Oakland Athletics vs Boston Red Sox Prediction, 7/9/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Boston Red Sox

Date: Sunday, July 9, 2023

Location: Fenway Park in Boston, MA

TV: NESN

The Oakland Athletics (25-64) are en route to Fenway Park on Sunday where they will compete against the Boston Red Sox (45-43). The expected starting pitchers will be JP Sears and Nick Pivetta.

Oakland is slugging .350 and have been called out on strikes 819 times, while drawing a walk on 288 occasions. They have tallied 310 runs batted in and 646 hits for the season, while their team batting average is sitting at .220. The Athletics have hit 116 doubles as a squad and have hit 81 baseballs out of the park. They have tallied 320 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .298. As a team, the Oakland Athletics are scoring 3.6 runs per contest, which has them at 30th in the league.

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The Athletics have an earned run average of 6.00 so far this year (30th in baseball), and the staff has rung up 700 hitters. Athletics pitchers have yielded 126 long balls and 556 total runs (30th in MLB). They have walked 390 opposing players and their FIP sits at 5.30 as a team for the year. Oakland has allowed 833 base hits (9.6 per 9 innings) and 523 earned runs. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.79 and their pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.56.

The Athletics have sent 295 relievers to the mound on the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 162 runners on the season and 41.4% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. They have accumulated 14 saves for the year and have blown 15 of their 29 save opportunities. The Athletics bullpen have a save percentage of 48.3% and has come into the game in 54 save situations. The bullpen have racked up 24 holds on the year (29th in baseball). Athletics relief pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 106 times in addition to having 103 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Oakland Athletics have a total of 2,355 putouts so far this season, in addition to 705 assists and 53 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .983 which is 27th in professional baseball, and they have twisted 63 double plays. The Athletics have converted 67.7% of balls hit into play into outs out of 7,065 innings, which has them sitting 28th in the majors.

Sears has taken the hill for 164 frames and has totaled 140 punch outs in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 3.99 (73 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.148. He has surrendered 146 hits (8.0 hits per 9 innings) and has 43 walks. Sears (7-9 win-loss record in his career) holds a FIP of 4.61 while facing 671 opposing hitters in the majors.

The Boston Red Sox have accounted for a team OBP of .331 in addition to a team batting average of .262 on the year. They have been rung up on 718 instances (20th in baseball) and have a total of 791 base hits. Boston has knocked in 90 long balls on the year as well as 411 RBIs. The Red Sox hold a team slugging % of .424 and they tally 4.89 runs per outing (7th in baseball). They have tallied 197 doubles, while taking a walk 283 times and putting up 430 runs.

The Red Sox have a team WHIP of 1.298 in addition to having a FIP of 4.39 as a team this year. They rank 24th in the league as a staff in total hits allowed with 758. The Boston pitching staff have allowed 415 runs over the course of the season while holding a team ERA of 4.41 (381 earned runs yielded). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 8.60 (742 strikeouts against 252 free passes). They have given up 113 home runs and they allow 4.80 runs per 9 innings (21st in baseball).

Boston has called on relievers to enter the game in 32 save opportunities and they have come away with 24 saves. They sit at 3rd in MLB holding a save rate of 75.0%, and they have sent 266 relief pitchers onto the diamond on the campaign. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 72 times in high leverage situations and on 58 occasions with base runners. Boston relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.8% out of their 88 inherited runners. With 70 save situations, the Red Sox have earned 38 holds and 8 blown saves.

The Boston Red Sox have turned 74 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .982 (29th in baseball). The Red Sox have accrued 781 assists, 58 errors and have earned a total of 2,334 putouts for the season. In 7,002 innings on the diamond, the Red Sox hold a efficiency on defense of 68.6% (19th in pro baseball).

So far in his MLB career, Pivetta has given up 794 hits and he has 857 strikeouts in 805 innings pitched. He has surrendered 448 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.385 and a FIP of 4.5. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.67 and he has gone up against 3,483 opposing hitters in his MLB career. Pivetta (44-55 career record) has a 5.01 earned run average while giving up 8.9 hits per nine innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Oakland

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