This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Oakland Athletics aren’t going to the playoffs, but they have proven over the last month that they can compete with teams bound for the postseason.
The New York Mets, meanwhile, might be running out of time to prove they can be a playoff-caliber club.
The A’s will look to hand the stumbling Mets another series loss on Wednesday in the middle game of a three-game interleague set in New York.
Right-hander Joey Estes (5-4, 4.70 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s against left-hander David Peterson (6-1, 3.34).
Oakland remained hot Tuesday night, when Shea Langeliers posted his second straight four-hit game and finished with four RBIs in a 9-4 victory.
The A’s improved to 51-69 and exceeded their win total from last season, when their 112 losses were the most for the franchise since the Philadelphia Athletics went 36-117 in 1916.
The A’s have an American League-best 16-9 record since July 12, a span in which they’ve gone 7-5 against a quintet of contenders. In addition to facing the Mets and San Francisco Giants, who are the fourth- and fifth-place teams in the race for the three National League wild-card spots, Oakland also has opposed a trio of division leaders: the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I think it just kind of proves what we’re capable of — the next step’s just being consistent,” Langeliers said. “We’re kind of proving that over the last month since the All-Star break that we can do it. We can play these playoff-contending teams and be in the game and win the game.”
Winning wasn’t a problem for more than two months for the Mets, who went 39-21 from May 30 through last Thursday to climb from 13th place in the National League into the third wild-card spot.
But the Mets showed the effects of concluding a 10-game, four-city road trip last weekend in Seattle, where they were outscored 22-1 while being swept in a three-game series.
Manager Carlos Mendoza hoped the Mets would be rejuvenated following an day off on Monday. But on Tuesday, New York went 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position against the A’s while scoring four runs or fewer for the 16th time in 24 games since the All-Star break.
The Mets fell two games behind the Braves in the race for the third NL wild-card berth following Atlanta’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
“It’s time for us to come home and start playing some winning baseball,” Mendoza said. “Good teams find a way. And we will find a way to get in the win column and get on a streak.”
Estes didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent start, on Aug. 7, when he allowed two runs over five innings as the A’s edged the Chicago White Sox 3-2. He has never opposed the Mets.
Peterson earned a win on Thursday after giving up one run over five innings in the Mets’ 9-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies in Denver. He has never faced the A’s.
–Field Level Media
