MLB Baseball
2012-04-21 - Cleveland Indians at Oakland Athletics
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
United States: Major League Baseball
Saturday 21 April 2012 - First Pitch 9:05pm ET
2:05am (British Standard Time)
Preview
This is the second game of the series between the Cleveland Indians (7-5) and the Oakland Athletics (7-8) at the Coliseum in Oakland. Cleveland took Game 1 with a 4-3 win last night and they will look to improve their road record which has seen them win 6 of their first 7 games this season.
The Indians will look to continue their hot start on the road by giving the ball to Jeanmar Gomez as he still appeals his 5 game suspension imposed by the MLB. Gomez was ejected in his last start for deliberately hitting a Kansas City batter and he lasted just 2 innings in that game.
Gomez had a great time against the Oakland Athletics last season as he went 1-0 in his two starts against them and a 0.79 ERA.
It is likely Gomez is going to have to match that effort as Oakland are sending Brandon McCarthy to the mound for fifth start of the season. McCarthy is 0-2 so far this season but has a 3.60 ERA as a lack of run support has really made it tough for him.
McCarthy gave up just 2 runs in 8 innings pitched against the Cleveland Indians last season, although the Oakland lack of run support hurt him in that game as they lost 2-1.
The pitcher is 3-1 in his last 5 starts against the Indians and he has a 3.60 ERA in those games.
Head to Head
Cleveland have improved to 5-1 in the last 6 games in the series between the teams following the win last night.
The Indians have also won 3 of their last 4 games in Oakland.
Prediction
I am going to take the underdog Cleveland Indians to make their best road start to a season since 1988 in a game that looks like it may well be decided by a couple of runs either way.
Brandon McCarthy is the 'bigger name' pitcher going to the mound for the Athletics, but he has a fairly big ERA against the Indians and the Oakland bats have not really offered him a lot of support on the scoreboard.
Jeanmar Gomez has made a decent, if stunted, start to the season and he has performed well in his last two starts against Oakland.
Cleveland have had the hotter bats of the two teams and I think they look like a lively underdog to me.
The Pick :
Oakland Athletics 1-2 Cleveland Indians
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back the Cleveland Indians @ 2.25
