Through the first dozen games, the A's have been shut out three times and are last in the majors in home runs (three) and runs (47).
"In my career, I've found that home runs come in bunches," first baseman Jason Giambi said. "Everyone gets hot and they start to drive the ball. It's picking up -- we're hitting more doubles, and guys are getting into the swing of it. Before you know it, we'll turn it around." The A's have several theories about their lack of offense: cool weather, good opposing pitching performances, poor luck. But there's no denying one fact: This year's offense was expected to be far better than last year's, which was last in the league in scoring and last in the majors in batting average.
Giambi was signed as a free agent. He hasn't hit a homer yet. Matt Holliday came over in a trade with the Rockies, and not only has he not hit a home run this season, he didn't hit one in the spring, either.
The A's are not overly concerned, though they might be getting testy about the questions. "We are a lot better offensively," A's second baseman Mark Ellis said. "We're so much better off, it's not even close."
