So in Game Two, we get an opportunity for Lineup Two. 

Unfortunately, the first week may be an entitlement week.  But after that, I'm hoping for absolutely as much mix-and-match platooning as possible.  The more PA's for the #10-14 hitters, the happier I'll be.

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=== Dallas Braden ===

Most-comparable pitchers:  RRS on a bad day, Ted Lilly if Lilly threw a lot more fastballs, Livan Hernandez plus a foot or two.

Braden is a classic 36-year-old smoke-and-mirrors lefty, hanging on for one more season in the sun.  87 fastball, good deception on the curve and change.  Oh, did I read his age wrong?

Willing to throw any pitch at any time, works ahead in the count, hopes you won't guess the first pitch right.  

Punish him for his 2.7-BB insolence?   In the friendly Oakland park, Braden has yielded only 0.83 homers per 9 innings, despite being a mild fly ball pitcher.  Last year that was down into the 0.5's, so he saved the A's -30 runs over replacement.

Braden runs ERA's of 3.9 and xFIP's of 4.9, and SSI's wager is that this year the ERA will float on up to match the xFIP.

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Still, Braden pitches the Ray Miller game:  Throw Strikes, Change Speeds, Change Locations.  It's not like he's going to start running 7.00 ERA's now.  Watch the A's third baseman and first baseman catch three pop fouls tonight in the area where BKafflen's seats are at Safeco.

What is kind of interesting, is that Dallas Braden goes #2 in a rotation that also includes young hoss Brett Anderson, as well as Justin Duchscherer.

The batter-pitcher matchups will be chess games tonight.

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Wild card:  Braden's infection left his plant foot permanently (?) numb.  This is his first ML game pitching with the numb foot.  It's theoretically possible that the A's will find Braden's disability* to be important.  We hope not.

In spring training, against mixed opposition of course, he ran a 5.91 ERA albeit with a 3:1 CTL.   Last Wednesday, he gave up 12 hits and 7 runs.

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=== M's vs Braden ===

Here are the 8 current M's batters who have faced Braden.  Total:  .413/.451/.522 (!) in 50 plate appearances.

Chone Figgins is 9-for-15 when you add in the two walks.

Sweeney's 3-for-4 and could take huge advantage of his experience, not having to face a 95 fastball.

Milton Bradley is listed as day-to-day, for some reason, so Eric Byrnes will presumably be in there.  Actually I'd love to see Tuiasosopo play; one mistake by Braden and the M's would be three runs to the good.  But Tui isn't a political fit for Day Two.

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=== Ian Snell ===

The matchups for him look great tonight.   He's yielded a .196 SLG (not average, slugging percentage) against tonight's A's.

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Everything looks ideal on paper.  So, figure a 12-1 A's victory.

Cheers,

Dr D