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The Oakland Telegraph
4 October 2027
Tense final week beckons as A's hunt down Astros
By Ting Mynails, final week correspondent
When Oakland were 19-27 and 12.5 games back in the American League West division at the end of May, no one gave them a hope of achieving a fifth consecutive world championship. Eternal optimist Paulie Beane certainly didn't. Nor did the local bookies, who, apparently oblivious to the team's performances over the last four years, were at that point offering odds of 50-1 or more against an A's World Series win, which fans gladly took up in droves. But now, with just one week and six games to go in the regular season, the Bay Area's bookmaking community is staring down the barrel of prospective financial armageddon, and hoping against hope that Oakland do not continue their recent form. For not only have the 88-68 A's now guaranteed themselves a wildcard berth, but they have closed to just two games back from long-time division pacesetters Houston.
It has been a fantastic turnaround for Beane's boys. Rumours, denied by the club, abound that several members of Oakland's bullpen have shares in Californian bookmakers, given their apparent urgent desire to chuck games away. But there have been excellent seasons from the rotation, Karl Dickson leading the way with a 16-6 record and 2.94 ERA. And the batters have been uncharacteristically productive, including second baseman Alejandro Gusman's .373 wOBA, Javier Cruz's 39 home runs, and Dennis Hawkins's 115 RBIs. Two wins this week would give them a sixth straight season of 90 or more wins.
Can the A's complete a superb reversal and pip the Astros to the divisional title right at the last minute? Will Seattle and Texas, who the A's face in these final games, spoil their party? And will we keep asking hypothetical questions rather than reporting actual news?
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