In a weekly segment, we'll take a look around the AL West — what's happened so far, and what's on tap in the coming days.
1. Texas Rangers (14-7) — Coming off a dominant effort Wednesday night to keep their series unbeaten streak alive and stand as the only team in baseball without losses in consecutive games, the Rangers seem to be just fine without Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli and Michael Young. They've now won seven of their last 10 games and have gotten some good news on the pitching depth front as both Colby Lewis and Martin Perez are closer to heading out on rehab assignments. Next up: Today, 7:10 p.m., at Minnesota Twins.
2. Oakland A's (13-9) — The A's have just gotten nipped by the sudden buzzsaw that is the Boston Red Sox, who are tied with the Rangers for the best record in the American League and as a result have only won four of their last 10 games. Things don't get a whole lot easier for the A's as they begin a four-game set against the second-best team in the AL East. Next up: Today, 9:05 p.m., vs. Baltimore Orioles.
3. Los Angeles Angels (8-12) — The Angels were fairly hot, then they ran into the Rangers. Josh Hamilton has yet to figure it out, and Albert Pujols hasn't been much better. Heck, neither has Mike Trout. Those guys will all come around eventually, but the real concern with the Angels is the pitching staff with Jered Weaver on the shelf and the bullpen being just as bad as ever. Next up: Today, 9:10 p.m., at Seattle Mariners.
4. Seattle Mariners (8-15) — The Mariners got swept by the Rangers and have now lost two straight to the Houston Astros. That's a rough spot. Oh well, at least Felix Hernandez finally got his 100th career victory. Not much else to see here. Next up: Today, 9:10 p.m., vs. Los Angeles Angels.
5. Houston Astros (7-14) — There really isn't much to say or see here. Bud Norris and Jose Altuve are good players, but Norris will probably not be with the Astros much longer. They've won three of their last 10 games and two of those have come in their last two games against the Mariners. Things get a lot harder this weekend. Next up: Today, 6:35 p.m., at Boston Red Sox.
