On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Athletics series preview

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesLast year, the Cubs played the Athletics in Oakland in April, when the A’s were on their way to a 12-50 start. The Cubs swept the series and outscored the A’s 16-3. Oakland went on to lose 112 games.

I am here to tell you that this year’s A’s are better than that. Much better. They went 16-39 in May/June combined and were 30-56 heading into July.

Since then they have actually been... good. Not like “oh, sorta good for a bad team” but good as in 35-28, the third-best record in the American League since July 1. (That does include going 8-2 against the awful Angels.) The Cubs are 37-27 in that same time span.

So the Cubs cannot look past this team, the…