A as in Anemic

The Oakland A's just lost another one, their eighth in a row, so they're now five games under .500 and 7-20 over the last month. I didn't think this team was capable of losing this many in a row, since it involves Haren, Blanton, and Gaudin all losing two in a row.

The only way to do that is if you aren't hitting, and the A's aren't hitting at all. With this losing streak comes more talk of trading away veterans to build for next year and onward (Jason Kendall was traded to the Cubs today) and getting rid of everyone from hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo to trainer Larry Davis. The hitting coach might have something to do with the team not hitting, but the trainer doesn't have much to do with players getting hurt!

These things tend to run in cycles, so the A's are on the verge of breaking through and running off six or seven wins in a row, but it's probably too late for this year. At least they still have Bay Area bragging rights over the Giants. The A's and Giants are a combined 0-8 since the All Star Break.