The Oakland Athletics grabbed a 6-2 win in the series opener last night and are a slight -115 favorite to earn a series win over the visiting New York Yankees, who are coming back at -105. The A’s have ace Mike Fiers on the hill, while the Pinstripes counter with lefty J.A. Happ. The total opened at 9.5 runs.
Yankees vs Athletics Game Center
Standout Stats
- Oakland is 8-4 SU and 9-3 ATS over its last 12 games and has also won seven of its last eight home games. The Athletics sport an impressive 41-24 home record in 2019.
- New York is 7-3 SU and 3-7 ATS through its last 10 contests. The Yankees hold a 34-24 road record this season.
- The total has gone UNDER in seven of Oakland’s last 10 games with an average combined score of 7.6. Conversely, the total has gone OVER in seven of New York’s last nine with an average combined score of 12.67.
- The Yankees are 16-8 through J.A. Happ’s 24 trips to the mound this season and he is 10-7 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. The southpaw has tossed six quality starts this year.
- He is averaging his lowest K/9 rate since the 2010 season as well as the highest HR/9 rate of his career. Additionally, he has the highest ERA and FIP since his first season when he made just one start.
- Opponents are hitting .275 against Happ and of the contact against, 18.1 percent has been soft-hit and 40.1 percent has been hard-hit, the highest percentage of his career. The A’s rank 10th in hard-hit percentage vs LHP over the last 30 days.
- Happ has a 5.20 ERA and a .235 opponent batting average through his 10 road outings this season. He averages a higher BB/9 rate but lower K/9 and HR/9 rates compared to his home starts. He also has higher soft-hit and hard-hit percentages on the road.
- Oakland is 17-9 behind Mike Fiers this season, including winning his last five trips to the mound, and he is 11-3 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Fiers has tossed 18 quality starts in 2019.
- He is averaging the lowest K/9 rate of his career, while his BB/9 and HR/9 rates are near his career averages.
- Opponents are hitting .224 against Fiers and of the batted balls against, 16.8 percent are soft-hit and 37.8 percent are hard-hit. The Pinstripes rank 12th in hard-hit percentage vs RHP over the last 30 days.
- Fiers has a 2.89 ERA and a .215 opponent batting average over his 14 trips to the mound at home this year. He averages lower K/9, BB/9 and HR/9 rates compared to his away outings. He also has a higher soft-hit percentage and a lower hard-hit percentage.
- The Athletics are 21-10 against left-handed starters in 2019, ranking ninth in batting average and eighth in runs scored vs southpaws. Over the last 30 days, Oakland is 20th in batting average and 21st in runs scored vs LHP.
- The Yankees are 59-30 against right-handed starters this season, sitting second in batting average and first in runs scored. Over the last 30 days, New York is fifth in runs scored and ninth in batting average vs righties.
My Best Bet for New York vs Oakland
UNDER 9.5 (-105)
Mike Fiers has been outstanding at home this season, sporting a 2.89 ERA and a .215 opponent batting average. Happ is holding opponents to a .235 average in his road outings, though his ERA is elevated, and the A’s have struggled against southpaws over the last 30 days. Lastly, the total has gone UNDER in seven of Oakland’s last 10 games with an average combined score of 7.6 and I anticipate another UNDER tonight.
