The Oakland Athletics lost to the Seattle Mariners Thursday because they failed to execute small things at two critical moments of the game.
The Oakland Athletics lost a game they should have won Thursday in Tokyo. They lost due to execution errors. On such errors of execution can entire seasons turn.
As a result, instead of splitting their season-opening series with the Seattle Mariners, the A’s come back 0-2. The final score Thursday was 5-4 in 12 innings.
At 162 games, the baseball season is obviously an extended one. But it is comprised of a lengthy succession of micro-moments, two of which sabotaged the Athletics in Tokyo. No team executes perfectly in all such moments, but the polished teams perform precisely in the vast majority of them.
The Athletics bollixed both and lost as a result. As a 2018 wild card team and potential
post-season contender, such things are vital.