What the A’s have to do to avoid second 100-loss season in Oakland franchise history

It’s going to take an enormous end for the A’s to keep away from dropping 100 video games for simply the second time for the reason that franchise moved to Oakland in 1968.

The A’s are 51-90, the worst report within the American League, heading into Tuesday night time’s sequence opener in opposition to the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The mathematics is straightforward: The A’s have to go 12-9 of their closing 21 video games to keep away from 100 losses.

Oakland additionally reached these depths in 1979, when the A’s went 54-108 and reached 100 losses with 10 video games remaining. Not less than that staff noticed the arrival of a 19-year-old Rickey Henderson, who swiftly helped revive the franchise.

Oakland A’s Rickey Henderson, known as out on the plate on teammate Mitchell Web page grounder to Baltimore first baseman Eddie Murray within the fifth inning at Oakland, July 11, 1979. Making the disputed tag is Orioles catcher Dave Skaggs (8). (AP Picture/James Palmer) 

It is going to be a big accomplishment if this yr’s group, stripped of most of its stars by cost-cutting trades and working with the bottom payroll within the majors, can win the soiled dozen video games wanted to keep away from the ignominy of becoming a member of the triple-digit loss membership.

Oakland has misplaced 9 of its previous 11 video games after a one-win homestand, and the remainder of the schedule isn’t favorable for an A’s sizzling streak.

Twelve of the ultimate 21 video games are on the street — that’s really a slight benefit for the A’s, whose successful proportion at house (.324) is worse than on the street (.400) — and 13 are in opposition to groups headed to the playoffs or combating for a postseason berth. That doesn’t go away a lot wriggle room for a staff that has gained at the least 12 video games throughout a 21-game stretch simply as soon as this season, and that was in July when it went 13-8. That stretch accounts for 25 p.c of the A’s victories.

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 9: Oakland Athletics’ Ramón Laureano (22) reacts after he was thrown out at first by Los Angeles Angels beginning pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) within the third inning of their MLB sport on the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group) 

The schedule breaks down like this:

• Two street video games in opposition to the Rangers (Tuesday-Wednesday). Texas leads the season sequence, 10-7, however can also be struggling to the end line, dropping 13 of its previous 16 video games.
• 4 street video games in opposition to the Astros (Thursday-Sunday): Houston has run away with the AL West however the league’s winningest staff solely holds a 9-6 edge within the season sequence. The A’s swept the Astros at house in late July, however then had been swept — and outscored 21-8 in three video games — in Houston a few weeks later.
• Six video games in opposition to the Mariners (Sept. 20-22 in Oakland, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Seattle): The Mariners are gaining momentum as they appear to lastly finish the longest lively playoff drought, 20 years. The M’s simply gained two of three from the Braves and are 12-4 since Sept. 25. They've gained 23 of the previous 32 conferences in opposition to the A’s, together with eight of the primary 13 his season.
• Three video games in opposition to the Mets (Sept. 23-25 in Oakland): The Mets have the second-best report within the N.L. and are 31-17 within the second half and their focus gained’t waver down the stretch as they try to carry off the Braves within the NL East.
• Six video games in opposition to the Angels (Sept. 27-29 in L.A., Oct. 3-4 in Oakland): The Angels are one of many largest disappointments this season and are going to complete within the 90-loss vary, however Mike Trout is again and on a tear — homers in seven straight video games — and the A’s determine to see Shohei Ohtani for at the least one begin and loads of at-bats. L.A. leads the season sequence 9-4.
  

  

  OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 9: Oakland Athletics beginning pitcher James Kaprielian (32) seems to be on as Los Angeles Angels beginning pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) heads house on a three-run house run by Los Angeles Angels’ Taylor Ward (3) within the fifth inning of their MLB sport on the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group) 

Along with the 100 losses, the A’s try to keep away from ending with MLB’s worst report, one thing the 1979 staff prevented due to Toronto’s 109 losses that season. They're two video games “behind” the Washington Nationals for the worst report in MLB.

Here's a have a look at the opposite 100-loss contenders and the information (getting into play Tuesday) they should keep away from 100 losses:

• Nationals (14-7)
• Pirates (11-11)
• Tigers (9-12)
• Reds (7-16)
• Royals (6-15)
• Marlins (5-16)

In 54 seasons for the reason that A’s arrived in Oakland, 23 of the 30 franchises have had at the least one 100-loss season, with solely the Yankees, Purple Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, Angels, Phillies and Rockies avoiding the record. There haven’t been as many 100-loss seasons throughout that interval as you may assume — 67. And 22 of these belong to the Royals (6), Tigers (6), Mariners (5) and Padres (5).

That is the ninth time the Oakland franchise has misplaced at the least 90 video games — not unhealthy contemplating in the course of the 13 years the A’s had been primarily based in Kansas Metropolis previous to shifting West they misplaced at the least 90 video games 9 occasions, together with 4 100-loss seasons — however apart from in 1979, the closest it obtained to 100 was in 1977, when the A’s completed with 98 losses.

Mitchell Web page, Oakland Athletics outfielder, performed with the A’s from 1977 to 1983. Julio Franco of the Indians tags Web page out making an attempt to steal. (Ron Riesterer/Workers file) 

Right here’s a have a look at the franchise’s largest near-misses and the way the A’s prevented 100 losses:

• 1977 — The A’s completed 63-98 largely due to a 7-1 begin that helped maintain the staff inside a sport of .500 till mid-June. The underside fell out the remainder of the summer time and 100 losses remained a risk till the ultimate week of the season with a surprising four-game house sweep of the AL West champion Royals (a staff that gained 102 video games that season) that included a pair of walk-off wins. The A’s ended the season with three straight losses to the Rangers. The A’s misplaced 93 video games the next season, however prevented being a critical 100-loss risk due to a 19-5 begin.
  

  

  PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS Ernie Younger, left, and Mark McGwire, proper, greet Jason Giambi after one in every of his 16 house runs. The trio has mixed for 56 of the staff’s 137 house runs. [960711 SP 1D 2; color] sports activities 7/11 a’s 1d 6/29 A’S SPORTS PAGE 5D Oakland Athletics’ Jason Giambi, heart, will get a excessive 5 from Ernie Younger, left, and a pat on the top from Mark McGwire after hitting a two-run house run in the course of the fifth inning of their sport in opposition to the California Angels Friday, night time, June 28, 1996 in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Picture/Mark J. Terrill) 

• 1997 — A season that began with Mark McGwire at first base, Jose Canseco in proper discipline, Jason Giambi in left and Ariel Prieto on the mound unraveled right into a 65-97 catastrophe that noticed McGwire traded to the Cardinals on the deadline. The arrival of Miguel Tejada and Ben Grieve signaled hope for a greater future, however the potential of a 100-loss season didn’t finish till Izzy Molina’s walk-off house run beat the Mariners with 9 video games remaining.
• 1993 — After going 9-21 in August the A’s had been on tempo for 100 losses a yr after dropping within the ALCS, however went 16-15 to finish the season regardless of getting simply two plate appearances from McGwire and Dennis Eckersley permitting 12 hits and 7 earned runs in 10 innings over the ultimate month. They completed 68-94, simply the worst report within the Tony LaRussa period.