Over at Baseball Prospectus, Dave Haller points out that the A’s have the most difficult schedule of all the remaining AL contenders.

If that weren’t enough of a disadvantage on top of the rash of injuries, there’s this: the A’s and Angels each play Seattle six more times. It looks like the A’s will have to face phenom Felix Hernandez twice, while the Angels will avoid him altogether.

If the Mariners keep a strict five-man rotation, the A’s will face Hernandez on the last game of the season. Gulp…

Although the A’s currently occupy a playoff spot, the A’s nonetheless face an uphill battle to keep it. Their best chance is to beat the Angels head-to-head and take the division. They need to take at least three, and possibly four of the remaining five games against the Anaheimizens. Must win tonight.