Philadelphia Phillies by 2
Oh, what's this? The Oakland Athletics are moseying over to the Philadelphia Phillies' playground. A classic case of West Coast meeting East Coast at the Citizens Bank Park. This lovely spot has a tiny edge to the batters, so let’s see if the Phillies' power hitters can capitalize on it.
Now let's talk about our main men, the pitchers. Hogan Harris is striding up to the mound for the Athletics. His season stats aren't too shabby: a 3.31 ERA and 7.2 K/9 over 9 games. But Ranger Suarez of the Phillies is having none of that. With a 2.79 ERA and 8.9 K/9 over 18 games, this guy might just be a one-man army.
Oakland boasts a solid group spearheaded by Brent Rooker and his impressive 0.303 batting average, not to mention 15 RBIs and 5 homers. Shea Langeliers isn't far behind with an 0.237 batting average along with 18 RBIs and 5 dingers.
On the other side, we've got the wrecking crew just itching to make some noise. Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber are bringing the heat with a collective batting average hovering around .330 and a total of 20 homers among them. Trea Turner's 0.356 BA and 7 homers stand out too.
Recalling their head-to-head history, the past results lean decidedly towards the Phillies. And when you look at the regular season records - the Athletics at 35-60 compared to the Phillies' 61-32, it all looks a bit one-sided, doesn't it?
Recently, Oakland's seen losses more than victories, unlike the Phillies who've been faring pretty well. This all stacks up in such a way it's hard to see this match going any other direction.
Albert’s Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies by 2