With the A's out of playoff contention, fans just have Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" movie to look forward to this month. (Photo Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia Pictures)

The Oakland Athletics were finally mathematically eliminated from the playoff race with Sunday’s loss to the Texas Rangers. Not that the A’s were in much of a race anyway. The team, with Sunday’s 8-1 loss to Texas, was denied a trip to the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.

Oakland’s 2011 season has not gone the way most envisioned it earlier in the season, largely because of the team’s first-half offensive woes. The team hit .233/.299/.337 before the All-Star break.

The A’s ranked 28th in both runs scored (315) and home runs (50) during the first-half of the season. While the offense lagged, the pitching staff churned out quality start after quality start, ranking 3rd in baseball with a 3.13 ERA during the first-half. (more…)

Rich Harden kicks off the series against his former club the Texas Rangers on Thursday. (Photo Credit: John Green/San Mateo Times)

Entering their final series before the All-Star break, the Oakland Athletics will need to get something going when they face off against the Texas Rangers in a key four-game set.

The A’s at 39-49 are 8.0 games behind the first-place Rangers, and can either sink further down the standings or make up some ground before the break. The A’s can achieve the latter by continuing to play solid baseball against the Rangers, who are 2-4 against the A’s this season.

Oakland’s pitching staff has been a major reason why the team still has a shot in the American League West, but going forward, the offense will need to step up and support a pitching staff that leads the AL in ERA (3.09).

Entering the Texas series, Oakland’s bats are hitting a combined .236/.302/.341 with a total of 46 home runs. The A’s have not gotten much production out of any one player on offense, and it seems like everyone not named Jemile Weeks is struggling offensively.  (more…)