Series Preview: Angels vs. Athletics vs. Housekeeping

Despite the troll-ish image atop this post, this isn’t really about the A’s (but that doesn’t mean I can’t have my fun).

The Angels do need to break out the brooms this series, but not to sweep Oakland (though I certainly wouldn’t complain), but rather to get their own house in order for the playoffs. They’ve got two starters going in this series who need to prove they even deserve to start in the postseason. They have to figure out what is going on with Josh Hamilton. They need to figure out some kind of plan for who is going to DH. They need to make final determinations on their last bench and bullpen spots.

The A’s are fairly incidental to all that. The only real purpose Oakland serves is to give the Angels a “real” opponent that they need to get up for as it sure seemed like their focus and drive was waning against Texas.

LAST TIME ON ANGELS VS. ATHLETICS…
The Angels and A’s are actually tied 8-8 on the season series, but it sure doesn’t feel that way as the most recent matchup between these two featured the Angels sweeping the A’s in four games. Oakland was scuffling coming into that series, but that sweep put them into a death spiral that they haven’t been able to pull out of yet. As a result, the Angels have a chance to finish what they started and potentially deliver a death blow that knocks Oakland out of the playoff picture altogether.

GHOST OF ANGELS PAST

With Kazmir not slated to start this series and Callaspo buried on the bench mostly, I had to dig deep for this one. The man you see pictured there is Fernando Rodriguez and he is currently in the A’s bullpen. For all of two-thirds on an inning, he was in the Angels bullpen back in 2009. But he was in the Angels organization a long time before that as an 18th round draft pick back in 2003. Yep, all he got was that one game as a Halo and then he was promptly discarded. He went on to spend much of 2011 and 2012 in the Majors with Houston, but wasn’t much good. He resurfaced with Oakland in May this year, made a few garbage time appearances and wasn’t seen again until September. He has just one appearance since his recall, so I wouldn’t worry too much about him haunting the Halos in this series.

MATCH-UP MASTERY
MONDAY, 9/22: C.J. Wilson vs. Jeff Samardzija
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1DMvkdrTGjuOJ8SIhcknMe9ky8t8yXFFTcBGm_qbGB7M/pubchart” query=”oid=856378093&format=interactive” width=”621″ height=”315″ /] I really cannot emphasize enough how huge this start is for Wilson. He’s facing a team that could very well be matched up against the Halos in the ALDS and is on the road. C.J. has taken some positive steps forward of late and he can really put some minds to rest if he pitches well in this game. The Halos really need him to be performing at a high level given their myriad rotation issues.

[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1DMvkdrTGjuOJ8SIhcknMe9ky8t8yXFFTcBGm_qbGB7M/pubchart” query=”oid=194428006&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”312″ /] Shark was just fantastic against the Angels when he faced them last series. As was the case in that game and his three subsequent starts, Oakland lost anyway. Make no mistake though, he shoved against the Halos and has been looking very sharp in his last few starts.

TUESDAY, 9/23: Wade LeBlanc vs. Sonny Gray
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1DMvkdrTGjuOJ8SIhcknMe9ky8t8yXFFTcBGm_qbGB7M/pubchart” query=”oid=871840120&format=interactive” width=”621″ height=”315″ /] Oddly enough, LeBlanc started against Oakland earlier this year and threw a relief appearance against them in his brief cameo with the Yankees. Who cares though, right? LeBlanc is just here to soak up innings. If he pitches decently, great. It gives the Angels one more fallback option if Shoemaker can’t get healthy for the ALDS. They are probably still screwed if that happens though.

[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1DMvkdrTGjuOJ8SIhcknMe9ky8t8yXFFTcBGm_qbGB7M/pubchart” query=”oid=493646325&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”312″ /] It is still a pretty small sample, but Gray does just fine against the Angels. He does MUCH better than fine against a lot of the lineup, but Trout and a few others look like they might have his number a bit.

WEDNESDAY, 9/24: Hector Santiago vs. Jon Lester
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1DMvkdrTGjuOJ8SIhcknMe9ky8t8yXFFTcBGm_qbGB7M/pubchart” query=”oid=431771495&format=interactive” width=”621″ height=”315″ /] Let’s be honest. The history here doesn’t really matter. All anyone wants to see from Hector is that he isn’t a total disaster like he was his last two starts. If he is, then the Angels almost have to go with a three-man rotation. If he is even mildly effective, it at least gives the Halos the option of starting him or using him as a lefty reliever and a tandem starter with Rasmus.

[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1DMvkdrTGjuOJ8SIhcknMe9ky8t8yXFFTcBGm_qbGB7M/pubchart” query=”oid=1622528211&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”312″ /] Lester was pretty good against the Angels in two starts in August. They haven’t really seemed to solve him yet. They should probably get on that.

OFFICIAL PREDICTION
Let me just put it this way, when I projected out the final month of the season, I had the A’s winning two of three, at least, in this series. But I’m predicting the Angels to win two instead because that is just what is happening to the A’s right now.

UNOFFICIAL PREDICTION (so don’t hold me to it)
We get word from the Angels that Josh Hamilton had another setback and has been ruled out for the ALDS, though the Angels still won’t give a clear diagnosis of whatever injury (injuries?) are plaguing him.