Are the A's for Real

[melman]

They have been playing great baseball as of late. Lead the majors in walk off wins.

Negatives
Poor hitting, there starting lineup has guys hitting 200, 200, 210, 215. They do have two good speed guys in Weeks and Crisp if they can get on base often enough. Two solid hitters in Reddick and a future star in Cepedes. This young kid is a great singning by the A's. He hits the ball hard and hits it often.

Positives
Pitching, the A's system just keeps finding young pitchers who get the other team out. Big wild card series with the O's starting tonight. I think the two wild card teams will be whoever finishes 2nd in the AL Central (Tigers or White Sox) and 2nd in the AL West. Reports say that the Rangers and Angels are both after Zack Greinke so that will be a huge factor. Also the Atlanta Braves are after Greinke and the O's also. Should be interesting between now and trade deadline day.

[ElKabong]

A's have a lot of people in north central TX convinced they're for real. I have my doubts, but they just keep winning

Cespedes has a huge hole in his swing, but he's adjusted and is hot as hell lately...their pitching used to be good at home but they're even doing well on the road now too

My guess is they'll fade, but if they can win head to head series vs the Halos and R's they sure have a shot


Mel,
The Phils look tough for 2013.....any off season moves you think they'll make to improve the lineup?

[melman]

El----Just came down the Angels have landed Zach Greinke. Angels give up top prospect at SS and two pitchers from there minor league system. Halo's
REALLY look tough now.

[melman]

Aslo Cepedes sure does hit the ball hard. After Giancarlo Stanton not seen anyone hit the ball harder. Not sure if he will hit it often enough but looks like a talent.

As to the Phils I think they will shop Blanton and Vittorino. Jolten Joe Blanton would fit in well with the Rangers. He is NOT an ace and a number two. BUT he is an innings eater who keeps his team in most games. Yes he gives up a lot of HR's but almost all are solo shots. He has the best strikeout to walk ration in baseball. Not because he strikes out a lot of guys but because he harldly ever walks anyone. A good asset to have at Rangers ballpark.

[ElKabong]

AL West talk...

report: Greinke to the Angels, for a top shelf SS prospect + other(s) per the Rangers' pregame tv show

On the way home a local radio sports talk show said the Rangers were given permission by Doug Melvin to talk to Greinke's agent - a sign a deal was struck, but the R's wanted to extend Greinke's contract and agree to terms before pulling the trigger

Texas wasn't going to part with their top prospect, SS Profar....I'm really glad b/c people I know that have seen him say he's "Elvis and then some" in the field. Aat the plate he's major league ready at the age of 19, more power than Elvis

I hope we keep Olt and Profar both.....Olt s/b taking Josh's spot in the lineup, and Profar will allow Kinsler to move to LF when they bring him up (in 2014?)

I love our future....if the Angels want Greinke, take him. If we can get (miami's) Johnson cheap, go for it....but don't sell the farm for him

p.s....Nolan Ryan is interviewed now, he's resigned to Greinke being gone to Aanaheim

[ElKabong]

El----Just came down the Angels have landed Zach Greinke. Angels give up top prospect at SS and two pitchers from there minor league system. Halo's
REALLY look tough now.



oops just now saw this, Mel...posted about it below

Aas a Ranger fan, I look forward to the divison race...and to see if Greinke melts in late Sept with his anxiety problems :)

[melman]

El--Do they R's have a good prospect who plays 3B?? That's what the Phils are really looking for. Sad to say but Polanco is done. Just to many back and leg problems. He is really a great guy and still very good in the field. Just cannot play very often. Think they would give up Blanton for a halfway decent 3B prospect.

[Striker]

They are expected to get Brandon McCarthy back soon as he is currently throwing bullpen sessions, and they also expect to get Brett Anderson sometime soon as he is starting a rehab assignment this week. And Dallas Braden is about 2-3 weeks from starting his rehab stint. Getting these guys back could really help them.

[ElKabong]

El--Do they R's have a good prospect who plays 3B?? That's what the Phils are really looking for. Sad to say but Polanco is done. Just to many back and leg problems. He is really a great guy and still very good in the field. Just cannot play very often. Think they would give up Blanton for a halfway decent 3B prospect.

