Sean Newcomb will get the start for the Athletics (46-100, 24-47 home) as they host the Padres (69-78, 30-42 away) at Oakland Coliseum. The Padres will give the starting nod to Seth Lugo. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.

SAN DIEGO PADRES VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Oakland Athletics +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 9:40 ET on Friday, September 15th.

WHY BET THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS:

  • In their previous three games, the Athletics are 2-1 vs. the runline.
  • The Padres have gone just 2-3 in their last five games vs. the runline.
  • In Seth Lugo’s 23 starts, the Padres have a record of just 9-14.

CAN THE SAN DIEGO PADRES PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

The Padres’ record of 69-78 has them ranked 4th in the NL West. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 18-24-5. This season, they have gone 39-36 at home and 30-42 on the road.

The Padres will turn to starter Seth Lugo, who has a 6-7 record thus far in the 2023 season. He has made 23 appearances, with an ERA of 3.80 and a K/9 of 8.52. Lugo’s FIP stands at 3.81 and his OBP is .295.

In Seth Lugo’s most recent start, the Padres fell to the Astros 7-5. The right-hander surrendered six runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.

This season, the Padres are 14th in the league at 4.6 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .243 (11th) leading to 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 4.0 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. San Diego’s on-base percentage of .326 has them 8th in the MLB.

Juan Soto has been a major factor in the Padres’ offensive performance over their last five games, leading the team with hits and batting .338. Through the course of the 2023 season, Soto has put up impressive numbers, hitting .262 and driving in 90 runs.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On an overall record of 46-100, the Athletics are 5th in the AL West. In their 46 series, Oakland has gone 11-33-2 which includes losing each of their last three sets. On the road, the Athletics are 22-53 and are 24-47 at home.

So far in 2021, Sean Newcomb has been a force to be reckoned with. The left-hander has made six appearances and yet to surrender more than two earned runs in any of them. His record stands at 1-0, and his ERA is an impressive 0.75. He’s also limiting opposing batters to a .227 on-base percentage and .081 batting average against. His K/9 ratio is an eye-popping 15/6 heading into his next start.

Sean Newcomb recently took the mound for the Athletics in a matchup against the Rangers, going four innings without allowing a run on one hit. Despite his impressive performance, he was unable to secure a win as the A’s ultimately fell 3-2.

The Athletics have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 17 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 4th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 20th in home runs and 28th in slugging percentage. Overall, Oakland is averaging 3.7 runs per game (28th).

Brent Rooker is the Athletics’ home-run leader in 2023, having blasted 24 long balls and driven in 58 runs. His slugging percentage for the year is a solid .461.