Oakland begins this series a much different team than the last time the Astros faced them back in early July. At that point the A’s were in control of the Wild Card and well within striking distance of the division with a few months still left on the schedule. While the Astros had been in control of the West for a few weeks at that point, the A’s didn’t look like they were going away anytime soon.
But now the narrative is about a team that has faded in the standings and would need more than a couple lucky breaks to qualify for postseason play this year.