This matchup features one of the worst teams in the American League against a team that is in a three-team race for the AL West title when the Oakland Athletics travel to take on the Houston Astros in game three of a three-game series in which the Athletics have won the first two games including a 2-6 win in game two of the series on Tuesday. 

Will the Athletics complete the three-game series sweep on the road against the Houston Astros or will the Astros end their two-game losing streak? Let’s take a deeper dive into how these teams are performing this season. 

The Oakland Athletics enter this game with the 2^nd worst record in the American League with a record of 46-99 which puts them 34 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot in the American League and 35.5 games behind the Houston Astros for 1^st place in the AL West. 

Oakland has compiled a record of 7-4 in September and is on a two-game winning streak which includes a 6-2 win in game two of the series against the Houston Astros. Three of the runs for the Oakland Athletics came in the 1^st inning which included a two-run home run hit by Shea Langeliers that also scored Ryan Noda.

Houston enters this game with a record of 82-64 which puts them in 1^st place in the AL West and gives them a 1-game lead over the Texas Rangers for 1^st place in the division. The Astros have compiled a record of 5-6 in September and are on a two-game losing streak which includes Tuesday’s 2-6 loss in game two of the series against the Oakland Athletics. One of the runs for the Houston Astros came in the 5^th inning when Mauricio Dubon scored off a double hit by Jeremy Pena.

BookMaker has the Houston Astros listed as -260 money line favorites at home against the Oakland Athletics in game three of the series on Wednesday night. Houston has won seven of the last ten games in the series by an average margin of 1.1 runs per game while the Athletics have won two of the last three games in the series by an average margin of 2.33 runs per game. 

Oakland has a slight advantage at pitcher in game three of the series as the Athletics will send Paul Blackburn to the mound while the Astros will send Hunter Brown to the mound on Wednesday. Blackburn is 4-4 this season with a 3.88 ERA while recording 95 strikeouts while Brown is 10-11 on the year with an ERA of 4.78 and has recorded 162 strikeouts.

Paul Blackburn is 1-1 with a no-decision in his last three starts this season while allowing five runs and recording 15 strikeouts in those matchups with his last start coming on the road against the Texans Rangers in which Blackburn allowed two runs and recorded five strikeouts in a no-decision.

In his last three starts this season, Hunter Brown is 1-2 while allowing 11 runs and recording 19 strikeouts in those contests with his last start coming at home against the San Diego Padres in which Brown allowed six runs and recorded five strikeouts in a loss.

Oakland has the advantage at pitcher and has been the better team most recently in the series, winning two of the last three games by an average margin of 2.33 runs per game. However, I still look for Houston to get the win in a close game which is why I am taking the Oakland Athletics +1.5 on BookMaker for this matchup on Wednesday night.