Philadelphia Phillies vs Oakland Athletics 6/18/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
The Philadelphia Phillies will go against the Oakland Athletics in MLB action in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, CA, on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 4:07 PM ET.
With their fourth straight victory on Friday, the NL pennant champions from last year are starting to heat up. Philadelphia went 11-2 between June 3 and June 16.
After this series, the Phillies will play Atlanta, so now is the ideal moment for them to be in form. Starting with the offense, Friday night was one of six games during which this club averaged 7.5 runs per contest.
Despite having lower-than-expected home run totals, they rose to 15th in the runs per game leaderboard. The squad makes up for MLB’s 23rd-ranked walk rate by remaining ninth in slugging and eighth in hitting average.
They don’t do much better when they strike out (22nd in strikeout rate), but when they do make contact, it’s often loud (third-lowest proportion of soft hits).
They were also effective on the mound, giving up just 11 runs in total over the four-game winning streak. Since Zack Wheeler will start this game, there is a good likelihood that the recent string of quality pitching will continue.
He gave up fewer than two runs in three of his last four appearances. With a 2.65 FIP going into this game, Wheeler has the second-highest strikeout rate of his career and a career-best walk rate.
He also knows how to keep the ball in play, as his K/BB ratio ranks seventh among qualified pitchers. The Oakland offense shouldn’t provide a challenge for Wheeler, and neither should a respectable Philadelphia bullpen.
The Phillies bullpen entered the game in 62 save situations and has a save percentage of 70.4%. The relief pitchers acquired 90 base runners this season, and 38.9% resulted in runs.
There were runners on base when the Phillies pitchers entered the game 56 times, and they also made 64 outings in high-leverage situations.
Over the course of the season, the Phillies used 232 relievers. The relievers’ 35 holds this season rank 20th in MLB. They have made 19 saves this campaign so far, but 8 of their 27 save chances were successful.
- The Philadelphia Phillies are 5-0 SU in their last five matches.
- The Philadelphia Phillies are 4-1 SU in their last five matches against Oakland.
- The Philadelphia Phillies are 7-1 SU in their last eight matches on the road.
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Philadelphia Phillies vs Oakland Athletics Predictions 6/18/2023
The Athletics were heading toward respectability after seven straight victories, including victories over MLB’s top Rays, Brewers, and Pirates.
That quickly turned into three straight defeats, leaving them and the Royals to fight it out alone in the MLB basement.
The winning streak was defined by solid pitching, but the worst pitching staff in the league is reverting to old habits.
Starting pitching will be essential to reestablish competitiveness on the mound because the bullpen, which ranks last in most important statistics, is atrocious.
Hogan Harris performed admirably in his last two home games and has a chance to continue.
Harris improved since having a rocky MLB debut at home on April 14 by pitching 12.0 innings of one-run ball against the Astros and Rays in the Coliseum.
He walked just one hitter between the two appearances and gave up five hits. Harris only pitched 22.1 innings in the major leagues, but aside from his debut, he was fine.
Oakland’s issue is that they also average the fewest runs per game this year. They have the 26th-highest strikeout rate, the worst batting average, and the worst slugging percentage.
The Athletics have the eighth-highest walk rate among MLB clubs, but their OBP ranks 26th. They have great base-stealing skills (4th), with Esteury Ruiz leading the league with 35 successful swipes in 42 attempts.
The Athletics now have 44 save opportunities, with 21 holds and 12 missed saves. In 22 opportunities for saves, Oakland used relievers to enter the game and came away with 10 saves.
Their bullpen pitchers entered the game 82 times with runners on base and 78 times in high-leverage situations. Out of 131 inherited runners, Oakland relievers have a 40.5% inherited score percentage.
They sent 239 relievers into the field this season and are ranked 30th in the league with a save percentage of 45.5%.
- The total went under in five of Oakland’s last six matches.
- The Oakland Athletics are 1-4 SU in their last five matches.
- The total went under in 18 of Oakland’s last 20 matches against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Oakland Athletics The MLB pick for this game is the Philadelphia Phillies.
It’s reasonable to bet against the Athletics every night if they lose games again, particularly with a hot Philadelphia club in town and their best starter taking the mound.
Although the Athletics’ offense, defense, and bullpen won’t be much of a backup, Hogan Harris can give Oakland a chance.
Take the Philadelphia Phillies, who are the better, hotter, and more in need of a victory team. The Philadelphia Phillies will win by a predicted score of 7-4.
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Philadelphia Phillies vs Oakland Athletics 6/18/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
MLB Starting Time: 4:07 PM ET
Location: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, CA
Date: Sunday, June 18, 2023
TV: NSCA
MLB Odds: Philadelphia Phillies -222
MLB Totals: 9