Where The AL West Clubs Play This Week, Or Can Any Club Join The Astros Above .500?

At this point, we're not looking for anyone to actually challenge the Astros. Ha ha ha! That'd be like asking one of those sub.500 clubs in the National League East to challenge the Washington Nationals. Just look at those standings. No, but it would be nice to see at least one other team climb above .500 and stay there for long than two days (we are looking at you, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). Who has the best chance? See where everyone in the Al West is playing this week if you click Read More. 

The Astros host the Braves and then go on the road to play...the Yankees. Yes! This four-game series will provide a true test of where the Astros are at this point, because the "rebuilding" Yankees have the best record in the American League. Nervous Astros fans will recall they didn't do so well against the Indians, losing two out of three in Cleveland April 25-27.

The Angels travel to Oakland for a three-game set against the A's, a team they swept at home April 25-27. They then return to Orange County for four games against the  Tigers. The way the team is playing of late, that does not seem an easy path to going even 4-3. But the Angels are nothing if not surprising.

The Mariners seem the best bet to reach .500 this week and perhaps take over second place. The club will spend the week back East, playing two against the Phillies and four against the Blue Jays, two teams currently distinguishing themselves by not playing baseball very well.

The wildly entertaining and unpredictable A's will host the Angels - they are 2-5 against the Halos this year so far - and then play three on the road in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex against the Rangers. They could go 0-6. They could go 6-0. Neither would surprise me.

I'm not saying the Rangers will have a winning record this week, but listen: they play four games against the lowly Padres and host the mercurial Athletics. Rangers fans, the Mariners were in your position not long ago. Just saying.

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