Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics 7/21/2023 Picks Predictions

Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics 7/21/2023 Picks Predictions Previews

With both teams at opposite ends of the standings, the Houston Astros take on the Oakland A’s. The Astros are in second place in the American League West Division with a 53-43 record.

The A’s have the poorest record in the American League with a 27-71 record.

Framber Valdez, who has given up 11 runs in his past three starts, will start for the Astros against JP Sears, who has given up just four runs in his last three starts, for the next game.

The Astros are having a fantastic year and are aiming to win the division for the third consecutive season.

Despite his recent struggles, Framber Valdez is having a solid season. In 117.1 innings pitched and 129 strikeouts, he has only given up 41 runs.

Additionally, opponents are making poor contact and finding it difficult to score runs against Valdez this season, with a 0.393 predicted opponent Slugging Percentage, a 5.9 Walk Rate, and a 3.92 expected ERA.

Since Houston is second in the fiercely contested American League West, strong pitching has been the team’s distinguishing feature this season. They are seventh in K/9 and have the third-lowest ERA in the Majors.

On Wednesday, Yordan Alvarez (right oblique pain) and Jose Urquidy (right shoulder discomfort) were scheduled to play in Triple-A Sugar Land as part of their rehabilitation.

Alvarez should return during the next week, joining the team for the series conclusion.

Despite Valdez’s contributions, the Astros’ lineup has kept them in games by averaging 4.71 runs per contest.

While Kyle Tucker is slashing.298/.377/.488 with 14 home runs and 167 total bases and Chas McCormick is slashing 0.285/.370/.534, the rest of the lineup has also improved.

While Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena have brought 23 home runs and 273 total bases to the middle of the lineup to provide power, making the Astros challenging to stop at the plate, Yanier Diaz is slashing 0.267/.287/.487 with ten home runs and 93 total bases.

The A’s are having a terrible year, both on and off the field, and are hoping to escape having baseball’s worst record at the end of the year.

JP Sears has improved in recent starts but has had a challenging year overall, giving up 50 runs in 106 innings pitched.

In addition, opponents are making solid contact and hammering pitches against Sears for easy runs with a.453 predicted opponent Slugging Percentage, a 12.2 Barrel Percentage, and a 4.44 expected ERA.

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Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics Predictions 7/21/2023

Before a 3-0 triumph on Tuesday night, Oakland had lost eight games in a row overall and four straight games to the Red Sox over 11 days.

Even though they were able to sweep the series against Boston, they are still in last place in the AL West and will probably deal with any leftover assets before the impending trade deadline.

In the Majors, Oakland has the fewest runs scored and the most given up.

The Sears lineup has been the weakest in baseball, scoring just 3.60 runs per game, while Sears has struggled.

The rest of the lineup has struggled, except Ryan Noda, who is slashing 0.229/.375/.418 with 11 home runs and 115 total bases, and Brent Rooker, who is slashing 0.239/.332/.467 with 16 home runs and 129 total bases.

Opposing pitchers can eliminate the unfortunate lineup because only three batters have an OPS+ of over 100.

Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics. The Houston Astros are the MLB’s pick to win this game. The Astros want to push for the division lead and take control of this game from the outset, while the A’s hope to improve at home.

With Chas McCormick, Kyle Tucker, and the rest of the lineup making solid contact and driving the ball against JP Sears and the other A’s pitchers, the Astros should be able to score runs at will.

Framber Valdez should pitch several scoreless innings for the Astros, limiting the A’s offense, which only scores 3.60 runs per game, and allowing the bullpen to finish the game comfortably.

The Astros are expected to triumph and cover the spread in a commanding road victory (predicted at 6-3).

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