The Oakland Athletics (5-21) host the Cincinnati Reds (10-15) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Friday for the first of a three-game Interleague series. The Reds are playing their first of six games on the road.
They are coming off a three-game sweep of the Rangers, taking the finale 5-3 on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. Nick Senzel was 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBIs.
Tyler Stephenson added a double and one run. The Athletics are back home for a six-game homestand after returning from a tough seven-game road trip (2-5). They lost three of four against the Angels in their last series, dropping the finale 8-7 on Thursday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Shea Langeliers went 2 for 5 with a home run, two runs, and two RBIs. Jesus Aguilar added one run on one hit. The teams are meeting for the first time since May 9, 2019, when the Reds avoided a three-game series sweep with a 3-0 win at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
ON THE MOUND
Luis Cessa (0-3, 10.80 ERA) is in line to take the mound for Cincinnati. The right-hander allowed two runs over 4.2 innings in his last start, a 2-1 road defeat against the Pirates on Saturday. He took the loss, giving up six hits while striking out four.
For Oakland, lefty Kyle Muller (0-2, 7.23 ERA) is on the mound. In his last start on Sunday, Muller took the loss on the road against the Rangers. He threw five innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking four in the 5-2 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Cincinnati offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .236/.319/.348. Jonathan India leads the team in OPS at .799. The third baseman is slashing .281/.394/.404 with one home run, 10 RBIs, and 21 runs over 25 games.
Against left-handed pitchers like Muller this season, the Reds have a .663 OPS. Kevin Newman is the team’s most potent producer against left-handers with a .939 OPS in 22 at-bats. Oakland is slashing .225/.304/.369 for the season and averaging 3.8 runs per game. Langeliers leads the team with a .720 OPS.
The first baseman has six home runs, 13 RBIs, and 13 runs scored with a slash line of .211/.286/.434. Oakland is averaging 5.2 runs per game in the last five with a higher slugging percentage (.438).
The A’s have a .635 OPS against right-handers in 2023, fourth lowest in MLB. With a .932 OPS over 54 at-bats, Langeliers also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Cincinnati is on a seven-game losing streak in road games, bringing their record to 1-9 in 2023. The Reds have scored 3.0 runs per game away from home, while allowing 4.1 runs. Oakland has lost seven in a row at their home ballpark.
The A’s are 2-10 at home this season, averaging 3.0 runs per game while surrendering 7.6. In the last 10 games between the teams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, each club has won five, though Oakland has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 3.2-3.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Reds are fourth in the NL Central, seven games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Athletics are fifth in the AL West, nine games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cincinnati Reds (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
