A’s Rangers August Schedule Comparison

Going into the month of August the A’s held a 3.5 game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Oakland has struggled out of the gates since the All Star break and with the Rangers playing well recently the lead in the division is now gone. With the AL West seemingly becoming a two-team race the last two months of the season will be vital to determining the division winner. Here’s a look at both the A’s and Rangers schedule for the rest of August and compare the two.

Aug 3, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Texas Rangers outfielder

(2) is unable to make a catch after losing track of the ball on a double by Oakland Athletics infielder

(37) in the sixth inning at O.Co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Rangers 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

A’s:

@ Toronto Blue Jays 4 games Aug. 9-12

Houston Astros 3 games Aug. 13-15

Cleveland Indians 3 games Aug. 16-18

Seattle Mariners 3 games Aug. 19-21

@ Baltimore Orioles 3 games Aug. 23-25

@ Detroit Tigers 4 games Aug. 26-29

Tampa Bay Rays 3 games Aug. 30- Sep. 1

Rangers:

@ Houston Astros 4 games Aug. 9-12

Milwaukee Brewers 2 games Aug. 13-14

Seattle Mariners 3 games Aug. 16-18

Houston Astros 3 games Aug. 19-21

@ Chicago White Sox 3 games Aug. 23-25

@ Seattle Mariners 3 games Aug. 26-28

Minnesota Twins 3 games Aug. 30- Sep. 1

A few things stick out when comparing the schedules. For starters, The Rangers have an incredibly easier schedule for the rest of the month of August than the A’s do. Every team the Rangers play for the rest of the month is below .500 with the closest team t0 .500 out of the bunch is the Seattle Mariners at 8 games under. Even with the Rangers loss of Nelson Cruz this should end up being a successful month for a team as good as Texas.

The A’s on the other hand have a horrid schedule. With 3 games against the Houston Astros being the only saving grace the month of August will seriously test a struggling A’s team. With games against teams who play well against them (Toronto, Seattle, Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, Tampa) the month of August might turn out to be make or break month for the Green and Gold.

The one thing that could turn into a positive for the A’s is the fact that they only have one more day off in August as compared to Texas’ three days off. If the A’s can find their groove again those extra two games could prove vital to taking the lead in the AL West back. This also means that both teams will play the same amount of games in September making each day more suspenseful.

If the A’s want to make it back to the postseason again this year they will have to win every series for the rest of the month. That seems like an uphill climb, but it is necessary considering the Rangers relatively easy schedule. This will be a tough task for a team who can’t seem to get it together currently, but news of a possible Sonny Gray start has to have some players excited.