MLB Odds - Athletics at Marlins Series Preview

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The Miami Marlins have been playing better baseball lately and return home for a brief two-game home stand to take on the Oakland Athletics. Both Oakland and Miami are going nowhere fast, but there’s quite a bit of power on display. From Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna to Khris Davis and Yonder Alonso balls are likely to go flying, even with the spacious dimensions down in Miami.

This series will be contested from Tuesday, June 13, 2017 through Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at Marlins Park in Miami. Wednesday’s game can be seen on the MLB Network.

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Pitching Matchups

This series will feature a nice crop of young talent with the A’s turning to right-handers Jharel Cotton and Daniel Gossett on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Jose Urena will toe the rubber for Miami on Tuesday before the veteran Edinson Volquez takes to the hill on Wednesday.

Cotton was acquired by the Athletics in the deal with the Dodgers for Josh Reddick and Rich Hill. He was a top-100 prospect according to Baseball America coming into 2017 after looking really good in a five-game sample last year.

The youngster has had a bit more trouble this year as scouts have found his weaknesses and teams are beginning to exploit it. He’s 3-6 with a 5.20 Era and 1.428 WHIP in 55.1 innings spread over 10 starts. He’s walking way too many batter, giving up 27 free passes. He walked just four in 29.1 innings last year. That’s the biggest difference.

Cotton typically doesn’t get blown out, despite the high ERA. His last start is indicative of his performances. He went six innings, allowing four runs.

As for Urena, he’s had similar struggles with control, but he has out of jams a bit more consistently than Cotton.

In 13 games—including seven starts—Urena is 4-2 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.357 WHIP. He’s now pitched in parts of three seasons, consistently shuttling from the rotation to the bullpen to the minors and back.

He’s started seven straight games and began with back-to-back quality outings, but has produced a clunker every other time since. Based on that trend, he’d be due for a clunker, though his five-inning, three-run performance against the Cubs his last time out wasn’t that great. That said, he did earn the win. The Marlins are 6-7 in games he’s appeared and 5-2 in games he’s started.

Moving onto Wednesday, Gossett will be making his Major-League debut for Oakland. He’s ranked as the fifth best prospect in the A’s system and the top pitching prospect. He’s been good at Triple-A Nashville, going 3-3- with a 3.41 ERA in the difficult PCL.

Generally the first time a team faces a pitcher, the pitcher has an edge as the hitters get used to the way the ball comes out of his hand. That, however, all goes out the window if nerves become a significant issue.

Gossett will have to swing the bat in the game, too, and he’ll take his hacks against the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter this year.

Volquez’s no-no was a surprise. He went into that game with a 4.44 ERA, but has now thrown 16 consecutive scoreless frames after shutting out the Pirates over seven innings in his follow up performance.

The Marlins had been conservative in his pitch counts prior to his last two games though so that could come into play.

Still, he’s now thrown four straight quality starts and has turned the corner, allowing just six hits over his last 22 games.

Betting Trends

The Marlins are playing well right now. They’re 10-5 in their last 15 games though they have dropped back-to-back against the Pirates. Oakland has lost four of their last five games.

On Miami’s side, Just Bour has been hitting well, but is now on the DL. Stanton, however, is active and slugging. He’s hitting .326 with five bombs and a 1.007 OPS in his last 26 games. Ozuna is hitting is hitting .343 in the last 27 games. Those two are carrying the Marlins’ offense.

Focusing on the A’s side of things, Ryon Healy has been swinging a hot bat. He’s batting .318 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in his last 27 games and has led the team in at bats over that span. He, however, has been the team’s primary DH. With the game played in a National League park, the A’s will lose their DH. Healy has played both first and third this year, too, but that would mean a downgrade in an already suspect defense.

He’s unlikely to unseat Yonder Alonso in the lineup given Alonso’s team leading .310 average and 1.056 OPS. He’s second to Khris Davis in homers, two ahead of Healy so the regular DH wouldn’t even offer more pop. He could—and probably will—send Trevor Plouffe to be bench, however.

Bullpen Breakdown

The month of June has not been kind to the A’s pitching staff. Oakland through the ball reasonably well in April, but has seen a steady increase in team ERA the last couple months.

Both teams paid attention to their bullpens during the offseason with the Marlins bringing in Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa. The A’s added Santiago Casilla to its stable of former closers.

For the Fish, Ziegler has been a huge disappointment. He’s pitched to a 5.47 ERA though his last eight appearances have been scoreless although not drama free. Tazawa’s been worse than Ziegler and is now on the DL.

Overall, the Marlins’ pen has been better than the A’s. Ziegler seems to have bounced back from a rough spell and between A.J. Ramos, David Phelps and Kyle Barraclough, there are at least a few proven arms with a track record.

Of course, the A’s relievers have track records, too, but several seemed washed up. Casilla is the closer, but lost the role with the Giants last year. He’s been hit or miss. Frankie Montas is now gone, though it took 21 games and a 6.91 ERA. Some individual players have been okay, but the unit has the third worst ERA in the AL at 4.96.

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