Los Angeles @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2014 ) LA Angels 1, Oakland 2

The Oakland Athletics needed to sweep a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels in order to take back the lead in the American League West. The Athletics will attempt to do just that when they host the Angels in 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 in the eighth inning.

Los Angeles won eight of nine before arriving in Oakland to grab a two-game lead in 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 will visit the Athletics again in the final week of the regular season. Oakland is pulling out of a slump with three wins in their last four games.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (13-7, 3.70 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Scott Kazmir (14-5, 2.73)

Weaver is being leaned on to step up in the absence of Garrett Richards and needs to work deeper into games. The veteran has not recorded an out in the seventh inning in any of his last five starts and allowed three runs on seven hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings at Boston on Tuesday. Weaver is making his third start of 2014 against Oakland after dropping the first two while yielding a total 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 New York Mets in which he surrendered one run and four hits in six innings. That win gave the 30-year-old a career high of 14, besting the 13-9 mark he put up with Tampa Bay in 2007. Kazmir is facing his former franchise for the first time this season and was reached for five runs in three innings by Los Angeles on Aug. 9, 2013.

WALK-OFFS

1. Oakland OF/1B Kyle Blanks, who has been out since June 23 with a left calf strain, suffered a setback in his rehab when an MRI revealed left Achilles tendinitis.

2. Gordon Beckham made his debut Saturday for the Angels after being acquired from Chicago and played third base for the first time since 2009.

3. Los Angeles 2B Howie Kendrick recorded multiple hits in three of the last four games.

PREDICTION: Athletics 6, Angels 3