Josh Hamilton led all MLB players in fan voting for the Midsummer Classic, but he’s cooled off at the plate since the beginning of June. Let’s find out if you should fade the Rangers in their series opener on the road against the Athletics on Tuesday night.
Rangers have found
life on the road difficult against division rivals
Texas has tallied a
1-3 series record against American League West opponents this year, capturing
two of three games against the Seattle Mariners over the past weekend. The Rangers still possess a winning 15-14 record against division rivals, but
that’s far different than their 73-41 record the previous two campaigns. Oakland is the hottest team in the majors, posting a 9-1 record this month,
while the UNDER has cashed in six of those contests.
Oswalt is still
adjusting to life as an American League pitcher
Rangers starting
pitcher Roy Oswalt (2-1, 6.26 ERA) has endured some ups and downs over his
first four efforts with his new team, but has still led them to three victories
over that span. The right-hander allowed a career-high 11 runs (nine
earned) in a 19-2 loss against the Chicago White Sox in his lone road start of
the 2012 campaign, serving up three home runs in that effort. In two
career games versus the Athletics, Oswalt has garnered an 0-1 record and 5.40
ERA, but hasn’t faced them since 2007.
Bartolo Colon (6-7,
3.80 ERA) has yet to record a decision in July despite two terrific home
efforts against the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, allowing three runs
(two earned) and 12 hits over 14.2 combined innings. The right-hander is
2-5 with a 4.47 ERA in nine home outings, issuing just six walks and striking
out 29 batters in 52.1 frames. In 28 career games versus the Rangers,
Colon has garnered an 18-6 record and 3.61 ERA, including a 2-0 victory at this
ballpark on June 6.
Athletics are a dangerous
home underdog
Baseball bettors will
want to closely monitor the MLB betting odds throughout the day, as the
Athletics have gone 9-6 as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season, while
the OVER is 8-7 in those contests. Texas has dropped seven of its last
nine tries as a road favorite of -110 to -150.
"Alright,
Hamilton"
Jeff Spicoli uttered
those famous words in reference to Brad Hamilton in “Fast Times at Ridgemont
High,” but not everything is alright with Josh Hamilton. The Rangers star
will try to get going offensively in this series, hitting just .087 in his last
seven contests. He is batting .278 with a home run and seven RBIs in 10
games against the Athletics this season.
Prediction
The Athletics are a
very confident bunch heading into this series dand have won their last four
games following an off day, while the Rangers are just 6-6 on the year in that
situation. I suggest adding the host as one of your MLB picks on Tuesday
night, pushing its record to 13-1 in its last 14 home games against
right-handed starters.
MLB Pick: Oakland
Athletics +105