A’s hopes for postseason hinge on pitching

By Bud L. Ellis

The Oakland Athletics added some power to their lineup in the offseason, but make no mistake: the A’s hopes in 2011 hinge on the talented four arms at the top of Oakland’s rotation.

The A’s finished at .500 last season, going 81-81 in finishing nine games behind AL West winner and eventual World Series qualifier Texas. To get to that point, the A’s will have to pitch well.

They’ve definitely got the arms to do so. Right-hander Trevor Cahill will get the nod on opening day. Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden, who fired a perfect game last season, will round out the top four.

The A’s were active in the offseason, bolstering their power with the likes of Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham in an attempt to score enough runs for the talented pitching staff.

Oakland opens its season at home against Seattle on April 1. After that initial three-game series, the A’s hit the road for a nine-game road trip to Toronto, Minnesota and Chicago.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 7:23 pm by bud

Tags: Brett Anderson, Chicago White Sox, Dallas Braden, Gio Gonzalez, Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham, Major League Baseball, Minnesota Twins, Oakland A’s news, Oakland A’s schedule, Oakland A’s tickets, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Trevor Cahill