The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to meet on Tuesday night in the first game of a brief two game series. Before the season began it seemed clear that the Dodgers were the best team in California, but the Athletics have ruined that narrative this season. This should be a very competitive series against teams with playoff aspirations.
The Dodgers are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks atop the National League West Division. Both teams are trying to hold off the Colorado Rockies, who are just two games back entering Tuesday. The Athletics have used a great previous two months to catapult themselves into the AL playoff picture. The A’s have a slim lead over the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot in the AL. The Oakland Athletics are +107 over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
Athletics Feature Dominant Bullpen
Perhaps the biggest strength of the Oakland Athletics is their shutdown bullpen. The A’s have made trades to improve their already great bullpen in recent weeks. They acquired Jeurys Familia from the New York Mets in July and recently added Shawn Kelley from the Washington Nationals. If Oakland can get an early lead, they have the depth and talent in the bullpen to close out the game.
Outfielder Khris Davis has done much of the damage for the Oakland offense. Davis leads the team with 31 home runs and 86 runs batted in, both numbers are among the best in all of baseball. The A’s have averaged close to 6 runs a game during their current six-game winning streak. Oakland will look to stay hot at home on Tuesday night.
Dodgers Deadline Deals Make Them Better
The Los Angeles Dodgers struggled through much of the 2018 season but made major improvements to their team via trades. The Dodgers were able to acquire shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles as well as adding Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers now feature the best offensive lineup in the National League.
Veteran Rich Hill will make the start for the Dodgers on Tuesday night. The 38-year-old lefty has been solid for the Dodgers in 2018 and comes in with a 4-4 record. Hill has gone at least six innings in his last three starts, giving up just two runs combined. The veteran will try to slow down a red-hot Oakland offense on Tuesday night.
Manaea Pitches A’s To Victory
The Dodgers come into this series scuffling a bit, winning just three of their last eight games. Los Angeles managed just four runs in their three-game series against a tough Astros pitching staff. The Dodgers have plenty of offensive firepower, but must produce runs to defeat the A’s.
Sean Manaea will make the start for the Athletics, and he’s been really good in 2018. He brings a 10-7 record with a 3.38 ERA into this contest. Oakland will be looking for their 7th straight win on Tuesday night, and behind the stellar pitching of Manaea will get it. Take the Oakland Athletics +107 on Tuesday.
