Oakland forces one game AL West Championship with Texas tomorrow

[.GR]

OAKLAND -- Though not built on riches, the A's may still take the crown.
Come Wednesday, in Game 162, the American League West title will be up for grabs, and thanks to Tuesday's 3-1 victory over the Rangers, their fifth straight win, the relentless A's have the chance to make it theirs.
After clinching at least an AL Wild Card berth on Monday, securing their first postseason appearance since 2006, Oakland again stalled what once seemed like an inevitable Rangers celebration.
So the champagne sits, with Wednesday's winner not only awarded with the bubbly but a spot in the best-of-five AL Division Series, rather than a pressure-filled one-game Wild Card playoff.
The young A's and their manager, Bob Melvin, would surely prefer the former scenario, especially in front of a home crowd that has been forced to watch the Rangers steal away the AL West championship in each of the last two years.
Ensuring such an opportunity was lefty Travis Blackley, a 29-year-old rookie who was pitching in South Korea at this time last year. Despite having failed to make it past the second inning in his previous two starts, Blackley rose to the occasion and completed six, all the while allowing just one run and collecting a pair of crucial double plays to beat the Rangers' steady hand, Matt Harrison.
It marked the 100th start by an A's rookie this year, second most in Oakland history. Blackley was tremendous from the start, retiring the side in order in the first, just five days after surrendering five Rangers runs in the same inning. His lone mistake came in the third, when Josh Hamilton doubled home Ian Kinsler.
But Oakland, staring down a 1-0 deficit, took the lead in the fifth, when Derek Norris collected an RBI hit with runners on second and third, right fielder Nelson Cruz's fielding error on the play allowing the second run to score.
Veteran Jonny Gomes provided his club a dose of insurance in the sixth, launching a solo home run to right field off Harrison, who was done after the inning, having allowed all three Oakland runs.
Just as they had done the night before, Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour proceeded to nail down three shutout innings in front of a raucous A's crowd to complete the victory.

 

[Pugz]

all or nothing here. GO A's!

 

[Rios15]

Unfortunately I wont be able to watch it since I have studying to do tonight

 

[.GR]

i work during the whole thing. recording it and turning off all types of communication lol