Carlos Rodón continued to impress, surpassing Tim Lincecum’s record of 35 strikeouts in a pitcher’s first four starts by striking out nine, bringing his season total to 38.

as Wilmer Flores jumped on the A’s – two for four with a homer, a double and four RBI – and the guys won game one Giants, 8, Athletics, 2.

and lost game two Giants 0, Athletics 1, in a Sam Long start in which he went one inning and gave up the game’s only run. So, wait – was he an opener? Or was it his start? or was this a Bullpen Game? I’m puttng it down to a Bullpen Game, for which the record is now 2-1.

29-year-old Jakob Benjamin Lee Junis is proving to be a middle-inning-eating reliever who shows command. The ‘pen was impressive as all hell in this Bullpen Game – Junis went four, Jake McGee, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval all hurled scoreless innings to keep it a 1 – 0 game throughout.

Earlier I said we have no closer, rather a set of closers. I am starting to think we have no opener, either, but rather that Kap and Co., are trying to compose pitching staffs with highly improvisational contexts. “If this, then that,” or “Let him go as long as possible and then we switch based on lineup,” or “no starter, no single dominant pitcher.”

It’s all pretty wild to watch and perceive of as organized. But I see a logic behind it and the Win/Loss doesn’t lie.