On Tuesday, the Oakland Athletics will pay a visit to the Baltimore Orioles. First pitch from Camden Yards is at 6:35 p.m. ET. The Orioles are -180 moneyline favorites and the game total is set at 7.5 runs scored.
Oakland (2-7 SU and 3-6 RL) endured a tough series in Tampa Bay, as the Rays dominated en route to a series sweep. The A's will start the 6-foot-7 southpaw Kyle Muller on Tuesday night. He's 0-0 with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in two starts this year.
Baltimore (4-5 SU and 5-4 RL) lost two of three to the Yankees over the weekend. The O's will turn to right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut last week versus Texas, surrendering two runs on four hits and one walk with five Ks in five innings.
After playing competitively against Cleveland, Oakland was run over by the freight train that is Tampa Bay over the weekend. The A's need to get right against Baltimore or their season will go off the rails.
Oakland was shut out in consecutive games versus Tampa Bay, losing by a combined 22 runs. In Sunday's series finale, the Athletics were held to one hit and one walk, striking out nine times. The pitching staff surrendered 12 hits, including three home runs, and gave up seven walks.
“It's all starting to come together.”
Fifth-ranked @Athletics prospect Kyle Muller made his strongest case yet to join the big league rotation: https://t.co/7dimv7MZuH pic.twitter.com/0uW3Bql4IB
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 19, 2023
Muller will take the mound Tuesday following two solid starts. In his previous outing, he went 5.2 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits and three walks. He also recorded five strikeouts. The 25-year-old, who joined Oakland via a trade with Atlanta, is making positive steps toward becoming a mainstay in the Oakland rotation. A’s manager Mark Kotsay has likened the former top prospect's stuff to Madison Bumgarner.
“They share a lot of the same qualities and traits,” Kotsay said. “I know Bum rides horses. I don’t think Muller’s on horses yet. But they both like to hunt. They’re both left-handed and they’re both really big. If Muller can find a way to turn out like Bum, we’ve got something there. We’re excited about watching him throw.”
Oakland averages 3.00 runs per game (28th) and hits .192 (29th) with a .584 O PS (28th). The Athletics have hit eight home runs (25th) and stolen seven bases (12th). The pitching staff has compiled a 7.54 ERA (30th) and a 1.70 WHIP (29th) with zero quality starts.