A's On Verge of Awful Collapse

If the Texas Rangers and their fans can take solace in anything about this awful, awful season, it's the fact the knife in their back the past two seasons is suffering a pretty horrific ending to the 2014 regular season.

The Oakland A's are by no means out of the playoff hunt. In fact, if the season ended today, they would host the one-game AL Wild Card playoff. But just last month, the playoff picture looked drastically different, and much sweeter for the A's.

Five weeks ago, the A's had the best record in baseball and a four-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. That was just after the MLB trade deadline, when it appeared the A's had fired the warning shot to top all warning shots by acquiring three starting pitchers, including Boston Red Sox's ace and World Series-tested lefty Jon Lester. In the process, they dealt away slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes — seen by A's fans as a bit of a two-trick power pony, at the plate and with his arm in the field. But he didn't quite fit into the "A's way" and he was far from a sabermetrician's dream.

But things haven't worked out well for the A's, who have the worst record in baseball since Aug. 9. Yes, their 11-22 mark is one game worse than even your Texas Rangers. That's pretty remarkable to think about.

Since then, the Angels have been baseball's hottest team and are now the first team to have clinched a playoff berth and are right on the brink of clinching the AL West. Meanwhile, the A's are fighting for their lives to hold on to a wild card spot, trying to fend off their AL West bunkmates, the Seattle Mariners.

Would you rather have the Rangers in the mix, as well? Sure. But since that obviously isn't happening this year, you have to admit, this is pretty riveting theater to watch.

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