How Athletics Can Sweep Angels in Final Showdown

Two teams, one goal: Do not finish last in the AL West, especially this season.

Sep 11, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (not pictured) during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletics would prefer to get something going against the Angels.

As of Sept. 21, the Athletics and Angels are in a dogfight to determine who will be this year's last-place team in the AL West. With the Athletics only a single game ahead of the Angels for fourth place, it can be inferred that the winner of this series will likely avoid the label of being the worst. Here is how the Athletics can avoid that label.

Mark Kotsay Cannot Let Pitchers Collapse

Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (7) looks on before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A major theme during the Athletics' recent six-game losing streak has been Mark Kotsay not knowing when to take out the starting pitcher. We saw notable collapses from Jeffrey Springs, Jacob Lopez, and Mason Barnett. If Kotsay had taken them out earlier in their starts, the Athletics likely would not have imploded this badly down the stretch.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but that doesn't mean Kotsay is off the hook. At this point in the season, he should be well aware of when his pitchers should not be used for another inning. Given how good the bullpen has been for the most part, there is no excuse to take a struggling pitcher out one inning early.

Springs & Basso Deliver

Aug 19, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs (59) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Both Brady Basso and Jeffrey Springs are coming off very forgettable outings. But considering both pitchers have contributed positively in their prior outings, there is no reason they would be unable to tap into that success one more time to end the season. Their starts will be their final ones of the season.

Even though the stakes are not as high for Basso as for Springs, this does not mean that he can forget about this game completely. If either pitcher has a nightmare outing, there is reason to believe that they will be graded much more harshly once roster decisions come around.

More Multi-Inning Outings

Sep 17, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Athletics pitcher Geoff Hartlieb (31) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As mentioned earlier, both Basso and Springs have been very unreliable. Basso is a reliever-turned-starter, and Springs simply has not had the best season. But given how well the Athletics' bullpen has pitched lately, the team should be fine when things get rough.

In the first section, we discussed how Kotsay has struggled to pull pitchers once they show signs of cracking. If Kotsay is able to do better in this area, we will see a good amount of bullpen usage throughout these two games. Names to watch include Geoff Hartlieb, Seth Johnson, Luis Medina, and Scott Blewett.

Watch Our Latest Podcast