Do the Angels have a shot at making the playoffs?

If I were to ask you on Friday afternoon whether or not the Angels had a shot at making the postseason, your answer likely would have been 100 percent no. Now.... maybe not. Sure, the Angels likely will miss the playoffs, but now an answer would be like what... maybe, 75 percent no?

After a four-game sweep of the Astros, the Angels find themselves five games back of a playoff spot with only 18 games to go. Are they eliminated? No. Is it going to be difficult for the Angels to sneak in? Yes. However, it can be done.

Let’s take a look at the Angels’ remaining schedule, and the teams currently in front of them.

As of the time of this article, the Mariners, Tigers and Orioles are all ahead of the Angels for the eighth spot. The Yankees and Astros are both currently tied for the seventh and eighth spots, respectively.

Here is the remainder of the Angels’ schedule:

• 3 @ Texas
• 3 @ Colorado
• 3 vs. Arizona
• 4 vs. Texas
• 2 @ San Diego
• 3 @ Dodgers

For the most part, the next 13 games are very winnable for the Angels. The last five is a brutal stretch having to go against the Padres and Dodgers, but we can easily see the Angels go on a run over these next 13.

Seven of their games are against the Rangers who are currently tied for the worst record in all of baseball. With Texas out of it and competing for the No. 1 pick, the Angels can easily take five, maybe six games against them. Should the Angels go 5-2 or 6-1, they could likely pick up two or maybe three games in the standings.

The Rockies are currently eighth in the NL, but since those three games are in Colorado, anything can happen. With how hot the Angels’ lineup has been recently, maybe them playing in Denver will be great for them. They definitely could take 2 of 3 or even sweep.

Arizona is currently the third worst team in the NL, so that’s another series the Angels can definitely make some ground in by taking two games or sweeping all three.

The toughest test will be to close out the season, as the Angels have to play the Padres and the Dodgers. That will be a tough task, but who knows, stranger things have happened. Maybe they can go 3-2 or 4-1 to close out the season, and sneak into the eighth and final playoff spot.

Overall, it’s going to be tough. In addition to the Angels likely having to win about 75% of their games, they are going to have to ask these other teams to lose a lot. Again, not impossible, but we could be shaping up for a photo finish to close the season.