The Oakland Athletics (19-52) and their weakest offense in MLB are set to host the Philadelphia Phillies (35-34) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Friday for the opener of a three-game Interleague series.
The Phillies are in the midst of a seven-game road trip. They won three out of four in their last series against the Diamondbacks, taking the finale 5-4 on Thursday at Chase Field. Bryson Stott was 2 for 5 with a home run and two runs.
The Athletics are in the midst of a seven-game homestand. They split their last series against the Rays, dropping the finale 4-3 on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Ryan Noda went 1 for 2 with two walks and one RBI. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. In 2022, the Phillies won two of the three games between the teams.
ON THE MOUND
Taijuan Walker (6-3, 4.67 ERA) is slated to get the start for Philadelphia. The righty threw five scoreless innings in his last start, a 7-3 road win over the Dodgers on Sunday. He was credited with the win, giving up two hits while striking out five and walking two.
LHP JP Sears (1-3, 4.15 ERA) gets the start for Oakland. In his last start on Sunday, Sears got the win on the road against the Brewers. He threw five innings and gave up two runs on six hits, striking out five, in the 8-6 triumph.
AT THE PLATE
The Philadelphia offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .259/.324/.423. Nick Castellanos leads the team in OPS at .857. The right fielder is slashing .315/.359/.498 with eight home runs, 42 RBIs, and 43 runs over 69 games.
Over the last five games, however, Philadelphia has averaged 7.8 runs a game while performing better across the board (.332/.400/.544). Against southpaws like Sears this season, the Phils have a .730 OPS. Castellanos also is the team’s most productive hitter against left-handers with a .926 OPS in 78 at-bats.
Oakland is slashing .223/.306/.356 for the season and averaging 3.6 runs per game, the lowest in MLB. Brent Rooker leads the team with a .885 OPS. The left fielder has 13 home runs, 38 RBIs, and 29 runs scored with a slash line of .266/.368/.517.
The A’s have a .652 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the second lowest in MLB. With a .857 OPS over 167 at-bats, Noda has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Philadelphia is on a three-game winning streak on the road, bringing their record to 16-23 in 2023. The Phils have scored 4.5 runs per game away from home while allowing 5.4 runs.
Oakland has gone 9-26 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 3.2 runs per game while surrendering 6.0. In nine games at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum between the teams, Oakland is 6-3 with an average scoreline of 3.2-2.8.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Phillies are third in the NL East, eight games behind the division-leading Braves. The Athletics are fifth in the AL West, 24 games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Philadelphia Phillies (-130)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
