by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Aug 21, 2021
Game time: 4:07 p.m. ET
Venue: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Where to watch: NBCS BA, NBCSCA
Season-to-date (entering Saturday)
Giants: 78-44 (1st place, NL West)
Athletics: 70-53 (2nd place, AL West)
Recent form (entering Saturday)
Giants: 7-3 in last 10
Athletics: 5-5 in last 10, won last 2
Projected lineup
Giants:
LaMonte Wade Jr. (L) RF
Tommy La Stella (L) 2B
Buster Posey (R) C
Brandon Belt (L) 1B
Kris Bryant (R) LF
Brandon Crawford (L) SS
Alex Dickerson (L) DH
Wilmer Flores (R) 3B
Mike Yastrzemski (L) CF
Athletics:
Mark Canha (R) LF
Starling Marte (R) CF
Matt Olson (L) 1B
Jed Lowrie (S) DH
Yan Gomes (R) C
Matt Chapman (R) 3B
Josh Harrison (R) 2B
Chad Pinder (R) RF
Elvis Andrus (R) SS
Probable starting pitchers: Logan Webb (SF) vs. Frankie Montas (OAK)
Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Giants -110, Athletics -110
BetMGM: Giants -110, Athletics -110
FanDuel: Giants -110, Athletics -110
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Giants - Athletics preview
The San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics will conclude their hotly-contested three-game weekend showdown Sunday at the RingCentral Coliseum.
Good luck trying to find a top pitchers duel to last five innings each, but that’s what happened Friday. James Kaprielian and Alex Wood combined for three runs each, Wood did so on five hits and Kaprielian on only three.
Once it turned to the bullpen, the A’s cashed in on a two-run double from Starling Marte to increase the lead and eventually give the Athletics a much-needed win. Josh Harrison had two RBIs by way of a single in the bottom of the fourth. They’ve rebounded well since only winning one of three against the Chicago White Sox.
Saturday’s second matchup will be exciting to feature Kevin Gausman and Sean Manaea, but Sunday’s matchup on the mound is also set to be exciting.
Frankie Montas will be on the bump for Oakland, who has a 9-9 record this season with a 4.04 ERA. He’s 0-1 in three August starts, having surrendered seven earned runs in that time.
Opposite of Montas, the task will be on Logan Webb to slow down the Oakland batters. Webb is 7-3 with a 2.92 ERA and is 3-0 in his last four starts. Good news is each of those wins have been in California (at home, but who’s counting?).
The Giants will need more offense than what it got Friday. Mike Yastrzemski drove in the only run with a home run to right field in the top of the fifth. Even then, it’s not wise to count out the Giants. No matter the day of the week -- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (not counting the weekends because they need a break, too -- the Giants are going to be a tough out.
The Los Angeles Dodgers did gain another game on San Francisco in the National League West standings Friday, so the margin for error of being in a wild card game or hosting a division series is starting to get really slim.
Betting trends
When an underdog, the Giants are 27-17 (+18.3) this season.
Oakland is 36-24 (+6.4) when favored between -100 to -150.
Prediction
The overall goal is what happens beyond this series. It’s already proven to be a physical series. Who’s going to take the advantage heading into their playoff push? Our gut says Oakland will ride the momentum at home to a series win. Athletics win 5-4.
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
