The New York Yankees’ first two games of a four-game set with the Oakland Athletics have revealed some power-hitting concerns.
It’s the primary reason they’ve wrestled with putting away an inferior lineup, even despite their consistency with reaching base.
The A’s streaky ability to clear the fence, along with their steadfast bullpen, has made them a surprisingly profitable team to bet throughout the first month of baseball.
The chickens should come home to roost on Wednesday when rookie Joe Boyle, who has been hit or miss in his first four starts, takes the mound at Yankee Stadium.
A’s vs. Yankees odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runs Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| A’s | +190 | +1.5 (-+100) | o8.5 (-105) |
| Yankees | -250 | -1.5 (-120) | u8.5 (-115) |
A’s vs. Yankees prediction
Boyle’s 7.23 ERA is inflated from two games where he yielded seven earned runs predominantly because of control problems.
The A’s towering pitching prospect has walked 12 batters in 18 ⅔ innings for an underwhelming 12 percent walk share.
If there’s one thing we can really praise the Yankees for, it’s having discerning eyes for the zone.
Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Anthony Volpe don’t swing at pitches that aren’t right; they are all in the bottom 27% of MLB hitters in swing percentage.
Clarke Schmidt, who gets the nod for the Yankees on Wednesday, has been doing an excellent job of getting hitters to bite throughout his first four starts — especially with his noticeably improved slider.
The right-hander has stepped up the most of any other member of the rotation in the stead of the injured Gerrit Cole, stringing together a career-high 10.35 strikeouts per nine innings.
He’s gone two starts without walking a single batter, which gives some momentum heading into Thursday’s matchup against an A’s bunch that likes to swing and whiffs at the highest rate in the league.
Oakland is 29th overall in runs scored so far. Despite hitting three home runs in the first two games of the series, this is not a team that gives enough run support to compensate for pitching disadvantages.
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A’s vs. Yankees pick
If A’s relievers are called into play sooner than later, the Yankees have had solid help out of the bullpen, too, and should be able to close the door.
A 2.95 team ERA gives enough reason to back New York in covering the run line for the first time in this series.
