Going into game two of this interleague showdown, the Rockies (40-63, 23-27 home) are giving the start to Chris Flexen. On the other side, the Athletics (29-76, 14-37 away) are rolling with Paul Blackburn. Don’t miss my prediction for today’s Oakland Athletics versus Colorado Rockies game in Denver.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS VS COLORADO ROCKIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Colorado Rockies -115

This game will be played at Coors Field at 8:10 ET on Saturday, July 29th.

WHY BET THE COLORADO ROCKIES:

  • The Athletics are just 1-4 in their last five road games.
  • In their ten most recent games as the favorite, the Athletics have gone just 3-7 straight-up.
  • Paul Blackburn has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 5.48 over his last four starts.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

105 games into the season, the Athletics have a record of 29-76, putting them 5th in the AL West. This mark includes an overall series 7-25-1. At home, they are 15-39 compared to 14-37 on the road.

Paul Blackburn takes the mound for Oakland with a 1-2 record this season. He has made 10 appearances, boasting a 5.06 ERA and 9.19 K/9 rate. His FIP is 3.91 and opponents are hitting .346 against him on-base percentage wise.

Paul Blackburn’s most recent start against the Astros saw him surrender one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. Although he didn’t factor into the decision, the Athletics emerged victorious with a 4-1 scoreline.

This season, the Athletics are 29th in the league at 3.6 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .216 (22nd) leading to 3.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.2 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Oakland’s on-base percentage of .301 has them 18th in the MLB.

The Athletics will be without Ryan Noda in today’s game due to an injury. This season, the outfielder has posted a .229 batting average and a .418 slugging percentage.

WILL THE COLORADO ROCKIES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering game 104 of their season, the Rockies are 18.5 games out in the NL West and are in 5th place. So far, their overall series record stands at 12-18-3. Colorado’s road winning percent is currently 32.1% (17-36) compared to 46.0% at home (23-27).

The Rockies will look to Chris Flexen to take the mound, as the starter has yet to record a win this season with an 0-4 record. Through 17 appearances, Flexen has posted an ERA of 7.71 and a K/9 of 6.21. Additionally, his FIP stands at 6.66 and opponents have managed an OBP of .394 against him.

Chris Flexen will be hoping for a better performance today, after his last outing saw him pitch two innings and surrender two runs on three hits. The Mets ultimately came away with a 10-2 victory over the Yankees, though Flexen was not credited with a decision.

For the season, the Rockies’ offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game. Over their last ten games they have swung the bats well, sitting 7th in the league in scoring, with a total of 49 runs. Overall, Colorado’s team batting average is .253, putting them 11th in the MLB.

Michael Toglia has been the Rockies’ top home run hitter over their last five games, with one long ball. He has two home runs in total this season, and his batting average stands at .216.