A's 5, Red Sox 4

Maybe I'm mad because I didn't go to bed happy. Maybe I'm mad because I know last night's game should not have gone to extra innings. Maybe I'm still mad at the official scorer for giving Mark Ellis an FC/E5 in the 8th. All I know is the A's won, Mark Ellis hit for the cycle, and I'm mad.

Nice walk-off home run, Chavvy. But the last image of you I had in my mind as I went to sleep last night is you flailing and missing at a pitch in the dirt with the bases loaded and nobody out. I know you made up for it, but really, is there some connection between white cleats and being allergic to RISP? I think this should be investigated.

And Alan Embree - what the hell was that? I know, I know, you're not a closer. But come on, what does Danny Haren have to do to get a win around here? Come season's end, he's not going to have enough of those sexy W's to get consideration for a certain award - mark my words.

OK, OK - enough negativity for today. I should be smiling and writing words like "exciting", "thrilling", and "amazing" as I describe this A's win. It really was all those things. From Ellis' cycle to Haren's pitching to the horrid bottom of the 9th to Kotsay-to-Crosby-to-Kendall face-tag at the plate, this is one was a game to remember.

It's nice to get the first of the series, and the matchup that was advantage A's going into it. Tonight, the A's get their first look at Dice-K and hand the ball to emergency starter Lenny Dinardo and that 1.80 ERA of his that makes me say, "Where did that come from?"

How badly do you think Lenny wants to beat Captain Gyroball and the team that waived him? Uh huh.

GO A'S!!!!!!