Four AL West clubs are eyeing the postseason this year, and the defending champion Houston Astros (24-19) are one of them. The team they're hosting this weekend, the Oakland Athletics (10-35), are not. These teams haven't met this season, but the Astros finished 12-7 against the Athletics in 2022. Considering how each team is playing so far, 2023 may not be that close. This Saturday battle will be the second of 13 regular season meetings between these clubs. It's scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. EDT in Houston's Minute Maid Park.
The soon to be Las Vegas-based ballclub known as the Oakland Athletics are bad. Regardless of Friday night's outcomes, they will have MLB's worst record and run differential. A historically ineffective pitching staff is the primary culprit of Oakland's issues, which has them on pace to be the worst team in MLB's 162-game era. Their team ERA entering this series was 7.13, higher than the worst single-season team ERA in MLB history. JP Sears is easily their best starting pitcher that's healthy, and he's in line to start this game. The southpaw has a 5.27 ERA this season and a 5.50 FIP to match. Through eight starts, Sears has surrendered 11 home runs already. This isn't a bullpen that anyone (except opposing hitters) wants to see pitch extensive innings, so Oakland's chances hinge on Sears keeping the ball in the park for as long as he can.
Oakland's offense isn't historically awf ul, but they're far from great. There's plenty to love, such as their 12th-place rankings in homers entering the weekend despite batting in a pitcher's park. DH Brent Rooker came into this series as one of the four MLB players with an OPS over 1.000. The A's are also 11th in walk rate and fourth in stolen bases. Unfortunately, they're also 27th in runs per game thanks to a 26th-ranked strikeout rate. Runs are what matter, and they aren't scoring as many as the rest of the field.