10/4/12 ? Down 5-1 in the fourth inning, the Oakland Athletics, just like the way their season has gone, came back from a big deficit to win the game and the AL West. The A?s scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, two of which came on an error by Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton. The A?s would score five more runs the rest of the game. In the ninth inning, Grant Balfour retired Rangers third baseman Michael Young on a fly ball to center field to seal the 12-5 win for the A?s and the AL West. On June 30th, the A?s trailed the Rangers by 13 games in the standings. This is the first division crown in six years and 15th in their franchise. With a payroll of $59.5 million, the lowest in baseball, the A?s found a way to overcome the odds and take the division on the last day of the season. They will play the Detroit Tigers in the Division Series.

Unfortunately for the Athletics, Chris Sale continued his dominant season as he led the Chicago White Sox to a 7-3 victory over Oakland on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. Bartolo Colon got the start for Oakland, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing five earned runs on nine hits and two walks. Despite the rough outing, his earned run average still stands at a very respectable 3.55 to go along with a 9-9 record. Offensively for Oakland, Jonny Gomes and Adam Rosales each went deep in the loss, while Derek Norris also added a run batted in. While the team did manage eight hits, they only got one runner in scoring position throughout the entire game.

The Oakland Athletics improved to 59-51 in the season behind a strong performance from starter Bartolo Colon as they defeated the Los Angeles Angels by the score of 10-4 on Tuesday night. Colon pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and zero walks. He also added five strikeouts as he lowered his earned run average to 3.38 on the year thus far. Offensively for Oakland, Jonny Gomes, Josh Reddick, Derek Norris and Adam Rosales all went deep in the victory, while Jemile Weeks also added a run batted in to his season total. Overall, the team managed 13 hits off Angels pitching and were a solid 2-7 with runners in scoring position.

Travis Blackley did not have his best stuff on Sunday and could not keep his team in the game as the Oakland Athletics lost to the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 6-1. Blackley lasted five innings, surrendering five earned runs on six hits and a four walks. He also added a strikeout over 93 pitches as he picked up his third loss of the year. Offensively, the Athletics managed just seven hits, with Yoenis Cespedes accounting for the only run batted in of the game, his 54th of the year. Overall, the team his a pedestrian 3-12 with runners in scoring position and failed to get the big hit when it counted.

Despite a recent hot streak, the Oakland Athletics still find themselves five games out of first place with a 54-45 record and will need to continue their hot hitting if they want to catch the first place Texas Rangers. Josh Reddick has been an offensive force for the A's so far this year, putting together a .271 batting average to go alone with 22 home runs and 49 runs batted in. He also boasts a strong .349 OBP so far this season. Outside of good numbers from Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes, the A's have struggled offensively throughout the year and rank near the bottom of the league in runs, batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage heading into August.

The Oakland Athletics completed a rare four game sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday in extra innings as they defeated the Bronx Bombers by the score of 5-4 over 12 innings. Bartolo Colon got the start for Oakland and lasted 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and a walk. He also struck out five batters over the course of his 84 pitch outing. Offensively, Brandon Inge, Kurt Suzuki and Seth Smith all homered on the day, while Coco Crisp also added a run batted in. Overall on the day, however, the team was just 1-6 with runners in scoring position.

The Oakland Athletics heralded rookie Yoenis Cespedes hit the first walk-off home run of his career on Thursday, a 3-run bomb in the bottom of the 9th that gave the Athletics a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Perhaps more unexpectedly, the win capped off the Athletics' sweep of the Dodgers, the owners of the second-best record in baseball. The sweep brings the Athletics to 34-36, as they inch closer and closer to .500, although they still remain 9 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers. Cespedes is batting .279 on the season so far, with 7 home runs and 30 RBI.

The Oakland Athletics won their second game in a row against the Boston Red Sox as the team won a close 4-2 ballgame at Fenway Park on Wednesday. Athletics starter Brandon McCarthy gave the team a solid 6.2 innings of work, allowing only one run on five hits and three walks as he earned his second victory of the season. McCarthy also added 4 strikeouts over 113 pitches. Designated hitter Seth Smith had two hits, including two runs batted in that ultimately made the difference in the game. Brian Fuentes came into for ninth, and while he allowed a run, earned his first save of the season.

Still trying to get past that .500 mark on the season, the Oakland Athletics dropped two of three to the Baltimore Orioles this past weekend at Camden Yards. After winning the series opener 5-2, the team lost Saturday's game handily by the score of 10-1. Looking to take the series on Sunday, the team came up short in a 5-2 loss. Pedro Strop got the win for the Orioles, who moved to 14-8 on the young season. Grant Balfour got the loss on the day, giving up a three-run home run and failing to record a putout out of the bullpen. The Athletics go into Fenway Park to face a red-hot Red Sox team on Monday.

While the team currently sits among the worst in baseball in every major offensive category, the Oakland Athletics have managed to scrape together 8 wins so far on the young season and are in second place in the American League West. Newcomer Yoenis Cespedes leads the team in batting, home runs and runs batted in with a .254 clip, 4 HR's and 15 RBI's. Veteran Bartolo Colon has stepped in and been masterful so far this year, pacing the squad with a 2.54 earned run average and 3 victories so far. The team will compete in series against the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles to finish off their April schedule.

For the first time in quite a while, the fans in Oakland have something to be excited about. The A's went out during the offseason and signed Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million contract, providing the team with a much needed boost of adrenaline. Cespedes was billed as a hitter with above average power and the ability to steal bases, and so far he has yet to disappoint. After four games in MLB, Cespedes is tied with the league lead in HR's with 3 and is second in RBI's with 7, pacing Oakland to a 2-2 record in the first week of the season.

Oakland Athletics Tickets - Team History

Oakland Athletics tickets allow fans the opportunity to experience one of Major League Baseball's teams on the rise. The A's, established in 1901 but based in Oakland since 1968, have won nine World Series championships to go along with 15 AL pennants. The A's play at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and have called it home since the park opened in 1964. The park also has one of the smallest capacities in the MLB at only 35,000 seats.

Oakland Athletics Tickets - 2011 Season Info

It's been tough sledding for the Oakland A's in recent years, but the team looks to build off a great 2010 season and take big steps forward in the AL West. After finishing second in the division last season, the club put a focus on adding offensive firepower like Matsui. However, at the Mid-Season, the A's still aren't showing much promise. They fired their manager, and have continued to have a losing record with the new one (Bob Melvin). Still sitting in last place in the AL West, the A's have a lot of work to do before the season is up.

Oakland Athletics Tickets - Ticket Information

Oakland Athletics tickets ensure that fans see the Athletics playing top contenders throughout the entire MLB season. The A's are looking for 2011 to be the year they take control of a competitive American League West. With matchups with great teams like the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels and non-divisional meetings with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees throughout the season, the A's will have plenty of opportunity to test themselves against top talent in 2011. Be a part of this great tradition and don't miss the action!

Related Teams and Bands

• Los Angeles Dodgers
• San Francisco Giants
• Minnesota Twins
• Kansas City Royals
• Detroit Tigers