Athletics host Angels in four-game series opener

The Oakland Athletics will host the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at 9:40 p.m. EDT in West Sacramento, California, beginning a four-game series between the two AL West teams. The Athletics enter the matchup with a 36-38 record and sit in second place in the division, while the Angels are 30-45 and in fifth place. This marks the fifth meeting between the teams this season, with the Athletics leading the season series 3-1.

Jose Soriano is scheduled to start for the Angels, entering the game with an 8-4 record, 2.79 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts. The Athletics will counter with Gage Jump, who carries a 2-1 record, 3.09 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts. Betting odds favor the Athletics at -136, with the Angels at +112, and the over/under set at 9.5 runs.

The Athletics are 16-21 at home this season but have performed well when scoring in bulk, posting a 26-9 record when scoring five or more runs. Nick Kurtz leads the Athletics' offense with 18 home runs, 13 doubles, and a .292 batting average, while Zack Gelof has hot recently, going 15-for-41 with four doubles and five home runs over the past ten games. The Angels' Mike Trout has 17 home runs and 12 doubles but is batting .234, while Zach Neto has managed nine hits in 44 at-bats with four home runs in his last ten games. The Angels hold a .319 collective on-base percentage, sixth-best in the AL.

Both teams are managing significant injury concerns. The Athletics have five players on the injured list, including starter Luis Severino (shoulder) and position players Brent Rooker (knee) and Denzel Clarke (foot). The Angels face more extensive injury issues with twelve players sidelined, including backup catcher Travis d'Arnaud (foot), infielders Yoan Moncada (knee) and Anthony Rendon (hip), and several pitchers. Notably, starting pitcher Jose Soriano is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury despite being scheduled to start Thursday's game.

In their last ten games, the Athletics are 6-4 with a .294 batting average and 6.77 ERA, while being outscored by three runs. The Angels also stand 6-4 in their last ten contests with a .289 batting average and 3.10 ERA, having outscored opponents by 20 runs during this stretch.