10 Reasons the A's Are a Legitimate Threat to the Los Angeles Angels

The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels are entrenched in a battle for the American League West division.

Though it seemed as if the A's had little to no chance to compete with the high-octane team from Anaheim, they have put together a remarkable month of July behind stellar all-around play and a tendency to play its best when the stage is brightest.

Here are 10 reasons why the A's are a legitimate threat to the Angels.

1. The Streaks

Just when no one thought the Oakland Athletics had a chance to threaten the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers for the American League West title, the team put together a five-game winning streak to start the month of July and another seven-game winning streak following the All-Star break that lead to a 19-5 finish for the month.

With the potential to put together wins in bunches like they did in July, the A’s have shown the Angels that no lead in the standings is safe.

2. They Have Nothing to Lose

The A’s weren’t supposed to be 3.5 games out of first place in the division to end the month of July. They were seen as sellers at the trade deadline until an improbable run in July saw the team refocus and begin to believe that they could compete for the AL West crown.

Moving forward, they can play with a chip on their shoulder that shows that they can compete with the Angels.

3. Head-to-Head Matchups Remain

The A’s have 10 more games against the Angels and already have a winning record versus the Halos, going 5-4 in nine head-to-head games in 2012.

The teams will square off against one another 10 more times before season’s end, and that means that anything can happen moving forward.

4. Pitching

The Angels’ starters not named Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson have struggled in 2012, while the Oakland A’s pitchers have been stellar since the All-Star break. They are second in the AL in strikeouts (140), third in ERA (3.52), and third in WHIP (1.14) since the Midsummer Classic.

Good pitching makes any game winnable and it’s exactly why Oakland has a chance to put together enough wins to threaten the Angels late in the year.

5. The A's Are the Hottest Team in Baseball

Their 19-5 July record makes the Oakland Athletics among the teams with the most momentum going into the last two full months of the season. For divisional opponents, that’s a scary thought considering the small amount of space separating the A’s from the division-leading Rangers.

6. The Rivalry

The Angels and A’s have an intense rivalry, and the A’s resurgence has given new life to the significance of head-to-head matchups between the two teams. In recent years, the Angels have been the better team, but the A’s have shown that they can play with anyone in 2012.

What better fuel to a long-standing rivalry than it actually meaning something?

7. They Love Theatrics

The A’s have shown a flair for the dramatic. They are 8-2 in extra inning games and 17-12 in one-run games. That kind of success in the most critical situations is what a team needs in order to make a postseason run.  

8. They're a Playoff Team

If you are what your record says you are, then the A’s are a playoff team. Once they’re in the tournament, anything can happen, and they have shown that they have an uncanny ability to play up to the competition.

9. Yoenis Cespedes

When you’re fighting for your postseason life, it doesn’t hurt to have one of the hottest hitters in the major leagues. Yoenis Cespedes is first in the American League with a .441 batting average in 16 games since the All-Star break. He owns a .750 slugging percentage and 1.229 OPS over the same stretch.

It’s safe to say that he’s a big reason for the A’s resurgence as well as the reason they have an opportunity to compete with the best teams in the AL West.

10. The Billy Beane Magic

General manager Billy Beane could have a few more tricks up his sleeve when it comes to finding diamonds in the rough. Cespedes is one example of such a find, and it stands to reason that more players will show what they’re made of down the stretch.