Before today's game a member of the media noticed that Daren Brown appeared to be growing a goatee. "It's my offensive goatee," he replied when asked about it. Needless to say he confirmed post game that he wouldn't be shaving it off. Whatever works.

A walk, seven hits (three of them soft line drives that found holes) an error and a sac fly added up to an offensive explosion in the second inning to the tune of five runs. Those five runs put an end to the eleven game streak of scoring three runs or less in a game. Twelve games of three or less is the club record. Whew. Record safe. For now.

What was good to see in that inning was the M's hitters appearing to relax and take what was given to them from a struggling Dallas Braden rather than press and do too much. According to Adam Moore it was a matter of looking for balls that were up in the zone and a little luck. "Even with the hits that were just bleeding through I believe those pitches were decent and good enough to get outs but we just had a flow of hits rolling and balls were finding the green out in the outfield. We were able to find every hole early in the game."

Later in the game after Braden had settled down it was back to the scouting report for Moore who was able to take him deep on a first pitch fastball.

"I was watching him throw to right handers and I watched a lot of video on him. He was throwing a lot of fastballs hard in to get ahead then go off speed and right there he just left it out over the plate and I was able to put a good swing on it."

As for the guy he was catching, Doug Fister was a bit off walking a season high four batters in five innings. In his post game interview it was clear he was battling a cold which he admitted had just come on that morning.

On a perhaps related note, Franklin Gutierrez who had the flu last week left tonight's game after hyperventilating in the dugout. He was checked out by the A's team doctor who said he appeared to be okay but might be battling something respiratory.

News and notes...Ryan Rowland-Smith has been nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award which is given annually to the player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field...Brown announced today that they would stay in rotation despite upcoming off days thus giving each of the starters an extra day off. Felix will have five more starts this season...The M's had their fantasy football draft last night at the hotel. Josh Wilson and Ryan Langerhans are the commissioners...

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