Mel,
Olt had been groomed to take over Beltre's spot when his contract is up, IOW he's a defensive project....now however he's being touted as the next DH / 1B for the next few yrs on the big club. Moreland vs RHP, Olt vs LHP

As you can see from the link his fld% is pretty decent for a minor leaguer (AA)....he projects as a decent fielder as a CI. He's 10-12 months away from being a legit MLB hitter

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=olt---001mic


I don't think the Phils deals a Pitcher. Cliff Lee is what they'll need to contend for a WS & that would be the only contract Davis and Simpson would approve trading for. I just don't see a deal to be had there (but I'd like to get Cliff back f'sure)

[ElKabong]

They are expected to get Brandon McCarthy back soon as he is currently throwing bullpen sessions, and they also expect to get Brett Anderson sometime soon as he is starting a rehab assignment this week. And Dallas Braden is about 2-3 weeks from starting his rehab stint. Getting these guys back could really help them.

another 9th inning rally tonite for the Swingin A's.....4 back now, with LAA hanging onto a slim lead over the Rays

I plunged for Directv's Extra Innings tonite after the Greinke deal....the AL West looks like it's going to be a great race

[Striker]

AL West talk...

report: Greinke to the Angels, for a top shelf SS prospect + other(s) per the Rangers' pregame tv show

On the way home a local radio sports talk show said the Rangers were given permission by Doug Melvin to talk to Greinke's agent - a sign a deal was struck, but the R's wanted to extend Greinke's contract and agree to terms before pulling the trigger

Texas wasn't going to part with their top prospect, SS Profar....I'm really glad b/c people I know that have seen him say he's "Elvis and then some" in the field. Aat the plate he's major league ready at the age of 19, more power than Elvis

I hope we keep Olt and Profar both.....Olt s/b taking Josh's spot in the lineup, and Profar will allow Kinsler to move to LF when they bring him up (in 2014?)

I love our future....if the Angels want Greinke, take him. If we can get (miami's) Johnson cheap, go for it....but don't sell the farm for him

p.s....Nolan Ryan is interviewed now, he's resigned to Greinke being gone to Aanaheim
The Angels sure gave up alot(3 of their Top 10 prospects--SS Jean Segura, RHP Ariel Pena, and RHP Johnny Hellweg) to get Greinke who will at least test the free agent market, if not for sure walk away from the Angels after this season. The White Sox tried to get him but the Brewers wanted rookie starter Quintana, one of the closers in Addison Reed, and top prospect Jared Mitchell for Greinke. Smart move by the White Sox and Rangers not to agree to those demands.

[ElKabong]

Striker,

I bet Arte is working over Greinke's agent trying for an extension of the current contract....That's a lot of give away for just 65 days of pitching.

Is the local baseball world jazzed over there? LAD and LAA both are solid contenders, then they go get more talent. That place s/b going crazy for beisbol right about now

[Striker]

Striker,

I bet Arte is working over Greinke's agent trying for an extension of the current contract....That's a lot of give away for just 65 days of pitching.

Is the local baseball world jazzed over there? LAD and LAA both are solid contenders, then they go get more talent. That place s/b going crazy for beisbol right about now
Having Hunter's salary off the books next year at $18M can certainly help that.

[melman]

El it seems a lot of the people in north central Texas who were convinced the A's are for real appear to be correct. They are getting "the big hit" and fine starting pitiching and bullpen work. Only question is how many of these young pitchers will hold up in the months of Aug and Sep. In a long year just about every team has it's ups and downs unless you are really good or really bad. However this A's team is having a GREAT July. They are 18-3 .857 win %. Gonna make the AL West race very interesting to watch. El the A's rookie Cespedes reminds me of Jose Bautista in the way he swings the bat. Some huge full body hacks. Man does he hit the ball hard. That HR he hit against the O's the other night was a bullet. If I'm an infielder and he hits a line drive at me I'm ducking forget about catching it. :) Him and Stanton of the Marlins really crush baseballs.

[ElKabong]

Mel,

Yeah, what 3rd baseman is going to creep up on the infield grass on that guy :) he'd be risking his life.

