By Matthew Harrington

There is an inevitability in Major League baseball that, no matter the abundance of talent assembled on one squad, every team will hit a rough patch. Anyone who thinks an organization can plod through the minefield of a 162-game schedule unscathed from a barrage of consecutive losses at some point probably believes the plumbing at O.Co Coliseum is just fine and dandy as well.

While the Oakland Athletics looked like they previously found a way to advance their 25-man platoon through the tormenting minefield of a grueling MLB season without a valley to match their peak, the losses have piled up at an alarming rate of late. The A’s, who led the Majors in Wins at the All-star Break, have finally hit the frustrating patch of the season. It appears to have come at the most inopportune time for the Green and Gold.

The A’s entered a critical four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels Thursday night looking to bridge a one-game deficit in the American League West standings. With a couple of wins in Anaheim, the A’s (78-57)hoped to pass then put some distance between them and the Halos entering the season’s seminal month. After being shutout 2-0 Saturday night at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Oakland is now just looking to keep fans from having to use all five of their fingers on one hand to count the number of games back they will be entering play on Labor Day.

The loss Saturday opened the floodgates of frustration, with the A’s locker room proving to be a frigid place following a second-consecutive shutout at the hands of LA. The Swingin’ A’s have been mostly swinging and missing of late, scoring only three runs over 28 innings in SoCal. Oakland boasts 15 hits in the series.

Saturday the A’s only mustered three hits Saturday against a string of Angels pitchers. Manager Mike Scioscia called upon eight different relievers for the injury beset Angels, using long reliever Cory Rasmus to pitch the first three scoreless innings.

Michael Roth retired only one Athletic in relief of Rasmus to open the fourth before loading the bases, prompting A’s manager Bob Melvin to pinch-hit right-hander Jonny Gomes for Josh Reddick against the lefty Roth. Scioscia countered by bringing in right-sider Yoslan Herrera (1-1, 5.87 ERA)to limit the damage. Gomes bounced a chopper that deflected off a leaping Herrera’s glove right to second baseman Howie Kendrick who started the inning-ending double-play to make Herrera Saturday’s winner.

The Halos (82-53) would score twice (with only one run earned) off A’s starter Jeff Samardzija in the bottom half of the inning. The Shark (6-11, 3.14) pitched a complete-game, eight inning effort but wound up the loser despite his nine strikeouts. He did save a bullpen that remains short-handed even with the addition of Evan Scribner for the recently demoted Drew Pomeranz.

While the A’s still boast home-field advantage in the one-game playoff over the Detroit Tigers as holders of the top Wild Card spot, the A’s need to take Sunday’s finale to build confidence down the stretch run. Melvin will send Scott Kazmir to the mound looking to play stopper while Matt Shoemaker takes the hill for the Halos looking for the sweep.