MVN - Most Valuable Network

Harden Struggles In Start

Rich Harden made his third start today against the Rangers, his first since coming off the DL with a strained shoulder.

He struggled, to say the least, surrendering five runs and lasting just three and two-thirds. He gave up eight hits and walked four batters. Yikes! It wasn’t all bad, though, as he struck out five.

The A’s still won 12-6, though, to gain first place in the AL West.

This was pretty much what to expect from Harden, as he hadn’t pitched since the beginning of April. His control was obviously very poor, but his stuff didn’t look too bad. He should progress each start, and return to being a good pitcher.

Of course, he still could get injured, which he has his whole career. If he doesn’t, than he is a fantastic pitcher, possibly even Oakland’s ace.

In the A’s rebuilding plans, he could be traded even if he is healthy. The way their rotation is pitching, they really don’t even need him. Still, he is a great talent, and I’d think twice if I were them.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 11th, 2008 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.