- Game: Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros
- Date: Monday, September 11, 2023
- Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX
- TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
- Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+330) Houston (-425)
The Oakland Athletics (44-98) are set to face off against the Houston Astros (81-62) at Minute Maid Park on Monday. The current odds for the game have the Athletics as the underdogs with a +330 moneyline, while the Astros are the favorites with a -425 moneyline. The point spread is not available. The total for the game is set at 9.5. The starting pitchers for the matchup are expected to be Ken Waldichuk for the Athletics and Framber Valdez for the Astros.
The Oakland Athletics have been hitting well this season with 200 doubles and 150 home runs as a team. Their slugging percentage is .372 and they have struck out 1,294 times while drawing 445 walks. The Athletics are currently scoring an average of 3.7 runs per game, which ranks them 30th in MLB. They have recorded 504 runs batted in and 1,050 hits with a team batting average of .225. Their OBP stands at .301, and they have scored a total of 523 runs.
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The Athletics’ pitching staff has struggled this season with a team earned run average of 5.58, ranking them 29th in the league. They have struck out 1,139 batters and given up 821 total runs, including 188 home runs. The staff has also issued 611 walks, and their FIP is 5.07. Oakland’s pitching staff has allowed 1,299 base hits and 772 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.86, and they have a WHIP of 1.53.
The Athletics’ bullpen has seen a lot of action this season, with 475 relief pitchers taking the mound. They have inherited 262 base runners and allowed 39.3% of them to score. The bullpen has recorded 27 saves but has blown 25 save opportunities. Their save rate is 51.9%, and they have come into the game in 110 save situations. Oakland’s relief pitchers have also accumulated 55 holds, ranking them 28th in baseball. They have entered the game with runners on 167 times and made 163 appearances in high leverage situations.
Defensively, the Athletics have a fielding percentage of .983, which ranks them 27th in the majors. They have recorded 3,737 putouts, 1,119 assists, and 86 errors. The team has turned 109 double plays and has a defensive efficiency of 67.6%.
Ken Waldichuk has an impressive career record of 143-75 and a FIP of 3.16. He has faced 7,369 batters and has recorded 2,125 strikeouts in his major league career. Waldichuk has an ERA of 3.20 and a WHIP of 1.095, allowing 1,536 hits and 468 walks.
The Houston Astros have been hitting well this season, with 197 home runs and 715 runs batted in. They have also hit 247 doubles, drawn 488 walks, and scored 738 runs. The team has recorded an OBP of .332 and a batting average of .260. Their slugging percentage is .436, and they average 5.16 runs per game, ranking them 5th in baseball. However, they have been called out on strikes 1,100 times and have 1,282 base hits.
On the pitching side, the Astros have given up 623 runs this season, resulting in a team ERA of 3.98. They have allowed 179 home runs and concede an average of 4.39 runs per 9 innings. The team has a WHIP of 1.290 and a FIP of 4.34. Their K/BB ratio is 9.00, with 1,284 strikeouts and 471 walks. The pitching staff has surrendered a total of 1,177 hits, ranking them 15th in MLB.
The Astros’ bullpen has converted 40 saves out of 57 opportunities, giving them a save rate of 70.2%. They have used 453 relief pitchers throughout the season, with 138 appearances in high leverage situations and 86 appearances with runners on base. The relievers have inherited 140 runners and allowed 31.4% of them to score. The team has recorded 78 holds and blown 17 saves, with 136 save situations.
Defensively, the Astros have turned 129 double plays and have a fielding rate of .986. They have 1,200 assists, committed 71 errors, and recorded 3,832 putouts. Their defensive efficiency is 69.4%, ranking them 14th in the majors.
Framber Valdez has a career record of 3-10 with a 5.16 ERA. He allows 8.7 hits per 9 innings and has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.23. Valdez has faced 489 hitters, giving up 65 earned runs with a WHIP of 1.350 and a FIP of 4.9. He has allowed 110 hits and accumulated 96 strikeouts in 113 innings.
For tonight’s MLB game, Josh Schonwald predicts that Oakland (+330) will come out on top.
