If everyone has played like Rich Harden last night, Oakland probably would have won, instead of losing to Boston … again, this time not scoring a single run in the 5-0 loss. Harden pitched five solid innings only giving up four hits, and striking out six batters. With no outs in the first and bases loaded, Harden struck out the next two batters, Ramirez and Lowell, and picked up number three in a ground-out by Drew. Later, in Harden’s last inning, the fifth, he faced four batters and picked up three strikeouts.
This effort was followed by a string of bad pitching. Andrew Brown, the first reliever, hit the first batter he faced, Lowell. Next he struck out Boston’s Drew, and Lowell was caught stealing. Good. Things were looking optimistic. Then Brown gave up a walk and a single. Cue Reliever Alan Embree.
With two men, Embree also hit the first batter he faced. Bases loaded. Pedoria, the next batter grounds out in a fielder’s choice and the game remains scoreless. In the top of the seventh, Embree started things off by giving up a double and a homerun (Ortiz), then got the next three batters out to end the inning, making the score 2-0 Boston.
Oakland brought DiNardo to the mound in the eighth, who immediately gave up four singles and a run. He was quickly replaced by Casilla, who gave up another single and a run before picking up a strikeout and creating a double play. 5 hits in the inning (more than Oakland had the whole game). 4-0 Boston. Oakland’s sixth pitcher of the game, Huston Street, only faced four batters in the ninth, but the game wouldn’t have been complete if he hadn’t given up a home-run to Varitek to round out the score at 5-0.
Oakland’s hitting has to come alive. It’s simple. You need more than four hits per game. And you certainly need to have an inning or two that yields more than one hit. Things the team couldn’t do last night.
Oakland plays Cleveland tonight at home (Duchscherer v. Byrd) and we’ll have to see if anything changes.
