Oakland Athletics vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can Athletics Surprise Ranger Suarez, Phillies?
The Philadelphia Phillies will host the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. Can the A's start hot against Ranger Suarez and the Phillies? Ben Rajavuori provides his best bet for Athletics vs. Phillies.
Ben Rajavuori - July 12, 2024, 3:28 PM EDT
5 minOakland Athletics vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can Athletics Surprise Ranger Suarez, Phillies?
The Oakland Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies kick off a three-game series from Citizens Bank Park tonight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies currently lead baseball with a 61–32 record and coming off a three-game sweep of the Dodgers, as they enter the series on fire. they have put the league on notice by sweeping the Dodgers and now face the lowly A’s.
ATHLETICS VS. PHILLIES DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: July 12, 2024
- Start Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: MLB Extra Innings
OAKLAND ATHLETICS VS. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PREDICTION
The Athletics are one of the worst teams in baseball this year with a record of 35–60 and have struggled to find any footing this season. However, they have shown fight in games and specifically have been crushing it lately against left-handed pitchers.
Tonight, the Athletics face Phillies left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez. Ranger Suarez has been crushing it this year, as his 2.58 ERA is sixth in baseball and he has a win-loss record of 10–3. Suarez has an ERA at home of 2.49, but he is allowing a .232 batting average to opponents at home, suggesting he may be in for a little bit of regression. While the Athletics may not seem like the team that will happen against, they have been surprisingly doing very well against left-handed pitching over the last few weeks. Over the last two weeks, the Athletics are second in the MLB with a .368 batting average against left-handed pitching. They also lead the MLB with a 1.437 OPS against left-handed pitching over the last two weeks. The Athletics have been one of the worst teams in baseball against right-handed pitching this year, as they are 27th in OPS in 2024 against righties, but they are 12th in OPS against left-handed pitching with a .729 OPS in 2024.
The A’s are pitching Hogan Harris first tonight, who will be returning off the paternity list today. While Harris is not a big-name pitcher, he has a 3.22 ERA on the season and is coming off a great outing against the Orioles in which he gave up just two earned runs in five innings. Harris only has one outing this season in which he allowed more than three earned runs, and he has been a consistent pitcher for the A’s in the midst of a terrible season.
The Phillies are a very public team tonight because they have the best record in baseball and just swept the Dodgers. Against a team like the A’s, you would assume that they would absolutely crush them, which is what the odds indicate. The odds are so crazy, in fact, that the Athletics are getting the usual full-game run line of +1.5 on just the first five innings. I love the spot for the Athletics to keep this game at least competitive in the first five innings, as I think the starting pitching matchup is a little closer than people might think.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS VS. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PLAYER PROP PICK
Pick: Athletics First Five Innings +1.5 (-118) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
OAKLAND ATHLETICS VS. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES System Projections - July 12th
MLB ODDS
