Oakland southpaw Sean Manaea toes the rubber with a 4.05 ERA in thirteen starts this season, but his peripherals predict greater success in the near future. Specifically, the 25-year-old boasts a 3.52 FIP and 3.90 SIERA, together with a 9.94 K/9 rate.
Manaea’s surface statistics are misleading due to an extremely unlucky 66.9% strand rate. The 2013 first-round Draft pick has compiled a 3-1 record with a 3.00 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 44-to-11 K/BB ratio over his last six starts (39.0 innings).
Let’s also note that Manaea owns a 2.23 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in six career starts against the Astros, allowing a combined 4 earned runs on ten hits in his last three starts versus Houston (a span covering 17.0 innings).
Interestingly, Houston’s potent lineup has not been as productive at Minute Maid Park this season (4.4 runs per game compared to 5.5 runs per game overall in 2017). Houston right-hander Michael Fiers takes the mound in excellent form with a 0.89 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in his last three outings.
Fiers has also been outstanding at home, posting a 2.92 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across six starts. The veteran hurler is backed by a decent Houston bullpen that has a 3.84 ERA and 1.06 WHIP at home, a 3.54 ERA and 1.09 WHIP at night and a 3.58 ERA and 1.09 WHIP versus division opponents.
Oakland arrives in the Lone Star State with an anemic offense that is averaging just 4.4 runs per game in 2017, including just 3.8 runs per game on the road (.688 OPS), 3.7 runs per game versus divisional opposition (.689) and 3.8 runs per game at night (.678 OPS).
From a technical standpoint, the UNDER is 4-1 in Manaea’s last five starts against Houston and 6-2 in the last eight meetings overall in this series (at Minute Maid Park). The UNDER is 7-3-1 in Houston’s last 11 games versus left-handed starters, 20-9-1 in Houston’s last 32 contests during game 1 of a series and 4-0-1 in Fier’s last five starts with five days of rest.
The UNDER is 7-3-1 in Houston’s last 11 games versus left-handed starters, 20-9-1 in Houston’s last 32 contests during game 1 of a series and 4-0-1 in Fier’s last five starts with five days of rest.
Finally, Oakland’s last four games following a game in which it scored 5+ runs have finished UNDER the posted total. Take the UNDER 9 runs as Oskeim Sports’ Free Sports Pick for Tuesday, June 27.
Free Sports Pick for Tuesday: Oakland/Houston UNDER 9 runs