Brad Ziegler was feeling better at last on Sunday after being laid low by the flu the previous four days, but he won't be available until Monday against the Angels because he was still pretty drained.
Ziegler said he lost eight pounds while sick, but he never believed he had swine flu. He did have a high fever, and he required two rounds of IV fluids on Friday. He was scheduled to stretch and play light catch on Sunday at Seattle. While Zeigler was out, Michael Wuertz recorded his first two saves as a member of the A's. But the man who could be closing soon, even with Ziegler back, is rookie Andrew Bailey.
Manager Bob Geren said twice over the weekend that with a few more outings under his belt, Bailey could close. The right-hander has a 1.53 ERA and opponents are batting .103 against him, the best mark in the bullpen behind Santiago Casilla's .079, but Casilla was placed on the DL with a knee strain on Saturday.
Ziegler and another closer option, veteran Russ Springer, have had more difficulties retiring left-handed hitters than Bailey, Wuertz and Casilla, which is a primary reason one of those men is likely to wind up finishing up the bulk of the games rather than Ziegler. The A's have no trouble handing the ball to a rookie to close out games -- that's how Huston Street and Ziegler wound up as closers the past several years.
MARINERS 8, A'S 7 (15 innings): Jose Lopez hit an RBI single in the 15th inning as the Mariners outlasted the A's in the longest game in the majors this season. Oakland took a three-run lead in the 13th and Seattle came back with three in the bottom of the inning to keep the game spinning into extra innings.
