With several off-days and a rainout all within a week span, the A's have the luxury of going with 11 pitchers for a while, so after sending out pitcher Sean Gallagher Thursday, the team recalled third baseman Jack Hannahan on Friday.
Hannahan hit a big-league low .218 last year but filled in ably at third base from a defensive standpoint when Eric Chavez missed much of last year with shoulder injuries, playing 106 games. Hannahan also can play first base, an occasional need for Oakland with Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi's top backup at first, already dealing with calf problems in April. Garciaparra's calf tightness, which sidelined him the past week, along with the fact that the A's are being cautious with Chavez, has led to Bobby Crosby playing third much of the last two weeks. Crosby never has played the position before this year.
On Friday, Crosby was at first and Chavez started at third, but Hannahan entered the game in the eighth and hit a solo homer.
"I knew the writing was kind of on the wall once they signed (Orlando Cabrera and Garciaparra), and baseball's a game of numbers. Sometimes you squeeze in, and sometimes you don't," Hannahan told the Contra Costa Times. "You put so much hard work in to get to the big leagues, then, boom, you're kind of back to square one again."
RAYS 8, A'S 2: Oakland dropped its fifth game in a row, and along with an ongoing theme of insufficient offense, the club also got the first poor outing from rookie right-hander Trevor Cahill. Cahill, 21, entered the game with a 2.60 ERA but he gave up eight hits, two walks and seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.
