The A’s best wild-card match
Oakland could face Houston, Cleveland, NY Yankees
With the American League West title in hand, the A’s have ensured, at least, one of the top three seeds in this year’s best-of-three wild-card series. Along with home-field advantage for all three games.
This was a goal listed way back in February when the team met under pretenses of a normal year. The objective was to push themselves over the wild card hump — to achieve more in the postseason realm and avoid the one-game trap.
“That’s something we talked about at the beginning of the year,”
manager Bob Melvin said. “Originally it was a full season and trying to stay out of the wild-card game, which hasn’t really been kind to us.”
Who they’ll face in that first series is still up in the air. Only a handful of wins and losses separate the American League’s top eight teams. Here’s a look at the pros and cons the A’s will consider against some of the contenders.
Houston Astros
PROS » As a potential third seed, the A’s are lined up to play the sixthseeded Houston Astros in the wildcard series, which may be the most opportunistic matchup. The A’s have fared well against the Astros this season, taking 7 of 10 against their AL West foes. That kind of familiarity paired with success could provide the most optimism in a threegame series.
Without Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, the Astros’ rotation hasn’t been as strong as it was in their most dominant years. Though
Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers are no walk in the park, the A’s familiarity with both could give Oakland an advantage. The A’s have seen Greinke twice this season and McCullers once.
CONS » The Astros are still a strong team with some of the best bats in the game. There will be nothing easy about facing a lineup featuring Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel. Up and down the order, the Astros offense can mash. Plus, most of this team is well versed in the pressures and grind of a postseason.