Oakland (76-50) at Minnesota (60-66)
When: Thursday, August 23rd 2018
Where: Target Field, Minneapolis
Time: 8:10 ET | TV: FS North,
NBCS California
Opening Odds: Oakland -157/10
The Oakland Athletics are on quite a roll right now despite losing Wednesday to the Texas Rangers. They begin a seven-game road trip with the first of four against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday before heading to AL West-leading Houston next week. Wednesday’s 4-2 setback to the Rangers came on the heels of a pair of blowout shutouts and wrapped up a 6-3 homestand for Oakland. The A’s have still won 15 of their last 20 ball games and are one game behind the Astros for the division lead. Oakland recorded just four hits in the series finale Wednesday, including RBI doubles by Stephen Piscotty and Jed Lowrie, but are 6-0-1 in their last seven series. The Twins are coming off a 7-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox – just their third loss in nine games. Recently acquired Logan Forsythe recorded three hits in Wednesday’s defeat and is batting .377 (26-for-69) in 19 games since coming over to Minnesota. The Twins bullpen has been carrying this team lately, with the starters ERA at 7.06 in the last 10 games, while relievers are at 2.01 in the same stretch. The teams have split the first six meetings of the season with the home team winning two of three.
Pitchers: Athletics – Trevor Cahill (5-2, 3.12 ERA) | Twins – Kohl Stewart (0-1, 7.71)
Trevor Cahill – like most of the A’s starters – is on a roll right now, but has been a different pitcher away from home. He is coming off a solid performance at home against the Astros, allowing one hit over seven scoreless innings on Saturday to lower his ERA at the Oakland Coliseum to 0.85. In seven road starts, Cahill’s mark is 1-2 and ERA is a whopping 6.62.
Kohl Stewart has struggled in his first two Big League starts – both against Detroit. The 2013 No. 4 draft pick allowed three runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings in his debut, then lasted 2.2 innings in the rematch, giving up three runs on three hits and four walks.
Oakland should bounce back strong after losing the homestand finale against Texas, as they get a young pitcher who is struggling. Cahill has not been good on the road, but I feel he will do just fine against this Minnesota lineup.
Pick: A’s -160
BETTING TRENDS:
- Athletics are 7-1 in their last 8 Thursday games.
- Athletics are 40-11 in their last 51 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Athletics are 42-14 in their last 56 overall.
- Athletics are 42-14 in their last 56 games on grass.
- Athletics are 38-13 in their last 51 vs. American League Central.
- Athletics are 20-7 in their last 27 road games vs. a team with a losing record.
- Athletics are 20-8 in their last 28 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Athletics are 5-2 in their last 7 during game 1 of a series.
- Athletics are 17-7 in their last 24 road games.
- Athletics are 12-5 in their last 17 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Athletics are 13-6 in their last 19 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Athletics are 38-18 in their last 56 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Athletics are 7-0 in Cahill’s last 7 starts.
- Athletics are 7-0 in Cahill’s last 7 starts on grass.
- Athletics are 5-1 in Cahill’s last 6 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Athletics are 8-2 in Cahill’s last 10 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
- Athletics are 8-3 in Cahill’s last 11 Thursday starts.
- Athletics are 10-4 in Cahill’s last 14 road starts vs. a team with a losing record.
- Athletics are 7-3 in Cahill’s last 10 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Athletics are 2-6 in Cahill’s last 8 starts vs. American League Central.
- Athletics are 1-10 in Cahill’s last 11 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Twins are 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Twins are 5-1 in their last 6 Thursday games.
- Twins are 4-1 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Twins are 19-7 in their last 26 home games.
- Twins are 9-4 in their last 13 during game 1 of a series.
- Twins are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Twins are 2-9 in their last 11 vs. American League West.
- Twins are 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Under is 4-0-1 in Athletics last 5 vs. American League Central.
- Under is 14-2 in Athletics last 16 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Under is 5-1 in Athletics last 6 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Athletics last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Under is 4-1 in Athletics last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 11-4-1 in Athletics last 16 overall.
- Under is 11-4-1 in Athletics last 16 on grass.
- Over is 9-4 in Athletics last 13 road games vs. a team with a losing record.
- Over is 9-1-3 in Cahill’s last 13 road starts vs. a team with a losing record.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Cahill’s last 6 Thursday starts.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Cahill’s last 6 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
- Over is 19-6-2 in Cahill’s last 27 road starts.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Cahill’s last 5 starts vs. American League Central.
- Over is 5-2-1 in Cahill’s last 8 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Over is 4-0 in Twins last 4 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Over is 5-1 in Twins last 6 home games.
- Under is 9-2-1 in Twins last 12 vs. American League West.
- Over is 6-2 in Twins last 8 overall.
- Over is 6-2 in Twins last 8 on grass.
- Under is 24-9-1 in Twins last 34 Thursday games.
- Under is 7-3 in Twins last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Over is 11-5 in Twins last 16 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 4-0-2 in the last 6 meetings.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Minnesota.
- Athletics are 27-12 in the last 39 meetings.
- Athletics are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings in Minnesota.
