Angels Look to Close Out Series Against Reeling A's as Both Clubs Play Out the String
There's no playoff math left to discuss when the Los Angeles Angels and Athletics square off Wednesday night, and there doesn't need to be. This is baseball in its most stripped-down form — two teams with nothing but pride and roster evaluation on the line, closing out a short two-game set that has already told us plenty about where both franchises stand entering the winter.
Game 2 of this series arrives with the Athletics' roster in rough shape, and given the state of things, oddsmakers and fans alike will understand why the Angels are favored. This is regular-season baseball, and nothing about the standings suggests urgency beyond simply trying to win a baseball game. The A's sit at 61-95, the Angels 60-96. Neither club is playing for anything but reps, development, and pride down the stretch.
The run differentials tell two different stories about how these teams have gotten here. Oakland's minus-221 differential, built on a brutal 4.3 runs scored to 5.7 runs allowed per game, points to a roster that has been overwhelmed on both sides of the ball. The Angels, by contrast, have been dreadful but competitive, sitting at a minus-87 differential with 4.0 runs scored against 4.6 allowed — the kind of number that suggests a team losing close games rather than getting run off the field. That distinction matters when projecting Wednesday's outcome.
Recent form only reinforces the gap. The Athletics have dropped five straight, getting outscored badly in the process — a 6-12 loss and a 1-10 loss sandwiched in there — including three defeats in a row to Cleveland before dropping two more to Tampa Bay. The Angels, meanwhile, have split their last five, going 2-3 with wins over Minnesota mixed in with losses to the Twins and Mariners. It's not a murderers' row of form, but 'not five straight losses' counts for something in September.
The pitching matchup should be the headline act, and it's lopsided. Oakland hands the ball to Jeffrey Springs, who enters with a 6.181 ERA — a number that screams volatility every time he takes the mound. The Angels counter with Walbert Ureña, sporting a sharp 2.744 ERA that has quietly been one of the better numbers in their rotation. On paper, this is about as clean an edge as you'll find in a pitching matchup between two teams both buried in the standings.
Oakland's lineup is missing almost everything that made it interesting. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom — all out for the season on the 60-day injured list — gut the middle of what should be a developing young core. Add in rotation losses like Luis Severino, Gunnar Hoglund, Gage Jump and J.T. Ginn, and it's a wonder the A's have fielded a functional roster at all. Lawrence Butler, 26, remains a name to watch in right field, averaging 10.7 fantasy points on the season, though his last three outings have been erratic — 0, 15, and 5 points. Jeff McNeil, the 34-year-old Long Beach State product, has settled into a steady if unspectacular 9.6 average, with 5, 0, and 5 points in his last three games.
The Angels have their own significant absences — Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Yoán Moncada, Nolan Schanuel and Jorge Soler are all unavailable in various capacities — but their remaining pieces have shown more consistent life. Zach Neto, the 25-year-old Campbell product at shortstop, leads the way with a 13.8 season fantasy average, albeit with a shaky recent stretch of 0, 8, and 5.5 points. Josh Lowe, 28, has averaged 9.6 points on the year but has been streaky, with 0, 10, and 0 points in his last three. Oswald Peraza rounds out the group at second base with a modest 6.0 average and a quiet recent run of 5, 0, and 0.
This season series has clearly belonged to the Angels, who have taken the majority of head-to-head meetings this year, including a pair of wins by 4-1 and 5-2 scores, and blowout victories by 7-9 and 0-7 margins. Oakland's lone win in the sample came by a 3-9 final. That history, paired with Wednesday's pitching mismatch and Oakland's current five-game skid, points firmly in one direction.
Expect the Angels' offense to take advantage of a shaky Oakland rotation anchored by an ERA north of 6, while Ureña's command keeps the A's lineup — already stripped of its top power bats — off balance for most of the night. Los Angeles looks poised to close out the series in a game that won't feel particularly competitive after the fourth inning.
Prediction: Angels 6, Athletics 2.
