Our last game against Los Angeles for the year. The A’s have won seven of their 12 games against the Angels this year and that’s been the difference between the fourth place in the AL West, or last in the division and the entire American League. Another win tonight guarantees the Athletics won’t lose 100 games, and puts another game between us and the Angels. Got to finish the job though and get win #63 tonight.
Taking the ball for what is likely his final time for the Athletics is left-hander Jeffrey
Springs. Acquired two years ago, Springs came to the A’s with high hopes he could unlock the potential he showed while in Tampa Bay. We saw flashes at times but overall Springs’ time in the Green & Gold was a disappointment. Over his 58 starts (60 appearances), the southpaw is sporting a 5.03 ERA. This year was even worse for the 34-year-old as he’s limped to a 6.18 mark. While he’s blamed part of those struggles on the ballpark that couldn’t have been the only factor in his struggles this past season. He’ll try to finish his A’s tenure on a high with a strong outing tonight and take that into the offseason and look for a better home than Sutter Health Park.
Here’s how the lineup behind Springs looks this evening in Sacramento:
The A’s are mixing things up a bit with a different handed pitcher on the mound tonight. Firstly, rookie leadoff man Henry Bolte is back in center field tonight and he’ll be followed in the lineup by right fielder Lawrence Butler and then our DH Shea Langeliers, who are swapping lineup spots. The lefty-swinging Jeff McNeil returns to the starting lineup, playing first and batting cleanup. Third baseman Zack Gelof drops a spot in the order and batting behind him will be veteran Donovan Walton, manning the keystone. A nice mix of R-L-R-L-R-L for the first half of the lineup tonight.
Carlos Cortes draws the start partially thanks to his massive game last night where he went 2-for-2 with a triple, homer, and three RBI’s. He probably would have been in there anyway against a right-handed starter but still. And rounding out tonight’s lineup is Alika Williams and Brian Serven, tonight’s shortstop and catcher who are batting eighth and ninth, respectively.
As for Los Angeles, they have ascending young righty Walbert Urena making his final start of his rookie campaign tonight. Urena began the year in the Angels’ bullpen before stretching out in Triple-A during early April. From there he joined the Angels’ starting five and hasn’t looked back since. The 22-year-old is wrapping up a season that has seen him make 26 starts with a 2.74 ERA to show for it. That’s the second-lowest ERA from a full-time rookie starter in the AL this year, behind only Cleveland’s Parker Messick.
It’s going to be a tough task for the Athletics’ bats tonight. Urena has already faced the A’s three times this year, tossing two gems but getting absolutely crushed for seven runs his last time out against us down in Anaheim. That was far and away his worst start of the year and the A’s will be hoping to replicate that success, this time in Sacramento.
And the Angels’ starting nine shapes up like this:
Fairly standard lineup for the Halos tonight but one can’t help but wonder: Is tonight the last time the A’s see Mike Trout in an Angels uniform?
We don’t need this win. We want it. Take tonight’s game and we avoid 100 losses this season. Win and we make it all but certain we’ll finish in fourth place, out of the AL West and AL cellar. It’s go time. Let’s go A’s!
Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA
Listen:
Athletics -Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast
