The Athletics welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to West Sacramento on Tuesday for the start of a three-game series.
The Athletics enter the matchup with a 21-19 record, leading the American League West, while the Cardinals sit at 23-17, third in the National League Central. Oakland has been strong in close contests, posting an 8-5 mark in one-run games. At home, they are 8-8 this season.
St. Louis has been formidable on the road, boasting a 13-7 record away from home. The Cardinals rank sixth in the NL with 46 home runs as a team.
Tuesday’s game marks the first meeting between these two clubs this year.
On the mound for St. Louis is Andre Pallante (3-3, 4.34 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 29 strikeouts). The Athletics will counter with Jeffrey Springs (3-2, 3.89 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 39 strikeouts).
The betting lines favor the Athletics at -154, with the Cardinals at +129. The over/under is set at 10 runs.
Key performers to watch include Shea Langeliers for Oakland, who leads the Athletics with 11 home runs and a .617 slugging percentage. Brent Rooker has been hot, going 11-for-40 with three homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games.
For the Cardinals, Jordan Walker has posted eight doubles and 11 home runs. Ivan Herrera is 12-for-40 with four doubles in his last 10 contests.
Over their last 10 games, the Athletics are 5-5, batting .266 with a 4.86 ERA, outscoring opponents by two runs. The Cardinals have gone 6-4, hitting .235 with a 2.73 ERA, outscoring opponents by 11 runs in that span.
Injury notes: The Athletics list Jacob Wilson as day-to-day (shoulder). Denzel Clarke (foot), Max Muncy (hand), and Gunnar Hoglund (knee) are on the injured list. For St. Louis, Matt Pushard (knee), Ramon Urias (elbow), and Lars Nootbaar (heels) are sidelined.
