Angels @ A's - Liveblogging - Take One

Ok, rubber game in Oakland. I'll try this liveblogging thing today.

21.35 (CET): Oh dear, Finley in center again.

21.39: Blanton retires the Angels 1-2-3 on 12 pitches.

21.42: Come on, Kendall didn't even try to get out of the way. HBP.

21.47: Oakland gives up an out (?) and bunts him out.
A passed ball moves him to third, but Byrd comes back from 2-0 to strike out Crosby. Chavez grouds out on the first pitch, thank you very much. 12 pitches for Byrd as well.

21.48: Vladdi goes yard. 1-0 Angels

21.52: So Finley's got a track record of not-sucking. Great. He's forty years old for crying out loud. And he flies out to left.

21.56: Two walks and a double play. 36 pitches for Blanton.

22.03: 0-2-single, double play, single, fly out. 25 pitches for Byrd.

22.10: Figgins speed produces another error. Runners at the corners, no outs.

22.12: What a crap! Early in the game the batter should take some pitches and not swing at bad pitches, especially on a 1-0 count. Cabrera behind 1-2, a strike-out in the waiting.

22.13: Fly out, not deep enough. Just as good.

22.16: Erstad strikes out on three pitches. Why is he in the third spot again?

22.17: I think it says a lot that the announcers expect Erstad to make a productive out with runners on 2nd and 3rd, instead of getting a hit or something. Kotchman ground out on the first pitch. Typical Angels inning.

22.20: 58 pitches for Blaton by the way.

22.25: Kotsay hammers a ball high in the air and it lands just in front of the wall. Kotsay in awe of himself is held to a single. Crosby misses a 3-runs-homerun as the ball hooks around the foul pole. I swear my heart stopped for a second.

22.29: With two nice plays by Byrd and Erstad, who at least took his gold glove out of the locker again, the Angels get out of the inning unscathed. Byrd has 29 pitches.

22.37: Kennedy drives home Izturis, who doubled, with two outs. 2-0 Angels

22.48: A single and that's it. Byrd has thrown 66 pitches.

22.54: 1st and 2nd, no outs and Vladdi up.

22.55: Fly out to left. Too bad.

22.56: Kotchman grounds out, nearly a double play ball.

22.58: Finley flies out, inning over. 91 pitches for Blanton, so we probably will see more of him next inning.

23.10: Byrd allows a leadoff single, but gets out of the inning on three fly outs, interrupt by another single. 86 pitches thrown.

23.19: My internet connection just broke down, so I missed a 1-2-3 inning for the Angels and Byrd is pitching again.

23.22: Kielty tries a karate move to avoid the tag, but has no success. A beautyful Strike-Out-Thrown-Him-Out double ends the inning.

23.27: At 104 pitches, Byrd probably won't come out again.

23.30: Figgins, who led off with a double, is caught in a rundown between 3rd and 2nd but manages to stay alive long enough to let OC reach 2nd. One out.

23.33: Erstad grounds out, of course and is intentionally walked. Bengie pinch hits.

23.34: I find myself wondering why Scioscia didn't bring in JD, but force that thought out of my mind by force.

23.35: After falling behing 3-1 the last ball is intentional. Finley is up. Now is the time for him to prove my point that he's useful against lefties.

23.38: YES! Double! 4-0 Angels!

23.43: Izturis grounds out. Seventh inning stretch.

23.44: Donnelly comes in and gives up another lead off hit. A homerum by Payton. 4-1 Angels

23.50: Two more singles, still nobody out and the tying run at the plate.

23.55: Groundball to first, runners move on. Strike out. And just when you think the Angels might get out of it, Chavez hits a 3-run-dinger. The score is tied up at 4-4.

23.59: Duchscherererererer comes in from the pen. Molina grounds out on the frickin' first pitch.

00.03: Kennedy strikes out on three pitches. Unless Vladdi hits one out in the 9th, this is not going to end well.

00.05: Figgins pops out. The Elephants come to bat.

00.08: Shields on the mound.

00.10: 1-2-3. The Angels (and I) needed that.

00.16: Our number two and three hitter do nothing again and Vladdi is once again intentionally walked. After a five minute at-bat, Bengie walks and Finley, who is "red hot" (lol!!!), is up.

00.23: Finley does what he does best against right handed pitchers. He pops up.

00.24: I guess I could not bear a walk-off homerun today.

00.30: Ellis lead off with a base hit. Kendall tries to bunt him over, but Shields gets Ellis at 2nd. Kotsays singles.

00.33: With runners on 1st and 2nd and only one out. K-Rod comes up.

00.34: Groundball for the second out, but Kendall is on third. Will Francisco have confidence in his catcher to block his slider?

00.36: OH MY GOD! What was this??? Bengie throws the ball back to K-Rod and he drops it. Kendall scores from 3rd. Unbelievable. I'm speechless.