Nationals minus $1.13 at A’s
The price is low enough to back the Nationals, the best team in the National League, against the worst team in the American League, the A’s.
Washington has the No. 1 offense in baseball. The Nationals have four players with double-digit homers and already have tied a team record by scoring 13 or more runs six times this season. Michael Taylor has stepped up in centerfield after Adam Eaton was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Taylor is batting .303 since replacing Eaton and has smacked five homers.
Oakland has a bottom-five offense.
The hot Nationals are 9-2 in their last 11 games and 4-0 during their current road swing. Oakland is 1-6 in its last seven with sinking morale and no swagger unlike the Nationals.
The pitching matchup is Joe Ross versus Daniel Mengden. Ross is a much pitcher than he has shown this season. His 6.18 ERA is not indicative of his talent. Mengden doesn’t have such a high ceiling as Ross and his ERA is more than double Ross’ at 13.50.
Ross should be extra pumped having grown up in Oakland hills, which is just a 10-minutes drive from the Oakland Coliseum.
Mengden opened the season on the DL following offseason foot surgery. He made his season debut this past Monday and was hammered for five runs and seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings during a 5-3 loss to Cleveland.
Mengden was 0-7 with a 6.86 ERA as a rookie last year. He is 0-7 in eight career starts at the Coliseum. Oakland is 1-7 in his last eight starts.
