Gavin Williams is set to make his first start of the season as the Cleveland Guardians (34-38) face off against the Oakland Athletics (19-56) at Progressive Field on Wednesday.
The Guardians took Tuesday’s series opener 3-2 in 10 innings, their third head-to-head victory in four games this season. Enyel De Los Santos threw one scoreless inning out of the bullpen to get the win.
Amed Rosario went 3 for 5 with a double, one run, and one RBI in the win. Tony Kemp was 2 for 4 with a home run and two runs for the Athletics.
ON THE MOUND
Paul Blackburn (0-0, 3.48 ERA) is slated to get the start for Oakland. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) over 5.2 innings in his last start, a 4-3 road defeat against the Rays on Thursday.
He gave up seven hits while striking out nine and walking one in the no-decision. Blackburn is making his first appearance against the Guardians this season.
Blackburn made one start against the Guardians in 2022, a 3-2 road loss on June 10. He allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings, striking out three and walking one. Righty Williams gets the start for Cleveland, his season debut.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Oakland has averaged only 2.0 runs a game, down from their season average of 3.5, while slashing worse across the board (.199/.254/.290). Against right-handed pitchers like Williams this season, the A’s have a .643 OPS, the lowest in the league.
Ryan Noda is the team’s most potent producer against right-handers with a .819 OPS in 181 at-bats. Cleveland is averaging 5.4 runs per game in the last five, up from 3.9 for the season, with a higher slash line (.296/.338/.429).
The Guardians have a .676 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the fifth lowest in MLB. With a .930 OPS over 187 at-bats, Jose Ramirez has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Oakland is 10-27 on the road in 2023, scoring 4.0 runs per game while allowing 6.6 runs. Cleveland has gone 17-17 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 3.4 runs per game while surrendering 3.9. In the last 10 games at Progressive Field between the teams, Oakland is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 6.0-3.6.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Athletics are fifth in the AL West, 27 games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Guardians are second in the AL Central, one game behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cleveland Guardians (-185)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
