Following a win over the Dodgers to snap their 0-6 start to the year on Wednesday, the A’s will travel to Houston to face the Astros. The first series between the clubs this year was a sweep by Houston, who was able to just pour the runs on, winning all the games by a dominant margin, no save situations being present.
The first week of the season is rarely indicative of what to expect for the duration of the year, so Oakland starting 0-6 should not be something fans are overly worried about. Bob Melvin has been the manager here for a long time and has seen every type of situation imaginable. Ideally, though, they will start to hit better, and the pitching will back them up.
Houston, meanwhile, should be happy that they are continuing to win games. If they were losing, the number of folks calling them out would be at an all-time high as they continue to deal with the repercussions of being admitted cheaters in the sport. But they have been getting those wins, despite constant booing wherever they are playing their games.
This second series between Oakland and Houston promises to be an exciting one. Houston leads the all-time series 78-75.
ODDS: The moneyline is favoring Houston at -167. Oakland is a +140 underdog. The over/under is set at 9.5 runs.
Cole Irvin Hoping for Better Luck
Cole Irvin’s baseball career has not been very good. In his three years in the majors, he has struggled to make a positive impact, posting two poor seasons in Philly before being given a chance by the A’s this year.
His first start of the year, which came against Houston on April 3, did not go so well. He lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out two while walking one. Four runs in four innings is not horrible, but the fact remains that he allowed eight guys to get on base in a short amount of time.
He’ll look for a quick bounce back.
Cristian Javier Gets the Nod for Houston
Cristian Javier is hoping to have a strong second year in the majors, following a lot of success in his rookie campaign. Though, he did not look too great during his first appearance of the season.
On the bright side, Houston did, in fact, win Javier’s first start of the season. However, he lasted just 3 2/3 innings in all. Javier allowed two runs on three hits, throwing 73 total pitches. 46 of those were strikes.
Hopefully, Javier is able to go 5-6 innings in this one. He’s a promising young pitcher from who they would love to get early season results – no doubt about that.
And the Winner Is…
The winner of the series opener is going to be the Astros. They are favored for a reason, and you just cannot trust Cole Irvin to deliver a quality start. The A’s are not built to play games from behind, and they’ll fall to 1-7 with the loss.
FREE PLAY: HOUSTON -167
OVER/UNDER: UNDER 9.5 RUNS
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