It's not over for A's, yet

BOX SCORE

DETROIT -- "Over? Did you say "over?" Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" -- John Belushi as Bluto in Animal House That famous clip from the movie Animal House often plays on the big screen at the Oakland Coliseum when the A's are down late in a game. Aside from the historical inaccuracies, it perfectly sums up the Oakland Athletics' attitude as they packed up their clubhouse stalls and headed for home down 2-0 in the American League Division Series and facing elimination. "We're not going to get our heads down and act like we're beaten," Josh Reddick said. "We've gotten this far for a reason and we are a good team and we know we are a good team. We're just going to grind it out and win these next three ballgames." Is the series over? Not until they lose one more game. Just ask the Rangers how dangerous the A's can be when they need three home wins. Many of the Rangers' players were probably watching the Tigers defeat Oakland 5-4 in walk-off fashion from their couches at home. History isn't on their side. The A's have gone down 0-2 seven times in a postseason series and they ended up getting eliminated in all seven. Five teams in Major League history have over come a 0-2 deficit in a best of five series. Two of the teams that pulled off the feat did so against the A's. The Yankees did it in 2001 and the Red Sox did it in 2003. "We just need to win a game," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We need to go home and concentrate on Tuesday. If you start thinking about three games ahead, then you lose your focus on Tuesday's game."They do have reason to be optimistic. Of all the AL playoff teams the Tigers are the only one with a losing record on the road. They went 38-43 on the road this season. The A's were 50-31 at home and have fed off the energy at the Coliseum lately. "We're still alive and now it's a must-win situation," Coco Crisp said. It will be an adjustment for the A's who have played all season long like they have nothing to lose. Their storybook season could either come to an end with one more loss, or their tale could get even more miraculous with a few well timed wins. It will be interesting to see how the A's respond with their backs truly against the wall for the first time this season. "It's a little tougher no doubt," closer Grant Balfour said. "You lose the next one you go home. You lose in the regular season there's tomorrow." The A's will work out at the Coliseum on Monday. They take on the Tigers on their home turf at 6:07 p.m. on Tuesday. Detroit will be sending Anibal Sanchez to the mound. Oakland scored six runs -- five earned -- against Sanchez on September 20 in Detroit. Injured starting pitcher Brett Anderson is likely taking the mound for Oakland. He strained his right oblique on September 19 against the Tigers. All reports indicate that he is feeling good, so what better time to have him pitch than a must-win game?