USA Today Sports
The Oakland Athletics had to sweep a three-game series against the l. a. Angels in an effort to take back the lead within the American League West. The Athletics will try to do exactly that after they host the Angels within the finale on Sunday. Oakland drew even atop the AL West with a 2-1 victory on Saturday as Coco Crisp raced across with the go-ahead run on a wild pitch within the eighth inning.
Los Angeles won eight of nine before arriving in Oakland to snatch a two-game lead within the division but had a ninth-run rally fall short in Friday’s 5-3 setback before narrowly falling Saturday. The Angels, who host the Athletics in a four-game series next weekend, are winless in five games at Oakland this season and can visit the Athletics again within the final week of the regular season. Oakland is pulling out of a slump with three wins of their last four games.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
LINE HISTORY: Online sportsbook Pinnacle Sports opened the A's as -146 home faves, but they now sit -134. The whole opened at seven and is as much as 7.5.
INJURY REPORT: A's - Jed Lowrie (15-day DL, hamstring).
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Angels (-204), A's (-202)
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "THE 2 best teams within the league continue this very important series in Oakland. Just one team can win the yank League West division title, which means that the runner up might still have the second one best overall record in all of baseball and also have to play a one-and-done Wildcard game simply to advance to the divisional round of the playoffs to stand the highest seed as a way to likely be the AL West winner. There are eight head-to-head meetings remaining (4 home, 4 away) for every team that allows you to probably decide the division title. Both clubs even have several games remaining against the Astros and Rangers (Oakland 13 and L. a. 11) which can help you both the Athletics and Angels remain on the top of the league in wins." Covers Expert Steve Merril.WAG WAR: C.J. Wilson's wife Lisalla Montengegro and Eric Sogard's wife Kaycee.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (13-7, 3.70 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Scott Kazmir (14-5, 2.73)
Weaver is being leaned directly to step up within the absence of Garrett Richards and desires to work deeper into games. The veteran has not recorded an out within the seventh inning in any of his last five starts and allowed three runs on seven hits and 4 walks over 5 1/3 innings at Boston on Tuesday. Weaver is making his third start of 2014 against Oakland after dropping the primary two while yielding a complete of 10 runs - nine earned - and 17 hits in 11 1/3 total innings.
Kazmir traded wins and losses in his last five starts and is coming off a win over the brand new York Mets wherein he surrendered one run and 4 hits in six innings. That win gave the 30-year-old a career high of 14, besting the 13-9 mark he post with Tampa Bay in 2007. Kazmir is facing his former franchise for the primary time this season and was reached for 5 runs in three innings by L. a. on Aug. 9, 2013.
TWEET BEAT:
TRENDS:
* Under is 20-3-3 in Weaver's last 26 starts vs. Athletics.* Under is 8-2 in Angels last 10 overall.* Road team is 4-0 in umpire Mike Everittss last four games behind home plate.* Athletics are 5-1 in Kazmir's last six home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
COVERS CONSENSUS: 56 percent of wagers on Covers Consensus are behind the A's.
Read More... [Source: Covers.com: Top Stories]
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