Big Game, Big Win

Athletics Weren't Going Down
By Annie Rivera

There's a saying in baseball: "Play for today."

Facing elimination, the Athletics were in a must-win situation and today they made up their minds. They weren't going down without a fight. They weren't going down at all.

During warm ups, the A's were determined to put to good use the catch-phrase that was embedded in them throughout the entire second half by the coaching staff and one particular person in particular (he knows who he is, too): MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

In order to know where you're going - you have to know where you've been; and this team has been through a world wind of ups and downs. The amount of criticism they had to endure is beyond what this writer could fathom. For what they had to withstand by the haters and doubters all season long, I tip my hat off to them for sticking it through and for playing with heart, drive and passion.

Starting for the A's Christopher Rivera took the mound in the 1st inning and set the tempo early with two K's, a walk and an induced ground out to first-base.

Then the A's grabbed their bats and led-off with two BB's to Rivera and Isaiah Terrazas; followed by a reach-on-error by Uriel Garcia which scored Rivera. The score was 1-0 Athletics.

Rivera took the mound in the 2nd inning and gave up a hit to the Yankees' lead-off hitter which would later score a run to the tie the game 1-1. The A's were scoreless in the bottom half of the 2nd inning.

Rivera gave up his second hit in the 3rd inning which later scored to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Rivera later answered with a line drive solo homerun (8) over left center knotting the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, with 2 outs, Gabriel Garcia showed great plate discipline and worked the count for a walk. A carbon copy at-bat Jared Hanko showed his plate discipline and also worked a walk off the Yankees' pitcher. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Rivera's 3rd plate appearance was just that - a plate appearance as the Yankees wanted no part of him and intentionally walked him instead (his 24th IW in 26 games). With bases loaded, Terrazas 3rd plate appearance was a free trip to first base after he was hit-by-a-pitch, picking up an RBI as G. Garcia scored from 3rd.

The Yankees remained scoreless in the 4th, 5th and 6th inning. Rivera pitched 5 2/3 inning and was later relieved by Terrazas in the bottom of the 5th where he pitched brilliantly to close and get the save striking out 3 Yankees' batters, and walking one and forced a grounder to U. Garcia for a 4-3 routine play.

The A's won 3-2 forcing a play-off game against the Red Sox for second place.

Pitching:
Rivera: 3-H, 3-BB, 11-K, 2-Runs, 2-E, 2-ER, IP-5 2/3, PC-87
Terrazas: 0-H, 1-BB, 3-K, 0-Runs, 0-E, 0-ER, IP-1 1/3, PC-23

Catching:
Garcia, U: IC-2, PB-2
Terrazas: IC-1 1/3, PB-0
Rivera: IC-1 1/3, PB-0

At-A-Glance Stats:
Rivera: 1-1; BB, IW, HR, 2 Runs
Terrazas: 0-1; BB, HBP, RBI
Burrows: 0-2, BB
Garcia, U: 1-3; ROE, FC, 2 RBI
Moreno: 0-3
Gibson: 0-1, BB
Osborne: 0-2
Arreola: 0-2
Ju. Hanko: 0-1
Garcia, G: BB, Run
Bansil: 0-1
Ja. Hanko: BB

Box Scores:

Winning Pitcher: C. Rivera



Athletics HR: C. Rivera



Playoff Game: Monday, March 21, 2007 at 5 p.m. vs Red Sox

COME ONE, COME ALL!