Andrew Triggs (0-1, 4.98 ERA) and the Oakland Athletics (53-71) go up against Carlos Carrasco (8-6, 3.34 ERA) and the Cleveland Indians (71-51) in the first of a three-game series at O.C. Coliseum. The game gets underway at 10:05 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 22 and will air on STOh and CSCA.
In his last start, Triggs pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one run and striking out two in a 5-4 loss to the Rangers. Danny Valencia (.302, 52 Rs, 15 HRs, 44 RBIs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run, one home run, and one RBI. The Indians were also unsuccessful the last time Carrasco pitched. He did not do well, pitching 6.2 innings, giving up five runs (one unearned) and striking out 11 in a 10-7 loss to the White Sox. Carlos Santana (.244, 65 Rs, 26 HRs, 63 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Oakland, a +151 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Cleveland. The matchup currently has an eight-run Over/Under (O/U). When playing as the underdog, the Athletics have a 35-49 record and overall money line at -1,450. With a 0-8 record as the underdog, they have had a tough time over their last 10 games. Teams routinely struggle to score runs against the Athletics, who allow only 4.3 runs per home game.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Indians come into this game with a solid win percentage of .609 when playing as the favorite (56-36) and an overall money line of +705. They have played at the top of their game when rated as the favorite recently. They managed a 7-2 record when playing as the favorite and a SU record of 7-3. The Indians rank second in the AL in scoring, averaging 5.0 runs per game. One of the top hitting teams in the AL are the Indians, who average 9.2 hits per game. Cleveland is a terror on the base paths, ranking third in the MLB with 102 stolen bases. Cleveland’s pitching staff and defense as a whole have been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking second in the AL with only 4.2 runs allowed per game. They also allow just 8.2 hits per game, the best in the AL.
The previous three games have all gone Cleveland’s way. This game will feature Carrasco (RHP) on the mound against the Athletics, who have a 40-50 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Indians will be the right-hander Triggs. They sport a 46-39 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
Oakland has won 38% (18-30) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Cleveland has won 53% (27-24) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Indians managed to give up seven walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Athletics who are heading in with a 1-2 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 36-13. The Indians have a 57-6 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 25th in runs, Oakland has earned 495 this season. Cleveland ranks fourth with 616 runs.
Ranking 29th, Oakland is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 312 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top half at 14th with 380.
The Athletics are 41-40 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Indians are 51-33 when they hit at least one homer.
