This Roadtrip is Key!

[tribetalk]

This 10 game roadtrip is really key for this team; and here is why??

1) If we can continue to roll going 7-3 or 8-2 on this roadtrip; we will open up an even bigger lead in the AL-Central.

2) If we go 7-3 or 8-2; chances are more fans are going to take note, and we can really begin to see some HUGE crowds up at the Jake as the temperatures heat up.

The big thing is to get the fans coming back to the games and getting 25,000 to 30,000 every night................and by winning more, it may just happen.

[Charboneau]

I happen to agree with you. This is an important early season road trip - but a brutal one with the east coast to west coast thing. Realistically, if we go 5-5 I'll be happy. That would bring us back home at 22-13.

The travel for the LAA series is going to be pretty brutal - Baltimore to LA up to Oakland with no days off. I'll be at the series in Baltimore and I hope we can get fat off the O's - but the O's are a much better team at home than on the road. I predict:

2-2 vs. Baltimore
1-2 vs. LAA
2-1 vs. Oakland

5-5 for the roadie

I would actually be happy with that.

[BruceK]

Well, since playing .600 baseball usually gets you into (or very close to) the playoffs, then a prolonged stretch of .700 or .800 is certainly desired.

Not to be expected, but desired.

[consigliere]

Personally, I am gunning for 6-4. Anything better would be saweet. 5-5 would be acceptable.....but anything below 5-5 would be disappointing.

[StewieG]

I thought the same thing last night. 6-4 would be fine. I'd live with 5-5, but 6-4 or better is what we should gun for. If we win both series' out west and split with the O's, or take 3 from the O's and win one game against the Angels, with 2 against the A's, I'll be happy.

The A's are beatable right now, I think. Piazza just went down with an injury. He's their best hitter (for average) right now at .282. Nick Swisher and Travis Buck are the only guys with an OPS above .800. Injuries are killing them. Tribe killer Mark Kotsay is on the 60-day DL. Milton Bradley is out right now, but should be back when we play them. Rich Harden isn't supposed to throw until May 12, so it's doubtful he'll be ready when we play them.

Pitching is the only thing keeping this team afloat. Their starters are fantastic, their bullpen is solid.

What does all of this mean? We should probably expect a lot of 10-8 or 15-16 games in Oakland, because every time we expect a low-scoring series, it turns into a slugfest.

[pup]

Are we really HOPING to split with the O's? Anything short of 3-1 there is a wasted series.

The A's are mud right now, but depending on who they are throwing for that series, it could be interesting.

The Angels are going to be a tough matchup.

I would demand (to be happy)
3-1 v Crackmore
2-1 v A's
1-2 v Angels

Anything less is a bad trip.

[Birdman]

2) If we go 7-3 or 8-2; chances are more fans are going to take note, and we can really begin to see some HUGE crowds up at the Jake as the temperatures heat up.

The big thing is to get the fans coming back to the games and getting 25,000 to 30,000 every night................and by winning more, it may just happen.

I totally agree. It would be really nice to see some crowds down at the Jake. I would be happy with a .500 trip but that will not do anything to get the casual fan into the team. Hopefully they keep winning and more people start to notice.

[skatingtripods]

I'm looking for 5-5. It's a tough road trip with the travel schedule and the wraparound with BAL prevents a day off. That 5.5 hour flight is a killer. I'll up my prediction to 6-4 or 7-3 if we get some length out of Sowers and Byrd, because this bullpen has been throwing a ton of innings this week.

That being said, the bigger road trip comes at the end of the month where we get Detroit for the first time and go to Fenway. That doesn't mean that this one isn't big too. With Detroit playing KC and Seattle (Damn, they've had an easy schedule so far), it would be nice to go better than 5-5 on this east-west coast swing.

[furls]

If the team is going to seriously contend than the goal is to win every series knowing that you will not, but if you can win most than you have a good shot at the playoffs.