the sporting life

Baseball Playoffs



Another Oakland ALDS Lead

So the A's are up 2-love in another ALDS, we've been here before, right? In any series, to win the first two games on the road is too much to hope for, an amazing gift, by definition more than enough. But even after the miracle of beating the searing Johan Santana at home in Game 1 (his first home loss all year), today's game 2 was more must-win for the A's than one might think.

Even after winning those first two in New York in 2001, it was still necessary to win Game 3. Because Game 4 had "A's Loss" written all over it before the series even began; Cory Lidle had himself a nice little season that year as a fourth starter, but facing a three-time defending championship lineup and going against the then still mysterious and powerful El Duque was obviously more than should have been handed to the cute little guy. The 9-2 blowout that ensued was glaringly predictable. And once a series has gone to a Game 5 in New York, it's hard to pick any but the home team.

And so this year; the spectre of Santana in Minneapolis in Game 5 looms over the entire series. This is a four game series for the A's, it's imperative they win it by then. Lose today, and you must win both in Oakland, and if any of the middle three games might favor the Twins, it's Friday's Game 3, and their veteran starter. Yes, Brad Radke has a broken shoulder and could melt down for an easy A's win, series over without a fuss. But if the former 20-win ace (in perhaps the final moments of his career) can pull it together, it's not hard to imagine him getting the best of Danny Haren. In which case, Game 4 suddenly becomes a life-or-death cage-match for the A's, riding on the health/stamina/gumption of young pseudo-ace Rich Harden.

Is he or isn't he? By all accounts boasting some of the best (cough) "stuff" in the league, we've been waiting for Harden to blossom into a dominating monster for a couple of seasons now, but this turned into yet another season he couldn't stay healthy for. Coulda-Woulda, Richie. So is he the team's future, or is he Mark Prior/Kerry Wood; super-talented, never healthy, never a factor? If Oakland loses on Friday, only an effective Harden can prevent yet another horrifying ALDS collapse, which is more tenuous a proposition than it really ought to be.

So after losing 9 straight games that could have put them into the ALCS, here come numbers 10-11-12, three more set points. And the longer it goes, the more problematic it gets.