As we creep ever closer to the trade deadline and ⅔ point in the season, the A's maintain the best record in MLB and in their division but have had great difficulty shaking the Angels -- whose 2-1 win today over Detroit gave them 3 straight over the Tigers in games started by Tyler Skaggs (1 run), Matt Shoemaker (0 runs), and Hector Santiago (1 run). You have to be kidding me.
Gunning for his 12th win, Scott Kazmir faces off against a RHP the A's have not seen before, Miles Mikolas. Mikolas comes in with a 7.48 ERA but Oakland sometimes scuffles, at least initially, against new pitchers so we'll see how the first few innings play out.
We know they will play out without Coco Crisp, whose recurring neck issue keeps him out of the starting lineup. So the top of the lineup is mostly catchers and the bottom of the lineup is mostly kittens.