A’s Will Finish Season With Winning Record…At Home

While the A’s won’t finish the season with a winning record, the team did manage to play well at home this season, posting a 43-38 record at home. The remainder of the season is going to consist of stops in Anaheim against the Angels, and one stop in Seattle against the last-place Mariners. With six games remaining, the Athletics will look to improve upon their miserable 27-48 road record.

Overall, the Athletics currently stand at 70-86, and barring any ground-breaking setbacks, should finish the season in third place in the AL West. Projected as heavy favorites to win the division prior to the start of the season, the A’s playoff dreams were derailed by inconsistencies on offense as well as a few injuries to some of their starting pitchers during the first-half.

Good teams know how to win ballgames both at home and on the road. Oakland played decent ball in the comfy confines of the O.co Coliseum, but when removed from the bay, the A’s had a tough time winning games. The A’s finished their season at home with a team slash line of .250/.322/.374 with 49 HR and 331 runs.

Meanwhile, the A’s currently own a line of .239/.305/.364 with 58 HR and 288 runs while on the road. The A’s have a higher team batting average while at the Coliseum, but have managed to flex more muscle away from the pitcher friendly Coliseum.

Oakland, at least this year, has not been a good team. Heck, they probably don’t even qualify as a mediocre team this year. The A’s have battled inconsistencies all season long, and one of the team’s glaring problems is that they can’t seem to win on the road. The A’s are a young team, but sooner or later these youngster will need to learn how to win on the road.

The team’s pitching staff has also struggled on the road, posting a 4.42 ERA in 657.2 innings this year. Oakland pitchers finished the year at home with better results, as expected since the Coliseum is regarded as a very pitcher’s friendly ballpark. Oakland posted a 3.19 ERA in 729.0 innings.

The A’s will need to find ways to distance themselves from the inconsistencies that plagued them in 2011, and find some type of recipe for success on the road if they truly wish to ascend to the next level. Assuming, of course, that there is actually a “next level” for Oakland to ascend to.