One thing Oakland has going for it is their cool weather. I've seen decent Rnger pitching staffs in the 70s and early 80s here completely crater with our hotter summers. Makes a difference imo, and that's just one thing out of the many things in pitching life the A's don't need to worry about

Here's what I find most humorous about the A's turnaround. Melvin told Beane et al that if he were hired as manger, "Moneyball" would be a thing of the past (per Harold Reynolds on mlb tv)...that being the case, who gets to play Melvin in Moneyball 2? Wwho gets to play that role of telling Brad Pitt to take his cookey ideas and lock em up in a closet? ;)

[ElKabong]

Having Hunter's salary off the books next year at $18M can certainly help that.

Aare they letting him go? I've heard he said he'd take a pay cut to stay...wonder how much of a cut?

Vernon Wells contract is still there. Huge, and for 63million guaranteed thru 2014. That has to really hurt, but with Trumbo and Trout locked in for 5-6 yrs, that does help.....but the Halos have a LOT of huge salaries onboard already. At some point it's going to hinder their ability to make moves.

As for now, they look tough. The AL west is going to be fun to follow the next 2-3 years

[melman]

El two things about the A's that have really surprised me. One they are also winning on the road. Right now at 27-24. Always was thinking of them as a good home team with that big ballyard. About the only one left with a large foul ball area. That really helps the pitchers. Two is the power hitting. Where did that come from? :) Since the All Star break the A's have hit the most HR's of any team in baseball. If the A's make a move before the trade deadline I would think it would be for a SS who can hit more that 190. :) Tied for last in team batting avg but they do find ways to score runs. Best in team pitching by a good margin over Tampa Bay. This current A's run is impressive because they are beating teams with winning records. They have played the R's, the Yanks, Jays, and now O's. After today they go home to face the Rays, Jays again.

[ElKabong]

Mel,
wouldn't it be funny (and a lesson) if the A's wind up winning the West, after the Halos traded for Greinke & the R's give up Olt and a couple other prospects for Johnson?

Pitching and defense will win this division, the A's have both (A's defensive metrics outside of fld % is 3rd in the AL) as do the Rangers and Halos. But Oakland is the hottest of em for now

I still think the race is LAAs to lose. If our rotation was healthy I'd think the R's would win by 6+ but (a) that's not the case and (b) we've really been lucky here the past 3 yrs on the injury front, with pitchers. Wwhat Texas is seeing now is "reality", something we sidestepped in 09 and 10.

BTW, just heard the Pads extended Huston Street....that was one of the options Daniels was looking at. Signing Street as a dual closer, allowing Ogando to go back to the rotation...the options for Texas are thinning...but I hope we stand pat to be honest

[headhawg]

Interesting that there are "for real" threads about the Os and As but none for my White Sox. What? No love for them? They own Texas. :) I am not that excited about the Liriano deal, though. I am assuming that it's a safeguard in case Danks doesn't return.

[melman]

Hey my old WR friend Mr Hawg, you could have started a "are the White Sox for real" thread. :) Have to give a lot of :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: to them. Have gotten two very good young pitchers and Peavy with a very good season. That's a dangerous big three starts. Good young closer. It's been a good thing for them that Adam Dunn has gone back to being himself. He hits a bomb, he walks or he strikes out. Konerko remains an underated star in baseball. Should be quite a battle for AL manager of the year. Between Ventura and Melvin. Great move by Kenny W in picking up Youk. 3B had been a big problem for them. Not any more.

p.s. On a side note hope you have been peeking at the harness section. Some nice winners been posted there in last week or two.

p.p.s, Just using Pandy's FREE odds line is a big asset. Last week he had a horse at "fair odds" of 5-1 his 2nd pick. Horse a winner at 24-1. Nice overlay uh?

[ElKabong]

Nice trade by the Sox for Myers. They're a threat to win the AL & I'd have a bet on em now if I had the chance

Sale was inmpressive Friday in thta he didn't have his good stuff, nor velocity. Hit hard early, then adjusted & the lineup for Texas didn't. Impressive pitcher, good team that seems to be into it mentally

[Striker]

Interesting that there are "for real" threads about the Os and As but none for my White Sox. What? No love for them? They own Texas. :) I am not that excited about the Liriano deal, though. I am assuming that it's a safeguard in case Danks doesn't return.
Trade for Liriano is huge for the Sox. Biggest thing with this trade is how it will help Peavy and Sale stay a little fresher for the the end of the season and playoffs.

