Red-hot A’s ready to take their shot
Weekend sweep of Astros would give Oakland AL West lead
OAKLAND » When the A’s won two of three fromthe Seattle-Mariners this week, they did more than extended their lead for the second American League wild-card spot. The A’s positioned themselves for a shot at doing something they haven’t done in four years.
The World Series champion Houston Astros come into Oakland tonight for the start of a three-game series. These are the same Astros who at the beginning of the season were projected to blow the A’s and the rest of the AL West out of the water and cruise to their second straight division title. But mid way through August, that’s not the case.
The A’s are a legitimate threat to the reigning champions, trailing the Astros by two games, and this weekend they control their own destiny with a chance to take the AL West lead this late in a season for the first time since 2014, which is also the last time they made the playoffs.
It’s only August, but the vibe heading into this series feels a lot like the final series of the 2012 season, when the A’s swept the Texas Rangers to edge them for first place on the final day of the season. It’s a vibe that’s different fromany other series this season, including the Mariners series that
just passed.
“Maybe there’s a little more to it because it’s a weekend series and we’ll have a little more people in the crowd against the team that’s first place and the world champions,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “But I think based on where we came from and where we are now, every game is a big game because we have to keep winning.”
Of course it won’t be easy. The A’s would have to sweep the Astros this weekend to jump into first place. That means they would have to beat Astros starters Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel in the first two games, with A’s killer Justin Verlander lurking in the shadows for the finale against SeanManaea.
But the Astros come to Oakland a bit hampered.
Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve has been sidelined since July 29 by right knee soreness. Despite crushing the Colorado Rockies 12-1 on Wednesday, the Astros have gone 7- 8 in without their heart and soul in the lineup. There is no timetable for Altuve’s return, but Astros manager AJ Hinch told reporters Wednesday that a return next week against Seattle is a possibility.
Once Altuve rejoins the club, along with the recently returning Carlos Correa and George Springer (who is expected to play against the A’s this weekend), Houston might be a ticking time bomb ready to explode back to its winning ways.
That’s why this series is so crucial for the A’s.
With Altuve, who is batting .345 against the Oakland in 13 games this year, out of the lineup, the A’s need to take advantage as much as they can.
After this Houston series, the A’s play Texas for three at home and Minnesota on the road for four, two teams under .500. The Astros head to the road for six games against the Mar- iners and Los Angeles Angels, both over .500. It’s an easier path for the A’s on a road that leads to their final showdown of the season with the Astros at Minute Maid Park on Aug. 2729.
The A’s did well in Houston last month by taking three of four, but they don’t want to go into that final series too far behind if the Astros are starting to click again with the healthy roster. So at the very least, winnig two of three this weekend would be ideal, which the A’s have done on an almost regular basis lately. In their past 14 series, the A’s have won 12, lost one and split one.
Whether it’s the division or the wild card, the good news after the A’s series win over the Mariners is that they have a 74.6 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to FanGraphs.
• Matt Joyce ( lower back strain) took part in live batting practice and ran the bases Tuesday and Wednesday at the Coliseum. On the disabled list since July 5, the outfielder will continue to take batting practice throughout the series against Houston, potentially going on a rehab assignment soon after with a goal of rejoining the A’s in September.