CF Jay Payton, castigated by yours truly (amongst others) for moaning his way out of Boston, has becoming a key figure in Oakland’s recent surge towards the NL West Crown. Since being acquired from the Red Sox for Chad Bradford, Payton has 8 HR’s and 23 RBI’s in 24 games, including a 3 run shot off Minnesota’s Joe Mays in yesterday’s 5-2 win.