It's the dog days of summer, and it's "Dog Night" at Progressive Field. All dogs get in free.

Really.

At least our front office isn't lacking in creativity.

Kind of explains why all the fans in the stands seem spread out a bit more than normal.

"Keep your pit bull away from my chihuahua!"

Two on, no out. Brantley up and the tying run is on deck.


Whoa, Oakland does a Keystone Lillibridge impersonation and everyone is safe!

Our base runners barely escaped their own Keystone moment at 2nd.

Edit: that "keystone" moment involved the Oakland third baseman trying to run our lead runner back to 2nd in an attempt to apply the tag, but he lost the ball out of his glove in pursuit and it rolled into right field.

Speaking of Lillibridge, he is the tying run at the plate with no outs.

And Oakland says, go ahead and take the run as Lillibridge pops to shallow center.

6-3 and one down and two on.

Oakland has apparently been watching us play and learning our bad habits.


Wild pitch puts two of our runners in scoring position.

And one comes in as Oakland takes the 2nd out at first.


Tying run still at the plate.

6-4 Oakland, with Pestano on to pitch the top of the 9th.

Oakland wants this game as Texas has just lost to Tampa.

Well if not for bad luck there would be no luck at all.

Batted ball ricochets off Pestano and rolls into left field. Carrera makes a less than stellar throw to the plate and the leadoff double turns into a run.

7-4 them.

We go to our 9th, now needing a granny....or just four runs.....to keep the game going.

A's win 8-4...Tribe has dropped 4 straight and 26 of last 31.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:It's the dog days of summer, and it's "Dog Night" at Progressive Field. All dogs get in free.

And judging by recent evidence, some of them even get in the game.

OK GUYS It is time for an incantation and some magic to stop this fall from grace. So hear goes:

"This is the spell that we intone,
Flesh to flesh and bone to bone.
Sinew to sinew and vein to vein,
And each one shall be whole again."

Repeat three times before each game and wear a necklace of Garlic Cloves during play.

1.
"This is the spell that we intone,
Flesh to flesh and bone to bone.
Sinew to sinew and vein to vein,
And each one shall be whole again."

2.
"This is the smell that we abide,
Guts to guts and hide to hide.
Tinker to Evers and Evers to Chance,
I don't think we'll make it to the big Dance."

3.
"These are the camera booths where we will find
Expertise practiced of sight and of mind.
Showing us slow-mo of hits and soft hands,
And careful to not let us see empty stands."


...

...


I can't feel anything happening yet. Do I need to say it three more times maybe?

VT'er-

Keep at it my friend and dont forget to leave a big tip!

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

Double, double what's a double
Fire Manny he's on the bubble.

No! No! No!

Manny Acta is not the problem.

Manny Acta has given every player he's had under his leadership this year the opportunities to succeed.

If you asked me, I'd say he was more than patient with these players. The talent was not there, plain and simple.

There's not a player on this team he hasn't supported and stood by from Choo and Cabrera to LaPorta and Lillibridge. The entire pitching staff. He's allowed everyone more than ample opportunities to succeed.

Let's place the blame where it should be placed.

This is going to suprise the forumn but I disagree with JOEZ on this one. The team's performance has been so bad that Acta I believe is radioactive at this point and can not return. While the results are not primarily his fault, I do not think it fair to absolve him of all blame either. He obviously has lost the team as these prima donnas-That means you Santana and Perez-have lost any interest in competing. He needs to go along with eveyone owner on down. Unfortunately the new deal with ESPN just about make it a forgone conclusion that Dolan would never sell. Why would he unless he was given an unbelievable offer and who would do that? Essentially what I am saying is all is lost.