Game Thread #29: LAA at OAK

Welcome to another edition of A's baseball!

The Angels are off to their worst start in franchise history. To make it even sweeter, the A's have played a huge role in their tumble to the bottom, sweeping them in Los Angeles Anaheim and taking the first two of this series. Let's make it an even 6-0, shall we?

The mission: Bury the Angels early and turn the AL West into a 2-horse race.

The target: CJ "I hate the fans" Wilson. So far this season he's been somewhat decent at shilling Head & Shoulders but not so good at everything else, going 2-0 with a 4.30 ERA, 17 walks in 29+ innings. The A's tagged him for 4 runs in 6 innings down in Anaheim, so let's hope for more of the same.

Our weapons: Tomaso Milone, cold as ice. He has gotten off to a solid start this season, 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA, and only 6 walks in 5 starts. Yoenis Cespedes has come alive after his DL stint, going 5-17, 7 RBI, and two game-tying hits in the 9th inning in this 3-game win streak. Seth Smith has been red-hot (11/21 with 5 2Bs vs. the Angles in 2013) and is batting third. Just added to the arsenal: Luke Montz, called up from AAA (Coco Crisp to the DL). He got a cup of coffee with the Nationals way back in 2008, but nothing since then; we'll test him out at DH today.

X-factor: Josh Hamilton has been the MVP of this series...for the A's. Time and again flailing on first pitches outside the zone, utter failures with men on base. He has been good in the field, but if Hamilton continues to be an auto-out, that will give the A's pitchers a much-needed breather after the Trout/Pujols/Trumbo trio.

Let's go Oakland!