The Oakland Athletics clash with the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series.
The Athletics are coming off an 8-7 loss to the Nationals on Sunday. Zack Gelof was 4 for 5 in the game, smashing two home runs. Ken Waldichuk was on the mound for 5.0 innings, giving up seven hits and one earned run. He also walked one and struck out seven in the loss.
The Cardinals squeaked by the Royals 5-4 yesterday to deadlock the series 1-1. Tommy Edman smacked two homers, scoring two runs and three RBIs on a 1 for 3 performance at the plate. Steven Matz lasted 6.0 innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs. He also struck out five in the win.
Will the Athletics come out swinging and take a 1-0 series lead, or will the Cardinals soar to a win at home?
Athletics vs. Cardinals Information & Odds
- Fixture:Â Oakland @ St. Louis
- Date and Time:Â August 14, 2023, at 7:45 pm EST
- Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri
Shark Stats
Oakland Athletics
Oakland (33-85) has been terrible this season and is dead last in the AL West standings. They have lost seven of their last ten games and are 37.0 games behind the Rangers for first. The Athletics’ offense is ranked 30th, with a team batting average of .222 and an OPS of .663. Esteury Ruiz leads the team with a .250 batting average and 89 hits. Brent Rooker has crushed a team-high 19 home runs and has collected 49 RBIs.
JP Sears will toe the slab for game one. He is 2-9 with an ERA of 4.23 and 117 strikeouts. Sears has pitched 125.2 innings in 23 games and carries a WHIP of 1.12. Oakland’s pitiful bullpen ranks last, with a team ERA of 5.78 and 20 saves. They have given up 334 earned runs, struck out 1,085, and carry a WHIP of 1.53.
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis has a record of 52-66 and is currently last in the NL Central standings. They are 5-5 in their previous ten games and are 12.5 behind the Brewers for first. The Cards have a team batting average of .258, an OPS of .765, and their offense ranks seventh in the league. Nolan Arenado leads the team with a .287 batting average and 125 hits. He has smacked a team-high 24 homers and collected 82 RBIs.
Miles Mikolas (6-8) will take the bump in this one. He has an ERA of 4.20 and struck out 99 batters this season. Mikolas has played 25 games, pitched 141.0 innings, and has a WHIP of 1.28. St. Louis’ pitching ranks 22nd in the league, with a team ERA of 4.55 and 27 saves. They have given up 526 earned runs, struck out 1,111 batters, and carry a WHIP of 1.43.
Athletics vs. Cardinals Betting Trends
St. Louis is 55-61 ATS this season, while Oakland is 57-61 ATS. The Red Birds come in with a 61% to cash on the ML, while the A’s garner a 57% chance to cover the run line. The Over in this one has a 58% chance of cashing. St. Louis has lost their last four games against Oakland and scored under 10.5 runs in 8 of their last 9 home games. The Cards have also scored under 10.5 in 6 of their last 7 games. The Athletics have lost seven consecutive road games entering today’s game.
Athletics vs. Cardinals Game Prediction
This Oakland team is terrible this year, and while they have been able to win a game here and there, they are undoubtedly the worst team in the league. They rank last in batting and pitching and bleed runs to their opponents. The Cardinals have been decent but have not lived up to expectations this season. Mikolas has struggled on the mound, but his offense should be able to help him out in this one. Sears will have a long day against the Cards’ top-ten offense. I am backing St. Louis to win and cover the run line in this one. They are the better team, and I don’t see this atrocious Oakland being able to keep up.
Dusty’s Sharktastic Pick
St. Louis Cardinals  Run Line
