Spiraling A’s Try to Stop Losing Streak
The Oakland A’s are watching their season slip out of their hands with four straight losses that have dropped them further out of the playoff race. That losing streak continued on Tuesday with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The A’s will get another chance to get back on the winning track when they host the White Sox again on Wednesday.
According to BetUS, the betting lines for this game have Oakland’s moneyline at -170 while the White Sox have a moneyline of +150. There is also an over/under of 8.5 runs.
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Where Are They Now?
As mentioned, the A’s have lost four in a row after losing to the White Sox on Tuesday and getting swept by the Blue Jays over the weekend. That streak has dropped them below the Mariners into third in the AL West, seven games behind the Astros. The only silver lining is that despite that losing streak, Oakland is only 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, so there is still hope.
Meanwhile, the job is all but done for the White Sox. With seven wins in their last ten games, the White Sox now have an 11-game lead at the top of the AL Central standings. Chicago’s magic number is down to 15, making it a matter of when rather than if they will clinch the division title.
No Other Options
With two starters currently on the IL, the White Sox have no other option but to send Dallas Keuchel back to the mound on Wednesday night. If the circumstances were different, Keuchel would be in danger of losing his spot in the rotation after pitching to a 6.26 ERA in July and a 7.43 ERA in August. On top of that, Keuchel got roughed up by the Royals in his last start, allowing five earned runs over three innings of work.
The good news for Keuchel is that he’ll face an Oakland lineup that’s in a slump. The A’s were shut out on Sunday and scored just three runs on Tuesday, breaking up a hot streak that saw them average eight runs per game over their first four games in September. Mark Canha is heating up at the moment, but the A’s still aren’t getting much help outside of Matt Olson and Starling Marte.
The Enigmatic Mr. Montas
While the Oakland lineup is struggling, the A’s can feel good about Frankie Montas getting the start on Wednesday. Montas has had some ups and downs this year, going 11-9 with a 3.68 ERA over 27 starts. But he’s been dealing over the last two months, posting a 2.30 ERA in July and a 2.03 ERA during his five starts in August.
On Wednesday, Montas will face a Chicago lineup that’s missing both Tim Anderson and Adam Engel, who are on the IL. The White Sox have also seen some of their key hitters hit a slump lately. However, Chicago’s supporting cast has started to produce lately, with the likes of Gavin Sheets and Leury Garcia heating up along with Luis Robert.
Lucky Underdog
On the surface, this matchup should favor the A’s, who have Montas on the mound, whereas the struggling Keuchel will get the ball for the White Sox. However, bettors don’t have a lot of opportunities to see the White Sox with a +150 moneyline. With the White Sox being one of the best teams in baseball, bet on Chicago as a +150 underdog.
Meanwhile, the under on 8.5 runs is the best option for the run total. Keuchel has struggled lately, but so has the Oakland lineup. Meanwhile, Montas is a safe bet to continue to pitch well against a Chicago lineup that’s missing a couple of pieces, leading to a low-scoring game.
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