Keep in mind my predictions usually suck

And my prediction that Greg Smith was going to stymie the Yankees was... um... pretty incredibly wrong.

And my mocking of the Richie Sexson signing led to an RBI by Mr. Sexson

That's right... it was MY fault

Yankee Fans... beware of Greg Smith

The A's just traded Joe Blanton to the Philadelphia Phillies for three guys who will each probably make the All Star team... who will each be traded for three guys who will make the All Star team.

But it leaves the rebuilding A's without a starter for tonight's game with the big bad Yankees.
(Keep in mind the A's are dumping players and the Yankees are adding players... even though the A's have a better record and both teams are 6 games out of first)

So with Billy Beane thinking about the future (and since they are 4 1/2 games behind the fading Rays for the Wild Card, the season is OBVIOUSLY lost) they are without a starter tonight.

Which means someone with the exotic name of Greg Smith will pitch for the A's.
He is a rookie who has never faced the Yankees.

You know what that means?
He is going to throw 7 shutout innings tonight and make people say "How can the vaunted Yankee line up be shut down by Greg Smith?"

Isn't that how it always works?
Isn't there always a young pitcher you've NEVER heard of who pulls it off?

Is it a combination of young adrenaline or is the Yankee line up a smidge overrated?
I mean they are adding Richie Sexson to improve their attack, I guess because they don't have enough DHs.

I hear Steve Bye Bye Balboni is also available.

Actually Smith has pitched pretty well for the A's with a low ERA and a few complete games.
He was one of the players picked up by the A's for Danny Haren... who was picked up from the Cardinals for Mark Mulder.

You see a pattern developing here?

I say final score 5-1, A's.

If the Angels win the division by one game over the Mariners...

... then you had better remember the catch Torii Hunter made to end the game last night.

Richie Sexson hit what was going to be his third homer of the game, this one giving the Mariners the lead with two outs in the 9th... and Hunter pulled it back and won the game for the Angels.

I know it isn't Red Sox-Yankees... but Angel/Mariner games this year will go a long way to determine the AL West.

Torii Hunter got into a minor car accident before the game... and went 3-4 with 3 runs batted in and a game saving catch.

If I were Mike Scoiscia I run my car into him before every game!