Opposite dugout: A's out of AL West race, playing out the string

Manager: Bob Melvin (5th year)

Record: 51-65

Last 10 games: 5-5

Who to watch: CF Billy Burns (.296, 23 SB), RF Josh Reddick (.282 with 13 HR, 60 RBIs), 3B Brett Lawrie (10 HR, 45 RBIs), C Steven Vogt (15 HR, 60 RBIs), RHP Sonny Gray (12-4, 2.06 ERA)

Season series vs. Orioles: 1-2

Pitching probables:

Aug. 14: TBA vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez, 7:05 p.m., MASN
Aug. 15: RHP Chris Bassitt vs. RHP Miguel Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN
Aug. 16: RHP Kendall Graveman vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, 1:35 p.m., MASN
Aug. 17: RHP Aaron Brooks vs. RHP Chris Tillman, 7:05 p.m., MASN

Inside the A's:

In manager Bob Melvin's first three full seasons at the helm, the A's never finished lower than second, twice winning the American League West and making the playoffs in all three campaigns. That streak will end this year, as the A's are slogging toward the end of the season in last place in the West, 11 1/2 games out of first and 14 games below .500 with the second-worst record in the American League. What was once a scrappy bunch of players hungry to carve out success has morphed into a cast of no-names trying to prove they belong in the majors. It's not Melvin's fault that the players assembled by general manager Billy Beane didn't produce. Nor was it Melvin's decision to sell off a few recognizable assets at the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. But what will likely be the A's first losing season since 2011 may hasten changes in Oakland, home to "Moneyball" thinking and expansive foul territory at the O.co Coliseum.

The four-game wraparound series that begins at Camden Yards on Friday will test the A's, who had to scratch ace Sonny Gray from Thursday's scheduled start in Toronto because of back spasms and replace him with right-hander Jesse Chavez, who was supposed to pitch Friday's series opener in Baltimore. A's pitchers have combined to produce the fifth-best ERA (3.47) in the majors, while limiting opponents to the third-lowest batting average (.238), second-lowest slugging percentage (.362) and the fourth-lowest on-base percentage (.298).

Unfortunately, they don't get enough offensive support from a lineup that hits the fourth-fewest homers (90) and slashes a cumulative .250/.310/.382. And the A's don't help themselves, committing the major leagues' most errors (96), 50 of them coming from the starting left side of their infield.

The A's make the most of guys who might not get a look, much less extensive playing time, on other clubs. Center fielder Billy Burns, acquired in a minor trade from the Nationals two winters ago, has blossomed into a decent leadoff hitter who can steal bases - he's tied for the lead among major league rookies in that category. When he's healthy, right fielder Josh Reddick can provide some pop and drive in some runs, and has 13 homers and 60 RBIs, the second-highest totals of his career in a season. Catcher Steven Vogt made the All-Star team by hitting 14 homers with 56 RBIs at the break; since then, he's had one homer and four RBIs and his average has plummeted from .324 on May 29 to .258. Third baseman Brett Lawrie, acquired from the Blue Jays over the winter in the Josh Donaldson trade, has contributed only 10 homers and 45 RBIs, while Donaldson is an MVP candidate. Oakland's hottest hitter is shortstop Marcus Semien, who is on a 13-for-34 (.382) tear over 11 games. First baseman Ike Davis, designated hitter Billy Butler, infielders Eric Sogard and newly acquired Danny Valencia - they're decent major leaguers, but nothing special, and may just be placeholders until someone can be developed in the minor leagues. Beane is a shrewd judge of talent and most of the recent trades he's made have bolstered the A's farm system. The only question is how quickly those players will be ready to help.

Friday's starter is officially TBD, but don't be surprised if the A's turn to Gray, assuming his back spasms are no longer an issue. Gray's 2.06 ERA leads the American League, and he's lost only once in his last 10 starts, posting a 5-1 record in that span. Gray has reached six innings in 13 consecutive starts, and has hit that mark in 21 of 23 starts this season. He's 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three career starts versus the Orioles and 0-2 with an 11.42 ERA in two lifetime starts at Camden Yards. So he might miss the best offense in the AL in the Blue Jays, but face a team he's struggled against in the O's. Opponents are hitting only .198 against Gray this season. Another option would be to recall lefty Brad Mills from Triple-A Nashville, where he's gone 4-11 with a 4.45 ERA in 22 starts. Mills has superior numbers against the Orioles in his career, going 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA in three games and winning his lone career start at Camden Yards. Even if he doesn't start Friday night, it wouldn't be surprising to see Gray at some point during the four-game series in Baltimore.

Since righty Chris Bassitt joined the rotation full-time on June 30, he's done a nice job of keeping the A's in games, though his record doesn't really show it. He beat the O's on Aug. 4 in Oakland, recording his only win of the season with seven scoreless innings. He followed that with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against Houston on Aug. 9, in which he fanned a career-high 10. In each of his last six starts, Bassitt has logged at least six innings. Opponents have a .210 batting average against Bassitt, and a .228 mark when he starts. He's tough on left-handed hitters, who slash only .184/.290/.281 against him. Get runners on and he's stingy with hits - foes hit .183 with runners on and .179 with runners in scoring position. Bassitt could also be moved up to Friday's start, with Gray getting an extra day of rest to allow his balky back to calm down before starting Saturday.

Right-hander Kendall Graveman, part of the A's haul in the Donaldson deal, is scheduled to pitch Saturday, and it will be his second start of the season against the O's. He previously lost to Baltimore on Aug. 5 in Oakland, though he fell one out short of a qualilty start. Graveman has been scuffling lately, and is winless in his last six starts, going 0-4 since his last victory on July 4. He's fared better on the road than at home, going 4-4 with a 3.17 ERA away from Oakland. A fastball and a cut fastball make up 80 percent of his pitches, and Graveman seems to rise and fall on his first pitch. With an 0-1 count, opponents slash .213/.263/.292; at 1-0, the numbers rise considerably to .325/.418/.528. Overall, he's holding foes to a .274/.338/.413 slash line.

Righty Aaron Brooks came to the A's in the trade deadline deal with the Royals that sent utility man Ben Zobrist to Kansas City. In his first two starts with Oakland, Brooks allowed two runs on nine hits over 14 1/3 innings, going 1-0. In his most recent start on Aug. 12 at Toronto, he was shelled for eight runs in 1 2/3 innings, taking the loss. It's a small sample size, but he's been particularly tough on left-handed hitters, limiting them to a .200/.214/.350 slash line. But he's struggled on the road, where foes slash .600/.692/1.000 against him. A lot of the damage against him has come early - Brooks allows a .300 average in the first inning and gets hit at a .357 clip from his first through 15th pitches. Though he features four pitches, Brooks relies mostly on fastballs and changeups.