by Michael Duca

OAKLAND–The Houston Astros who are in Oakland this week have been playing better as of late and after getting the number one draft pick three years in a row although it didn’t seem to help them much in this third year they were unable to sign their number one pick in the draft. Having won one two years in a row is only going to help turn this franchise around.

The Astros are a solid up and coming team with a pretty good farm system right now on Tuesday night if you were a baseball fan that had to be your favorite night of the year between the Giants and the A’s they gave you 26 innings of baseball where San Francisco played 14 and the A’s went 12.

The Astros L.J. Hoes gave A’s pitcher Francisco Abad the game loss with Hoes third homer of the year in the 12th inning for the 3-2 win. The game didn’t end the way manager Bob Melvin and the A’s wanted it to end. Hoes decided that he saw enough of his share of 14 inning baseball as the Astros went 14 in New York, Philadelphia, and in Oakland he decided that he wanted to go home a little earlier.

This is a franchise that wants to snap the habit of being a losing team, the Astros are 19.5 games out of first place and occupy fourth place in the American League West. The time that a young franchise has it’s best opportunity really gains some confidence and right now their going against the best team in the Majors. Right now it’s a real dogfight Between the A’s and Angels just like in the National League West with the dogfight between the Giants and the Dodgers.

San Francisco Giants update: Thats one way to celebrate as the Giants took starting pitcher Tim Lincecum in a laundry hamper and doused him with beer on Tuesday night after he chalked up a save for the Giants over the Philadelphia Phillies in a 9-6 win in the closing role. This was Lincecum’s first ever save and this really tells you about the team. Manger Bruce Bochy’s bullpen would have neither been in this one yesterday or today and he decided to push it back on Tuesday just in case they needed Timmy in the 14th inning and they did.

Had the Giants not taken the lead then you would have seen something really mind boggling you would have seen outfielder Tyler Colvin in relief and pitcher Ryan Voglesong was ready to go out to rightfield in Colvin’s spot while switching between right and pitching. It’s an interesting situation for Lincecum usually finding his rythm and throwing strikes in the first inning, he’s given up more first inning runs than any other inning this year.

So Lincecum not only came into the 14th inning Tuesday night cold but he came in the game with runners in scoring position and talk about adapting to the closers mentality Lincecum was irriated with himself and he inherited a runner to score. When you got a four run lead and two guys on your more than happy to trade an out for a run all day because the Phils can’t score enough runs then they can make outs.

By the 14th inning on Tuesday Giants pitcher Madison Baumgarner had his spikes on and he was ready to hit and Vogelsong had his spikes on and he was ready to go out and play in the outfield. Pitcher Tim Hudson had gone in with his spikes and he was ready to hit and do whatever he could. There’s one of the thing about a game like this, to get a game like this with all 25 guys contributing they need to contribute actively, they need to contribute by getting the team ready. It helps the team bond.

Michael Duca does Giants and A’s commentary on http://www.sportsradioservice.com each week