OAKLAND http://www.angelsfan...lan-ryan-jersey , Calif. — Oakland Athletics fans will get to see Shohei Ohtani one last time in 2018 at the same venue at which everyone saw him for the first time this season when the Los Angeles Angels close out a three-game series on Thursday afternoon.While Ohtani and the Angels look to win the season series from Oakland, the A’s (91-61) will be trying to avoid losing ground to the red-hot wild-card playoff spot in the American League.The A’s will take the field for the afternoon affair several hours before the Rays begin a four-game road series at Toronto. Tampa Bay has won four in a row, including Saturday and Sunday against the A’s to get the Rays back in the race.Article continues below ...While A’s fans surely will save most of their applause for the home club, no doubt they will shower some on Ohtani, the unique two-way talent whose first major league hit came on March 29 in Oakland, a single in his first at-bat against Kendall Graveman.Three days later, Ohtani recorded his first big-league pitching win, also in Oakland Cameron Maybin Jersey , when he limited the A’s to three runs in six innings in a 7-4 win.Almost six months later, Ohtani is finishing his rookie season only as a hitter, having torn the UCL in his right elbow while pitching on Sept. 2.He completed the pitching portion of his season with a 4-2 record and 3.31 ERA.The injury hasn’t slowed Ohtani’s bat. He has recorded hits in 11 of 14 games this month, including one in each of the first two games of the Oakland series.He will take a .292 average, and a chance to hit .300, into the Angels’ final 10 games of the season.With 327 plate appearances and 10 pitching starts, he is assured of being the first major-leaguer with that combination since Babe Ruth in 1919.Ohtani has hit 6-for-23 (.261) against the A’s this season but went 0-for-3 against Thursday’s starter, right-hander Edwin Jackson http://www.angelsfan...-jackson-jersey , in an August game.Jackson (5-3, 3.17) will be attempting to pitch the A’s to their 14th consecutive non-losing home series. Oakland has won 11 and tied two since getting swept in a three-gamer against Houston in June.The A’s and Angels have split the first two games of their three-game set.Jackson shut out the Angels for 7 1/3 innings in a 7-0 win in Los Angeles in August. It improved his lifetime record against the Angels to 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 13 games, including 10 starts.Right-hander Matt Shoemaker (2-1, 3.98) is scheduled to pitch the series finale for the Angels.He pitched an 8-3 win over the A’s in the opening series of the season, during which the Angels took three of four. Los Angeles has retained an edge in the seasons series all year, but now clings to just an 8-7 advantage.In his career, Shoemaker has compiled a 6-2 record and 3.61 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) against Oakland. ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals will both start 22-year-old rookie right-handers who were 2014 first-round draft choices in their series finale Wednesday at SunTrust Park.The similarities end, though Andrelton Simmons Jersey , when it comes to major league experience.Jack Flaherty has been with the Cardinals most of the season, making 25 starts. Touki Toussaint has made just three starts for the Braves, spending the majority of his year in Double-A.Article continues below ...Flaherty (8-7, 2.86 ERA) will try to build on his successful season, while Toussaint (1-1, 4.67 ERA) hopes to make a late-season statement as the Cardinals go for a sweep of the three-game series.St. Louis (84-68) won 8-1 on Tuesday night to help their National League wild-card chances and keep the magic number at seven for the Braves (83-68) to clinch the National League East.Flaherty, the 34th overall pick in 2014 draft, leads the Cardinals with 168 strikeouts in 138 1/3 innings and needs just one strikeout to catch Shelby Miller for third place on the franchise’s all-time rookie list. Rick Ankiel set the rookie record with 194 in 2000.The California native was 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in five August starts http://www.angelsfan...-escobar-jersey , but has yet to win in September despite a 2.81 ERA in his three outings.Flaherty turned in his 10th quality start in his most recent game, limiting the Los Angeles Dodgers to four hits and a run over six innings while striking out eight in the Cardinals’ 3-0 loss last Friday.“I don’t care about my line. I don’t care about anything other than winning,” said Flaherty, who gave up a homer to Yasiel Puig. “So, it doesn’t matter how I pitch. I didn’t pitch well enough.”Flaherty, who has limited opposing hitters to a .193 average overall and .186 on the road, has a simple pitching philosophy.“Get ahead and stay ahead,” he said. “Try not to get into deep counts and try to stay away from a 3-2 count.”Toussaint is will working on that. Struggling with his command Martin Maldonado Jersey , he walked four and allowed two hits while giving up three runs in a one-inning relief appearance against Washington last Saturday.Tousaint, the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft by Arizona, made his major league debut in a spot start on Aug. 13 and limited Miami to two hits and a run in the victory.Toussaint was brought back from the minors when rosters expanded and followed up with a loss to Boston and a no-decision against Arizona. He has allowed just eight hits and struck out 15 in 16 1/3 innings as a starter, posting a 3.31 ERA.The Braves are just 38-38 at home, going 4-14 since Aug. 18. The Cardinals have won eight straight against the Braves in Atlanta since the beginning of the 2016 season.
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