A day baseball game harks back to the 1960s and earlier baseball eras, when the postseason consisted of the World Series and before television ruled the universe and moved the game schedule from day to night. But here we are on a Monday and the Athletics are out there playing (and winning) the third game of their series against Detroit.
The A's and Tigers started today's contest the way they'd played the first two games in Oakland, with pitching locking down hitters on both sides. The A's finally broke through with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead on Tiger starter Anibal Sanchez. Oakland right-hander Jarrod Parker couldn't hold the lead, though, and gave up three Detroit runs in the bottom of the fourth that tied the game at 3-3.
The Athletics responded with three in the top of the fifth, including a two-run homer by designated hitter Seth Smith, to go up 6-3. Parker pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth to qualify for the win, then turned the game over to the Oakland bullpen. The major excitement later in the game came when A's closer Grant Balfour and Tigers' DH Victor Martinez exchanged words, prompting players from both benches to converge on the mound. When play resumed, Martinez lined out to right field.
Game 4 is scheduled Tuesday at 2 p.m. PDT (5 p.m. Detroit time).
Here's how the drama looked in the KQED newsroom. Not quite the drama associated with other televised sports dramas we've seen here. But it's only the first round.
A's day game = office-wide procrastination #OAKtober pic.twitter.com/0HDQAsg3TC
— Isabel Angell (@IsabeltheAngell) October 7, 2013