Oakland Athletics vs Milwaukee Brewers Picks and Predictions August 25th 2024

At 4:07 PM ET, the Brewers and Athletics face off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, and the Brewers are favored on the money line (-129). The Athletics are +109 at the moment, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs.

Frankie Montas will start for the Athletics, and he is facing off against Joey Estes. Milwaukee comes into the game with a record of 75-54 and is currently on a two-game winning streak. The Athletics are 55-75 and have lost two straight. They are fourth in the AL West, while the Brewers are leading the NL Central.

Frankie Montas will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that start against the Cardinals, he went seven innings and gave up just three hits. Looking at his overall numbers, Montas has made 23 starts and has a record of 6-8. His ERA for the season is 4.57, along with a WHIP of 1.39. Opposing batters are hitting .238 off Montas this year. Out of his 23 starts, Montas has seven quality starts and is averaging 7.79 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 16 homers and is averaging 3.86 walks per nine innings.

William Contreras and Willy Adames have been the Brewers’ top power threats this season, as Adames’ 22 homers lead the team and is 13th in the league, while Contreras is 3rd on the team with 17 homers. Adames also comes into the game with the team’s top batting average at .251. Rhys Hoskins has 21 homers but is batting just .219 for the season.

Adames has been hot of late, going 8/22 in his last five games with three runs scored and four RBIs. Jackson Chourio is also on a four-game hitting streak and is 8/22 in his last five games. However, Hoskins has gone just 3/19 in his last five games.

Right-hander Joey Estes gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Brewers at home. Estes has made 17 starts this year and has a record of 5-6 with a 4.44 ERA. In his last outing, he went 7 2/3 innings, taking the loss while giving up just one earned run. Looking back over his last three starts, Estes has given up a total of four earned runs. One of his complete games this year was a shutout. Opponents are batting .242 off Estes this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.7 strikeouts and just 2.08 walks.

For the season, the Athletics are averaging 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game, but on the road, they are averaging just 3.8 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .231 and are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. However, they do have the 6th most home runs in the league.

Brent Rooker comes into the game with a team-high 30 home runs and is batting .289 for the season. He is also 9th in the league with 87 RBIs. Catcher Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 22 homers but is batting just .223. Miguel Andujar is on a five-game hitting streak and has gone 9/33 in his last eight games.

As the Milwaukee Brewers wrap up their final visit to the Oakland Coliseum, right-hander Frankie Montas will take the mound against his former team, the Oakland Athletics, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Brewers are aiming for a series sweep as they continue their strong push atop the National League Central.

Montas Returns to Familiar Grounds

Frankie Montas, who joined the Brewers from the Cincinnati Reds at the July trade deadline, is set to make his first appearance at the Coliseum since he was traded from the A’s to the New York Yankees back in August 2022. The 31-year-old pitcher spent the bulk of his career in Oakland after being traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2016. During his time with the A’s, Montas appeared in 114 games, 89 as a starter, and had his best season in 2021 when he finished sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting with a 13-9 record.

Now part of the Brewers’ impressive pitching staff, Montas has been a solid addition, going 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts since joining Milwaukee. His contributions are helping the team’s push toward the postseason. Reflecting on his time with the Brewers, Montas expressed his admiration for the team’s pitching expertise.

“These guys over here, they’re pretty amazing,” Montas said. “They have a pretty good knowledge of what they’re doing out there. I’m just trying to soak up as much information as I can to try to reach the next level like they are.”

Oakland’s Future and Joey Estes on the Mound

The Athletics, who are set to relocate to Sacramento next season before moving permanently to Las Vegas in 2028, will counter with 22-year-old right-hander Joey Estes (5-6, 4.44 ERA). Acquired from the Atlanta Braves in 2022, Estes has been showing promise lately, going 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA over his last seven games, lowering his season ERA from 5.29 to 4.44 during that stretch.

Estes has never faced the Brewers, but he’ll have the tough task of slowing down a Milwaukee lineup that has been on fire throughout the series. The Brewers secured dominant victories of 11-3 and 9-5 in the first two games, showcasing not only their hitting and pitching skills but also their athleticism and speed—something that caught the eye of A’s manager Mark Kotsay.

Brewers’ Dominance in the NL Central

Milwaukee comes into Sunday’s game 11 games over .500, with a commanding 10.5-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Brewers are in prime position to make another postseason run, with Montas looking to further solidify his role in their rotation. Meanwhile, the Athletics are out of playoff contention and focused on developing their young talent as they prepare for their eventual move to Las Vegas.

Brewers and A’s Ready for Series Finale Showdown

As the Brewers aim to complete a sweep of the Athletics in their final visit to the Oakland Coliseum, all eyes will be on Frankie Montas as he faces his former team. With Milwaukee looking to extend their dominance in the NL Central and Oakland preparing for a future beyond the Coliseum, Sunday’s game serves as both an end of an era and a glimpse into what lies ahead for these two franchises.

For a money-line pick, we are leaning towards the Athletics to come out on top at home. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 5th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. These teams are also projected to finish with the 3rd most combined strikeouts. Looking at today’s starters, we like the strikeout potential of Frankie Montas, who has the 7th best odds compared to Joey Estes, who is 19th.