Here come the Angels. With the Mariners defeating the Astros on Tuesday, Los Angeles moved a half-game clear of Houston in the highly-volatile American League Wild Card race. The Angels will look to fortify their grip on this final wild card spot when they take on the Oakland Athletics in a critical showdown at Angel Stadium later tonight.
Who will emerge victorious in this pivotal matchup? Read on below for a breakdown of this AL West clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Oakland Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview
Where: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, California
When: Wednesday, September 30, 7:05 PM ET
Line: Oakland Athletics (+200) at Los Angeles Angels (-240); total: 9.0 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Oakland Athletics
Oakland’s losing woes continued on Tuesday with an embarrassing 8-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. It was another disappointing result for the bottom-placed Athletics, who have now lost four straight and nine of their last 10 games. They will look to end their season series against Los Angeles on a high when they take on the Angels in a critical AL West clash later tonight.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Starting for Oakland this evening is Barry Zito (0-0, 18.00 ERA). The lefty will be pitching on three days’ rest, after conceding four runs on six hits in two-plus innings against the Giants on Saturday in his first big league start since September 2013. The veteran is expected to be limited to 70 pitches tonight.
Given Zito’s recent struggles, the onus is on the Oakland hitters to pick up the scoring slack in the series finale. Expected to lead the A’s offense this evening is Josh Reddick. The right fielder is 6-for-21 in his last seven games with a homer and two RBIs. He is 7-for-18 in his career against Angels pitcher Garrett Richards with three walks.
One guy who’s bound to play a key part in this game as well is second baseman Brett Lawrie. He has fared extremely well against Richards in the past. He is 5-of-12 lifetime against the right-hander with a pair of walks and an RBI.
The Los Angeles Angels extended their winning streak to seven games with an 8-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. Nick Tropeano was superb once again for the Angels, striking out 11 batters in 6.2 innings of three-hit ball. The Angels will look to carry the momentum of that huge win when they take on the Athletics in their series finale later tonight.
Pitching for the Angels in this ballgame is Garrett Richards (15-11, 3.73 ERA). He was terrific in his last start against the Mariners, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks across seven innings in an 8-4 win. The Angels have now won four of their last five games with Richards as their starter. The start sets up Richards to pitch the Angels’ regular-season finale on Sunday on short rest if Los Angeles needs a victory to make the playoffs.
For the Angels to grab the all-important victory tonight, it’s crucial that their hitters pull their weight on the offensive end. The Los Angeles offense will rely on the red-hot C.J. Cron to carry them through this evening. He is 8-for-21 in his last five games with two homers and five RBIs. Also expected to contribute is the ever-reliable Mike Trout. He’s batting .348 in his last six outings, and leads the team in homers (40), hits (165) and walks (88) this season.
