So I may not being making any friends, when I make the statement that I’d prefer to see another player put a lock on the first base position. Before you start sharpening your pitchforks and/or prepare to burn me at the stake, hear me out.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

First of all, let it be said that at the very heart of Brandon Moss’s difficulties is his inability to make consistent contact. In a sense, the one constant of his professional career is a strikeout rate hovering over 25%. In his tenure in Oakland, Moss topped out at 30.4 % last season and has kept the pace with a 30.8% rate thus far this season. His walk rate has actually risen from 8.8 to 12.6 %, and despite his overall slash line dropping from .291/.358/.596 to .260/.364/.447 this season, Moss has actually experienced a reprise in BABIP luck replicating his .350 plus average from 2012. What concerns me the most, is that he has been rendered completely useless when falling behind in the count. While every hitter faces a statistical disadvantage when falling behind, Moss has devolved into a .114/.133/.205 hitter this season, with an egregious 27 strikeouts in 44 plate appearances.

Defensively, Moss has showed minor signs of improvement at the position despite spending considerable time lately in the outfield due to Oakland’s injury surplus. In 26 games a first, he’s made 3 errors total (2 fielding, 1 throwing) as opposed to 8 in 55 games last season. He seems more comfortable scooping low throws, and while he isn’t a glaring novice at first base anymore, there are certainly times when his relative inexperience manifests. Although it’s difficult to find the actual count, the issue remains that on multiple occasions Moss has ranged too far to his left on what would be a routine grounder to second, leaving first base unattended and costing the team an out. This was an issue last season, and with the pitching staff struggling as is, the 2013 Athletics simply cannot afford to allow extra base runners through methods such as this.

Although I expect Moss to have respectable power numbers by seasons end, it’s hard to ignore that he has struck out 15 times in the last 10 games, a span of 34 at bats while recording only 5 hits and 3 walks. Regression is to be expected, but I fear with each swing and a miss that Moss is inching closer to resembling the player he was in 2009 when he last received regular playing time at the big league level prior to last season. During that forgettable season, he struggled to a .236/.304/.364 mark in 133 games played and was soon banished to the minor leagues.

In all reality, the job will be Moss’s for the immediate future as in all likelihood he has no true competition. Daric Barton, is in the midst of his umpteenth stint in Oakland and has so far displayed his trademarked plate discipline, excellent defense, and underwhelming power and offensive skills in limited action this season. The man who won’t leave, doesn’t have many advocates amongst the Oakland faithful but still might be a useful piece as a defensive replacement and spot starter at the position. For now it appears the prospect of starting, has come and go for Oakland’s longest tenured position player and his best hope of sticking around is to embrace a role similar to what Doug Mientkiewicz filled during the course of his career. Nate Freiman is a neophyte, who had never played a game over Double-A before his surprising arrival during the waning days of spring training. With an impressive physical appearance, and power potential; Freiman is an intriguing option. However, with the club attempting to content in 2013, I wouldn’t expect anything more than the occasional start against a left-handed starter filling the role inhabited by Chris Carter last season. As the season progresses, it’ll be interesting to see how the former Duke Blue Devil adjusts in his first look at advanced pitching.

For now, Moss is in no immediate danger of losing his job. He’s simply too valuable to the team, but perhaps a defensive and offensive upgrade will one day emerge from the shadows.

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It was only a 5 game losing streak, but it felt like a lot more.  But tonight, not Angel Hernandez, not Joe Torre, not Chris Perez, not Kyle Seager, and not the A’s themselves would be able to prevent the A’s from coming away with a victory in Seattle tonight.  Jarrod Parker finally showed some signs of the pitcher we all saw last season, in one of his best performances of 2013 to best the Mariners and Brandon Maurer.

May 11, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Grant Balfour (50) is greeted by catcher Derek Norris (36) after the final out against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Oakland defeated Seattle, 4-3, as Balfour earned his sixth save. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The game began uneventfully, neither team did anything in the first inning.  Josh Donaldson went deep for his 5th home run of the season in the top of the 2nd inning, the Mariners did nothing when a walk was erased with an inning ending double play in their half.  Yoenis Cespedes returned the favor with his own inning ending double play in the top of the 3rd, and the Mariners once again did nothing with their half (Sensing a theme?).  The A’s got on the board again in the top of the 4th when Daric Barton launched his first home run of the season, the Mariners again did nothing (2 walks, one of which was picked off by a snap throw from Derek Norris).  Jed Lowrie drove in the A’s third run of the game on a long RBI single in the top of the 5th, the Mariners finally did something in the bottom half when Kelly Shoppach went to the opposite field for a 2-run home run following a Justin Smoak walk with pop up and a force out sandwiched in between.  That was the first base hit allowed by Jarrod Parker in the game, it may have only been 4.2 innings of no hit ball, but all things considered it’s extremely impressive for him.  Brandon Moss would respond with his 5th home run of the season in the 6th.

Parker would work into the 7th inning, going 6.1 innings while allowing 3 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts in getting his second win of the season.  Sean Doolittle allowed his first inherited runner to score in taking over for Parker, accounting for the 3rd ER charged to him.  Doolittle would escape the inning with any further damage done.  Ryan Cook would bring us a cardiac inning in the 8th, loading up the bases on two singles and a walk, but he would strike out the side in the process to walk across the tight rope and escape disaster.  Grant Balfour would convert the save in the 9th, his 24th straight, but it wouldn’t come easy as the M’s would get the tying and potential winning runs aboard.  The A’s bullpen managed to hold the Mariners down, but they sure didn’t act like they wanted to.

On the offensive side, Jed Lowrie would shine brightest with a 3 for 4 night and an RBI single.  Josh Donaldson (2-4), Daric Barton (1-4), and Brandon Moss (1-4) accounted for each of the other three single runs that gave the A’s just barely enough to pull out this win.

May 11, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) hits the wall after robbing a home run against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning at Safeco Field. Oakland defeated Seattle, 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The highlight of the night had to be the sensational play by Yoenis Cespedes in center field to rob Kyle Seager of at least extra bases and perhaps more.  Yoenis caught the ball with a leap and a crash into the wall after a dead run just to the left of straight away center field.  He appeared to maybe have gotten his bell run a little bit, but apparently no harm was done.

With the win the A’s are back at .500 at 19-19.

It seems hard to believe, but the A’s will have a chance to win the series tomorrow afternoon as Tommy Milone (3-4, 3.14 ERA) takes on old friend Joe Saunders (2-4, 6.15 ERA).  Saunders at times has been able to shut down the Athletics, but that was primarily during his days with the Los Angeles Angels.  The A’s roughed him up a little, scoring 4 runs in 4 innings against Saunders for the team’s first win of 2013 back on April 3rd.