There is nothing like a sweep at home at the hands of the rebuilding Atlanta Braves to completely take the wind out of the sails of a streaky-but-improving A’s squad. Losing is always frustrating, but there are some silver linings behind the poor play – namely (in no particular order) priority in waiver claims, higher draft picks, and watching highly-touted-but-still-too-raw prospects get their first exposure to and experience in the big leagues. None of the previous entirely justify tanking, as the strategy of intentionally losing is viable in more individualized sports like football or basketball, where those being drafted are easier to project and can have immediate impacts on their team, but at least a young and growing team is more fun to watch lose than one that is aging and falling apart at the seams.
Athletics vs White Sox: Start the 2nd Half Right
