Andrew Triggs (0-0, 5.35 ERA) and Chris Tillman (14-4, 3.50 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a four-game series between the Oakland Athletics (51-63) and the Baltimore Orioles (63-50) at O.C. Coliseum. The Athletics won the last game 1-0, and Oakland can finish out the series sweep with a win in this game. Action begins at 3:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 11 and can be seen on MASN and MLBN.
Triggs pitched 0.0 inning in his last outing, surrendering one run and walking one in a 3-1 defeat to the Cubs. Danny Valencia (.290, 47 Rs, 14 HRs, 40 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday. Tillman went 6.0 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out four and walking two in a 4-2 defeat to the White Sox in his most recent start. Manny Machado (.304, 77 Rs, 26 HRs, 69 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Baltimore takes on Oakland as a -165 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Athletics have an overall money line of -967 and a record as the underdog of 34-41. The Athletics have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.9 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.0 runs per game. Oakland’s batters do not strike out very often at home, with only 6.4 per game.
Over in the other dugout, Baltimore is coming in with an overall money line of +1,256 and an impressive record of 42-20 as the favorite. Offensively, they average 4.7 runs per game, which is good for fifth in the AL. The Orioles are tough outs for opponents, ranking fifth in the AL with 9.0 hits per game. Moving on to Baltimore’s pitching staff and defense, the Orioles allow just 4.4 runs per game, ranking them fifth in the AL.
The Athletics lead the season series, 4-2. The Athletics have a 37-46 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Tillman takes the mound. Triggs (RHP) will be on the hill against the Orioles, who have a 46-36 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – BAL, O/U – Over
Notes
Oakland earned its fourth shutout of the season in its last game. Baltimore has been shut out five times this season.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Athletics are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Orioles have a 17-1 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
It looks like the Athletics have a slight leg up on the Orioles, as the Athletics have won their last three games while the Orioles have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 34-11. The Orioles have a 41-9 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, Oakland is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 455 this season. Baltimore ranks in the top 10 with 525.
Oakland and Baltimore both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Oakland sits at 28th with 289 this season and Baltimore ranks 22nd with 325.
The Athletics are 39-33 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Orioles are 51-32 when they hit at least one homer.
