The Oakland A's (8-7) have made an 180 degree turn after a slow start to the season, winning their last four games with a chance to make it five this evening as they go for a sweep of the New York Yankees. While there is plenty to celebrate right now for the A's, here are three things the team must do to keep pace in a competitive AL West.
3) Get Healthy
Eric Sogard will be out at least six weeks following left knee surgery, and it appears that third baseman Danny Valencia is headed to the disabled list after straining his hamstring. On the plus side, a pair of key pitchers are making strides for Oakland. Jesse Hahn should be ready to supplant Eric Surkamp in the rotation next week, and offseason addition Henderson Alvarez just made his first minor league rehab appearance.
2) Ride The Hot Hand
Bob Melvin isn't shy about mixing and matching the roster on a nightly basis, but he needs to take it a step further and make sure he is riding the hot hand as much as possible. The A's aren't going to overpower many teams around the league, so Melvin needs to keep his struggling veterans (read: Billy Butler, Sean Doolittle) on a short leash if other youngsters (read: Ryan Dull) are ready to step up, particularly as the season wears on.
1) Continue Strong Pitching
The A's raised some eyebrows by spending big on bullpen arms this offseason, but thus far, the strategy has paid off in spades. A rotation missing two of its projected starters has also overachieved. Thus far, the team is top five in the MLB in ERA (2.74) and top ten in opponents batting average (.231). If Oakland can keep up these numbers with the help of Hahn and Alvarez, they should be able to maintain their current pace of above-.500 baseball.