Can’t trust his UZR right now, but defensively I think he’s been pretty solid. Stolen eight bases, too. What aspect of his game are you underwhelmed by?

by PlayOnWords on May 18, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe bad is harsh choice of words.

The offense is right in line with what he usually does, but his UZR has never been good and he’s cost us some runs with some uncharacteristic bobbles this year. He’s still sexy at turning a double play, but Kennedy probably would have been an upgrade defensively had we needed him.

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I think he's fine where he is

He was +1.2 in UZR last year. This year – too early to say. I don’t want Zobrist anywhere near the infield at any time.

by PlayOnWords on May 18, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

If Zobrist is slugging 600+, don't you think that kind of outweighs Aki's defensive contribution?

This is mostly a bad case of rosterbation, though.

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions

The A's are not a good team relatively speaking

Yeah they have some talent, but if you had to rank the AL teams they would certainly be near the bottom…if not the bottom. You can easily make the case they are the worst in the AL or 2nd worst behind Baltimore independent of current record.

We’ve played a lot of road games so far this year, but we’ve played a lot of games against bad teams in the AL too. We’ve played a lot vs the worst team in the ALE. We’ve played series vs the bottom three in the Central and none against the top 2 in the Central. And this will be our third season vs the bottom 2 in the ALW with none against the top two in the ALW. We’ve also played zero against the best record in the AL.

We need to win 3 of 4 or very well win all 4. The As are arguably the worst in the AL. If we want to make the playoffs we need to destroy teams like this.

by matthan on May 18, 2009 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

Of course if we were beating these teams we could say that is why they have such a poor record

But out of those 6 teams only Cleveland has a losing record vs us correct?

Not a good start vs the bad teams…

by matthan on May 18, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

The A's are better than their record indicates.

And there might not be a team in the AL with true talent levels below 70 wins.

by R.J. Anderson on May 18, 2009 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree. I think the AL is strong, but the As are still probably the worst in the league. I’m sure their winning percentage should be better than 382. However even still they are arguably the worst in the league. Like I said I don’t think the A’s are this bad, but Beane has constructed the worst team in the AL this year. It is what it is. It would not shock me if they draft 2nd or 3rd next year.

IMO this is our easiest AL series of the year. I think Baltimore and the As are pretty equal for the crappiest team in the league. However this series should be easier for the Rays considering the travel distance from Oakland and the fact that it is not a divisional game.

by matthan on May 18, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

The A's have a very good bullpen

To beat them we need to jump out early and not think we can keep it tight and comeback.

Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You'll be an old man before you know it.

-Al Lopez

by Sandy Kazmir on May 18, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

This - and it isn't even at full strength

Could you imagine Bailey/Ziegler/Casilla/Devine/Wuertz? Game freaking over with a lead after 6

What's on my mind

by Jason Collette on May 18, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't see the A's being THAT bad when it's all said and done.

Their rotation needs some help, but once that lineup gets going they’ll rattle off some wins.

by R.J. Anderson on May 18, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah their winning percentage should creep up

I say they finish around .415-.430

by matthan on May 18, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Baltimore really isn't bad. If they can beef up the back end of the rotation, they'll be dangerous.

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Just waiting on those youngsters.

Ugh, too many good FOs in one division.

by R.J. Anderson on May 18, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Seriously.

In another division, the Jays would have been in the playoffs for the last 3-4 years.

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

They're tied for worst FO in the division

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Tied with Yanks or Baltimore?

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

New Jork Jankees

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

CC FATBATHIA

by Suttree on May 18, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

A FRAUD ROID ROD

Until Next Time,
The Sports Chief

by Top Gun Numba 1 on May 18, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

You mean Jew York? yeah, it's okay, I guess...

by ReasonableDoubt on May 18, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

In a couple years Baltimore will be okay

But what teams in the AL are they better than right now?

Oakland? Maybe
Seattle? No
Cleveland? Maybe
CWS? No
Minnesota? No
KC? No

by matthan on May 18, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

i think balt is better than Seattle and KC.

by walkoffwalk on May 18, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Chicago

Cleveland

-Al Lopez

by Sandy Kazmir on May 18, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I think the pitching differences between KC, Seattle, and the CWS to Baltimore

Is like night and day.

by matthan on May 18, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions

No doubt that B-More pitching is not good, but they do have a very strong lineup

My contention was that Baltimore as a team is better than Chicago, Cleveland, Oakland, and maybe Seattle.

-Al Lopez

by Sandy Kazmir on May 18, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Baltimore's FO has been in place for how long? 1-2 yrs?

Are you judging them by current performance?

Keith Law and Baseball America give them a top ten farm system, I’m guessing much of it weighted on the last two drafts (Wieters, Matusz, Arrieta, etc). Traded for Chris Tillman, Adam Jones, etc. They’ve done a lot in a short amount of time.

I’d probably put them ahead of most of the AL-C and AL-W.

Today, we are all Honkballers.

by RATW on May 18, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Not to defend them

Because as a fan right now, they are annoying to watch. But for the 3rd straight season theyve been destroyed by injuries.

3 infielders out
4/5ths of their projected 09 rotation is either struggling, injured, or in AAA…eveland/duchscherer/gio/gallagher. which is why they had to rush cahill/anderson. surprisingly they have a top tier bullpen without devine/ziegler/blevins/brown . overall, the majority of their 08 staff have done nothing this yr. add in the struggles of giambi/holliday who they thought would help and their team is struggling

by Asfan4ever723 on May 18, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions