I play soccer on Friday nights, so I missed the first half of the A’s-Angels game last night. That’s probably a good thing, as I probably would have kicked my TV across the room after a missed popup fell for an RBI double and the A’s squandered yet another opportunity to drive in runs, this time a bases-loaded no-out situation in the second, where they scored only one run, and that was on a HBP. Instead, I kicked a soccer ball. ‘Tis a wee bit less destructive.

I guess the A’s didn’t want me to feel left out, though, so they showed me some more squandered opportunities after I got home.

The A’s were 0-for-12 going into the ninth inning with runners in scoring position. That actually doesn’t frustrate me so much as the repeated failure to bring home runs from third with less than two out. You don’t even need a hit, you just need to make some friggin’ contact. They can’t even do that. Apparently, Ken Macha’s focus on situational hitting in spring training was a colossal waste of time. It hasn’t done a lick of good so far. Is there some rule that A’s hitters aren’t allowed to take a two-strike approach earlier in the count, even if the situation calls for it?

It’s the same old story. The pitching was once again quite good. The offense sucked. Again. This was such an incredibly annoying and frustrating way to lose. Argh!

What?

The A’s won?

What the…? Well…wow…um…gosh…so, um…never mind. I uh…hey, you know…everything’s just wonderful. Peachy keen. It was a fine, well-played game, gents, yessirree!

Congrats to Keiichi Yabu on his first MLB win.

And kudos to Scott Hatteberg. Way to trick K-Rod into giving you a fastball over the plate on an 0-2 pitch with 2 outs in the ninth, instead of just putting you away with one of those nasty hooks. I knew you could do it, really, I did…