The biggest American League California rivalry is on again as the Los Angeles Angels travel north to play the Oakland Athletics on May 13th for a 4-game Battle of California series! Since the 1969 season, the Angels (formerly California Angels) and Athletics have been trying to represent the American League West while competing for World Series Championships. Los Angeles won the 2002 World Series, but they have been suffering from mediocre seasons and haven’t reached the playoffs since the 2014 postseason. However, the Angels are on a 21-12 start with a goal of reaching the 2022 playoffs. In the meantime, the Athletics have a 14-19 record aiming to come back and turn their season around. Oakland hasn’t won a World Series since 1989 and hasn’t won a playoff series since the 2006 postseason. The Angels and Athletics hope to win the series and advance to the playoffs. Which team has a better offense? The Angels and Athletics need starting lineups that are ready to hit home runs and drive in runs. Los Angeles is home to the best American League home run team where the players whacked forty-four total home runs through thirty-three games. Batters Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani helped the Angels continue their streak by hitting fifteen of their forty-five home runs. Meanwhile, the Athletics are an twelfth ranked power lineup with twenty-one home runs though thirty-three games. The Angels achieved those home runs while outscoring the Athletics one hundred fifty-nine to one hundred and eight total runs batted in (RBIs). Which team has better pitching? The Angels and Athletics need strong pitching rotations to support their offenses. Starting Pitcher Patrick Sandoval and the Angels’ rotation have maintained a 3.37 Earn-Run Average (ERA). The Angels have won twenty-one out of thirty-three games by limiting their opponents to seven hits per game. Meanwhile, the Athletics secured a 3.53 ERA by giving up eight hits per game. The Angels have allowed fewer hits per game by closing out any opportunities for the other team to make late comebacks. The Los Angeles’ pitching staff have proven to be excellent pitchers at limiting the amount of runs allowed. The Angels have allowed one hundred nineteen total runs through thirty-three games. Meanwhile, Oakland has allowed one hundred twenty-three runs in thirty-three matches. Which team has better fielding? Los Angeles has the fielder’s advantage by beating the Athletics .984 -.981 in team fielding percentage. The Angels earned their higher fielding percentage by obtaining eight hundred eight-two putouts and two hundred eighty-seven assists. Max Stassi is a marvelous catcher and contributor to the Angels fielding with a .993 personal fielding percentage who has achieved one hundred forty-nine putouts through one hundred sixty-nine innings. Meanwhile, the Athletics achieved eight hundred seventy-two putouts and three hundred and two assists. Los Angeles has committed fewer errors by only allowing nineteen errors through thirty-three games. At the same time, the Athletics have the 3rd most errors in the American League by allowing twenty-three errors. My Series Winner Prediction: As we head closer to the first pitch of the four-game series, the Angels and Athletics are preparing to defeat their division rival. The Los Angeles-Oakland series will be a battle of flapping wings and elephant roars, but I believe the Angels have the batting lineup, pitching rotation and fielding percentage to defeat the Athletics.
