At the start of the season the Oakland Athletics weren't predicted to win much of anything. The cash-strapped franchise was projected by most of baseball to finish near the bottom of the American League West and out of the playoff hunt.
But after a 12-7 win last night to complete a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians, the team finds themselves tied for the lead in the American League Wild Card Race.
"We played against a team that we really needed to take a series from," said right fielder Josh Reddick, according to the Associated Press. "We had a great opportunity to move up in the standings against a team we've played well against all year and we did just that."
Oakland has been a surprise team this season and currently has the second lowest payroll in the major leagues, with only the San Diego Padres behind them. The team has dealt with a slew of injuries to its pitching staff and has had to overcome the recent suspension of pitcher Bartolo Colon for 50-games after he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
This season the A's are 8-2 against Cleveland and since July 1 the team has a record of 36-15 to pull only four games behind Texas for the American League West division lead.
On the other hand, Cleveland has struggled lately, dropping 14 of 15 games this month. The team has won only five games since July 27 and manager Manny Acta has had to deal with questions about his job security after each loss.
Outfielder Josh Reddick had three hits and drove in three runs for the A's, while pitcher Jarrod Parker got the win to improve to 9-7 on the season. Reddick has been on a hot streak lately, with 12 hits in his previous 23 at-bats.
The Oakland lineup had great success against Cleveland starter Justin Masterson, who gave up eight runs and three home runs in only four innings of work.
"I've never been through a month like this anywhere," Acta said, according to the Associated Press. "Not in Washington, the minor leagues or winter ball, either as a coach or a manager."
The Athletics were down by a run when outfielder Coco Crisp tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the third inning. In the fourth inning catcher George Kottaras broke the game open with a three-run double, while shortstop Cliff Pennington hit a two-run homerun to cap off the five-run inning.
The Athletics return home Friday night to start a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox, while Cleveland will play at home against the Texas Rangers.
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