The Swingin' (and, often, Takin') A's come into town on one of their trademark charges up the standings. What once appeared to be a good opportunity for the Jays to pick up ground after a tough road trip now appears to be a substantial challenge. Indeed, none of the pitching matchups seem to favour the Jays, who are hoping to build on their solid recent play.
* General: Coming off an 8-1 homestand, the A's are 13-2 over their last 15. Oakland leads the American League with a 23-9 mark since May 30 ... It's worth noting, though, that ten of those games were against the struggling Mariners and Giants -- and that 15 of their last 19 games have been at home ... The A's staff has held opponents to three or fewer runs in nine of their last ten games ... Chad Bradford (back) has started a gradual, carefully monitored rehab assignment, and Erubiel Durazo (left elbow tendinitis) is swinging a bat again ... The A's are on pace to record their lowest stolen base total ever, and their lowest home run total since 1979 ... All-time, Oakland is 46-33 at the Rogers Centre ... Ken Macha was named to Terry Francona's All-Star coaching staff ... Macha took advantage of the A's off-day yesterday to skip the inconsistent Kirk Saarloos for this series ...
* Danny Haren: 6-0 in his last seven starts, and he pitched really well in his last loss, too ... Over his last eight starts, he's gone at least six innings and issued at most two walks ... Likes to work lefties in and righties away ... Excellent splitter that he starts knee-high ... Does not boast an overpowering fastball. Vernon Wells pulled an 89-mph outside fastball out to left in Oakland ... Virtually all the damage against Haren is done off the heater ...
* Joe Blanton: Nearly as hot as Haren. He's 5-1 over his last six starts, and he's also cut down his walks ... Tremendous movement on his two-seam fastball. It tails away from lefties at around 88 mph ... Throws slider away from righties, coaxing meek grounders ... Can't get away with mistakes up -- there's not enough oomph in his four-seam fastball ...
* Nick Swisher: Likes the ball out over the plate from both sides, and is starting to flash considerable power -- to the tune of six homers over his last 15 games ... A bit pull-happy, and can be induced to roll over pitches down and away ... His OBP remains at a disappoing .301, though ... Chases up, where he doesn't have the bat speed to catch up to fastballs ... His injury hasn't changed Swisher's kamikaze approach to the outfield one iota ...
* Bobby Kielty: Old friend is enjoying a nice bounce-back season ... Willing to go the other way with outside fastballs from both sides of the plate ... Still sees pitches far better from the right side ... From the left side, struggles badly with breaking pitches down. He just doesn't pick them up quickly enough ... Hustles in the outfield ...
* Marco Scutaro: Had a six-game hitting streak snapped on Friday, his last start ... Flies open at the plate, and really tries to turn on breaking stuff ... Level, two-handed swing ... Does not like the ball down and away and can be frozen there ... Nice turn at second on the DP. He's played an impressive 60 straight errorless games ...
* Bobby Crosby: Quick, aggressive swing ... Capable of turning on even lively fastballs. He should be fed a diet of off-speed stuff ... Improved mechanics have made him a much better contact hitter than last year, and his higher average has landed him in the cleanup spot. Macha: "Coming off last year, when he he had so many strikeouts, he had a pretty big hole, and he's closed that hole up...The makeup this kid has is unbelievable" ... Can be tied up on the inside corner ... Fundamentally sound baserunner, although he has yet to attempt a steal with the conservative A's ... Smooth fielding at short, too. Man, the A's missed him!
* Justin Duchscherer: A surprising All-Star, but he's been excellent -- and relied upon -- this season ... Throws a tailing fastball and a sharp-breaking curve ... Baffled the Jays during their June series in Oakland ... Does not field his position well ...
* Dan Johnson: Good-looking hitter has wide-open stance, and hits low balls very well ... Like many A's, does not like the ball on the inner half ... Struggles against lefties, especially when facing three-quarter-arm or sidearm pitchers ... Heady but immobile defensively ...
* Eric Chavez: After two shockingly poor months, Chavez exploded with a .379/.440/.699 June. And he's 5-for-12 in July ... Unlike his teammates, he does like it inside. It plays into his pull-hitting style ... High leg kick for timing, and swivels on his back heel. His swing can be picturesque ... Breaking balls under his fists remain his Achilles' heel, but don't hang them ... Highlight-reel ability with the leather. His reaction time is fantastic on in-between hops ...
* Rich Harden: The pride of Victoria has electric stuff and drives himiself forward with his lower body ... Keeps the ball down very well and has allowed only three homers all season ... Mid-90s heat that bears in on righthanded hitters ... Tough 12-to-6 curve that he starts above the strike zone, a la Doc. Doesn't quite have Halladay's movement, but then again, he's not yet 24 ... Eric Chavez on the A's' trio of young pitchers: "Billy has an eye for talent...Sometimes when you bring in young guys to the big leagues, they're just not ready mentally or physically. The guys Billy brings in, they're ready" ...
* Mark Kotsay: Handles the bat very well and is tough to strike out ... Excellent spoiler with two strikes ... Good high-ball hitter; his wheelhouse practically extends to his eyes ... Like Brad Wilkerson, Kotsay is a lefthanded hitter who struggles with righthanded arm angles other than overhand ... Fantastic range in centre, where he plays a shallow position... Notwithstanding the trade rumours, Kotsay is working on a contract extension with Billy Beane; the only sticking point appears to be Beane's steadfast refusal to include a no-trade clause. The Yankees reportedly turned down Beane's counteroffer of Kotsay for Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Philip Hughes ...
