Friday, September 06, 2002
A's need to keep winning
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics have won 20 straight games, yet they all know they haven't won anything yet.
One look at the standings reveals what manager Art Howe reminds his players: Despite their thrilling charge to baseball's longest winning streak in 67 years, Oakland is just three games in front of Anaheim for the AL West lead following the Angels' seventh straight victory on Thursday night.
With one poor series in the A's final 23 games, the longest winning streak in AL history could become a bittersweet memory.
“That's one of the most amazing parts of all this,” left-hander Barry Zito said. “We've been the hottest team in years, and we're still one bad series away from second place. It just reminds us to treat every game the same way and not think about the streak.”
STREAK
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A list of the longest winning streaks in major league baseball history:
26 — 1916 New York Giants (1 tie)
21 — 1880 Chicago Cubs (1 tie)
21 — 1935 Chicago Cubs
20 — 1884 Providence Grays
20 — 2002 Oakland Athletics
19 — 1906 Chicago White Sox (1 tie)
19 — 1947 New York Yankees
18 — 1885 Chicago Cubs
18 — 1891 Boston Braves (1 tie)
18 — 1894 Baltimore Orioles
18 — 1904 New York Giants
18 — 1953 New York Yankees
17 — 1897 Boston Braves
17 — 1907 New York Giants
17 — 1912 Washington Senators
17 — 1916 New York Giants
17 — 1931 Philadelphia Athletics
16 — 1887 Philadelphia Phillies (1 tie)
16 — 1890 Philadelphia Phillies
16 — 1892 Philadelphia Phillies
16 — 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates
16 — 1912 New York Giants
16 — 1926 New York Yankees
16 — 1951 New York Giants
16 — 1977 Kansas City Royals
15 — 1886 Detroit Wolverines
15 — 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates
15 — 1906 New York Highlanders
15 — 1913 Philadelphia Athletics
15 — 1924 Brooklyn Dodgers
15 — 1936 Chicago Cubs
15 — 1936 New York Giants
15 — 1946 Boston Red Sox
15 — 1960 New York Yankees
15 — 1991 Minnesota Twins
15 — 2000 Atlanta Braves
15 — 2001 Seattle Mariners
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The A's, winners of every game on their schedule since Aug. 12, open a three-game series at Minnesota on Friday night with a chance to make their streak the second-longest in major league history. The Chicago Cubs of 1880 and 1935 both won 21 straight; the major league record is 26, set by the 1916 New York Giants.
The AL Central-leading Twins, who lost three tough games at the Coliseum last weekend, will break out the famed Homer Hankies at the Metrodome to boost their fans' enthusiasm as they attempt to end Oakland's run.
A's right-hander Cory Lidle, the AL Pitcher of the Month for August after allowing only one earned run in six outstanding starts, faces Brad Radke in the first game.
“These three games coming up will be the toughest we've played during the streak,” said first baseman Scott Hatteberg, whose pinch-hit homer in the ninth gave Oakland a 12-11 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night. “That's a division-leading team playing at home. We'll have to get a little lucky to come out of there with all three games.”
No matter when it ends, the streak has given Oakland the push it needed to move ahead in baseball's toughest three-team division race — but not by much. With a 10-1 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday night, the Angels stretched their own winning streak to seven. While Oakland went 20-0, Anaheim was 15-6.
When the streak began, Oakland was 4 1/2 games behind Seattle in third. The A's needed seven straight wins to claim a share of the division lead, and they didn't have sole possession until their 10th straight victory on Aug. 23.
The streak began with five victories at home three weeks ago, but it became something special during a 10-game road trip through the Midwest in which the A's pounded their opponents by a combined 81-26.
The streak got hairy during a just-completed five-game homestand. Minnesota lost its three games by a total of seven runs, and Oakland needed a three-run homer by Miguel Tejada to snatch their 18th win from the Twins on Sunday.
Kansas City then took a five-run lead in No. 19, and the Royals erased an 11-run deficit in No. 20.
The A's visit Anaheim after their three-game series in Minnesota, with the possible record-tying and record-setting games scheduled for next week against the Angels.
“I guarantee you that nobody on this team has thought about that,” closer Billy Koch said of next week's schedule. “It's tough enough beating the Kansas City Royals in one game without thinking about the whole rest of the regular season.”
The series in Minneapolis is a matchup of division leaders and a probable playoff preview if the A's can hold off Anaheim for the AL West title. The national attention that's been focused on Oakland will shift to the Metrodome as the A's and Twins both attempt to inch closer to division titles.
But not even a wild card berth is a certainty for Oakland. The struggling Seattle Mariners are seven games behind the A's — but everybody in baseball learned what manager Lou Piniella's players can do last season, when they won 116 games.
The A's have six games remaining against Seattle, including a three-game series in Oakland next weekend. All told, the A's final 20 games are against division opponents.
Howe said he would love a couple of easy victories, but his team couldn't get any at home. Perhaps the A's will dispense with the drama on the road, where they've won 15 of their last 17 overall.
“Winning is sort of in our blood right now,” Zito said. “The last three games, we've just expected to have a walk-off hit to end it.”
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A's need to keep winning