[Striker]

EL K- Saw that the Rangers just got Soto from my Cubbies. Don't know how he has done overall against AL teams but he was just starting to get going right now, and if he can stay injury free and possible regain his NL Rookie of the year form he could really help your squad.

[Striker]

EL K- Saw that the Rangers just got Soto from my Cubbies. Don't know how he has done overall against AL teams but he was just starting to get going right now, and if he can stay injury free and possible regain his NL Rookie of the year form he could really help your squad.
And now the Rangers land Dempster. :ThmbUp:

[ElKabong]

EL K- Saw that the Rangers just got Soto from my Cubbies. Don't know how he has done overall against AL teams but he was just starting to get going right now, and if he can stay injury free and possible regain his NL Rookie of the year form he could really help your squad.

when i saw the trade last nite i had a feeling they weren't done....if JD and Theo were trading Soto you know Dempster had to come up in conversation...plus, we were carrying an extra body on the 40 man roster b/c Lewis wasn't placed on the DL as of the trade. A move had to be made.

Personally i thought a 3-way was in order.....but I guess JD has Theo on speed dial given their history together.

Aall I can tell you about the prospects, is the class A 3b-man (villanueva) is a long range prospect that has some promise...the others i have the impression they were glad to see go....but remember, the Rangers gave the Cubbies Dempster long ago as a "throw in"....see how well that worked out for the Cubs. Dempster's been very good

all in all it was a good 24 hrs of trading for us....with Nap and Yorvit's contracts up this yr, Soto gives one catcher for certian going into spring 2013.....and Dempster may help us into the playoffs this year & stop the bleeding

One reason Dempster m/h agreed to come here instead of NYY (it was pitched to us that he preferred to go to LAD to be w/ Ted Lilly again) was Greg Maddux is a special coach here & they have respect for each other from their days together in Chicago......still, everyone here expects him to sign w/ LAD in the winter

side note....reportedly Oswalt isn't taking his assignment to the Pen very well...he got shelled last night (again) and Scooter Feldman is looking like he did in 2009...very solid....other 3 starters sre Yu, Harrison, Holland...nowhere to put Roy, it'll be interesting to see if he goes on the DL or retires again

[Marshall Bennett]

side note....reportedly Oswalt isn't taking his assignment to the Pen very well...he got shelled last night (again)
He's lost about 7 mph off his fastball. His fastball with movement was his bread & butter once upon a time. If he doesn't get it back he's probably done.

[ElKabong]

it's official....Mike Trout is the best overall player I've ever seen. I thought Wwillie Mays would never be surpassed by (my) opinion. Lot of flashes came and went - Griffey, Lynn, A rod......Trout has turned that ballclub totally around

Never seen a complete package like this kid.

Trout may be the best defensive OF I've seen. I never saw Richie Ashburn, the #s of PO's he put up were unreal....but Trout runs down every damn thing that flies. There's nothing this kid can't do. He is worth the $ spent on MLB extra innings alone

And he's going to torture my Rangers for 6 yrs, minimum. :ThmbDown: :ThmbUp: :ThmbDown: :ThmbUp:

[headhawg]

Hey my old WR friend Mr Hawg, you could have started a "are the White Sox for real" thread. :) Have to give a lot of :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: to them. Have gotten two very good young pitchers and Peavy with a very good season. That's a dangerous big three starts. Good young closer. It's been a good thing for them that Adam Dunn has gone back to being himself. He hits a bomb, he walks or he strikes out. Konerko remains an underated star in baseball. Should be quite a battle for AL manager of the year. Between Ventura and Melvin. Great move by Kenny W in picking up Youk. 3B had been a big problem for them. Not any more.

p.s. On a side note hope you have been peeking at the harness section. Some nice winners been posted there in last week or two.

p.p.s, Just using Pandy's FREE odds line is a big asset. Last week he had a horse at "fair odds" of 5-1 his 2nd pick. Horse a winner at 24-1. Nice overlay uh?Yes, I could have started my own thread but let's just say that I'm being cautiously optimistic. I would much rather be surprised that they're doing well than be disappointed when they fall short. :) Anything can happen in a playoff series, and while they might not be the best team on paper they have been playing solid baseball most of the year. Their hitting has been a little inconsistent but better lately. Starting pitching for the most part has been very good. Defense has been great (although Ramirez at short seems shaky since the collision in the field).

