By that measure, Peavy’s running out of gas at around 80 pitches in the sixth inning of the Sox 8-7 loss in Washington and giving up two long two-run home runs to Jayson Werth (who flied out 400 feet to dead center in the fourth) and Adam LaRoche is a good thing. Even if it turned a 2-2 tied game into a 6-2 Nationals lead before Robin Ventura could amble out of the dugout or holler for mercy. It seemed to early to panic when Peavy allowed a leadoff double to Denard Span shortly before the first home run, the second blast seemed more like a tired pitcher being victimized.

It was an ignominious end to promising beginning for Peavy. He had his two-seamer snapping beautifully to start and had a mighty fine seven-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio to go alongside the three bombs he allowed.

Late-inning four-run deficits on the road against consensus National League favorites are a bit of a bear, but the White Sox did well to not be cartoonishly demolished. The foppish leadoff duo of Alejandro De Aza (3-4, BB, R) and Jeff Keppinger got on in the top of the seventh for Paul Konerko (1-1, HR, 2BB, SF), who lifted his first home run of the season to left off Tyler Clippard to draw the Sox within a run at 6-5.

It was the breakthrough that never came against an inefficient Gio Gonzalez, who racked up 99 pitches and never saw the sixth inning. Gonzalez found himself with the bases loaded in the first inning with one out and lefty-masher Dayan Viciedo (in what might be his only start of the series) at the plate, but this was not one of Dayan’s fluid-looking days, as he dug himself an 0-2 hole, and finished it with a wild flail.

If not for Gio Gonzalez messing up a step off the rubber badly enough to get called for a balk that forced Keppinger home, the Nationals might have escaped the threat entirely unscathed. It was the only run Gonzalez would surrender all night, giving way to Craig Stammen, who was nicked for a run in the sixth due to a wave of soft singles and catcher Wilson Ramos airmailing a throw to center field on an Alex Rios stolen base.

Notions of a larger comeback were snuffed out by the bullpen moving the goalposts. Donnie Veal came on in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on first, but pushed him across the diamond to third with one of the worst pickoff throws of the young season and continued his control problems by walking the left-handed Denard Spand, who he was specifically brought on to retire. Matt Lindstrom allowed a RBI single past a diving Conor Gillaspie to Jayson Werth before getting a double play to end the inning.

The eighth frame was witness to plenty of Thornton Luck, but the wave of soft singles were ultimately made irrelevant. Unfortunately they had been preceded by a golfed Adam LaRoche solo shot (his second home run of the night and the season), though, which wound up being the difference when Alex Rios clocked a two-out, two-run home run to left off Nationals closer Rafael Soriano, bringing the game to its 8-7 final score.

–Gordon Beckham left the game after an awkward swing on a strikeout in the second. He was listed as day-to-day with a nerve irritation in his wrist. Angel Sanchez came on in his place, but a Jeff Keppinger-Conor Gillaspie combo is far more likely.

–Don Cooper missed the game while hospitalized for diverticulitis. It’s not considered serious, but Bobby Thigpen served as pitching coach in his stead. Amusingly, Peavy’s first home run in the sixth came right after a Thigpen mound visit.

Box Score

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan

Today’s Lineup:

1. De Aza – CF
2. Lillibridge – 1B
3. Alex Rios – RF
4. Paulie – DH
5. Alexei – SS
6. Dayan – LF
7. Flowers – C
8. Morel – 3B
9. Gordo – 2B

Adam Dunn will sit this one out against the lefty Tommy Milone, part of the haul Oakland received in exchange for Gio Gonzalez this off-season. Milone has pitched well so far this season. He’s not a strikeout guy, he pitches to contact which bodes well for him in the spacious HR suppressing Oakland Coliseum. Brent Lillibridge fill in at first while Paulie continues to DH.

Something I didn’t expect to say when the season started: Alex Rios is batting 3rd today, and I’m looking forward to it. Stay hot, Alex!

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MA: In a division with a pair of teams in the Rangers and the Angels that spent the winter dominating headlines, how nice was it to have won the Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes? Is he aas exciting an everyday player as he seems via highlights for the rest of us?

JL: The A’s did not have an exciting offseason this past winter, but they did shock all of us, I think, when they won the Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes. The A’s spent most of their time this past offseason trading away some of their most recognizable names in Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill, so getting Cespedes was definitely a nice surprise. In a division that includes two powerhouses in the Rangers and Angels, the A’s are most likely going to fade from contention at some point this season. Cespedes, though, will help ease the pain likely to be felt in Oakland as a result of the club’s mediocrity.

Cespedes will likely experience some growing pains this year, but he’s also going to have some level of success this year in Oakland. He currently leads the team with four home runs and 15 RBIs. The power that Oakland has been craving for is definitely there with Cespedes. The only concern right now is his strikeouts. He’s been punched out 20 times in his first 16 games so far. Still, for a club like Oakland, Cespedes is an All-Star. He is as exciting as he seems to be on highlights.

MA: Billy Beane has the reputation of a “seller.” When his offseason signings occur folks tend to mutter about how the player will be wearing another uniform by the end of July. As an A’s fan do you have a hard time getting attached to players, halfway thinking they might be gone fairly soon?

JL: It’s tough being an A’s fan. Billy Beane definitely has his hands full in Oakland and is usually handcuffed by a limiting payroll. He has to get creative from time to time and that means players will often come and go. Rent-a-players like Matt Holliday are perfect examples as to why it is so hard for A’s fans to get attached to their players. We know that players who actually have talent won’t be in town for very long simply because as they start nearing their peak/potential, Beane has other GMs on speed-dial inquiring about potential trades. One player who will likely see the door at some point before the deadline this year is Bartolo Colon. Colon is off to a fast start and has been extremely manageable, from a financial standpoint, and could get some attention from other ball clubs looking to add a veteran pitcher to their rotation. So the answer to your question is yes. I have an extremely hard time getting attached to players. They would have be locked up for four years in order for me to even think about buying a jersey. Then again, the A’s gave Nick Swisher a five-year extension before trading him the very same year to the White Sox in ’07.

MA: We saw a rather down and out Manny Ramirez on the White Sox to close out 2010. Not a ton was expected but we all hoped to see some Manny magic or at the very least be entertained with some Manny being Manny. Are you looking forward to Manny’s return from suspension and how well do you expect him to perform?

JL: I wasn’t excited when the A’s signed Manny, but after watching him in the spring a few times, I grew interested in finding out what he could do for the green-and-gold. A player like Manny needs no introduction and A’s players (namely, Yoenis Cespedes) would benefit greatly from his veteran experience. He seems to have changed his self-centered ways and seems genuinely interested and grateful, for that matter, to be playing baseball again. Once his suspension is over, I would expect him to be penciled in as Oakland’s full-time DH. Having a guy like Manny in the lineup makes the team instantly better. Having the power-hitting Cespedes right next to Manny in the lineup makes Oakland an even better offensive unit.

His best days are definitely behind him, but Manny could potentially provide some kind of spark for the Athletics this year. I’m not talking about 30 HR and 100+RBIs, but rather 10 HR and 50 RBIs or so. That, in my mind, would be enough.

For more Oakland Athletics related news visit SwinginAs.com.

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