San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics Betting Preview
The first two games in the battle of the Bay Area between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants were split, with each team taking one of Friday and Saturday’s contests. On Sunday, the rubber match between both teams will decide who wins this series. And with both teams in the hunt for their respective division titles, this game could carry way more significance than just deciding the outcome of the series.
Giants Look For More Clutch Hitting
Things were looking bleak for the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, as they trailed the Oakland Athletics most of the way and were in danger of dropping a second straight contest. But some timely hitting by a pinch hitter helped the Giants to even up this three-game series heading into Sunday’s decider. It was a pinch-hit home run by LaMonte Wade Jr. that lifted the Giants on Saturday, as they will look for another dose of heroics on Sunday.
Of course, the Giants wouldn’t have needed any late heroics if they were able to hit for the bulk of their last few games. The Giants had gone three straight games without scoring three runs prior to their breakout performance on Saturday. But if the Giants want to overcome the A’s and stay ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the NL West, they will need more consistent hitting throughout their upcoming games.
Athletics’ Momentum Derailed
The Oakland Athletics were extremely close to picking up their third straight win on Saturday, as they got a decent start out of Sean Manaea and had the lead late in the ballgame. But the Athletics could not hold their lead, as Wade’s ninth-inning home run was enough to beat them. Now the A’s need to get back on track to avoid another run of consecutive losses and to avoid falling further behind the always dangerous Houston Astros.
For the A’s, the bullpen has been a question mark at crucial times this season. While one game may not swing a season entirely, performances like the one delivered by the A’s bullpen on Saturday can end a team’s playoff hopes if they happen too frequently. And wasting quality starts can only harm the psyche of the starting pitching staff.
Fortunately, the Athletics still have plenty of chances to see their season end with a playoff berth. The Athletics currently hold the second Wild Card spot in the American League and can continue to hold onto a playoff spot if they can just continue to win games. Whether or not the A’s will rise above the pressure of controlling their own destiny remains to be seen, however.
A’s Will Get Back On Track
Through the first two games of this series, the Oakland A’s have been the vastly better team, even if the Giants came back to beat them on Saturday. Expect Oakland to remain the superior side as they should rebound nicely on Sunday to take this series from the Giants and move closer to their goal of making the playoffs.
Giants vs. Athletics Pick: Oakland Athletics
