The start of the Bay Bridge series between the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants on Friday night could also be a potential World Series preview with both clubs legit pennant contenders. The opener opened as a pick’em on the MLB odds – Oakland loses the DH.
How to Bet A’s at Giants MLB Odds & TV Info
- When: Friday, 9:45 PM ET
- Where: Oracle Park
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Sean Manaea/Johnny Cueto
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Why Bet on Oakland?
Few catchers are hitting better of late in the majors than Oakland’s Sean Murphy, who was given a day off Thursday. He Murphy went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double against the Rangers on Wednesday, hitting a 105.3 mph double off of Mike Foltynewicz in the fourth inning and 108.5 mph homer off of him to start the seventh inning. The 26-year-old has hit four of his 10 homers over his last nine games. His 37 RBIs lead all MLB catchers.
Also red hot is second baseman Tony Kemp. He is batting .333 (31-for-93) with six doubles, two triples, four home runs and 16 RBI over his last 34 games dating back to May 8 after hitting .190 with one double and one RBI over his first 21 contests. Kemp has reached base safely in a career-high 12 straight contests and is batting .324 (12-for-37) with 10 walks and a .468 on-base percentage over that span. Kemp has appeared in 38 games at second base and 20 in left field. He hasn’t committed an error in the outfield since May 25, 2016 against Baltimore for a 189-game errorless streak.
It’s lefty Sean Manaea (6-3) on the mound here. Manaea allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 2-1 loss against the Yankees last Sunday. He held the Yankees scoreless through five innings until the control got away from him in the sixth. He walked two batters and gave up a two-run double to Gary Sanchez before he was relieved by Sergio Romo. Manaea tossed 68-of-98 pitches for strikes and induced 24 whiffs, including 20 on his sinker that was touching 95 mph and sitting at 93, higher than his season average of 91.5 mph. The 11 strikeouts were a career-high.
Manaea has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last six starts and is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA and .206 opponents’ batting average over that span. He is the first A’s pitcher with five consecutive games of one run or fewer and five innings pitched or more (May 23-June 14) since Trevor Cahill (April 17-May 9, 2011) and ranks fifth in the American League in ERA (3.01).
He has faced the Giants five times in his career and is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA (8 er, 26.1 IP) and is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts at San Francisco.
Why Bet on San Francisco?
The Giants enter on a three-game winning streak and had Thursday off, which probably was a good thing after a wild 9-3 victory in 13 innings over the Angels on Wednesday. Mike Tauchman struck out five times before hitting a three-run homer to cap a seventh-run 13th inning for the Giants, who have won eight of nine. Tauchman was one strike away from tying the major league record with six strikeouts, which has only been achieved eight times.Starting first baseman Brandon Belt was removed from Wednesday’s game with a knee injury. Belt was attempting to score on a throwing error in the top of the eighth inning before falling to the grass in obvious pain. It’s not yet clear how serious but it’s likely he is headed back to the injured list.
Belt has hit 11 home runs and 28 RBI for San Francisco while slashing .253/.363/.512 in 2021. He previously missed 11 games this season with a left oblique strain. Third baseman Evan Longoria already is on the injured list. Second baseman Wilmer Flores is day-to-day with mild hamstring tightness.
It’s Johnny Cueto (5-3) on the mound here. Cueto allowed three runs on six hits and no walks with five strikeouts in a 5-3 win against the Phillies last Friday. Odubel Herrera led the game off with a home run off of Cueto to put the Phillies on the board early. Cueto was hurt by the homer again in the fourth inning as Andrew McCutchen took him deep to center field for a two-run shot. The 35-year-old -hander tossed two more scoreless innings before his day was done.
Cueto has allowed two homers in three straight outings and has a 4.05 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts over 60 innings. Cueto owns a 5.74 ERA in three starts this month, though, and he has given up at least three earned runs in four of his last five appearances.
Game Trends
- Over is 17-8-2 in the last 27 meetings.
- Athletics are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in San Francisco.
- Athletics are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in San Francisco.
Expert Prediction
- Giants 4, A’s 3
