The record in this weekend’s Bay Area matchup between the San Francisco Giants and home-standing Oakland Athletics points to Saturday’s game being a one-sided affair, but when these two hookup, toss out the record books as the Giants look to continue their playoff quest.
San Francisco Giants (-185, 7.5) vs. Oakland Athletics
Ross Stripling gets the start for San Francisco, who has spent time both as a starter and a reliever, posting a 5.52 ERA with two home runs per nine innings allowed.
Though part of the reason Stripling hasn’t lended a ton of length in his starts is because he has been used both in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen, the fact remains that he has filled five innings or fewer in 14 of his 16 appearances this season with the team posting a 4-12 record in games in which he pitched in.
The divide in the bullpens in this game is as large as one can find in an inter league game as the Athletics are last in the league in bullpen ERA while the Giants have the lowest bullpen ERA among National League teams.
That bullpen puts extra pressure on Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn to give a good start who is allowing just 0.8 home runs per nine innings, but is carrying a 4.83 ERA and has to face a Giants lineup that has done its best work on the road this season.
The Giants average less than a home run per game at home while ranking eighth in the league in home runs per game on the road with 1.3 per game, due in large part to their home ballpark, Oracle Park, being a consensus top five ballpark among analytics sites that measure ballpark factors for helping limit runs.
With the Giants averaging more than five runs per game on the road coupled with the struggles of Stripling and the Athletics, the Bay Area will serve as a haven for hitters on Saturday.
The Play: Giants vs. Athletics Over 7.5