My biggest concern is the bullpen. Too many rookies and Reed really isn't ready to be a closer. Myers was a good pick up; they really needed a veteran. The other vet Thornton worries me. He's lost 3-4 mph on his fastball, and his change/breaking stuff on a good day is just mediocre. I haven't looked at the stats but my gut is telling me his WHIP is pretty high this year. But my "eye test" is telling me that he isn't going to get the big out(s) when needed.

I do look into the Dark Side section when I get the chance. Some good 'cappers in there for sure. It looks like I missed some nice hits. I think I need to switch back over to that side. :) When I do get the chance to play, the light side has not been very kind to me. I sure miss the good ol' days of the War Room.

How many $100 horses do you have this year so far?

[headhawg]

Trade for Liriano is huge for the Sox. Biggest thing with this trade is how it will help Peavy and Sale stay a little fresher for the the end of the season and playoffs.With Danks official out for the year they needed someone, yes. I am not convinced that Liriano was the right pitcher to get but the White Sox don't have much in the way of prospects to give up for someone like Greinke. Maybe Don Cooper can help Liriano get back to a reasonable facsimile of the guy in 2010. I would take that for sure. He needs to eat up innings but he is walking a lot of hitters this year. He may not be able to go deep enough into games and actually keep his team in them. That's a concern for me.

[melman]

Always good to hear from a old WR friend. We had a great group back then who showed up on a regular basis. Time does move on however and work concerns and family take up plenty of time. Just look at my friend JoeG he is the head of a regular clan now. :lol: Hawg-man if you do have some time this Sat take a look at the M-lands Hambo card. It's a very good one. Posted my Hambo pick in the Harness section. You know my thinking Hawg it's NOT all about picking winners it's about getting overlays on a "fair odds" projection. Of course that's where a lot of people can disagree. I think that it is what makes Pandy's ustrotting column on the BigM races so valuable. As to the $100 or better horses----so far this year three. But it's early yet. :lol: Best was the 80-1 winner that I posted here. The Woodbine media guys were saying "a real shocker". Not to me it wasn't. :) Nor was it to a couple of other PA harness section posters. It was a score of the decade race. All the BEST to you and your lady Hawg.

Oh yeah I think the White Sox can hang on and win the divison. Will be a fight with Detroit. I like guys like Adam Dunn. Yes there are bad things like lots of strikeouts and poor batting avg. But I love those 3 run bombs. :) And he does get a lot of walks. Sort of like my harness betting I'll take a lower hit % for the big bombs all day.

[Striker]

Might be witnessing a future star on the mound tonight for the A's who basically came out of nowhere when he was drafted in the 24th round of the 2009 draft. Dan Straily goes tonight against the Bluejays and he has dominated the minors. He has 175 K's in 22 starts between AA and AAA ball this year with an ERA of 2.60 and is only 23 years old.

[ElKabong]

Striker,

Watching the kid just now (watched the R's win &the ChiSox beat the Halos earlier), the kid looks good & throws hard as you said....(it appears he's done for the nite after 6 innings, the tv guys are giving him huge props)

Halo's have to be on suicide watch right now. They scored 40 runs vs Texas in the series, all they come out of it is, a split.....now they're 6 back of Texas after the loss to the Sox (extra innings, Pen coughs it up again). If I'm Hunter, Pujols et al I'm deeply dperessed-- they're mashing the ball & every nite they have to watch that Pen crater on them

[melman]

The A's get it done yet again. Another walk off win. This one took 15 innings but a win is a win. The wild card leading A's. Who would have thunk it after watching the A's for the first two months of the season? Not me that's for sure. :) Not much of a hitting attack but oh that pitching. If they do hold up and make it into the playoffs they could be a real problem for other teams.

[ElKabong]

The A's get it done yet again. Another walk off win. This one took 15 innings but a win is a win. The wild card leading A's. Who would have thunk it after watching the A's for the first two months of the season? Not me that's for sure. :) Not much of a hitting attack but oh that pitching. If they do hold up and make it into the playoffs they could be a real problem for other teams.

Cespedes left the game after sliding head first last nite, "sprained wrist". Head first slides---- no place in the game unless in the playoffs imo.

