The AL West is one of the most intriguing divisions in baseball this year. With three teams vying for a spot in the playoffs, the last month of the season is bound to be an exciting one with important matchups. One of those important series will take place this weekend in Anaheim as the Angels host the Oakland A’s for four games.
These two teams played each other just last weekend as the A’s took the series two games to one. Both the A’s and Angels are playing well right now and enter this series both coming off series wins. Here’s a look at how the two best teams in baseball will matchup this weekend.
Game one will feature two of the best pitchers in the West in Sonny Gray and C.J. Wilson. Both pitchers pitched last weekend when these two teams faced each other. Last Friday, Gray seeked a complete game, but settled for eight and a third, allowing three runs with five strikeouts as he picked up his 13th win on the year.
Wilson pitched last Saturday in Oakland and was impressive going six and a third allowing only one run. He received a no decision as the A’s took game two of the series in a close 2-1 contest. While Wilson has shown some struggles this season, he has had a great career against the A’s, always keeping the Halos in the game.
Looking forward to game two on Friday night, Jon Lester will be on the bump for the A’s while Jered Weaver will start for the Angels.
Lester was lights out through seven last weekend when he faced the Halos allowing one run while striking out seven. Lester has been everything the A’s have hoped for in the big game thus far in his time with Oakland.
In the series finale last Sunday, Weaver was on the mound for the Angels where he was very effective. He went six and a third while giving up three earned runs, but striking out eight. He also had a ton of run support as the hot Angels hitters scored nine off Scott Kazmir.
The Angels have yet to announce their starters for the final two games of the series, but the Angels will face Kazmir again in game three, and Jeff Samardzija in game four.
Last week Kazmir really struggled against the Angels going only three innings while giving up seven earned runs. He’ll look for a rebound performance Saturday evening.
Aside from the starting pitching, the Angels offense has been swinging the bat well, while the A’s offense has been cold. The Halos also seem to have an advantage bullpen wise, especially with A’s closer Sean Doolittle being placed on the disabled list this week.
For the A’s to take this series, they need to come up with the clutch hit and get the bats going. The starters they are sending out this weekend are all aces capable of pitching deep into the game while keeping the score close. Offense will be key for Oakland.
For the Angels, they will need help from their pitching staff. They have the power threat in their lineup, but need their pitchers to keep it a close game and series.
As the season winds down, the playoff races are heating up. The A’s and Angels are the two best teams in the league, but the Angels enter this series with a one game lead in the division. There are a few different scenarios for how this series ends, but both teams enter these four games with the hope of gaining a lot of ground and claiming their spot in first place.