After a gut-wrenching loss—especially one where you're literally one strike away from victory and it slips away—everything can feel a bit darker. Conversely, a thrilling win can make a team feel invincible. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Writing in the wake of a tough defeat, I find more positives than negatives, but that optimism comes with a measured perspective. This A's team, as currently constructed, is both highly talented and deeply flawed. That balance feels about right for a squad sitting just one game over .500 at 22-21.

The A's have earned their record by losing some games they should have won and winning some they should have lost. Yet, they've achieved what had to be the overarching goal for April and May: stay within striking distance of the Mariners, hover around the .500 mark, and hang tough while the roster hopefully gets some key reinforcements—perhaps Gage Jump sooner, or even Leo De Vries down the line.

Part of the reason the A's have kept pace with—and even stayed ahead of—Seattle has been the Mariners' surprising struggles out of the gate. Projected by analysts to win closer to 96 games than 80, the Mariners have sputtered through the first seven weeks, keeping the A's in good position.

But here's the real reason I'm leaning toward optimism. It's not just that the A's have reached this point with two key pieces—Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom—underperforming significantly. While that does offer hope that "the best is yet to come," that's not the full story. As Butler and Soderstrom find their groove, surely Shea Langeliers and Carlos Cortes won't continue to masquerade as the team's batting leader and the one who would lead even Langeliers if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. (Though they're welcome to keep proving us wrong.)

The real silver lining—even in a game as painful as today's—is that the A's may have solved two positions that looked shaky heading into the season. Zack Gelof's play at third base, combined with his work at the plate, has been a true revelation. It feels increasingly reasonable that the A's have found their man at the hot corner, giving fans genuine reason to believe this team's best days are still ahead.