San Francisco @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2014 ) San Francisco 0, Oakland 5
The Oakland Athletics have rolled to the best record in baseball thanks largely to their offense, although their recent success can be attributed mostly to their pitching staff. The Athletics look to match their longest winning streak of the season Tuesday when they complete their half of a home-and-home series with the San Francisco Giants. Oakland (56-33) has scored a league-high 444 runs, but has won five straight in large part because it has allowed a total of four runs in that span.
The Athletics, who are 8-1 in interleague play, have also been taking advantage of their home field lately, winning for the 10th time in 11 tries at O.co Coliseum with Monday’s 5-0 victory over the Giants. Conversely, San Francisco has lost four in a row in Oakland and 12 of its last 14 on the road against American League opponents. The Giants’ inconsistent offense hasn’t helped: they've scored exactly five runs in each of last three victories and a total of two runs in their last five losses, including four shutouts.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), CSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (9-6, 3.09 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Sonny Gray (8-3, 3.08)
Although he managed to drive in a run with a third-inning single to give him a career-high eight RBIs this season, Bumgarner struggled on the mound for the second straight time in Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals as he surrendered five runs (four earned)) over five innings. The two-time All-Star selection fell to 3-5 with a 5.16 ERA in nine home outings as a result, but has been much stingier in the same number of starts on the road (6-1, 1.32 ERA). Bumgarner is 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two career turns against Oakland.
Gray rebounded from one of his worst starts of the season on June 28, allowing one run and four hits over seven frames in a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last Thursday. The No. 18 overall pick of the 2011 draft, who gave up two or fewer runs in seven of his first 10 turns, recorded only his second such outing since May 22 in the win. Gray has yet to factor into a decision despite a 5.14 ERA in three interleague appearances (two starts) and will face the Giants for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland needs to outscore its opponents by nine runs over the next six games to become the first team since the 2001 Seattle Mariners with a run differential of at least 149 before the All-Star break.
2. The Giants have been held to two or fewer hits with runners in scoring position in 14 of their last 16 games.
3. The Athletics’ rotation has posted a 0.80 ERA during the team’s winning streak, following a stretch in which it surrendered a 5.62 ERA over its previous nine contests.
PREDICTION: Athletics 2, Giants 1