Oakland Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction: Will Drew Rucinski Continue to Struggle?
The Oakland Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks start their series tonight. Will Drew Rucinski continue to struggle? Ben Rajavuori answers and shares his best bet for the game.
Ben Rajavuori - May 15, 2023, 4:07 PM EDT
5 minOakland Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction: Will Drew Rucinski Continue to Struggle?
It's the start of a new week in baseball, and the Arizona Diamondbacks take their 23-18 record to Oakland to take on the 9-33 Athletics. The Diamondbacks sit second in the NL West, ahead of the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Colorado Rockies, and they have been hitting the ball very well to start the season. The A's, on the other hand, would probably have a better record if they let fans pitch instead of their current pitching roster. To no surprise, the Diamondbacks are hefty -220 favorites to take the opener tonight, but there is some value on a specific first-half line.
Athletics vs. Diamondbacks Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Monday, May 15, 2023
- Game Time: 9:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Oakland Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction
Drew Rucinski will be starting for the Athletics tonight, and he has struggled in the MLB in his career. At 34 years old, Rucinski has bounced from the minors to majors to South Korea and back to the majors. After playing for the Angels, Twins, and Marlins from 2014-2018, he spent four years playing for the NC Dinos in Korea before joining the Athletics. Unfortunately, his time on the team has not gone well, as he is 0-3 in his three starts with an 8.16 ERA. He has yet to make it more than five innings. Even in the minors this year, he had a 6.52 ERA over three starts.
Rucinski has yet to give up less than three runs in five innings in any start this season. His WHIP is an insanely high 2.09, which means he has multiple runners on base pretty much every inning. This does not bode well for the Athletics, who will be facing a Diamondbacks team, which was a pleasant surprise in 2023.
The Diamondbacks hold the second-highest batting average in baseball at .270, just .005 behind the Rangers for first. They have been creating offense behind making contact and just getting on base, where they are then aggressive baserunners. While they haven't shown much power in the lineup so far, with just 42 home runs, but they haven't needed it because the lineup is hitting well up and down the order.
The bet I love for this game is the Diamondbacks to score over two runs in the first five innings. Rucinski's struggles on the mound, combined with the Diamondbacks' aggressive baserunning and strong hitting, make it likely that they will score early on in the game. As much as I want to cheer for Rucinski, he just doesn't look like MLB material. Opponents are hitting over .330 against him, and he has little movement on his pitches. The Diamondbacks will pick him apart and put up at least three runs here over the first five innings.
Oakland Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Pick
2 Unit Pick: Diamondbacks First Five Team Total O2.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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