Athletics Week in Review: A Race To The Bottom
By Will Eusebio
Well, fellow Athletics fans, what can we even say about this team right now? Following a week where the A’s were swept by the worst-in-MLB Rangers and needed some extra-inning walk-off heroics from Josh Donaldson just to win the series against the Phillies. The only thing we can take as consolation after such a tepid performance? That the team’s wild card competition didn’t fare much better. The Royals gained only a single game on the Athletics over the week, going 3-3 and hanging a half-game back of the boys in green and gold. The Mariners gained only a half game, going 3-4 over the week and remaining two games behind Oakland with a week to go.
And what a week it’s going to be! The Royals start with three games (four including a completion of a suspended game) against the Indians, just three and a half games out of a wild card spot themselves and finish the season with a four game series at the White Sox. The Mariners have four games in Toronto against the Blue Jays and finish out with three games in Seattle against the Halos.
Texas Rangers (Recaps: Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
I don’t even want to talk about these games. The worst of the what the A’s seem to be now, inconsistent and punchless. The Athletics were outscored 19-6 over three games by the team with the worst record in the majors. Kazmir came out flat on Tuesday, Jeff Samardzija pitched masterfully on Wednesday but his gem was unwound when Sean Doolittle took the mound Wednesday and Sonny Gray couldn’t overcome a four run first inning on Thursday. And the offense? Don’t even get me started.
Philadelphia Phillies (Recaps: Game 2)
Friday night we got the Phillies we expected. Jon Lester was amazing, only allowing a single run on a solo homer to Ryan Howard. The offense got all three of their runs on a walks-and-singles parade in the bottom of the third. On Saturday night, Drew Pomeranz was amazing through five but there’s nothing you can do against noted Athletic killer Jerome Williams who notched his third win against Oakland this season, combining with the Phils’ bullpen to shutout the good guys.
It seemed like more of the same on Sunday afternoon. The Phillies came back to tie the game at six in the top of the sixth, ending Kazmir’s night. The score stayed knotted up until the bottom of the tenth when Josh Donaldson gave the team the walkoff win. I’m not the only one who felt like he hadn’t seen a walkoff win in a while, Josh Reddick’s pie skills looked awfully out of practice.
When I pen this article next weekend, we will have at least some answers. Either the Athletics will be preparing for an exciting play-in wild card game or we’ll be looking towards next spring with the sharp pain of disappointment in our chest.
The A’s have three games against the Angels at home and finish the season off with four games in Arlington. Let’s hope for the best, it’s going to be a wild week!!