In the second of a two-game series between the Oakland Athletics (52-69) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (67-52) at O.co Coliseum, Jesse Chavez (6-12, 3.84 ERA) and Alex Wood (8-7, 3.74 ERA) get the ball. The Athletics won the last game 5-4 and Oakland leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 3:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and will air on CSCA and SNLA.
In his most recent outing, Chavez pitched 6.0 innings, giving up four runs and striking out nine in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Ben Zobrist (.284, 50 Rs, 10 HRs, 45 RBIs, 1 SB) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 6 with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. The Dodgers were victorious over the Reds 5-3 the last time Wood pitched. He went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs, striking out three and walking three. Yasmani Grandal (.283, 41 Rs, 15 HRs, 44 RBIs) went 1 for 2 yesterday.
Oakland, a +118 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Los Angeles. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at eight runs. The Athletics have a losing record of 20-37 when playing as the underdog and an overall money line of -2,647. Over the last 10 games, they have performed poorly when playing as the underdog (2-7). The Athletics will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Oakland has only averaged 3.0 runs per game compared to the 4.0 they’ve averaged on the season. Oakland’s pitching staff will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent struggles. The Athletics have given up an average of 5.8 runs to opponents in their last 10 games, above their season average of 4.0 runs per game. The Athletics are the best in the AL in hits allowed at home, giving up just 7.7 per game.
On the other side, the Dodgers have a record of 60-46 when they are favored and are -824 overall with the money line. Interleague competitors haven’t been able to get the upper hand on fiery Los Angeles. The Dodgers hold a record of 7-4 in games where they were ranked as the favorite and an 8-4 SU. Los Angeles is one of the top home-run-hitting teams in the league with 147 home runs. The Dodgers are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.52 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.21 on the year, good for fifth in the league.
The Athletics are 2-1 against the Dodgers this season. This game will feature Wood (RHP) on the mound against the Athletics, who have a 42-45 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Chavez will take the mound against the Dodgers, who have a 57-39 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
Oakland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games.
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland’s last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers.
Oakland is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers.
Oakland is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland’s last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers.
The Dodgers lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Athletics are 14-27. The Dodgers are 16-20 in close games this season.
The Athletics managed to give up nine walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Dodgers who are coming in with a 3-1 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Athletics are 7-46. The Dodgers have a 13-38 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 25th in home runs, Oakland has hit 96 this season. Los Angeles ranks fifth with 147 home runs.
Oakland and Los Angeles both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Oakland sits at ninth with 8.56 hits per game and Los Angeles ranks 10th with 8.51.
Ranking 23rd, Oakland is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.696). Los Angeles ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .762.
The Dodgers are 28-36 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Athletics are 18-50 when they allow at least one homer.
