Athletics lose 8-1, tied for last in AL West
An 8-1 loss to the Rangers dropped the Athletics to 53-85, a run that has them tied with the Angels for last in the AL West with an elimination number down to 8.
DeGrom shuts down Athletics in Texas
The Athletics fell 8-1 to the Texas Rangers on August 31 in Arlington, dropping their record to 53-85. Jacob deGrom turned in what TalkinBaseball_ called "a pristine outing" against them, holding Oakland's offense down before Texas pulled away.
Rangers1-8It's the fourth loss in five games for the Athletics, who are 1-4 in the last 5. A 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on August 26 was followed by three straight losses to the Baltimore Orioles — 4-3, 5-3 and 8-5 — before Tuesday's defeat in Texas closed out the stretch.
Athletics tied with Angels for last in the West
At 53-85, the Athletics sit 17 games back in the AL West, tied with the Los Angeles Angels for last place in the division. Their elimination number is down to 8 games — the combined losses and division rivals' wins needed to officially end their season.
The Houston Astros lead the division at 70-68, with the Texas Rangers 2 games back and the Seattle Mariners 6 behind. The Athletics' 1-4 mark over their last five games has done nothing to close the gap between last place and anywhere else in the standings.
Upcoming
The Athletics are in Texas tonight, with Brady Basso (0-1, 4.50 ERA) on the mound opposite MacKenzie Gore (7-10, 4.40 ERA). Basso's last start lasted just 1.0 inning against the Houston Astros, allowing 3 earned runs on 4 hits; Gore was tagged for 8 hits and 4 earned runs across 3.2 innings in a loss to the Chicago White Sox on August 26.
The Rangers are favored, and the market reads this one as low-scoring despite both starters' rough recent outings — a read that leans more on Texas's overall form than on either pitcher's last turn. For that number to hold, one of the two shaky arms will need to find more than he showed his last time out.