Section 148: #15 The Turning Point

After several weeks reviewing Oakland A's wins from the 1970's and 1980's, we now return to the 21st Century, and July 22, 2012, for Win #15 in our "25 Greatest Oakland A's Wins" weekly countdown.

July 22nd was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Oakland, and the A’s had won the first three games of a four game series against the New York Yankees. Before this series, the Yankees had dominated the A’s for the last 5 years. But on this warm July afternoon, the A’s were looking to ride the ageless wonder that is Bartolo Colon to a four game sweep of the New York Yankees. Fans packed their brooms to experience a possible feat that had not been accomplished by the A’s since 1972 in the Bronx.

Going into July 22nd, the A’s were 50-44 and were 6.5 games out from the first place, Texas Rangers. Sitting behind the Angels and Rangers in third place, the A’s had already surpassed the low expectations many had of them going into the year. Pundits had predicted that the A’s were going to lose 100 games. A’s fans were enjoying a season that already had many memorable moments, but began to wonder whether the team had what it takes to climb the ladder and shock the baseball world. A's fans simply asked, "Could this 55-44 team make the playoffs?"

For a little background on the roster, Manny Ramirez had been signed by the A’s in the offseason for his 20th major league season as a possible DH. The only problem was that Ramirez had to serve a 50 game suspension for a previously failed drug test. Ramirez rehabbed with the River Cats and it was clear that his power was gone and his days as a major league player were over. Ramirez was released on June 15. And it was on June 6th that A’s called up a journeyman, quad-A player who was thinking about playing in Japan. That player was Brandon Moss. Moss’s promotion forced the A’s to DFA Kila Ka’aihue on the day his baby was born. That was quickly forgotten, as Moss slugged 5 home runs in 4 games when he had only hit 5 home runs in the past 4 years. And for those wondering, Brandon Inge was the every day third baseman, and after a terrible start to the year, Josh Donaldson was back in AAA-Sacramento. A Cuban defect by the name of Yoenis Cespedes started to find his mark in his first season playing in the states. Cespedes was hitting over .300 heading into this game and had electrified the Yankees with two bombs during this series.

Pitching-wise, Ryan Cook was the only A’s All-Star after a brilliant start to the year as the A’s set-up man and closer. Grant Balfour had been demoted from his closer role at the beginning of the year, but since then, he had started to find his groove and was on the verge of re-taking his role after Ryan Cook started to struggle as closer. A first baseman who was recently turned relief pitcher named Sean Doolittle had also been called up and earned his first save the night before on July 21st. The starting pitching was being anchored by Jarrod Parker, Brandon McCarthy, AJ Griffin, Tommy Milone, and Bartolo Colon. Three out of those five were rookies. Bob Melvin seemed to be building a winner in Oakland, and no one could figure out how.

Now back to the game. The New York Yankees were in the final year of their window of bringing another World Series title to the Bronx. They had the best record in baseball at this point in the year, and they had their stopper, CC Sabathia on the mound for them this day. Their top of the lineup read: Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez. Formidable, but getting older. Derek Jeter was given the day off so Jayson Nix was starting at shortstop. With A-Rod at DH, former Oakland A, Eric Chavez was at third for the Yankees.

Bartolo Colon was on the mound for the A’s. He was the 5th starter and gave the A’s a veteran, strike-thrower to round out their rotation. After the three A’s rookies, Parker, Milone, and Griffin had dominated the Yankees in the 3 previous games, only allowing a combined 6 runs and only surrendering one walk, Bartolo had quite an act to follow. Colon started off well. He got the first three Yankee batters to hit the ball hard but right at the A’s fielders for a one-two-three inning and as part of the Bartolo-isms, Bartolo pulled up his belt while walking to the dugout.

CC Sabathia would only surrender a two-out, Josh Reddick double before retiring the side for a quick inning in the first. Colon would then only allow a Raul Ibanez single in the top of the second, which was then followed up by a quick one-two-three inning from Sabathia in the bottom half.

