Following a loss back on June 15, the Oakland Athletics were basically who most thought they were coming into the season. Through 70 games, manager Bob Melvin’s squad sat two games below .500 and a seemingly insurmountable 11.5 games out in the A.L. West. After Friday night’s dramatic, extra-inning victory against the Astros, however, the Amazing A’s are 39-13 over their last 52 games and but a single game out of the top spot in the division.

Second-year slugger Matt Olson played the hero for the A’s this time, as he stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning with the score knotted up at 3-3 and proceeded to launch his first career walk-off home run, and the first by any player off Houston lefty Tony Sipp this year, over the right-field wall. Olson has now hit safely in five straight games, four of which the A’s have won, going 8-for-22 with a homer and three doubles.

 

Saturday on the Hill

Jacob deGrom will continue his pursuit of the N.L. Cy Young Award in Philadelphia. Despite an MLB-leading 1.81 ERA over 24 starts, deGrom comes into the weekend with an absurd 7-7 record thanks in large part to the Mets lackluster offense. The Mets have managed to supply their ace with eight runs in each of his last two outings, however, resulting in a victory in each of them for deGrom. He will duel with Jake Arrieta on Saturday afternoon.

So far, Rays newly-acquired righty Tyler Glasnow has been better than the veteran he was traded for back on July 31, and it’s not even really been close. Glasnow has pitched 3.0, 4.0, then 5.0 innings respectively as his new club is stretching him out after the Pirates worked him exclusively out of the bullpen before the trade. In those 12.0 innings with Tampa, Glasnow has posted a 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 20-to-3 K/BB ratio. He’ll look to maintain form against the incredibly potent Red Sox lineup in Boston on Saturday evening.

 

Quick Hits

Not many hitters around the league have a record of success against deGrom, but that has not been the case for Justin Bour . Bour is no longer in a starting role since he joined the Phillies last weekend. However, it seems quite likely that Manager Gabe Kapler will get him in the lineup opposite a hurler against which he is 8-for-21 with two homers and a double.

DJ. LeMahieu and the Rockies will face Braves righty Mike Foltynewicz. The Atlanta right-hander can be a tough customer on the mound, but LeMahieu has gone an impressive 11-for-15 against Foltynewicz in his career.

Wil Myers is just recently back in the Padres lineup after another, albeit short, stint on the DL and Zack Godley has been pitching really well as of late, but this matchup has historically gone the way of the hitter. Against Godley, Myers is 7-for-15 with a homer, double, and a triple.

 

Streaking

Matt Chapman – 14 games – 19-for-58, 1.030 OPS, 3 HR, 8 2B

Justin Turner – 11 games – 19-for-44, 1.161 OPS, 1 HR, 6 2B

Mookie Betts – 11 games – 18-for-42, 1.372 OPS, 2 HR, 7 2B, 2 3B

 

You can follow Nate Miller on Twitter @Miller_RotoDad or hear him every Monday & Thursday hosting the Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Podcast along with Colby Conway.