Runs may be hard to come by in this one as Sonny Gray (12-6, 2.13 ERA) and the Oakland Athletics (58-75) go up against Andrew Heaney (5-2, 3.11 ERA) and the Los Angeles Angels (66-66) in the last of a three-game series at O.co Coliseum. The Angels won the last game 6-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game gets underway at 3:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sep. 2 and will air on CSCA, FSW and MLBN.
In his last start, Gray pitched 6.1 innings, giving up two runs (two unearned), striking out five and walking two in a 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. Stephen Vogt (.268, 53 Rs, 18 HRs, 67 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. The Angels were unsuccessful to the Indians 3-1 the last time Heaney pitched. He went 6.0 innings, allowing zero runs, striking out three and walking one. Mike Trout (.296, 83 Rs, 33 HRs, 74 RBIs, 10 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run.
Oakland, a -142 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Los Angeles. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is seven runs. The Athletics are 32-34 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -2,304. They have an SU record of 26-27 against teams in their division and a 16-15 record when they were the favorite in those games. Oakland has averaged 5.6 runs per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 4.2. Don’t expect the Oakland hitters to swing wildly in their own ballpark. They average only 6.0 strikeouts per home game. Oakland’s pitching staff can be considered one of the best in the AL. The Athletics have a team ERA of 3.66, one of the lowest in their league. The Athletics don’t give up many hits to opposing batters, ranking fourth in the AL with only 8.2 hits allowed per game.
On the other side, the Angels have a subpar record of 17-37 when they are the underdog and are -762 overall with the money line. Over the last 10 games, they were winless as the underdog with a 0-7 record and 2-8 SU. When it comes to scoring runs, the Angels have performed much better than normal against teams from the AL West. During those games, they averaged four runs per game, above their 4.0 season average. The Angels are known for their bats, hitting 343 extra base hits. Los Angeles’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 7.9 runs per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 4.2.
The Angels have gotten the better of the Athletics in head-to-head matchups this season, going 8-7. The Athletics will take on a left-hander (Heaney) in this game. They have struggled against left-handed starting pitchers this season, going 12-26. The right-handed Gray will take the mound against the Angels, who have a 46-50 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Oak, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Los Angeles is 33-20, while Oakland is 25-33.
The Angels are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Athletics have a 26-39 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 44-19. The Angels have a 47-15 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, Los Angeles sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 526 this season. Oakland ranks in the top half at 14th with 551.
Ranking 19th, Los Angeles is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 359 this season. Oakland ranks in the top half at 15th with 378.
When the Athletics hit at least one home run, they are 37-35. When the Angels hit at least one homer, they have a 52-32 record.