The scoring would open in the top of the third, as A’s fans saw the unlucky side of Bartolo Colon and the Yankees hit four straight BABIP (lucky) singles to make it 1-0. Then Alex Rodriguez would hit a double into the gap. At that point, Rodriguez was hitting .458 vs Colon in his career. That made it 3-0, as the Yankees third base coach would hold the trailing runner, Teixeira at third. Colon didn't allow any more in the inning but the damage was already done.

In the bottom of the third, Sabathia would retire the A’s in order to complete the shutdown inning, with the last out coming from Jemile Weeks who continued his letdown season. He was batting .219 at that point, and once again he produced a familiar fly ball out. Disappointing is an understatement, especially after Weeks' 2011 rookie season where he hit over .300.

To make matters worse, after retiring the first two batters rather quickly, Bartolo Colon gave up a solo home run to Curtis Granderson on an 0-2 count to make it 4-0. The wind in the stadium felt a little taken out and it was clear the A’s were gonna have to start figuring out Sabathia to have any chance of coming back. All the local bay-area Yankee fans started to say, “Who can? The Grandyman can” in an annoying fashion. Though I’m sure the Yankees radio play-by-play man who coined that catchphrase, John Sterling, would’ve been proud.

The A’s would do nothing in the bottom of the fourth, even with a leadoff single from Jonny Gomes. As Chris Carter would fly out to end the inning, the A’s win probability was down to 9%. Colon would get a one-two-three inning in the 5th, against the middle of the Yankees order.

Then came the bottom of the fifth, and leading off the inning was Brandon Inge. Sabathia would try to get a “get me over strike” on 2-0, and Inge crushed the pitch into the left field staircase at the Coliseum to make the game 4-1 and inject some life into the A’s. Inge would do the “bernie” on the top step of the dugout. The next two batters would do nothing against Sabathia, but then came Kurt Suzuki. Kurt Suzuki had not hit a home run since September 15, 2011 and with the rookie Derek Norris getting more at bats (especially after his walk-off homer against the Giants) it didn’t look good for Kurt Suzuki longterm in Oakland. Many were saying that Norris should get a look against Sabathia, but Suzuki had 3 career home runs against Sabathia so he got the nod. And just like the statistics had indicated, it was the right decision. Kurt Suzuki pummeled a Sabathia change up into the second row of the left field bleachers for another solo home run.

Suzuki then got the usual silent treatment from his teammates as he got the home run monkey off his back. It was now 4-2 and the A’s were right back in it. Jayson Nix then let a weak Jemile Weeks chopper get under his glove for an E6. The A's weren't' able to bring Weeks' around, and Sabathia got out of the inning but had to throw more pitches which was equally important.

Colon had found his groove and would retire the Yankees in order in the top of the sixth. The A’s would a scratch a run off Sabathia thanks to a hit from Chris Carter that moved Yoenis Cespedes to third after he reached on a fielder’s choice, and then a slowly hit ground ball to the shortstop which looked like a tailor made double play was slightly botched after Jayson Nix hesitated for a split second which allowed Brandon Inge to beat out the relay. Cespedes scored on the fielder’s choice and all of the sudden, it was now 4-3.

Bartolo Colon would then get the first two batters in the seventh, before giving up a single to Mark Teixeira which was enough to chase Colon out of the game. He had only thrown 84 pitches but Melvin wanted the lefty, Jordan Norberto to pitch to the power-hitting lefty, Robinson Cano. The strategy would end up being unsuccessful due to a weak single from Cano. He’d then have to face Alex Rodriguez who feasts on left-handed pitching but luckily for Norberto, the luck evened out as Rodriguez lined a Norberto pitch but it happened to be right at the A’s left fielder, Seth Smith to end the inning with no damage.

Sabathia would pitch a clean seventh inning to negate a Seth Smith leadoff single. Throwing 98 pitches, this would definitely be the end of Sabathia’s outing. Sabathia’s line read: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, and 6 SOs. Norberto would stay in for the A’s and he’d do his job by forcing a one-two-three inning.

