8:10 pm
September 15

Athletics @ Royals

Who will WIN this matchup?

Oakland Athletics (77-67)

@ Kansas City Royals (66-78)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Manaea (OAK): 9-9; 3.79 ERA

Minor (KC) 6-1; 3.29 ERA

 

Current odds:

Oakland Athletics: (-130)

Kansas City Royals: (+110)

 

• After a loss that will keep a manager up most of the night, the Oakland Athletics will try to make amends Wednesday night in the second game of a three-game series against the Royals in Kansas City. The A’s (77-67) gave up a six-run lead heading into the bottom of the third inning Tuesday, eventually losing to the Royals 10-7 for their third straight defeat and their seventh loss in the past 10 games.

• The A’s scored two runs in the first inning, three in the second and one in the third before the Royals (66-78) mounted an attack with three runs in the third and one run in the fourth. After the A’s took a 7-4 lead in the fifth, the Royals scored four times in the sixth to take the lead for good. Three runs in the inning came on a Salvador Perez home run.

• It was the second time in 12 games the A’s have blown a six-run lead and lost, and Melvin will look to Manaea to right the ship.

• Manaea had lost three straight decisions before his most recent start, Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. He shut down the AL Central leaders — allowing one run on five hits in seven innings, with nine strikeouts — in Oakland’s 3-1 win. The former Royals’ farmhand is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA against the team that took him in the first round of the 2013 draft.

• Minor is the outlier among Royals starters. All four of the Royals’ first-round picks in the 2018 draft are with the major-league club, including Tuesday’s starter, Jackson Kowar. Minor has not pitched more than seven innings in a start this year, but he consistently goes into the middle innings. He’s pitched at least five innings in 25 of 28 starts this season. Minor is 3-5 with a 5.36 ERA in 11 appearances (eight starts) lifetime against the A’s.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Oakland Athletics
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