A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
· Yahoo Sports
Just when you think it can’t get any worse…A comically pathetic 8th inning turns a possible actual win into just another disheveled loss and the “free fall” stats keep mounting.
It’s hard to believe that on June 19th the A’s were 38-38, winning percentage that would earn them a spot 1.5 games out of 1st place had they maintained it through this evening. In hindsight, it was probably a relatively poor strategy to go 7-30 thereafter, 5-26 in their most recent 31.
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Before continuing, we need to take a moment to appreciate just how “Bad News Bears” the bottom of the 8th inning was. Tasked with holding a 4-3 lead, Hogan Harris began the inning with the obligatory lead off walk. To his credit he was efficient and needed only 4 pitches, cleverly conserving himself so he could offer his greatness to many ensuing batters.
Then he walked the second hitter because walking the first 2 you face has become a reliever’s mantra. No fewer than 3 different relievers did that in the same game not too long ago — I would tell you the exact date but the games all blend together now.
In the only normal at bat, JJ Bleday struck out. What followed was somewhat remarkable in that it took blunders from 3 different players to occur. Tyler Stephenson flied to RF deep enough for Elly De La Cruz to tag and go to 3B. Butler’s throw was one hop to the cut off man, Jacob Wilson, but Wilson let the ball go through. It went through to 3Bman Tommy White, who fielded the throw by not catching it and the ball rolled to Hogan Harris backing up. Harris looked at the ball, counted the stitches, and thought about his grocery list, but did not call time. So Sal Stewart, who had been anchored to the bag at 1B the entire time, jogged to 2B.
Undaunted, Harris got back on top of the mound where he proceeded to do his best Nick LaLoosh impression. He threw one pitch so far high and outside Jonah Heim checked his back pocket for a 1st row ticket to see if he was allowed to catch it. Another wild pitch appeared to hit Eugenio Suarez in the foot — until you realized what it hit was Heim’s glove clanking it. And so the A’s lost 5-4.
Every time you think, “Well, nowhere to go but up” the A’s manage to make a further mockery of the game. Without a doubt injuries have greatly impacted the team of late, but it’s also notable that Butler, Wilson, and Harris were all with the team out of camp and Heim has been healthy throughout his time with the A’s. It’s not all scrubs and fill-ins who are in the middle of each embarrassment. It’s everyone.
Which makes one wonder: so what’s next? Are we destined to witness Tyler Soderstrom range back for a fly ball only to trip over his shoelace and send the ball caroming over the wall for a HR? Might Jacob Lopez somehow commit a pitch timer violation, balk, and adultery all on the same pitch? Can we expect Alika Williams, with the bases loaded, to catch a pop up and toss the ball into the stands not remembering that it was the first out? Could Elvis Alvarado try the “hidden ball trick” and then cause a 30 minute delay because he can’t remember where he hid it? Will Donovan Walton push a suicide squeeze so hard to 3B it smacks Henry Bolte in his “good testicle” ending his season and any chance at fatherhood?
Probably.