Arizona Diamondbacks vs Oakland Athletics Picks and Predictions June 28th 2024

A’s Visit Diamondbacks, Look to End 11-Game Road Losing Streak

Early on in the game, Sears admitted that he had trouble controlling his fastball. He stated, “That’s where I’ve done really well in games.” When I’ve come out, I’ve been able to throw my slider and offspeed off my fastball with good command. In his three years of service, Sears has never played the Diamondbacks.

Struggles and Strategy

Mental Mistakes and Team Efforts

“There’s a lot of mental mistakes we made in this series that we’ve got to clean up,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay after their 5-2 loss to the Angels on Wednesday. The team is looking to tighten up their game and focus on making fewer errors.

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Starting Pitcher: JP Sears

The A’s will start left-hander JP Sears, who is also aiming to improve after a tough June. Sears has a record of 0-3 in his first four starts of the month with a 9.18 ERA. Despite the rough patch, Sears remains optimistic, saying, “You just remind yourself that it’s a long season.”

Sears, who has a season record of 4-7 with a 5.04 ERA, had a particularly difficult outing last Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. He allowed a career-high eight runs and nine hits in just 1 1/3 innings, marking his shortest stint as a major league starter. “Real tough day for JP, one that we’ll just turn the page on,” Kotsay commented.

Sears admitted to having difficulty with controlling his fastball in the beginning of the game. “He stated that is the area in which he has excelled in games.” “When I have effectively unleashed my fastball and followed it with my slider and offspeed pitches.” This will mark Sears’ initial encounter with the Diamondbacks in his three-year professional journey.

Diamondbacks’ Recent Performance

Bouncing Back from a Tough Loss

The Diamondbacks are looking to recover from a 13-6 loss to the Twins on Thursday. Starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery only lasted 2 2/3 innings, which put pressure on their bullpen early.

Starting Pitcher: Slade Cecconi

Arizona will start right-hander Slade Cecconi for the series opener. Cecconi has a season record of 2-6 with a 5.74 ERA. In his most recent start last Sunday, he worked only three innings, allowing one run on five hits in a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Like Sears, Cecconi has never faced the A’s in his career.

Third Base Decisions

The Diamondbacks tried Kevin Newman at third base on Thursday. Newman went 1-for-3 with two RBIs but committed a costly two-run throwing error in the second inning. Manager Torey Lovullo has been considering different options at third base, including Eugenio Suarez, who has struggled offensively, and rookie Blaze Alexander.

“It’s been on my mind,” Lovullo said about trying Newman at third. “I think it was just natural for me to see what Newman looked like over there.”

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Protective Measures and Key Players

Protecting Key Players

During Thursday’s game, Lovullo made the decision to remove two of his best players, second baseman Ketel Marte and first baseman Christian Walker, to avoid potential retaliation after reliever Bryce Jarvis hit Twins players Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa with pitches. “I can assure that Bryce Jarvis was not trying to throw at anybody, and we do not have that reputation, but my senses were heightened,” Lovullo explained. “I was on alert, and I was protecting some of our athletes.”

Ketel Marte’s Performance

On Thursday, the Diamondbacks benefited from Marte’s contributions, which included a home run and a double. He additionally figured out that he is one of the two finalists to be the Public Association beginning second baseman at the 2024 MLB Elite player Game.

This first game of the series is important for both the Athletics and the Diamondbacks because both teams want to win and turn things around.