They didn't know the seriousness of the injury, I hope it isn't bad enuff to put him on the shelf

[melman]

Guys you will no doubt see the play on all the highlight shows. Mike Trout just robbed the White Sox Gordon Beckham of a HR. What a play. This kid has a real shot at AL MVP. Not just rookie of the year but league MVP. Depends on where the Halo's finish in the standings at end of year and how the last two months play out. Main competion from the great Miguel Cabera of the Tigers. Maybe Konerko of the Sox.

[ElKabong]

Mel, I did see that last nite....good thing he wasn't playing CF today when AJ hit one a foot over the fence today ;)

Trout is the mvp, no doubt...before they brought him up that team was in a complete funk...when he was put in the lineup, the Halos have had the most dangerous lineup in the game imo

[melman]

Elkabong

What have you heard down Texas way on this story??

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120805&content_id=36192118&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

[ElKabong]

hi Mel, sorry for the late reply....they've kissed and made up publicly, Oswalt said there was no problem to begin with --- he had a long Pen session Thurs that limited his innings for the weekend

here's what i think....Wwash has a reputation around here of throwing relievers until they drop....he finds a hot hand and runs em in the dirt....Jason Jennings, career over...was over used......Darren Oliver, got to the point where he'd offer cookies to righty's just to get pulled.....was over used....ealry this year it was rookie Robby Ross- wayyyy over used, but now he's getting hit (b/c his fastball has no life b/c >>>>his arm is tired

My guess is Roy doesn't want to be Wash's next victim.....so he passed on more than 2 innings sunday

Darvish threw 127 pitches last nite...wayyy too many for a guy that isn't used to the workload.....i've been bitching about Wash in this regard since he came here.....he has no clue as to how to handle pitchers

But, he is a guy the players in the field love.....they'll run thru walls for him b/c he let's em play and run the bases like crazy people....it's a trade-off really.

also, watch how the Olt move affects this team in sept....Wash apparently balked at bringing him up b/c he's going to take ABs away from Young and Napoli...Wwash likes veteran players, JD wants the young guy to play NOW b/c MY and Nap are struggling....the clubhouse may have some tension here for the first time in Wash's career if Olt gets those ABs

[ElKabong]

A's pounding the Halos right now.....CJ up to abt 90 pitches early on.....A's get to that middle Pen & this c/ get real ugly

Rangers are loving this...those 2 beating on ea other, while Texas is playing & pitching horribly (sans Dempster's very good start tonite)

[melman]

El---Watching Colon pitch for the A's last night was fun. He just look like a beer league softball guy. Looks so out of shape. But he remains very effective because he has as the late great Phils pitcher Robin Roberts used to say the two most important things in pitching. Location and movement. No need to steal signs when Colon is on the mound. He just keeps throwing the fastball. One right after another. :) Both Colon and Roberts proved you do not have to have more than one pitch. It's rare I know but if you have location and movement on your fastball your good to go. Roberts used to joke with Richie Asburn on air about how he would tell the other team what he was going to throw before the start of the game. Fastballs. :)

[melman]

Well it's Sept 1 and the A's are the AL wild card leader. So that makes them for real. They just keep running out very good young pitching. They just got McCarthy and Anderson back from the DL and both of them look as good as ever. Anderson even better than before. They have a HUGE four game set at home vs the Angels starting Monday. Just enough power with Reddick and Cepedes, Carter at first base has chipped in also. Going to be a fun month.

[melman]

The vote for AL Manager of the Year is going to be one tough call. I would not yell "injustice" if any of three win it. The remaining games of the season will determine the winner. You have Bob Melvin, Buck Showalter, and Robin Ventura. As of Sept 3 I give the slightest of nods to Bob Melvin. Anyone who saw the A's play the first two months of the season has to be schocked that as of now they are tied with the Yanks for the 2nd best record in the AL. Only 3 games behind the Rangers. Getting his team to believe after that horid start is much to his credit. Not knocking the jobs of Showalter or Ventura they have both been very very good. The A's winners of 9 in a row and 15 out of there last 17. Hard to believe.

[melman]

Hey ElKabong---The A's have seven games left with the Rangers. Last three of the season with them at home. Big three game series with the O's this weekend and next weekend with the Yanks. Lotta road games against good teams. BUT the A's don't seem to care about road games. They have now won 12 in a row on the road. Where do they dig up these very good young pitchers. :)

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120912&content_id=38344466&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb