The A’s closed out their series with the Los Angeles Angels in style Wednesday night, rolling to a 7-3 win that pushed their season total to 63 victories and spared them the worst-case scenario of a 100-loss year.
That result also left Oakland three games ahead of the Angels with four games left in the race for the AL’s basement, which means one more Angels win or one more A’s loss will lock in that the A’s won’t finish at the very bottom of the league. Good news, I guess?
Now the focus shifts to the final stop on the schedule: a four-game set with the Houston Astros. The A’s are catching Houston at a tense moment, with the division rival tied for first in the AL West and facing a finish where the loser is almost certainly headed home in October. The Texas Rangers are right there too at 78-80, so this thing is going to the wire.
Houston needs every game it can get, and that puts the pressure squarely on the Astros. The A’s, meanwhile, come in loose and riding a two-game winning streak. That makes them the kind of spoiler nobody wants to see in the way.
If Oakland can win at least two games in the series, it could end the year by helping send a team with a losing record to the playoffs. That would be a pretty sharp way to finish.
The A’s have not announced their starters yet. Houston will have likely AL MVP Yordan Alvarez in the lineup, so Oakland will want to keep clear of him in the hitter-friendly setting of Sutter Health Park this weekend.
First pitch is set for 6:40. Enjoy the final series of the year, folks.
In Other News...
Athletics Spoiler Win Put One Oakland Roster Debate Back In Focus
The Athletics spoiler win in Game 2 had more than just AL West ripple effects. It also put a familiar Oakland roster question back in view, with Jonah Heim in the middle of it after a two-hit, RBI effort in a game that otherwise felt like a showcase for the pitching side of the conversation.
Heims production has been hard to separate from the larger debate around his role going forward, especially after a rough stretch that has left his standing less certain heading into next season. On the mound, Jacob Lopez helped his case with another solid outing, while Hogan Harris kept the pressure on late in a high-leverage relief spot, giving Oakland a few more reasons to look closely at how this group fits together. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Face Two Costly Roster Decisions This Offseason
The Athletics are already looking ahead to the offseason after another difficult year, and two familiar names are sitting at the center of their roster math. Jeff McNeil has been productive since the break, but keeping him at second base would come with a hefty price tag, while Jonah Heims season has followed a far more uneven path after an encouraging start.
McNeils value on the field is obvious enough, yet Oakland has reason to weigh cheaper options if it wants to spread its resources around more efficiently. Heim, meanwhile, offered a glimpse of stability early before his production tailed off, and the As do have alternatives lined up if they decide to move in a different direction behind the plate. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Lopez Just Gave The Athletics A Real 2027 Reason For Hope
Jacob Lopez ended his 2026 season on a note the Athletics can actually build on, delivering six innings of one-run ball in a win over the Astros. It was the kind of finish that mattered beyond one game, especially for a pitcher who had been recalled from Triple-A in July and looked much more settled after rejoining the big league staff.
Lopezs season still came with the usual growing pains of a young arm, as his year finished with a 5.47 ERA over 27 games after a strong first stretch back. Even so, both Lopez and Mark Kotsay sounded encouraged by where he stands heading into the winter, and the next step may depend as much on his offseason work as on anything he did on the mound in 2026. [Read more 🡒]