Post by Commissioner Erick on Jul 3, 2019 23:47:02 GMT -5
Houston Astros (69-80) @ Oakland Athletics (87-62)[/b][/font]
HOU: Ricardo Pinto (4-4, 6.73)
OAK: Jose Berrios (10-9, 3.66)
It hasn't been the best second half for the Oakland Athletics. They've gone 2-7 against Texas, dropping them out of the AL West race. They've gone 8-19 against teams with winning records, dropping them almost out of the lead for the second wild card. If they continue the trend, they'll drop all of the way out of the postseason.
A win over the Houston Astros would go a long way to forget the struggles.
The Oakland Athletics are looking to continue to bank wins against weaker teams, using that result to glide to the playoffs. They'll get an opportunity when they take on a Houston Astros team playing out the string.
Oakland acquired Jose Berrios for big moments like this and he's been outstanding in the summer months. After allowing six runs in Houston June 4, Berrios has allowed more than three runs only once, a four-run outing in Texas in August. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last five starts, and is coming off an outing in Kansas City where he worked 7.2 innings, allowing only a Joe Rizzo home run as his only blemish.
Despite La Maquina's run, Oakland would like to snap a machine-like streak of its own. The A's have alternated wins and losses in each of Berrios' starts dating back to July 16. Oakland will need its bullpen to pitch better to snap that streak. Yesterday, Oakland had a tie-game going to the bottom of the eighth. Brad Hand allowed two hits and a walk and J.B. Wendelken allowed David Peralta to crack a Grand Slam to allow Texas to edge out the A's. On Saturday, Bobby Wahl allowed Matt Carpenter to walk them off with a home run in the bottom of the ninth. It's been a terrific bullpen most of the season, but the struggles in September have proved costly.
They'll take on a Houston team that saw front office disinterest in 2020 cripple the team's future. Craig Steffel came on board this offseason, grabbing the reigns of a team that saw much of its top end talent scattered across baseball. Houston still has a powerhouse offense. The Astros are third in on-base percentage this year, and fifth in runs, but they have they second worst pitching staff in the league.
Ricardo Pinto, a former Phillie, will get the start. With a 6.73 ERA, he's been dreadful this year. Houston got Stephen Piscotty in the deal with Pinto, and Piscotty has 12 home runs as a stopgap outfielder. Pinto, though, has been replacement level across 117.2 innings. He's allowed 2.1 home runs-per-nine, a season after giving up 1.9 home runs-per-nine in Philadelphia. He has decent control, but his fastball is straight and major league hitters have hit a good number of them straight out of here.
Houston will really need to outscore Oakland to win. They still have a dynamite talent in Carlos Correa who can produce a lot of offense. Correa has an MVP Award, and may be the best player to have never made an All Star Game. His 29 home runs and 91 RBIs are his lowest marks since an injury-shortened 2017, but his .841 OPS is his second highest OPS in a full season and his 20 steals ties a career high. Correa is 5-16 against Berrios lifetime, and a few more of those hits could lead to an upset win.
Questions for the GM's:
For Creig Steffel, after a full season, do you see your team as a possible contender or needing to rebuild?
Brandon Guyer is banged up. Who will start in his place?
With a season to evaluate, what do you think of the trade of Pinto and Piscotty for Ian Krol and a 6th round draft pick?
For Sam East, your team has really scuffled in the second half. What has driven the poor play?
You're facing a poor pitcher. Does that affect your lineup in any way?
Adam Hasely has homered just once since August 10th. Do you need more power out of your corner outfield spot?
TRIVIA: Which qualified pitcher has the worst ERA in a season in the PBA?
HOU: Ricardo Pinto (4-4, 6.73)
OAK: Jose Berrios (10-9, 3.66)
It hasn't been the best second half for the Oakland Athletics. They've gone 2-7 against Texas, dropping them out of the AL West race. They've gone 8-19 against teams with winning records, dropping them almost out of the lead for the second wild card. If they continue the trend, they'll drop all of the way out of the postseason.
A win over the Houston Astros would go a long way to forget the struggles.
The Oakland Athletics are looking to continue to bank wins against weaker teams, using that result to glide to the playoffs. They'll get an opportunity when they take on a Houston Astros team playing out the string.
Oakland acquired Jose Berrios for big moments like this and he's been outstanding in the summer months. After allowing six runs in Houston June 4, Berrios has allowed more than three runs only once, a four-run outing in Texas in August. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last five starts, and is coming off an outing in Kansas City where he worked 7.2 innings, allowing only a Joe Rizzo home run as his only blemish.
Despite La Maquina's run, Oakland would like to snap a machine-like streak of its own. The A's have alternated wins and losses in each of Berrios' starts dating back to July 16. Oakland will need its bullpen to pitch better to snap that streak. Yesterday, Oakland had a tie-game going to the bottom of the eighth. Brad Hand allowed two hits and a walk and J.B. Wendelken allowed David Peralta to crack a Grand Slam to allow Texas to edge out the A's. On Saturday, Bobby Wahl allowed Matt Carpenter to walk them off with a home run in the bottom of the ninth. It's been a terrific bullpen most of the season, but the struggles in September have proved costly.
They'll take on a Houston team that saw front office disinterest in 2020 cripple the team's future. Craig Steffel came on board this offseason, grabbing the reigns of a team that saw much of its top end talent scattered across baseball. Houston still has a powerhouse offense. The Astros are third in on-base percentage this year, and fifth in runs, but they have they second worst pitching staff in the league.
Ricardo Pinto, a former Phillie, will get the start. With a 6.73 ERA, he's been dreadful this year. Houston got Stephen Piscotty in the deal with Pinto, and Piscotty has 12 home runs as a stopgap outfielder. Pinto, though, has been replacement level across 117.2 innings. He's allowed 2.1 home runs-per-nine, a season after giving up 1.9 home runs-per-nine in Philadelphia. He has decent control, but his fastball is straight and major league hitters have hit a good number of them straight out of here.
Houston will really need to outscore Oakland to win. They still have a dynamite talent in Carlos Correa who can produce a lot of offense. Correa has an MVP Award, and may be the best player to have never made an All Star Game. His 29 home runs and 91 RBIs are his lowest marks since an injury-shortened 2017, but his .841 OPS is his second highest OPS in a full season and his 20 steals ties a career high. Correa is 5-16 against Berrios lifetime, and a few more of those hits could lead to an upset win.
Questions for the GM's:
For Creig Steffel, after a full season, do you see your team as a possible contender or needing to rebuild?
Brandon Guyer is banged up. Who will start in his place?
With a season to evaluate, what do you think of the trade of Pinto and Piscotty for Ian Krol and a 6th round draft pick?
For Sam East, your team has really scuffled in the second half. What has driven the poor play?
You're facing a poor pitcher. Does that affect your lineup in any way?
Adam Hasely has homered just once since August 10th. Do you need more power out of your corner outfield spot?
TRIVIA: Which qualified pitcher has the worst ERA in a season in the PBA?
