Straily's 2nd 1-0 Win Keeps A's in 1st

Straily's 2nd 1-0 Win Keeps A's in 1st
Dan Straily accomplished a rare feat with his second 1-0 win of the season to keep the Oakland A’s one game ahead of the Texas Rangers in the two-way race for the AL West. The A’s also have an incredible 4-7 record when scoring just two runs, giving them six improbable wins while scoring two or fewer runs.
Straily allowed only one hit Thursday against the Cubs after allowing just two hits to beat Rangers’ ace Yu Darvish earlier in the season. The Rangers have not won a 1-0 game this year, though Darvish accomplished the feat last August 28 against the Devil Rays.
The only run scored in the game occured when Cubs’ catcher Welington Castillo allowed a pass ball to score the opposing catcher Derek Norris.
The only pitchers to record at least 10 complete game 1-0 wins are Bert Blyleven (14), Dean Chance (13), Gaylord Perry (12), Steve Carlton (12), Fergie Jenkins (11), Nolan Ryan (11), Greg Maddux (11) and Sandy Koufax (10), according to a study in 2011.
With a 4.52 ERA and a great bullpen behind him, Straily may never be allowed to complete a 1-0 win, but the focus he has shown in allowing only three hits in 14 innings in the two 1-0 wins this season has been a huge boost for the A’s.
The Cubs’ Travis Wood matched him for six innings, but gave way to Matt Guerrier. Castillo got him out of a jam once in the seventh inning by gunning down a baserunner, and with two outs the A’s had noone on base. However, the A’s focus on drawing walks under Billy Beane was a key again, as Norris walked with two outs, when to third on a single by Seth Smith, and then scored the games only run on the passed ball.
Straily pitched the seventh, but then turned it over to the A’s exceptional bullpen of 
Ryan Cook, who lowered his ERA to 2.72 in getting his 12th Hold, and Grant Balfour, who lowered his ERA to 1.85 to earn his 21st Save.
The A’s have produced the second most addition wins per dollars spent, as they hit 50 wins with Thursday’s win. 
The are a .500 team on the road, but 28-14 in their pitcher-friendly home park, scoring a barely above average 4.5 runs per game at home to the 4.4 AL average, but allowing only 3.8 runs per home game.

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