Latest Player Stats for Giants vs Athletics – Saturday August 17, 2024

San Francisco Giants

@

Oakland Athletics

As the San Francisco Giants arrive in Oakland to face the Athletics on August 17, 2024, this interleague matchup highlights a clash between two teams with contrasting trajectories. The Giants sit at a .500 record of 62-62, marking them as a team in the middle of the pack, while the Athletics struggle with a disappointing 52-70 record, indicating a tough season.

In their last outing, the Giants showcased their dominance with a resounding 6-0 victory over the Braves, while the Athletics managed to secure a nail-biting win against the Mets, edging them out 7-6. Despite the recent win, Oakland’s inconsistent performance throughout the season raises questions as they prepare to face a Giants team with a better record.

Osvaldo Bido, projected to start for the Athletics, has a mixed season, holding a 3.92 ERA, which suggests he’s been somewhat fortunate given his 5.00 xFIP. Bido’s high walk rate of 11.5% could be problematic against a Giants lineup that ranks 6th in the league for drawing walks. This could create opportunities for San Francisco to capitalize on Bido’s control issues.

On the other side, Hayden Birdsong, who also has had a rocky time on the mound, will be looking to rebound after a tough outing where he allowed 5 earned runs in just 4 innings. The Giants’ bullpen, rated 1st in MLB, could play a crucial role if Birdsong falters again.

While both teams have their weaknesses, the projections favor the Giants slightly, suggesting they might score around 4.34 runs, while the Athletics are projected for a lower total of 4.00 runs. With the Giants’ recent momentum and the Athletics’ persistence in finding ways to win, this game promises to be a competitive battle at Oakland Coliseum.

San Francisco Giants Insights

• Hayden Birdsong – Over/Under 15.5 Pitching Outs (+135/-180)
  Hayden Birdsong has been given less leash than the typical pitcher this year, throwing 9.6 fewer adjusted pitches-per-game than the average hurler.
  Explain: Pitchers with a shorter leash are more likely to get pulled earlier in games and record fewer outs.
• Patrick Bailey – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-185/+140)
  Patrick Bailey is penciled in 7th in the batting order in this matchup, which would be a downgrade from his 68% rate of hitting in the top-half of the batting order this season.
  Explain: The lower in the order a player bats, the fewer plate appearances he will get and the fewer opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits lower in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting higher.
• Heliot Ramos – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+140/-185)
  Heliot Ramos has a 97th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (39.9%) but may find it hard to clear the league’s 10th-deepest RF fences today.
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Oakland Athletics Insights

• Osvaldo Bido – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-155/+120)
  With 6 batters who hit from the other side in the opposing team’s projected lineup, Osvaldo Bido will be in a tough position while lacking the platoon advantage in most plate appearances in this matchup.
  Explain: Right-handed pitchers perform worse against left-handed hitters (and visa-versa). If several hitters hold this advantage against the pitcher, it can have a huge impact on whether he will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• Brent Rooker – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+125/-165)
  Brent Rooker has seen a sizeable improvement in his exit velocity on flyballs this year; just compare his 97.3-mph average to last year’s 94.9-mph EV.
  Explain: Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.
• The Oakland Athletics have 6 hitters in their projected lineup today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (per the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Max Schuemann, Zack Gelof, Seth Brown, Lawrence Butler, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker).
  Explain: Teams that have multiple high-strikeout hitters will make it much easier for the opposing pitcher to record strikeouts

Betting Trends

• Oakland Athletics – Moneyline (+110)
  The Oakland Athletics have hit the Moneyline in 24 of their last 45 games (+8.90 Units / 18% ROI)
• San Francisco Giants – 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line -0.5 (+120)
  The San Francisco Giants have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 27 of their last 45 games (+6.60 Units / 12% ROI)
• JJ Bleday – Over/Under 0.5 Runs (+125/-160)
  JJ Bleday has hit the Runs Over in 13 of his last 22 games (+8.30 Units / 38% ROI)