That said, this Oakland club has built their recent resume on an awful lot of home dates, and against some suspect competition. The moment of truth is nigh for the Beaneiacs, who tonight embark on a tough trip to Toronto and Chicago, and return from the All-Star Break with eleven crucial meetings with the Angels and Rangers.
This week's Scout features some rapidly developing young talent, a tough-as-nails Canadian and an outfielder who may, in fact, be staying put.
On to the Advance Scout!* General: Coming off an 8-1 homestand, the A's are 13-2 over their last 15. Oakland leads the American League with a 23-9 mark since May 30 ... It's worth noting, though, that ten of those games were against the struggling Mariners and Giants -- and that 15 of their last 19 games have been at home ... The A's staff has held opponents to three or fewer runs in nine of their last ten games ... Chad Bradford (back) has started a gradual, carefully monitored rehab assignment, and Erubiel Durazo (left elbow tendinitis) is swinging a bat again ... The A's are on pace to record their lowest stolen base total ever, and their lowest home run total since 1979 ... All-time, Oakland is 46-33 at the Rogers Centre ... Ken Macha was named to Terry Francona's All-Star coaching staff ... Macha took advantage of the A's off-day yesterday to skip the inconsistent Kirk Saarloos for this series ...
* Danny Haren: 6-0 in his last seven starts, and he pitched really well in his last loss, too ... Over his last eight starts, he's gone at least six innings and issued at most two walks ... Likes to work lefties in and righties away ... Excellent splitter that he starts knee-high ... Does not boast an overpowering fastball. Vernon Wells pulled an 89-mph outside fastball out to left in Oakland ... Virtually all the damage against Haren is done off the heater ...
* Joe Blanton: Nearly as hot as Haren. He's 5-1 over his last six starts, and he's also cut down his walks ... Tremendous movement on his two-seam fastball. It tails away from lefties at around 88 mph ... Throws slider away from righties, coaxing meek grounders ... Can't get away with mistakes up -- there's not enough oomph in his four-seam fastball ...
* Nick Swisher: Likes the ball out over the plate from both sides, and is starting to flash considerable power -- to the tune of six homers over his last 15 games ... A bit pull-happy, and can be induced to roll over pitches down and away ... His OBP remains at a disappoing .301, though ... Chases up, where he doesn't have the bat speed to catch up to fastballs ... His injury hasn't changed Swisher's kamikaze approach to the outfield one iota ...
* Bobby Kielty: Old friend is enjoying a nice bounce-back season ... Willing to go the other way with outside fastballs from both sides of the plate ... Still sees pitches far better from the right side ... From the left side, struggles badly with breaking pitches down. He just doesn't pick them up quickly enough ... Hustles in the outfield ...
* Marco Scutaro: Had a six-game hitting streak snapped on Friday, his last start ... Flies open at the plate, and really tries to turn on breaking stuff ... Level, two-handed swing ... Does not like the ball down and away and can be frozen there ... Nice turn at second on the DP. He's played an impressive 60 straight errorless games ...
* Bobby Crosby: Quick, aggressive swing ... Capable of turning on even lively fastballs. He should be fed a diet of off-speed stuff ... Improved mechanics have made him a much better contact hitter than last year, and his higher average has landed him in the cleanup spot. Macha: "Coming off last year, when he he had so many strikeouts, he had a pretty big hole, and he's closed that hole up...The makeup this kid has is unbelievable" ... Can be tied up on the inside corner ... Fundamentally sound baserunner, although he has yet to attempt a steal with the conservative A's ... Smooth fielding at short, too. Man, the A's missed him!
* Justin Duchscherer: A surprising All-Star, but he's been excellent -- and relied upon -- this season ... Throws a tailing fastball and a sharp-breaking curve ... Baffled the Jays during their June series in Oakland ... Does not field his position well ...
* Dan Johnson: Good-looking hitter has wide-open stance, and hits low balls very well ... Like many A's, does not like the ball on the inner half ... Struggles against lefties, especially when facing three-quarter-arm or sidearm pitchers ... Heady but immobile defensively ...
* Eric Chavez: After two shockingly poor months, Chavez exploded with a .379/.440/.699 June. And he's 5-for-12 in July ... Unlike his teammates, he does like it inside. It plays into his pull-hitting style ... High leg kick for timing, and swivels on his back heel. His swing can be picturesque ... Breaking balls under his fists remain his Achilles' heel, but don't hang them ... Highlight-reel ability with the leather. His reaction time is fantastic on in-between hops ...
* Rich Harden: The pride of Victoria has electric stuff and drives himiself forward with his lower body ... Keeps the ball down very well and has allowed only three homers all season ... Mid-90s heat that bears in on righthanded hitters ... Tough 12-to-6 curve that he starts above the strike zone, a la Doc. Doesn't quite have Halladay's movement, but then again, he's not yet 24 ... Eric Chavez on the A's' trio of young pitchers: "Billy has an eye for talent...Sometimes when you bring in young guys to the big leagues, they're just not ready mentally or physically. The guys Billy brings in, they're ready" ...
* Mark Kotsay: Handles the bat very well and is tough to strike out ... Excellent spoiler with two strikes ... Good high-ball hitter; his wheelhouse practically extends to his eyes ... Like Brad Wilkerson, Kotsay is a lefthanded hitter who struggles with righthanded arm angles other than overhand ... Fantastic range in centre, where he plays a shallow position... Notwithstanding the trade rumours, Kotsay is working on a contract extension with Billy Beane; the only sticking point appears to be Beane's steadfast refusal to include a no-trade clause. The Yankees reportedly turned down Beane's counteroffer of Kotsay for Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Philip Hughes ...
