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The Oakland Telegraph
24 April 2034
Solid start from A's as offense and bullpen dominate
By O. K. Sofar, tentative assessments correspondent
The Oakland A's have made a good start to the new season, finishing the opening fortnight at 8-4. That puts them a game and a half behind the early American League West division leaders the LA Angels, who are on 10-3. Despite their big budget, the Halos have famously failed to make a playoff appearance in the entire nineteen years of the Dynastic Era. They have a young and dynamic batting lineup and a solid starting rotation, and if their bullpen holds up they look able to make a strong challenge to break that sorry record.
Oakland's strengthened batting lineup has scored an impressive 70 runs in the 12 games so far. Meanwhile, the defense has conceded just 36. The bullpen, seen preseason as the team's potential weakest link, has given the pundits what for with some superb displays. Overall, the pen has allowed just 6 earned runs from 39.2 innings pitched. Pick of the ripe bunch has been blink-and-you'll-miss-it-screaming-past-your-nose pitcher Brandon Lee, who has allowed no runs and just two hits from his 8.2 innings.
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