The Oakland Athletics (20-60) and their weakest offense in MLB are set to host the New York Yankees (43-35) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game series.
The Yankees are playing their first of six games on the road after wrapping up a successful six-game homestand (4-2). They won two out of three in their last series against the Rangers, taking the finale 5-3 on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
Harrison Bader was 2 for 4 with two doubles, one run, and two RBIs. The Athletics are back home for a six-game homestand after concluding a rough six-game road trip (1-5).
They lost two of three against the Blue Jays in their last series, dropping the finale 12-1 on Sunday at Rogers Centre. Tony Kemp’s on-base streak is now at 11 games as he went 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Yankees have won all three games this season between the teams, including an 11-3 victory in their most recent meeting on May 10 at Yankee Stadium.
Jimmy Cordero got the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, and Deivi Garcia pitched three innings to earn his first save of the season.
ON THE MOUND
Jhony Brito (4-3, 4.89 ERA) is slated for the start for New York. The righty threw 5.2 scoreless innings in his last start, a 4-2 road win over the Mariners on Wednesday. He was credited with the win, giving up two hits while striking out three and walking one.
Brito has made one previous start against the Athletics this season, an 11-3 home victory on May 10. He surrendered two runs on five hits over 4.1 innings, striking out three and walking two. RHP Paul Blackburn (0-0, 4.21 ERA) will toe the rubber for Oakland.
It’s his first appearance of the season against the Yankees. Blackburn made one start against the Yankees in 2022, throwing five innings in a 9-5 road defeat on June 27. He gave up five hits and walked two while striking out seven in the no-decision.
In his last start on Wednesday, Blackburn took a no-decision on the road against the Guardians. He threw five innings and gave up four runs on nine hits, striking out seven and walking one in the 7-6 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The New York offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .228/.296/.408. Anthony Rizzo leads the team in OPS at .786. The first baseman is slashing .270/.353/.433 with 11 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 36 runs over 72 games.
Over the last five games, however, New York has averaged only 2.8 runs a game while performing worse across the board (.190/.270/.340). Against righties like Blackburn this season, the Yanks have a .701 OPS.
Aaron Judge is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a 1.186 OPS in 144 at-bats. Oakland is slashing .220/.301/.349 for the season and averaging 3.5 runs per game, the lowest in the league. Brent Rooker leads the team with a .810 OPS.
The left fielder has 13 home runs, 38 RBIs, and 29 runs scored with a slash line of .242/.343/.467. The A’s have a .643 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the lowest in MLB. With a .827 OPS over 193 at-bats, Ryan Noda has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
New York is on a four-game losing streak on the road, bringing their record to 18-16 in 2023. The Yanks have scored 4.6 runs per game away from home while allowing 4.4 runs.
Oakland has lost five in a row in front of their home fans. The A’s are 9-29 at home this season, averaging 3.1 runs per game while surrendering 5.8.
Oakland is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum despite an average scoreline favoring New York (4.4-3.8).
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Yankees are third in the AL East, nine games behind the division-leading Rays. The Athletics are fifth in the AL West, 28 games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
NY Yankees (-140)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
