Series Preview: Oakland Athletics vs LA Dodgers

Jack Flaherty is set to start against the miserly Oakland Athletics on Saturday. Let’s preview his first start as well as the game overall.

Dodger IL/Other Updates:

I’ll probably do this every post I write from now on, especially with the Dodgers being very fond of injuries. Let’s look at it.

Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, and Mookie Betts will most likely not play this game.

Freddie Freeman is still in Los Angeles because of the unfortunate health issue with his son. The issue is the Guillain-Barré syndrome which is a rare neurological disorder. This whole thing started during All-Star weekend when he had a viral infection, then, last Friday in Houston, Freeman was scratched from the lineup because he went into full-body paralysis. It is unknown if Freeman will play, but just like with Taylor, Muncy, and Betts, he will most likely not play this game. More on the story, here. 

Dodgers vs Athletics Series Preview

The A’s are the hottest team in baseball right now and were the hottest in the month of July. No doubt about it. In fact, in their final season in Oakland, they may have a chance to finish 4th place. Heck, while they may be second to last in their wild-card standings, there’s still a chance they could come close, even if they don’t make it.

The Dodgers are not the coldest team in baseball (of course the White Sox love owning losing records), but, they’ve lost their two biggest superstars—Mookie Betts, who’s about to be on the IL for the span of two months, and Freddie Freeman, who’s been out for a week now. They’re 5-5 in their last 10 and got swept by the Padres who are now only 4.5 games back.

This is the probable lineup for the series for the Oakland Athletics:

1. Lawrence Butler
2. Miguel Andujar
3. JJ Bleday
4. Brent Rooker
5. Shea Langeliers
6. Abraham Toro
7. Seth Brown
8. Zack Gelof
9. Max Schuemann

This is the probable lineup for the series for the Los Angeles Dodgers:

1. Shohei Ohtani
2. Will Smith
3. Gavin Lux
4. Teoscar Hernandez
5. Jason Heyward
6. Andy Pages/Kevin Kiermaier/James Outman
7. Cavan Biggio
8. Enrique Hernandez
9. Nick Ahmed

Let’s compare positions and see who’s better. The better player will be the one listed out.

C: Will Smith

1B: Seth Brown

2B: Gavin Lux

3B: Abraham Toro

SS: Nick Ahmed

LF: Teoscar Hernandez

CF: JJ Bleday

RF: Lawrence Butler

DH: Shohei Ohtani

COUNT: DODGERS – 5 ATHLETICS – 4

Most of these comparisons were also based on how hot/cold these players are. For example, Andy Pages has been on a bit of a cold streak, and while he would be the better player, it’s about who performs in the series. In this case, JJ Bleday would probably perform better vs Andy Pages.

My prediction for the series is that the Dodgers win 2-1. The Athletics have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, so this is still going to be a tough one. I say that they lose the first one (against a great Joey Estes), but cruise to take the next two against Mitch Spence and Osvaldo Bido. The pitchers for the Dodgers in this series are going to be great. Pitching matchups in more detail are below.

FRIDAY: Gavin Stone (9-4, 3.38 ERA) vs Joey Estes (4-4, 4.92 ERA)

SATURDAY: Jack Flaherty (7-5, 2.95 ERA) vs Mitch Spence (7-6, 4.47 ERA)

SUNDAY: River Ryan (1-0, 0.82 ERA) vs Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 5.00 ERA)

In Other Dodgers News

• The Yankees would’ve gone for Jack Flaherty with a huge package if not for concerns over injury. That is in fact why the Detroit Tigers received a very small amount for Flaherty. Could this mean another injury that will impact the Dodgers?
• This will be the final series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum. What a beautiful series this has been. The A’s have won more all-time, and are very dominant whenever they play the Dodgers at home, holding a 20-7 record. On the road, they’re 8-17. The A’s have not won a series against the Dodgers since 2015.

Main Image: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports