Cleveland Indians Make Final Trip to West Coast for Series with the A’s

The Cleveland Indians are riding high as they make their final trip to the west coast of 2016 for a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics.

The Cleveland Indians arrive in Oakland for a three-game series against the Athletics on Monday fresh off of a dramatic series win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field and a successful 8-3 homestand. The Tribe enters play on Monday night with a seven-game lead in the Central Division, and in a battle for the best record in the American League.

This is the last trip Cleveland will make to the Pacific time zone, and the beginning of a weeklong trip that will also include four games against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. By the time the Indians return home, they will have played 20 games in 20 days.

Oakland is having a season that in many ways is the polar opposite of the Tribe. The A’s have a record of 53-71 and find themselves 19.5 games behind the Rangers. The club was a seller at the trade deadline, dealing standouts Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to the Los Angeles Dodgers, banking on a solid return of prospects to impact the franchise’s future.

With serious postseason aspirations, this is the sort of series in which Cleveland must handle its business. The Indians are 3-0 against Oakland thus far this season, outscoring the A’s 19-6 in those games, and continuing on that theme before another matchup with a first place team would be beneficial for the team.

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