From Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, we have the Orioles and Athletics facing off in an AL matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 4:07 PM ET. NSPCA is carrying this game on TV.
Grayson Rodriguez will go for the Orioles, while the Athletics are starting Mitch Spence. Baltimore is 1st in the AL East, while the Athletics are 5th in the AL West. The money line odds have the Orioles at -192 compared to the Athletics at +163. Sunday's over/under line is at 8 runs.
Baltimore vs. Oakland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Orioles at Athletics
- Where: Oakland Coliseum Oakland
- Date: Sunday, July 7th
- Betting Odds BAL -192 | OAK +163 O/U 8
Orioles vs Athletics Last Game Recap
It was all Oakland in the last game of this series, as the A's took down the Orioles by a score of 19-8. The A's offense only had two more hits than the Orioles and struck out six more times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were at +133 on the money line.
Oakland's huge 2nd inning was the difference in this game, as they scored seven of their nine runs. On the other side, the Orioles scored three of their eight runs in the 7th. Both teams scored their final run in the 9th.
Luis Medina only went five innings for the A's but gave up just one hit and one earned run. He finished the game with three strikeouts but issued three walks. Cade Povich had a rough outing for the Orioles, giving up eight earned runs in just one inning of work.
Orioles Preview
Baltimore has been a solid favorite this season, going 45-27 straight-up in those games. Their overall record is 56-33, putting them 2 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. The Orioles are looking to win their third straight division title this year.
On the run line, the Orioles have been profitable on the road, with a 26-17 record and an average run margin of +1.1. This season, Orioles games have averaged 9.1 runs, and their over/under record stands at 45-34. In games with higher totals than today's line of 8 runs, they have gone 9-5-3.
Grayson Rodriguez has been pitching well for the Orioles, as he comes into the game with a record of 10-3 and an ERA of 3.45. Looking at his overall numbers, Rodriguez has made 15 starts, eight of which were quality starts. His ERA at home is 2.23, compared to 5.16 on the road. The last time he pitched, Rodriguez picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings and not giving up a run. In that outing, he gave up just two hits and four walks. This year, he has allowed a total of 10 home runs.
Not only do the Orioles lead the league in home runs this season, but they also have the best team slugging percentage in the league. As a team, they are averaging 5.1 runs per game and are the top-scoring offense in the league. Baltimore's team OPS of .777 is also the best in the MLB right now.
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/32 in his last eight games with one homer and three RBIs. Henderson is batting .292 for the season and has gone deep 27 times, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. Anthony Santander is 2nd on the team with 22 homers but is batting just .233 for the season.
Athletics Preview
Oakland's struggles this season have been most evident on the road, where they have a 12-33 record. Overall, they are 34-57 and sit in 5th place in the AL West, 10.5 games behind the Angels. The A's have a 9-18-1 series record, and they are currently tied with the Orioles in their series.
As underdogs, the Athletics have a 27-55 record, but they are 7-2 when favored. Their run line record is 46-45, with an average margin of -0.9 runs. The over/under record for games with an 8-run total line is 12-12-1, and the average run total in their games this season is 8.5 runs.
Mitch Spence has made 20 appearances this season and has a record of 5-4, along with an ERA of 4.15. Out of his nine starts, he has turned in just two quality starts. Spence's ERA at home is 3.71, and he has a record of 3-2 at home. The right-hander most recently faced the Orioles on July 2nd, where he picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up one earned run. Before that outing, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts.
The Athletics offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 3.8 runs per game (28th). They have been even worse on the road, averaging only 3.2 runs per contest. However, they have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Oakland is one of the league's top home run-hitting teams and comes into the game with a team batting average of just .224.
One of the Athletics' top power threats this season has been Brent Rooker, who is hitting .277 with a team-high 18 homers. He has been even better of late, going 12/29 in his last eight games with four homers. Shea Langeliers is also a power threat, but he is batting just .208 for the season.
Orioles vs. Athletics Prediction: Over 8 Runs -115
Our predicted final score for this Orioles vs. Athletics matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Orioles. However, we are actually recommending that you take the over in this one, as the line is sitting at eight runs, and we have this game combining for nine runs.
If you're looking for a money line pick, the Orioles are the way to go, and you could use that to parlay with an over pick. Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, we have Grayson Rodriguez finishing with six strikeouts compared to Mitch Spence with five.
