Houston (42-25) at Oakland (34-32)
When: Tuesday, June 12th 2018
Where: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Time: 10:05 ET | TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBCS California
Opening Odds: Houston -130/7.5
The Houston Astros have played a brutal schedule so far this season, but are still on a 100-win pace with a few more weeks left before the All-Star Break in July. The schedule gets easier after this week’s series with the Oakland Athletics, as they will play 22 games in a row against sub-.500 teams beginning Friday in Kansas City. First off, they must get through a pesky A’s team that is two games above .500 – well above their pace of 75 wins in 2017. Houston kicked off a 10-game road trip with a four-game sweep of Texas over the weekend as Jose Altuve went 8-for-16 with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored to raise his batting average to .342 – good for second in the American League behind Mookie Betts (.359). Houston began their current five-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory over Seattle on Wednesday and sit a half-game behind the Mariners in the AL West. The Astros are the only team in baseball with an ERA lower than 3.00 (2.93) despite giving up 15 runs against the Rangers and sits third in runs scored at nearly five per game. Oakland began a 10-game homestand by taking three of four from lowly Kansas City, capped by Sunday’s 3-2 victory on Matt Chapman’s eighth inning home run. Chapman (.245, 10 homers, 26 RBIs) is 7-for-13 in his last four games overall. Lance McCullers, who is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts versus Oakland this season, opposes Daniel Mengden. Astros SS Carlos Correa is expected to play Tuesday after missing the last four games because of right side soreness.
Pitchers: Astros – Lance McCullers Jr. (7-3, 3.94 ERA) | Athletics – Daniel Mengden (6-5, 3.45)
McCullers started Houston’s current winning streak on Wednesday, but came away with a no-decision after allowing four runs (three earned), seven hits and two walks over six innings against the Mariners. McCullers has quality starts in four of his last five outings with the outlier being his worst outing of the season, when he allowed seven runs against Cleveland on May 26th. He is 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 32 innings over six starts against Oakland.
Mengden allowed six runs, five hits – four home runs – and three walks over four innings of an 8-2 loss at Texas on Wednesday. That was a far cry from his performance in May where he went 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in six starts. Mengden is 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA in six starts versus Houston after allowing two runs in 6.2 innings of a 4-1 loss May 9th.
I like this young Oakland team, but Houston is starting to put things together and they seem to always get the better of Mengden. Houston is 19-7 in their last 26 road games and are 13-4 in their last 17 at Oakland Coliseum. Look for McCullers to out-duel Mengden here.
Pick: Astros -135
BETTING TRENDS:
- Astros are 5-0 in their last 5 overall.
- Astros are 5-0 in their last 5 games on grass.
- Astros are 6-1 in their last 7 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Astros are 19-7 in their last 26 road games.
- Astros are 20-8 in their last 28 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 40-16 in their last 56 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 12-5 in their last 17 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 44-19 in their last 63 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 36-16 in their last 52 vs. American League West.
- Astros are 48-23 in their last 71 during game 1 of a series.
- Astros are 50-24 in their last 74 games following a win.
- Astros are 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Astros are 6-0 in McCullers’ last 6 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 11-2 in McCullers’ last 13 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Astros are 5-1 in McCullers’ last 6 starts vs. American League West.
- Astros are 4-1 in McCullers’ last 5 Tuesday starts.
- Astros are 5-2 in McCullers’ last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Astros are 7-3 in McCullers’ last 10 starts.
- Astros are 7-3 in McCullers’ last 10 starts on grass.
- Astros are 3-7 in McCullers’ last 10 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 1-5 in McCullers’ last 6 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Athletics are 8-2 in their last 10 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Athletics are 4-1 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Athletics are 4-1 in their last 5 home games.
- Athletics are 35-16 in their last 51 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Athletics are 2-5 in their last 7 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Athletics are 2-6 in their last 8 games following an off day.
- Athletics are 1-5 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Athletics are 1-5 in their last 6 Tuesday games.
- Athletics are 1-8 in their last 9 vs. American League West.
- Athletics are 5-1 in Mengden’s last 6 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Athletics are 5-1 in Mengden’s last 6 home starts.
- Athletics are 4-1 in Mengden’s last 5 starts.
- Athletics are 4-1 in Mengden’s last 5 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Athletics are 7-2 in Mengden’s last 9 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Athletics are 6-2 in Mengden’s last 8 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Athletics are 5-2 in Mengden’s last 7 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Athletics are 7-3 in Mengden’s last 10 starts on grass.
- Athletics are 2-13 in Mengden’s last 15 starts vs. American League West.
- Over is 7-0-1 in Astros last 8 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Astros last 4 Tuesday games.
- Over is 5-0 in Astros last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-1-1 in Astros last 8 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Astros last 7 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Astros last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 8-2 in Astros last 10 games following a win.
- Under is 7-2-2 in Astros last 11 games following an off day.
- Over is 7-2 in Astros last 9 overall.
- Over is 7-2 in Astros last 9 on grass.
- Under is 20-8-1 in Astros last 29 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 7-3-2 in Astros last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 7-3-1 in Astros last 11 road games.
- Under is 9-4-1 in Astros last 14 vs. American League West.
- Under is 5-1 in McCullers’ last 6 Tuesday starts.
- Under is 4-1 in McCullers’ last 5 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 10-3 in McCullers’ last 13 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 3-1-1 in McCullers’ last 5 road starts.
- Over is 6-2-2 in McCullers’ last 10 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 18-7 in McCullers’ last 25 starts vs. American League West.
- Over is 5-2 in McCullers’ last 7 starts when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Over is 5-2-1 in McCullers’ last 8 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-0 in Athletics last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 12-2 in Athletics last 14 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Athletics last 7 games following an off day.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Athletics last 7 vs. American League West.
- Under is 4-1 in Athletics last 5 Tuesday games.
- Under is 7-2-2 in Athletics last 11 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 17-5 in Athletics last 22 home games.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 overall.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 on grass.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Athletics last 5 games following a win.
- Under is 9-3-2 in Athletics last 14 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 15-5-1 in Athletics last 21 during game 1 of a series.
- Over is 7-1-1 in Mengden’s last 9 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1-2 in Mengden’s last 8 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 6-2-1 in Mengden’s last 9 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Mengden’s last 5 starts on grass.
- Over is 5-2-3 in Mengden’s last 10 starts vs. American League West.
- Over is 7-3-2 in Mengden’s last 12 home starts.
- Over is 11-5-2 in Mengden’s last 18 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Astros are 4-1 in McCullers’ last 5 starts vs. Athletics.
- Over is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings.
- Astros are 13-4 in the last 17 meetings in Oakland.
- Over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in Oakland.
- Astros are 24-8 in the last 32 meetings.
- Athletics are 1-5 in Mengden’s last 6 starts vs. Astros.
