The Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics square off on Saturday with first pitch set for 4:07 p.m. ET. The game takes place at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Nick Pivetta will start for the Red Sox while Paul Blackburn gets the nod for the A’s.
Boston holds a 25-27 record which is good for fourth place in the AL East. For a team with higher aspirations the Red Sox’ performance has been underwhelming, to say the least. Boston’s bullpen woes have been well noted, but they are hoping that a June rebound is in order if they want to make up ground towards the latter stretch of the season. A 7-2 win over the A’s Friday night is a good start to that goal.
Oakland is clearly in the midst of their rebuilding phase, having traded significant pieces throughout the season. The A’s have struggled at the plate, averaging a .211 batting average which is last in all of baseball. Despite Oakland’s regular-season woes, having Blackburn on the mound could lift spirits heading into Saturday. Blackburn is 5-1 on the season with an impressive 2.15 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.
Red Sox vs. A’s
Pitchers: Nick Pivetta vs. Paul Blackburn
First pitch: 4:07 p.m. ET
Red Sox local broadcast: New England Sports Network
A’s local broadcast: NBC Sports California
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Point spread: Red Sox -1.5
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Red Sox -145, A’s +125
Moneyline pick: Red Sox -145
Oakland’s offensive woes are no secret as they ride a four-game losing streak into Saturday’s matchup with Boston. Despite Blackburn’s encouraging performance to-date this season, the A’s may struggle to provide ample run support against the Red Sox. Boston takes game two of this series with Oakland.
Player prop pick: Nick Pivetta over 4.5 strikeouts (-140)
Pivetta is riding a three-game streak with at least five strikeouts, including an eight strikeout performance back on May 18 against the Houston Astros. Coupled with an A’s roster in rebuild mode and struggling to generate offense, take the over here with Pivetta.
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