The Athletics proved my predictions from last week wrong. I had predicted that they would sweep the Tampa Bay Rays, and take 2 of 3 from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Instead, they took 2 of 3 from Tampa Bay, and got swept by a really hot Toronto Blue Jays team.
The past is in the past however, so let’s focus on this upcoming week.
This week will be a huge challenge for the Athletics. They face the daunting Detroit Tigers, though they are struggling as of late as well. They will then host the LA Angels who are catching up to the Oakland Athletics for the division lead.
First, we have the Detroit Tigers. For an in depth look at that series, you can click here. Here are the basics of it: the Tigers and the Athletics are currently the top 2 teams in the American League, but both are struggling coming in to the series. The Athletics have lost 4 straight and the Tigers have lost 5 of their last 6. This series is a great opportunity for both teams to recover.
My expectation is that the Athletics will come out on top taking 3 of 4, because they are playing at home. This gives them a fresh start and a chance to put their bad road trip behind them. The Tigers were swept by the Cleveland Indians on the road and dropped 3 out of 4 at home against the Texas Rangers.
What we have now is an Athletics team that is getting a chance to rejuvenate at home after a tough stretch on the road. The Tigers got to go home to play the (then struggling) Texas Rangers before heading out on the road again. They should have won that series against a reeling Texas team, but instead dropped 3 of 4 , and must now go back on the road without any momentum on their side.
I believe the Athletics get the advantage because of that reason. The series could come down to starting pitching. The Athletics’ starters have been stellar for the most part, and the Tigers have one of the best rotations in baseball. During their current slide, their starters have been largely to blame however.
The series following the Tigers’ is even more important. The Athletics host the 2nd place Angels. This series will either give the Athletics a chance to gain back the ground they’ve lost recently, or may lead to a new team atop the division heading into June.
Overall, the way I see the week going is that the Athletics take 3 of 4 from the Tigers, and will drop 2 0f 3 to the Angels. The Athletics have cooled down dramatically, and the Angels are on a hot streak at the moment. The Athletics can take 2 of 3, but you can’t win them all, as they have shown us this last week.