Aaron Brooks (1-0, 3.09 ERA) and Scott Feldman (4-5, 4.58 ERA) start in the first of a four-game series between the Oakland Athletics (48-61) and the Houston Astros (60-49) at O.co Coliseum. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 6 and can be seen on CSCA and RTSW.
Brooks pitched 7.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering one run and striking out five in a 5-1 win over the Indians. Ben Zobrist (.271, 43 Rs, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday. Feldman went 5.1 innings, surrendering three runs and striking out three in a 6-4 defeat to the Diamondbacks in his most recent start. George Springer (.264, 43 Rs, 13 HRs, 29 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one run and one stolen base.
Houston takes on Oakland as a -138 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at seven runs. The Athletics have recorded an overall money line of -2,162 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 18-29. Within its division, Oakland has a 14-15 as the underdog and a 21-24 SU. The Athletics have seen an uptick in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 4.6 runs per game. They average 4.1 runs per game on the season. As for the pitchers, the Athletics are the third-best team in the AL at limiting hits to their opponents, allowing only 8.0 hits per game so far this season.
In games where it is the favorite, Houston has a 34-23 record and an overall money line of +834. They are 11-12 as the favorite against fellow AL West members, and 27-19 SU. The Astros can change the game with one swing of the bat, leading the league with 152 home runs. The Astros are an excellent base stealing team with 81 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. Houston’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.48 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Astros are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.19 for the season.
The Astros lead the season series, 6-3. The Athletics have a bad 8-21 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Feldman takes the mound. Brooks (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have a 38-29 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Oakland’s last 11 games.
Oakland is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland’s last 8 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland’s last 6 games when playing Houston.
Oakland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston.
Oakland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston.
The Astros lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Athletics are 11-25. The Astros are 14-17 in close games this season.
When leading after 7 innings, Houston is 23-19, while Oakland is 21-28.
The Astros are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Athletics have a 22-30 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 37-13. The Astros have a 43-12 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 12th, Oakland is in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 449 this season. Houston ranks in the top five at third with 488.
Ranking 13th, Oakland is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 312 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 333.
The Athletics are 31-24 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Astros are 49-29 when they hit at least one homer.
