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September 6, 2008

Prospectus Preview

Saturday's Games to Watch

by Caleb Peiffer

Today's Full Slate of Games

Matchup: Athletics (64-77) at Orioles (63-77), 1:05 p.m. ET, 7:05 p.m.
Probable Starters: Greg Smith (159 2/3 IP, 4.40 RA, 1.37 WHIP, 99 K) vs. Garrett Olson (114 1/3, 6.69, 1.72, 72) in Game One; Josh Outman (98 1/3, 3.39, 1.37, 86—Double- and Triple-A) vs. Daniel Cabrera (171 2/3, 5.40, 1.55, 93) in Game Two
Pythagorean Record: Oakland, 66-75 (554 RS, 590 RA); Baltimore, 66-74 (710 RS, 755 RA)
Hit List Rankings: Oakland, #22; Baltimore, #23
Prospectus: Yesterday Orioles management exercised the option for 2009 on Dave Trembley's contract, and added another option for 2010. Baltimore then proceeded to go out and get smacked by the hapless Athletics offense, as Oakland exploded for eight runs in the eighth inning thanks to six walks (including four straight with the bases loaded), followed by a grand slam from light-hitting outfielder Rajai Davis, to win it 11-2. The A's five bases-loaded walks were the most since September of 2000, when the Cubs did it, and this helped Oakland avoid tying a club record for consecutive games without scoring more than six runs, halting the streak at 40, one fewer than the 1941 Philadelphia A's. The lopsided defeat dropped the Orioles to 0-3 in games played on days that Dave Trembley receives a contract extension, a trio of losses in which the O's have been outscored 50-12. Last August 22, the Orioles dropped the interim tag from Trembley's contract, signing him for '08 with an option for '09. That same night the newly-minted skipper watched as his pitchers gave up an American League-record 30 runs to Texas in the first game of a doubleheader at Camden Yards, before going on to lose the nightcap 9-7. That demoralizing evening was the start of a nine-game losing streak for the Birds, who went a major league-worst 11-28 to close the season. Today Baltimore plays another home doubleheader against an AL West club, this time trying to halt a skid of seven straight losses and 12 in the last 13.

Oakland will be playing its second doubleheader in three days, after the A's were swept in a pair at Kansas City on Thursday. This being September, Oakland is carrying 15 active pitchers, so this won't be that much of a problem. In the second game, the A's are handing the ball to Outman, a recently-recalled rookie who will be making his first major league start. Outman was one of the players Oakland received from Philadelphia for Joe Blanton, and finds himself on a major league mound after just 28 minor league innings in Oakland's system. The 23-year-old's debut keeps the A's ratio of rookies to non-rookies in their rotation at four to one. Outman is also—surprise—a left-hander, which will push Oakland's streak of games started by southpaws up to 17. The last righty to begin a game for the A's was Sean Gallagher, on August 19.

Matchup: Diamondbacks (71-69) at Dodgers (71-70), 12:55 p.m. PT, FOX
Probable Starters: Brandon Webb (192 IP, 3.70 RA, 1.17 WHIP, 160 K) vs. Chad Billingsley (175 2/3, 3.38, 1.32, 177) Pythagorean Record: Arizona, 72-68 (638 RS, 619 RA); Los Angeles, 73-68 (591 RS, 572 RA)
Hit List Rankings: Arizona, #15; Los Angeles, #13
Prospectus: Last Friday the Dodgers appeared to be in free fall down over Mulholland, as they had lost eight straight to drop four and a half games back. Six straight wins later, and it is the shuffling Snakes that are on the defensive. The offensive star for LA in Friday night's 7-0 series-opening win was right fielder Andre Ethier; he hit a solo shot in the first to begin the parade, added a two-run single in the second, smacked a ground-rule double to score another in the fourth, and then doubled in another in the sixth inning for his career-high fifth RBI. Ethier might have been able to extend that gapper into the triple he needed to earn a cycle, but he stumbled coming around second base while looking back to find the ball, and was thrown out trying to scramble back to second. Ethier's misstep prevented what could have been just the second cycle in Dodgers history, and the first ever by a Dodger at Chavez Ravine—Mr. Steady" Wes Parker is still the only Dodger to pull off the feat, back in 1970 against the Mets in now-doomed Shea Stadium. Ethier came back and singled in the eighth inning for his fifth hit, which earned him a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd. While it didn't quite make history, Ethier's tremendous game pushed his slugging percentage above .500 for the first time since late April. The Dodgers' third-year outfielder has been in extended celebration mode ever since manager Joe Torre finally gave in to the sensible notion of playing him every day: Ethier has been the starting right fielder in 18 of the Dodgers' last 19 games, and hit .372/.424/.808 during that stretch.

Ethier will attempt to keep his bat aflame against one of the NL's toughest this afternoon in Webb, who has struggled in his two attempts to become the circuit's first 20-game winner. Entering his August 26 start, Webb sat at 19-4 with a 2.74 ERA, but he gave up six runs in San Diego and then was hammered for eight by Los Angeles in Arizona last Sunday night, failing to make it out of the fourth inning. Webb however seems to be pitching in the right park to get back to his award winning ways, for just two Dodgers have crossed the plate in Webb's last 31 innings at Dodger Stadium, a stretch of four straight victories dating back to 2005.