I know I am a sucker for punishment but I like watching the young guys, even when they are struggling. It was hard watching Gio pitching last night but he probably needed that shelling to take his overactive ego down a peg. He will be great if he can master the mental part of the game. He certainly has the tools.

I was glad to see Jeff Gray make his MLB debut last night. He has been in the minors a long time and has worked hard. The homerun was too bad, but the Tigers were popping them off with regularity last night so he had a lot of company in the throwing dingers department. He’s a nice humble guy who deserves a shot. I interviewed him at the Arizona Fall league two years ago, for an article I wrote. He was gracious and forthcoming with a profile of the life of a minor league player off the field. Invaluable stuff.

The 8 runs the A’s scored should not be lost in the 14 runs the pitching staff gave up. Offense has been slim to non-existent for most of this year, so seeing them put up that many runs was a treat.