Oakland Athletics vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction, 6/21/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Cleveland Guardians

Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+165) Cleveland (-195)

The Oakland Athletics (19-55) are hitting the road to Progressive Field on Wednesday where they will take on the Cleveland Guardians (33-38). The line on this contest has the Athletics at +165 while the Guardians are coming in at -195. The total is set at 9. The pitchers expected to start will be Paul Blackburn and Hunter Gaddis.

The Athletics have tallied 101 two-baggers as a team and have hit 68 balls out of the park. Oakland has a slugging rate of .353 and have been called out on strikes 695 times, while being walked on 248 occasions. As a squad, the Oakland Athletics are compiling 3.5 runs per game, which ranks them 30th in baseball. They have compiled 254 runs batted in as well as 545 hits for the season, and their average at the plate sits at .222. They have tallied 262 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .304.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.74 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.55. Athletics pitchers have allowed 111 home runs and 465 runs (30th in MLB). Oakland has yielded 688 hits (9.5 per 9 innings) and 439 earned runs. The Athletics have an ERA of 6.05 over the course of the season (30th in the league), and the staff has rung up 568 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 327 players from the other team and their FIP sits at 5.47 as a unit for the season.

The Athletics have sent 247 relievers to the mound so far this season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 135 runners over the course of the season and 40.0% of those players crossed home plate. They have earned 10 saves this season and have not converted 13 of their 23 chances to save the game. The Athletics relief pitchers have accumulated a save percentage of 43.5% and has entered the game in 45 save situations. The relief pitchers have recorded 21 holds so far this year (29th in baseball). Athletics bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 86 times in addition to having 83 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Oakland Athletics have accumulated 1,959 putouts thus far, in addition to 583 assists and 43 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .983 which has them ranked 24th in baseball, and have accumulated 52 double plays. The Athletics have converted 68.3% of balls in play into outs in their 5,877 innings on the field, which has them ranked 21st in baseball.

Blackburn (13-17 win-loss record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.39 while he has gone up against 1,161 opposing batters during his time in the major leagues. He has given up 299 hits (10.0 hits per nine innings) and has 74 free passes. His earned run average is 4.97 (149 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.381. Blackburn has taken the ball for 270 frames and has 189 K's so far in his career.

The Cleveland Guardians are sitting with an on-base percentage of .310 and a batting average of .245 this season. They have struck out on 503 occasions (29th in the league) and have 589 base knocks. Cleveland has knocked in 46 long balls for the season and 260 runs batted in. The Guardians have a SLG% of .368 and they tally 3.90 runs per outing (27th in the league). They have notched 128 two-baggers, while taking a walk 217 times as well as scoring 277 runs.

The Cleveland pitching staff have conceded 299 runs so far this season while having a team ERA of 3.88 (274 earned runs conceded). They have given up 74 homers and they surrender 4.23 runs per 9 innings (8th in MLB). The Guardians are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.292 with a FIP of 4.19 as a staff on the year. Their K/BB ratio sits at 7.80 (548 strikeouts vs 219 free passes). They rank 16th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 603.

Sitting with 80 save situations, the Guardians have accrued 41 holds and also 14 blown saves. Cleveland has had relief pitchers enter the contest in 38 save chances and they have tallied 24 saves. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 92 times in high leverage situations and on 61 occasions with base runners. Cleveland relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 19.8% out of 81 inherited runners. They are currently ranked 14th in the league with a save rate of 63.2%, and they have sent 229 relief pitchers to the mound this year.

The Cleveland Guardians have turned 48 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .987 (13th in pro baseball). The Guardians have 663 assists, 35 errors and have notched a total of 1,908 putouts this year. In their 5,724 innings on the field, the Guardians have earned a efficiency on defense of 70.1% (7th in the majors).

In his career, Gaddis has given up 44 base knocks while he has totaled 26 punch outs in 38 innings. Gaddis (1-3 career win-loss mark) has earned a 7.68 earned run average while conceding 10.2 hits per nine innings. He has conceded 33 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.448 and being the owner of a FIP of 6.8. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.17 and he has gone up against 174 batters so far in his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Oakland (+165)

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