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Kevdog1020 · 08-16-2016, 07:21 PM

A’s Hanging Around as Calendar Turns to September and Kids Get the Call
September 1, 2016

The calendar has changed from August to September, the kids are headed back to school and the A’s are still in playoff contention. Wait, the A’s are still in playoff contention? Well yes and no. The A’s are in 4^th place, 7 games out of first place with a 66-67 record after going 15-13 in the month of August. So it’s still a longshot, but with 16 games against the teams they are trailing (Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles) it’s not impossible either. The Baseball News Network gives them just a 0.7% chance of making the postseason, but a quick little winning streak could quickly change those percentages to be more favorable towards the A’s chances.

They’ll have to do it without Closer Sean Doolittle who ruptured a tendon in his finger on August 7^th and will miss the remainder of the season. But the rest of the bullpen has really picked up the slack. Since the injury to Doolittle, Liam Hendriks is 7-7 in save opportunities and has lowered his ERA to 3.19. And rookie Aaron Kurcz is 3-1 with 2 saves and a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings since being called up at the trade deadline. Felix Doubrount, brought on to be the 5^th starter after the departure of Chriss Bassitt, has been steady making 5 starts with an ERA of 4.45 and WHIP of 1.45.

Some hitters have also picked up the slack and outperformed the guys dealt at the deadline. Andrew Lambo hit 9 homeruns and drove in 18 runs after becoming the everyday RF after the trade deadline. And Khris Davis continues to mash, he has 29 homeruns and 90 RBI’s this season, which places him in the upper echelon of hitters in the American League. Help is also on the way in the form of 3B Matt Chapman and OF Jake Smolinski. Chapman is likely to get plenty of at bats at third base this month after hitting 23 homeruns and driving in 75 runs between AA and AAA this season.

While the season has not been one for the history books, it’s great to see that the young A’s have some fight in them and are not going to roll over and die easily. It’s really a testament to the way David Forst and Bob Melvin have built and managed this team and with the additions made at the trade deadline, it’s an exciting time to be an A’s fan once again.

08-16-2016, 07:21 PM	#12
Kevdog1020 Major Leagues Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: New York Posts: 430	A’s Hanging Around as Calendar Turns to September and Kids Get the Call September 1, 2016 The calendar has changed from August to September, the kids are headed back to school and the A’s are still in playoff contention. Wait, the A’s are still in playoff contention? Well yes and no. The A’s are in 4^th place, 7 games out of first place with a 66-67 record after going 15-13 in the month of August. So it’s still a longshot, but with 16 games against the teams they are trailing (Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles) it’s not impossible either. The Baseball News Network gives them just a 0.7% chance of making the postseason, but a quick little winning streak could quickly change those percentages to be more favorable towards the A’s chances. They’ll have to do it without Closer Sean Doolittle who ruptured a tendon in his finger on August 7^th and will miss the remainder of the season. But the rest of the bullpen has really picked up the slack. Since the injury to Doolittle, Liam Hendriks is 7-7 in save opportunities and has lowered his ERA to 3.19. And rookie Aaron Kurcz is 3-1 with 2 saves and a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings since being called up at the trade deadline. Felix Doubrount, brought on to be the 5^th starter after the departure of Chriss Bassitt, has been steady making 5 starts with an ERA of 4.45 and WHIP of 1.45. Some hitters have also picked up the slack and outperformed the guys dealt at the deadline. Andrew Lambo hit 9 homeruns and drove in 18 runs after becoming the everyday RF after the trade deadline. And Khris Davis continues to mash, he has 29 homeruns and 90 RBI’s this season, which places him in the upper echelon of hitters in the American League. Help is also on the way in the form of 3B Matt Chapman and OF Jake Smolinski. Chapman is likely to get plenty of at bats at third base this month after hitting 23 homeruns and driving in 75 runs between AA and AAA this season. While the season has not been one for the history books, it’s great to see that the young A’s have some fight in them and are not going to roll over and die easily. It’s really a testament to the way David Forst and Bob Melvin have built and managed this team and with the additions made at the trade deadline, it’s an exciting time to be an A’s fan once again. __________________ Through the Facade - A Yankees Dynasty http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ml#post3492108 Last edited by Kevdog1020; 08-16-2016 at 08:25 PM.