Oakland’s season-opening seven-game road winning streak is a distant memory. The Athletics continue their tour of the AL East with a stop in Boston after dropping two of three in Baltimore over the weekend. The A’s enter the series with just two wins in their last nine away games.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
In the middle of their three-city, nine-game road trip, the Athletics look to regain some of their early-season road success. After winning the opener in Baltimore on Saturday, Oakland dropped the final two to the AL East-leading O’s and now battle the second-place Red Sox before finishing the tour of the division in Tampa Bay.
After opening the year with seven consecutive wins on the road, the A’s have struggled a bit lately. By losing the final two games in Baltimore over the weekend, the Athletics are just 2-7 in nine away games entering this series in the red 5.08 units on the moneyline in that span.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Friday’s rain out and subsequent doubleheader on Saturday threw the A’s rotation into a frenzy. They need a starter for Wednesday and the likely candidate is Eric Surkamp (0-2, 5.59 ERA), who made four April starts before being sent down to Triple-A.
Surkamp has thrown well in the minors and was scheduled to pitch for Nashville on Wednesday, so the call-up is the most likely scenario. In his last major league outing before being sent down, the lefty surrendered nine hits and six runs over 4.2 innings in a loss to the Blue Jays.
Rick Porcello (5-1, 2.95 ERA) had his scoreless innings and win streak snapped in his last start. He still pitched well, allowing six hits and three runs, but served up a solo home run to Aaron Hicks in the seventh inning of a 3-2 loss to the Yankees. Porcello had won his first five starts and entered Friday’s game having not allowed a run in 13.1 innings.
With his five victories, a much improved strikeout rate, and a very solid 2.95 ERA, Porcello may finally be living up to the hype that has surrounded him since coming up with the Tigers a few years back. He is 4-5 with a 3.86 ERA in his career against the A’s.
LIVE BETTING
Josh Reddick is on fire. The A’s outfielder found a way into the club’s record book during the weekend series in Baltimore. Reddick had seven hits in Saturday’s split doubleheader and went 3 for 3 with a walk in Sunday’s loss. By the end of the weekend he had a run of eight straight hits, matching the franchise record.
During the three games against the Orioles, Reddick went 10 for 12, upping his batting average from .260 to .319. In the game prior to the O’s series, Reddick collected two hits in a loss to the Mariners, giving him 12 in 17 at-bats during that four-game stretch where he hit .706. Originally drafted by the Red Sox in 2006, Redick played his first three seasons in the big leagues with Boston. Over his career, he’s a .294 hitter against his old team.
QUICK PICK
Porcello has pitched well and looks like the hurler the Sox envisioned when they dealt for him prior to the 2015 season. He struggled last season dealing with an unforgiving Boston media, but now that’s David Price’s job, not Porcello’s. He showed signs of being a top-of-the-rotation guy during his six seasons in Detroit, but never had the breakthrough season many thought he would. It’s happening now, and the Sox are benefitting.
Going against an A’s lineup that has struggled for much of the baseball season, Porcello should feel confident he can get the job done. The Sox will likely face Surkamp, and left-handed, fly ball pitchers traditionally don’t do well in Fenway Park.
MLB Odds: Boston 6, Oakland 3
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame between the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox will take place Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at 7:10 p.m. ET at Fenway Park.
