Oakland @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2018 ) Oakland 5, LA Angels 8

With their postseason status now set, the Oakland Athletics can play loose in their final two games of the regular season. Oakland looks to bounce back from its series-opening loss when it takes on the host Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.

The Athletics, who will be visiting the New York Yankees for the American League wild-card game on Wednesday, have been alternating wins and losses for a week as they attempted to gain home-field advantage for the contest. Oakland registered only five hits in Friday's 8-5 setback, with three coming during its five-run rally in the eighth inning. The Angels are finishing the campaign strong as they've followed a five-game losing streak with four consecutive victories. Mike Trout and Taylor Ward homered while Japanese rookie Shohei Ohtani went 3-for-3 with two RBIs for Los Angeles, which was outscored 31-3 in back-to-back losses in Oakland last week.

TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS California (Oakland), FS West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Trevor Cahill (6-4, 3.91 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (8-9, 3.91)

Cahill is expected to make his second start following a hiatus caused by a back injury and 21st overall in an injury-riddled 2018 season. The 30-year-old Californian lasted only 3 1/3 innings against Minnesota on Sunday as he was tagged for five runs - three earned - and five hits en route to a loss. Cahill, who has worked a total of six frames in his last two outings, is 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts) versus the Angels - including a no-decision at Los Angeles on Aug. 12 in which he yielded four runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Skaggs is coming off his second start after missing over a month with an adductor strain, a loss at Houston on Sunday in which he surrendered four runs and five hits over 2 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old, who also hails from the Golden State, made his fourth start of the year against the Athletics on Sept. 18 in his initial return from the injury and issued two walks without yielding a hit in three scoreless frames at Oakland. Skaggs is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA versus the Athletics this season after going 0-4 with a 6.26 ERA in five starts prior to 2018.

WALK-OFFS

1. Trout needs two home runs to match the career high of 41 he set in 2015.

2. Oakland 2B Jed Lowrie has gone 6-for-20 during his four-game hitting streak and is three RBIs away from reaching 100 for the first time in his career.

3. Ohtani is riding a four-game hitting streak during which he is 7-for-16 with two homers and six RBIs.

PREDICTION: Athletics 9, Angels 6