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Friday will mark the beginning of the second series of the season between the Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics. Two AL West clubs with divergent trajectories, both will be looking to pick up some key wins in order to stay competitive, not just in their division, but in the league.
Last week, the two clubs squared off for a four-game series in Houston. The Astros trounced the A's, outscoring manager Mark Kotsay's team by a 22-4 margin over the four fixtures.
As the A's prepare to welcome the Astros to the Coliseum in Oakland for the first time this season, they will undoubtedly be hoping for a different outcome.
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Athletics vs Astros Preview
After a rough start to the season, the Astros appear to be in recovery mode. Having won seven of their last 10, Houston recently took two out of three games against the Milwaukee Brewers, who lead the NL Central. Heading into this weekend series, the team sports a 22-28 record, third in their division.
For the A's, the opposite appears to be true. In the early stages of the season, the Oakland have exceeded expectations, which were rather low considering the team only won 50 games in 2023. Now 1-9 in their last 10, the A's have only scored 17 runs in the past week, which ranks 26th out of 30 teams .
Friday's game will kick off the series, and the scheduled start time is 7:10 pm PT.
Athletics vs Astros Probable Pitchers
The Oakland Athletics will be relying on right hander Ross Stripling for their series opener.
Now 1-8 on the season, Stripling has struggled to limit offense against him this season. The 34 year-old has allowed 69 hits this season, which is the highest of any pitcher in MLB. In his last start against the Kansas City Royals on May 18, Stripling lasted five innings, allowing four earned runs.
"Ross Stripling believes the A's can follow a similar trajectory as the Orioles" - A's on NBCS
For the Astros, veteran ace Justin Verlander is scheduled to take the mound. The 41-year-old appears to be defying his age.
After missing the start of the season with injury, Verlander is 2-2 with a 3.97. In 28 career appearances against the Athletics, the three-time Cy Young winner is 16-8 with a 2.64 ERA.
Athletics vs Astros Prediction
The Oakland Athletics have had a very difficult time finding wins lately. The A's have been swept in both their last two series, and the fact that Verlander is set to take the mound is not good news for fans in the Bay.
Judging by Stripling's weak record, it appears likely as though the Astros will win the first game of the series, possibly by a significant margin.
