The Oakland A’s announced on Wednesday that they have inked a binding deal to buy land in Las Vegas to build a new stadium, with a retractable roof and seating for about 30,000 fans. They are just the latest sports team to move to the Strip after the Oakland Raiders left town for a new stadium of their own in Las Vegas. The total cost of the project will be $1.5 billion, with public funding covering $500 million. The A’s have a lease in Oakland that expires after the 2024 season, so they could start playing in Las Vegas the next year, using their Triple-A team’s stadium. Will this influence the team’s attitude as they play the AL West-leading Texas Rangers this weekend? We have a MLB betting preview for that series finale, as well as a prime-time Saturday game between the defending world champion Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves, who won it all in 2021.
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Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves
When: Saturday, April 22 at 7:20 pm ET
Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV / Streaming: MLB.tv
Projected Pitching Matchup: Framber Valdez (1-2, 1.80 ERA) (HOU) vs Kyle Wright (0-0, 6.23 ERA) (ATL)
Framber Valdez has pitched well this season but doesn’t have a lot to show for it. The defense left him hanging on Sunday, as he struck out seven Rangers over six innings while allowing just four hits and a pair of walks. He allowed five runs to score, but only one of them was earned in a 9-1 loss. He has not permitted more than two earned runs in any start this season, but the Astros have not scored more than three runs in any of his starts, and the bullpen has hung him out to try twice.
Kyle Wright didn’t make his debut until April 11, and he is still working up to starter-length stamina. He allowed four earned runs in three innings in his first start, at home against Cincinnati, a game that the Braves would win, 7-6. He made it 5 ⅔ innings on Sunday, striking out six and walking three while permitting two runs on four hits in an eventual 5-4 win in Kansas City. The bullpens figured in both decisions, and it’s worth noting that Wright has not yet faced an offense close to what Houston has. Astros to win.
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Oakland A’s at Texas Rangers
When: Sunday, April 23 at 2:35 pm ET
Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV / Streaming: MLB.tv
Projected Pitching Matchup: Kyle Muller (0-1, 7.23 ERA) (OAK) vs Jacob deGrom (1-0, 3.48 ERA) (TEX)
Kyle Muller started 2023 well, throwing 10 ⅔ combined innings in games against the Angels and the Guardians. He struck out eight combined, allowing just three earned runs on eight hits, walking just four. However, he’s been much more hittable lately, getting shelled for 12 runs on 20 hits, including two home runs in his last two starts, going just four innings each in losses to Baltimore and the Cubs. If he’s going to have a chance against the Rangers, he needs to find much less of the middle of the plate.
Jacob deGrom has been the ace that the Rangers needed so far this season, although he left his last start early with wrist soreness. At the time, he had thrown four innings of no-hit ball against the Kansas City Royals, with five strikeouts and a walk. He did get knocked around on Opening Day for five runs in six hits over 3 ⅔ innings, but he did get seven of his 11 outs via the strikeout. Since then, he has struck out 25 batters in three starts, against just three walks, allowing three earned runs on nine hits over 17 innings combined. He says that his wrist is good to go, but we’ll see. Rangers to win.
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