Thoughts on an 8-6 Rangers loss

A’s 8, Rangers 6

• I find myself very irritated with this game. Blowing a 6-1 lead at home is very irksome, particularly to the A’s, although really, I’m not sure blowing a 6-1 lead to any team would be not irksome.
• Things started off well. Drew Smyly was locating his fastball and curveball early in. Through 5 innings he had allowed two singles and a double, with one run scoring, and generally seemed to be cruising.
• Bad things happened in the sixth. Well, bad things happened in every inning after the fifth, but particularly the sixth. Smyly gave up a single and a pair of walks, and suddenly the bases were loaded, and Jesse Chavez was coming into the game. Chavez, of course, got a two year deal to come back to Texas after a stellar 2018 campaign. In 2019, he’s pitching like he traded all of his ability to pitch well in the future for that great 2018 season.
• I think I’ve blocked out of my mind what happened in the 6th innings with Chavez. I guess I could go look, but why would I, when it would just make me sad and depressed? All that matters is that he pitched assy and let all three inherited runners score plus one of his own and that made it a 6-5 Rangers lead.
• Then Shawn Kelley gave up a home run in the 7th to Ramon Laureano, mostly known for making highlight reel throws from the outfield. Then Chris Martin gave up a home run in the 8th to Khris Davis, who is mostly known for hitting home runs against the Rangers. Jeffrey Springs and this year’s Guy I Can Never Remember Is On The Team, Jeanmar Gomez, combined to allow an insurance run to score in the 9th.
• If tonight’s bullpen were a Halloween candy, it would be candy corn. If tonight’s bullpen were a Dallas Cowboys QB, it would be Steve Pelluer. If tonight’s bullpen were a James Bond, it would be George Lazenby.
• And it wasted an early six run effort by the offense, which included a solo home run by Asdrubal Cabrera and a three run shot by Elvis Andrus.
• Elvis had 2 hits, and Shin-Soo Choo had 3 hits, though Choo was also thrown out trying to steal with one out in the bottom of the seventh, in a baffling decision. Joey Gallo continued his recent struggles, going 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts. Hunter Pence pinch hit as the tying run in the 9th, and popped out on a 3-0 pitch, which...I mean, I don’t have a problem looking for your pitch on 3-0 and trying to take it deep. But if you’re going to swing 3-0, don’t pop out.
• Anyway, writing this has made me cranky, and I’m probably going to go to bed now and have angry dreams.