Aaron Brooks (1-2, 6.91 ERA) and Collin McHugh (15-7, 3.75 ERA) start in the last of a three-game series between the Oakland Athletics (60-79) and the Houston Astros (75-64) at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics won the last game 4-0 and Oakland leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 10:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sep. 9 and can be seen on CSCA and RTSW.
Brooks pitched 2.1 innings in his most recent start, surrendering six runs, striking out two and walking two in an 11-8 defeat to the Mariners. Ben Zobrist (.285, 65 Rs, 11 HRs, 50 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. McHugh went 7.2 innings, surrendering zero runs, striking out six and walking one in an 8-0 win over the Twins in his last outing. George Springer (.260, 46 Rs, 13 HRs, 29 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Houston takes on Oakland as a -147 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at seven runs. The Athletics have recorded an overall money line of -2,741 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 27-43. Within its division, Oakland has a 16-17 as the underdog and a 27-32 SU. The Athletics have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.4 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.2 runs per game. Oakland’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 6.3 runs per game, well above its season average of 4.2. The Athletics are the fourth-best team in the AL at limiting hits to their opponents, allowing only 8.3 hits per game so far this season.
In games where it is the favorite, Houston has a 45-35 record and an overall money line of +428. They are 13-18 as the favorite against AL West rivals, and 29-26 SU. The Astros can change the game with one swing of the bat, ranking second in the league with 188 home runs. The Astros are an excellent base stealing team with 103 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. Houston’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.34 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 1.18 for the season.
The Athletics lead the season series, 8-7. The Athletics have a 47-51 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when McHugh takes the mound. Brooks (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have a 49-41 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
After last game’s shutout win against the Houston, the Athletics now have 15 shutouts this season. The Astros have been shut out in 10 games this season.
The Athletics are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Astros have a 22-35 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
It looks like the Athletics have a slight leg up on the Astros, as the Athletics have won their last two games while the Astros have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 45-21. The Astros have a 54-17 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 14th in runs, Oakland has earned 582 this season. Houston ranks eighth with 605 runs.
Ranking 16th, Oakland is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 395 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 414.
When the Athletics hit at least one home run, they are 39-39. When the Astros hit at least one homer, they have a 62-38 record.
