Oakland @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2010 ) LA Angels 7, Oakland 4
With their playoff hopes ended, the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels will look back on a few individual accomplishments and look forward to 2011 as they enter the final week of the season.
The Athletics saw their faint hopes of a playoff berth end this weekend when the Texas Rangers clinched the AL West. Oakland (77-78) will now try to finish no lower than second in the division, something they have not done since winning the AL West in 2006.
Los Angeles (75-80) also lumbered through a disappointing 2010, when many expected the Angels to vie for the division title. They have won five of the last six titles and could finish with their worst record since 2001, when they were 75-87.
Oakland faces nemesis Ervin Santana when they begin a three-game series at Los Angeles on Monday night. The Angels have lost four in a row and 12 of 19 at home.
Santana (17-9, 3.77 ERA) will face left-hander Brett Anderson (6-6, 2.73 ERA).
Oakland played more of a batting-practice game in Sunday’s finale against Texas, losing 16-9. The Rangers rested many starters after clinching Saturday, but pounded out a season-high 22 hits.
Texas rookie Mitch Moreland had two homers and five RBIs. Oakland’s Rajai Davis had four hits and two RBIs.
The Rangers led, 9-1, before Oakland scored six times in the eighth. Texas scored seven runs in the ninth to go up, 16-7.
While Oakland was slugging with the Rangers, the Angels dropped their seventh straight game to the Chicago White Sox following Sunday's 4-3 setback.
Chicago's Juan Pierre drove in the tying run and scored on a single by 43-year-old Omar Vizquel.
Santana has established a new career high for victories and has won four consecutive decisions. The right-hander is 2-1 this season against the A’s, but is 12-3 with a 1.80 ERA in 20 career appearances.
He allowed two earned runs in six innings of a 7-4 win Sept. 5 at Oakland.
Anderson has also pitched well in September, going 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last five starts.
Los Angeles’ Bobby Abreu has 20 homers and 23 stolen bases, the ninth time in his career he has had a 20/20 season. That mark trails only Barry and Bobby Bonds, who each had 10 seasons with at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said infielders Maicer Izturis (shoulder) and Erick Aybar (sports hernia) could be in the starting lineup on Monday.