A’s Face Tough Task In New York

With an off day on Thursday, the Oakland A’s will get some extra time preparing for the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have owned the A’s this season, winning all three games against the green-and-gold this season. The Yankees have also outscored Oakland this year, 19-5.

The Athletics, who are sitting in the cellar of the AL West, are trying to find success on the road. On the year, Oakland is 26-22 at home compared to 17-33 on the road. And while the A’s have played well after the break, winning four out of six since the break, the team still figures to be sellers at this month’s trade deadline. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that the team still needs to win outside the coliseum. Buyer or seller, the A’s need to find a way to win on the road.

Numerous injuries and the inability to score runs have hurt Oakland this season, but that’s really no excuse for the team’s poor play outside the confines of the Coliseum. The A’s have Trevor Cahill, Rich Harden, and Gio Gonzalez coming up in this series against the Yankees, but even with stellar pitching performances, the A’s will need to score plenty if they wish to beat up on the Yankees.

The A’s offense has shown a little life since the break, putting up at least four runs in four of the first six games following the break. They beat up on the Angels in their first series following the break, outscoring the Halos 20-11 during their four-game set. They also split a two-game series in Detroit against the Tigers with a 7-5 win on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, some of the A’s regulars on offense may not be on the team for much longer. The A’s figure to deal outfielder Josh Willingham, the team’s biggest power threat, among others. Hideki Matsui, who has disappointed many this season with his .223 average, is heating up, which might prompt Oakland to put him on the trade block as well.

Nonetheless, Oakland faces a tough task this weekend in New York against the powerhouse Yankees. The A’s seem to be playing with a little more life, but it’s never easy to win on the road it seems, especially in New York.