This game could be low scoring as Sonny Gray (7-2, 1.65 ERA) and the Oakland Athletics (23-36) go up against Nick Martinez (4-2, 2.89 ERA) and the Texas Rangers (30-27) in the first of a three-game series at O.C. Coliseum. The game starts at 10:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 9 and will air on FSN-SW and CSN-CA.
Gray is 6-2 with a 1.54 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 21 walks against the Rangers in his career. Josh Reddick (.305, 25 Rs, 8 HRs, 32 RBIs, 3 SBs) played well again Sunday, going 3 for 4 with one run and one stolen base. In his pitching opportunities against the Athletics, Martinez is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA. He meets a solid Oakland offense that’s batting .255. Mitch Moreland (.307, 15 Rs, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs, 1 SB) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 Sunday with one run.
Oakland is a considerable -189 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at seven runs. The Athletics perform poorly as a favorite with a 14-21 record and have an overall money line of -1,859. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (4-1). Within their division, Oakland’s offense has been playing lights out, averaging 4.7 runs per game, well over their season average of 4.2. The Athletics rank fourth in the AL in hits with 8.8 per game. Don’t expect the Oakland hitters to swing wildly. They average only 6.7 strikeouts per game.
Moving on to the away team, the Rangers come into this game with a win percentage of .529 when playing as the underdog (27-24) and an overall money line of +1,261. Against divisional rivals, they are 10-15 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 9-13 record. When it comes to scoring, the Rangers haven’t performed as well against teams from the AL West. During those games, they averaged three runs per game, below their 4.6 runs per game season average. Texas’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 3.0 runs per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 4.4.
The Athletics have mostly come out on top against the Rangers in their previous seven games this season, earning a 4-3 record. The Athletics will take on a right-hander (Martinez) in this game and have a 20-25 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Gray will take the mound against the Rangers, who have a 21-16 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – OAK, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Rangers lost by a margin of one run. The Athletics are 3-15 in one-run games. The Rangers have a 10-6 record in close games.
When the Rangers play into extra innings, they have a 3-2 record. The Athletics are 0-6 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Rangers are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Athletics have a 3-7 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 18-9. The Rangers have a 23-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking seventh in runs, Oakland has earned 248 this season. Texas ranks fourth with 263 runs.
Ranking 12th, Texas is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 180 this season. Oakland ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 184.
The Athletics are 16-17 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Rangers are 22-12 when they hit at least one homer.
