Sean Manaea (0-1, 11.37 ERA) and Derek Holland (3-2, 6.09 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Oakland Athletics (16-22) and the Texas Rangers (22-16) at O.C. Coliseum. Action begins at 10:05 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 16 and can be seen on CSCA and FSSW.
Manaea pitched 2.2 innings in his last outing, surrendering eight runs and striking out one in a 13-5 defeat to the Red Sox. Marcus Semien (.217, 15 Rs, 9 HRs, 17 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday. Holland went 2.1 innings, surrendering five runs (one unearned), striking out two and walking one in a 13-11 win over the White Sox in his most recent start. Ian Desmond (.264, 28 Rs, 5 HRs, 23 RBIs, 7 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and four RBIs.
The odds for Oakland and Texas are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Oakland has a record of 10-6 SU. The Athletics have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Oakland’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
The Rangers are 5-7 against fellow AL West members. Offensively, the Rangers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Rangers are an excellent base stealing team with 25 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. The Rangers allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. The Rangers have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 6.9 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – TEX
Notes
In their last game, the Rangers won by a margin of one run. The Athletics are 6-6 in one-run games. The Rangers have a 7-3 record in close games.
The Athletics are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Rangers have a 9-11 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they are outhit, the Athletics are 2-18. The Rangers have an 8-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 16th in home runs, Texas has hit 39 this season. Oakland ranks 15th with 41 home runs.
Oakland and Texas both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Oakland sits at 14th with 8.47 hits per game and Texas ranks 11th with 8.76.
Ranking 26th, Oakland is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.687). Texas ranks in the top half at 12th with an OPS of .737.
When the Rangers allow at least one home run, they are 13-14. When the Athletics allow one or more homers, they have a 7-19 record.