The former University of Alabama man, David Robertson would come in for the Yankees. Now the de facto set-up man, Robertson had moved up in the bullpen because of Mariano Rivera’s injury shagging balls in batting practice earlier in the year. Yankees manager Joe Girardi would bring Derek Jeter in the game at shortstop, which is interesting considering Jeter’s lack of defensive ability. Bob Melvin would pinch hit with Coco Crisp to leadoff the inning, and Crisp laced a Robertson pitch into the outfield for a single. Crisp would then steal second base right away and with Reddick up, it was now a man on second and no one out with a one run deficit for the A’s. Robertson would then make Reddick and Cespedes look silly by striking them both out. He’d then get Chris Carter to groundout to get the Yankees out of the inning. It was now Norberto’s job to keep the Yankees from scoring in the top of the ninth. With Rafael Soriano due to come in during the bottom of the ninth, having only blown one save all season, it was imperative that Norberto held steady. And that he did, getting Mark Teixeira to strikeout swinging.

It was now the bottom of the ninth, Rafael Soriano looked to salvage one game of the series for the Yankees and avoid the sweep. Brandon Inge would leadoff and pop out to Derek Jeter for the first out. Then came Seth Smith with his Christian music walk-up. On a 3-1 count, Soriano threw Smith a hanging breaking ball that he crushed to straight away center. It was a no doubter right off the bat even with it going to center, and it went right over the 400 foot mark! The A’s had come all the way back to tie the game 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. Soriano would respond by striking out the pinch hitting Brandon Moss and Jemile Weeks to end the inning and send the game to free baseball.

Grant Balfour would pitch the tenth for the A’s, and he’d strand Robinson Cano at second by striking out Derek Jeter. Afterwards Jeter turned to the umpire as if to say, “How dare you strike me out?” Balfour was painting his fastball wherever he wanted and he was throwing his breaking ball consistently, which were signs that he was at the height of his self-confidence. David Phelps would pitch the tenth for the Yankees, and he’d get Crisp, Reddick, and Cespedes to go down one-two-three. Jerry Blevins would pitch the eleventh, and he’d get Andruw Jones and Curtis Granderson to strikeout to end the inning with a one-two-three of his own. Phelps would stay in the game and he’d get strikeouts of Carter and Inge right away before Joe Girardi came in to replace him with the lefty, Clay Rapada. It was clear that Girardi was more than afraid of Seth Smith, and Rapada would get Smith to groundout.

In the twelfth inning, Blevins would stay in the game to face the dangerous part of the Yankees order. After a terrible drop by Josh Reddick, Blevins would show tremendous poise and end the inning with no damage done. Leading off the bottom of the 12th, Eric Sogard would strikeout. Girardi would come out to replace Rapada with Cody Eppley, a righty to face Derek Norris. Going into this at bat, Norris had gone 0 for 30, and the sidearm throwing Eppley would surrender a line drive to Norris that ate up Derek Jeter and ricocheted into left field with Norris taking first. The play was ruled a hit and not an error. With one out in the inning, Jemile Weeks laid down a sacrifice bunt on the first pitch and he nearly beat it out as Cano got over to cover first just in time. With two outs, and the winning run on second, Coco Crisp came up. Coco didn’t waste any time, first pitch, he hit a liner over the head of Robinson Cano into right field. Norris rounded third, Andruw Jones had trouble fielding the ball and that was the ballgame!

The A’s had swept the Yankees in a four game series, and with that walk-off single, it was already the 11th walk-off hit of the 2012 season for the A’s. The tremendous effort from the A’s bullpen is the unsung hero of this game, and this game makes this list because of what the 2012 year meant to the A’s organization. This was one of those moments that defined the season. The A’s would finish the month of July with an incredible 19-5, and spring boarded the A’s to a magical season that we’ll talk about more in a little later.