Oakland @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 17, 2018 ) LA Angels 5, Oakland 6

The Oakland Athletics just finished up a 7-1 homestand to occupy the No. 2 wild card spot in the American League, and they don't appear to be slowing down. The Athletics will try to pad their win total when they visit the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Oakland, which returns home for a pair of important series against Seattle and Houston next week, allowed a total of 13 runs on the eight-game homestand and welcomed newest pitcher Mike Fiers to the team with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. "It's team baseball here, and that's what I want to be a part of," Fiers told reporters. "This team does everything right. They hustle, they pitch well, they play defense, they come up with big hits, put together good at-bats against a good pitcher in (Clayton) Kershaw. Just to battle this game out and come out on top is huge." The Angels will test that pitching staff with an offense that pounded out 23 runs in a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers this week despite not having superstar Mike Trout (wrist) available. Los Angeles will try to stay hot on Friday against left-hander Brett Anderson while countering with righty Felix Pena.

TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), FS West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.64 ERA) vs. Angels RH Felix Pena (1-3, 4.97)

Anderson put together one of his finest starts of the season last time out but was held without a decision in a game Oakland ended up winning 1-0 over Detroit. The Texas native scattered two runs and one walk across seven innings while striking out a pair in the no-decision. Anderson is seeing Los Angeles for the first time this season and is 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA in seven starts on the road in 2018.

Pena took a no-hitter into the sixth inning at Cleveland on Saturday but ended up yielding two runs on three hits in the sixth and was saddled with the loss. That marked a much more promising effort for the Dominican Republic native than his previous turn, when he failed to make it out of the first inning against Seattle and was reached for seven runs. Pena made his season debut in relief against Oakland on April 8 and allowed one run and two hits in one inning.

WALK-OFFS

1. Trout last played on Aug. 1 and is scheduled to take batting practice prior to Friday's contest.

2. Oakland RHP Jeurys Familia has yet to allow an earned run in eight appearances since joining the team.

3. Los Angeles SS Andrelton Simmons recorded multiple hits in each of the last four games.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Angels 2