Say hello to second place

OAK 3, LAA 0

And now the AL West looks like what I envisioned it to be. The A's in second place over a third place Rangers and the last place M's. This was a crucial series for the A's and I am glad the A's won it. That tiny thing in the Angels' rear view mirror just got bigger today.

Before the beginning of the bottom of the ninth. Mike Scioscia came out of the dugout and requested that Huston Street take off a bracelet. That bracelet was Huston's WWJD bracelet. So it's official; Mike Scioscia hates Jesus.

I do have to confess that earler this season, especially after Zito's shallacking by the D-Rays in his Worst. Inning. Ever. I lost my faith in Zito. I saw that he was hanging too many pitches, his curveball seemed flat or it wasn't being called a strike. Since that horrible outing, it seems that vintage Cy Young Zito from 2002 is back. His curve is back to being a beautiful thing, he pitches out of jams and whenever he goes out to the mound, I feel confident in an eventual A's win. Not only is vintage Zito back, he has also adjusted to the adjustments the league has made to him. He has added a 2 seam fastball and most importantly he's added a slider (or a slurve depending on who you ask). Zito's still young and he has his health, he still has room to improve.

And now the A's head off to Arlington, Texas to face the Rangers. It's going to be Blanton vs. Rogers tomorrow night. When is Rogers going to serve his suspension? The one thing about MLB that just sticks in my craw is how slow the suspension appeals process is. It's like the players can choose when they can serve their suspension. Appeals and due process is important, but can this whole thing be sped up?