It’s all Oak-A for Oakland
As of the 3rd of September, the Oakland Athletics have the same record as the New York Yankees, tied for second best in the American League. Whether you’re a dreamer or a gifted predictor, no one would have put the A’s at 76-57 going into what is now one of the most congested playoff races in baseball history.
The A’s have punched above their weight for the majority of the 2012 season and Billy Beane is showing again that his ‘moneyball’ method to scouting and recruiting players is a winning formula. No-one knows just how much winning this ballclub has left in them – and just as the A’s are top of the AL wild card and three games behind the Rangers in the AL West – they are taking it one game at a time.
It must be said, the last nine of those have gone rather well.
A team that hasn’t made the postseason for six years, Oakland has won nine straight and because of it their playoff chances have enhanced massively. It has been an astonishing ten-game stretch which has seen Oakland win two against the Rays and sweep the Indians – both on the road – and most recently sweep the ailing Red Sox at home.
Oakland outscored the Red Sox 33-5 in the three-game series and on the way mashed nine home runs. Five of those long balls came on Friday night in a 20-2 rout. The numbers are astronomical, and added to the fact that they hit four home runs in the series finale against Cleveland preceding the Boston series, it means the gold and green have outscored their opponents 72-22 during the winning streak.
After losing at Fenway Park on April 30, the A’s have won eight straight against the Red Sox which ties a franchise record. The Philadelphia A’s did it way back in 1932.
The stats just continue to flow and when you consider Oakland were expected to battle with the Mariners for third place in the division, presumably in the shadow of the reigning AL champion Rangers and multi-talented Angels, you realise just what they’ve had to do to be in contention at this late stage.
The Angels have added Albert Pujols to their roster and have one of the best rookies ever in Mike Trout yet still trail the A’s by 5.5 games. The two will face each other this week for a three-game set at the Coliseum before four in Anaheim next week, and in the middle of this month Oakland has a hugely difficult ten game trip consisting of stops in Detroit, New York and Texas.
Pitting themselves against three division leaders – that is assumed the Yankees hold off the Orioles and Rays – will be a good test for the playoff hopefuls but on the other hand could derail their chase for at least a wild card berth. On the other hand, the Angels could be out of the race and Oakland set for a first playoff series since 2006.
With the way they are playing, Oakland has the confidence and know-how to produce wins when it matters. They are the hottest team in baseball and with over half the teams in the major-leagues still in with a shot of making the postseason, one team you wouldn’t bet against are the Oakland Athletics.
Now who would have said that on Opening Day.
