LOS ANGELES — We're just over a month away from the start of the MLB playoffs and the month of August has not disappointed with its typical fluctuations as teams make the push for the postseason.
On today's Locked On Today podcast, we look at one team that's red hot and another team that is going in the wrong direction fast.
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Oakland A's suddenly in big trouble?
Less than two weeks ago, the Oakland Athletics were in the first AL Wild Card slot for the playoffs, but in the blink of an eye, they're now in third, on the outside looking in on the playoffs after going 2-8 in their last 10 games.
Locked On Athletics host Jason Burke joined Locked On Today to discuss a bit of panic mode starting to set in for Oakland.
"The problem for them is the wild card race in the American League is highly competitive as it often is," Burke said. "And so you start to look at the schedule and you start to do the math and you're just sort of like, 'okay, is there enough time to make this all work here?' I think there is enough time, the A's are going to be facing the Royals are coming up, and I know that they just beat up on the Houston Astros a little bit. But hey, maybe the Tigers are another softer part of the schedule. But at the same time, they're going to have to beat teams like Houston and Seattle the last two weeks of the season in order to not lose like all of their games heading into the playoffs."
Have the Dodgers round into form?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are red-hot. They've won 15 of their last 17 games and just swept the Padres in San Diego.
The Dodgers traded for All-Stars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner at the deadline and it appears to be paying off. They're not just 2.5 games out of first in the NL West and they're +11.5 games in the NL Wild Card race.
Jeff Snider of Locked On Dodgers joined Locked On Today to talk about L.A.'s performance.
"If there's something's going to trip them up, it already has, and that's injuries, you know, and every team deals with injuries, but the Dodgers have been hit particularly hard," Snider said. "The Dodgers aren't going to let off the gas, they're going to be pushing for that division. It's hard for a team, any team to go 162 games strong. And I think a team like the Giants with you know, average age of I think 74 years old on their on their roster, it might be harder for them to go that long, but I got to give them credit for what they've done so far."
Also on today's Locked On Today
- What is going on with the Tennessee Titans' COVID-19 situation?
- Red Sox ace Chris Sale joined Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers on record with three immaculate innings when he struck out the side against the Minnesota Twins on nine pitches Thursday night.
- Buffalo Bills wide receivers Isaiah McKenzie and Cole Beasley on Thursday disclosed they were fined for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocol.
- The NFL has proposed increasing its COVID-19 testing cadence for vaccinated players as cases surge around the country and multiple teams deal with case clusters that have sidelined prominent players and coaches this summer.
- The Pac-12 will not pursue expansion "at this time," the conference said Thursday, ending speculation about whether the 12-team league might try to add any of the eight schools that will remain in the Big 12 after the eventual departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.