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Aug 17, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) runs to third base during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Texas won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Verdict
The Mariners will likely not be favored in either game, being the road team competing against better opposition. That said, if the M’s can put one of their two aces on the mound, they will have at least a sporting chance in a one-game sample.
While I am tempted to say that Oakland’s latest stretch makes them a very surmountable foe, that feels like an overreaction, and their aforementioned intangibles frighten me to no end.
This makes the Angels the favorite, and the Garrett Richards injury seals it. Unless L.A. pulls off a miracle by acquiring a replacement top-of-the-line starter in the next week (MLB Network analysts speculated Thursday night that Johnny Cueto might become available as the Reds far farther out of contention), the disparity in pitching leads me to believe that should the M’s beat out Detroit/Kansas City, New York, and Toronto for a postseason berth, they should hope to see red, not green and yellow, at the beginning of October.