Story by
Angels Open Series vs. A’s In Battle To Stay Out Of Basement
- Story by
- Angels Open Series vs. A’s In Battle To Stay Out Of Basement
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Los Angeles Angels open their final road trip of the season on Tuesday night against the Athletics in West Sacramento in a series that could easily be dubbed the "Battle for the Basement."
These two teams have been dancing around each other in the standings for the better part of a month now, and the Angels have flirted with escaping from the AL West basement several times. They haven't been able to pull it off so far, but they get one last chance to do it in this (thankfully?) brief two-game set as they come into the series just one game back.
Advertisement
There's no real reason the Angels should still be in contention to do this, but if you're looking for one, consider how bad the A's have been. They come in with a six-game losing streak, and the A's and Angels have been American League punching bags for the second half of the season.
It hasn't always been that way for the A's, however. They were a pleasant surprise early, and they actually led the division for several stretches. Their second half has been a disaster, though, and the A's latest losing streak includes dropping three to the Cleveland Guardians , then three more to the Tampa Bay Rays before that.
The pitching matchup will be Yusei Kikuchi against Brady Basso , and that's another hide-your-eyes special of sorts. Kikuchi has had a rough year due to injuries, and he's a big reason the Halos are where they are. He ramped up early to pitch for Team Japan in the WBC, then hurt his shoulder early in the season and spent most of the season on the IL.
Kikuchi had a couple of good starts when he came back, but his last one featured his typical pattern, which is to get behind, nibble, get behind some more, then leave after five innings after giving up four or five runs. He said he's made adjustments, but he's also said that plenty of times before.
Advertisement
Basso is 28, and the lefty is a reliever who's been stretched out on occasion lately. That didn't go well in his last outing against Tampa Bay , as he gave up four runs on seven hits in 2-2/3 innings, but before that he pitched a combined seven shutouts innings in separate efforts against the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners .
The park in West Sacramento will also come into play. It's a minor league stadium serving as a placeholder for a somewhat major league team, with the A's scheduled to grow up and move into a real stadium in 2028. Pop flies turn into home runs on a regular basis, and Angels play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo declared "this place is a joke" last time the Halos played there, so keep an eye on that as well.
