So we're feeling better than we were at this time Sunday night, huh? That 1-5 start still has a chance to become a 157-5 finish, and it would be a good idea to start putting aside part of every paycheck, allowance or casino heist into your playoff ticket fund. Oh, do we get giddy when Kyle Lohse pitches the way that he did Thursday afternoon, a continuation of his Spring Training prowess. But this time it was for real and against a team with serious skills.

And the hitters! The A's starters, earlier this year, had pitched 27 straight scoreless innings -- and today's starter, Joe Blanton, had pitched eight of 'em last Friday night at Seattle. The A's starters, by the way, are supposed to be (and are) darn good. So don't be looking at this like one of those sweeps against Kansas City or Tampa Bay that made the Twins early last season look better than they really were.

In fact, RD recalls a conversation with his Sweet-N-Sassy after a sweep of Kansas City early last season, when she asked, "We're winning, but why are we having so much trouble with these lousy teams."

RD recalls saying sumthin' like, "A win is a win is a win. Don't matter whether you win 5-4 or 15-4."

Well, RD was wrong.

This was a sweep that could/should mean sumthin'. S. Cheeks Hunter belted 2 home runs, both of 'em key; the Twins clustered their runs for yet another day, scoring their first half-dozen in batches of 3; Mike Redmond (who needs an appropriate shorthand reference) got 3 hits, LN (25th Man)Punto got 2 and it didn't matter a whit that JustIncredible, Rondell (the Other) White (Meat) and combined to go hitless.

And then there was the sound of Dominican thunder -- the fastballs of Francisco Liriano. You could see the box score instead of the game itself and say to yourownself, "Six batters! Five strikeouts! How long can Gardy keep him in the bullpen?" You gotta think that Kyle Lohse woke up this morning and drove to the ballpark wondering the same thing.

And you gotta think that Scott Baker is going to bed tonight wondering the same thing, knowing that maybe (just maybe) he better pitch his a$$ off against the Yanquis tomorrow night to maintain his place.

And you gotta think that Bradke is going to bed tonight with a smile, knowing that if he does retire at the end of the season, his crafty right jabs will be replaced by thunderous left knockout punches.

The Yanquis are coming to town, with their billion-dollar payroll and not-quite deserved swagger. It would have been a serious pooper to go into this series 1-8 and l@' down. Instead, the Hometown Nine is 4-5 and l@' pretty much like we want 'em to l@ For now.