The Oakland A's just had a bad week. They dropped two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals before getting swept by the Cleveland Guardians. Over the last six games, they've been outscored 31-16 and their run differential on the year has fallen to a dismal -37.
Things won't get any easier, as the Athletics get set to face off against the Yankees for a four-game set before heading to Baltimore to take on the Orioles for three. The Yankees have a half-game lead in the AL East over the Orioles, and both teams look impressive in the early going.
The A's, on the other hand, do not. Their 63 runs scored are good for 29th in MLB and they don't have a ton of top-end prospect talent coming to save the day. It doesn't help that they've been performing below their already low expectations, but you almost have to figure that this group of guys will get things turned around at some point.
Probable starting pitchers
- Lefty JP Sears will toe the rubber for the Athletics in today's matinee. He enters with a 1-1 record over 4 starts, pitching to a 4.35 ERA. He's been sharp in his last two outings, going 5.1 innings against the Cardinals with one run allowed, and throwing 6.1 scoreless against the Rangers the week before last. His 3.2 K/9 is the second lowest among pitchers with more than 20 innings, but he's finding a way to make it work. The Yankees don't strike out a ton to begin with but we'll see if Sears can make it three strong starts in a row.
- Lefty Carlos Rodon gets the nod for the Yankees. After an extremely disappointing 2023, Rodon is off to a 3.66 ERA and a 1-1 record in his first four starts. His 12.2% walk rate is higher than the Yankees would like, but the big thing for him is being healthy. Rodon managed just 64.1 innings in 2023, working around hamstring and elbow injuries. The Yankees expect to have him on the mound every 5 days, especially with ace Gerrit Cole out indefinitely with an elbow strain. He'll face a struggling A's offense in today's matchup.
Oakland A's starting lineup, April 22
- Esteury Ruiz, CF
- Tyler Nevin, RF
- Brent Rooker, DH
- Shea Langeliers, C
- Abraham Toro, 3B
- Zack Gelof, 2B
- Ryan Noda, 1B
- Nick Allen, SS
- Max Schuemann, LF
New York Yankees starting lineup, April 22
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Juan Soto, RF
- Aaron Judge, CF
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
- Alex Verdugo, LF
- Jose Trevino, C
- Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B
What channel is the Oakland A's game on today?
- Game time: 10:05 am PDT
- Athletics fans can watch on NBCSCA
- Yankees fans can watch on the YES network
- Out-of-market fans can watch on MLB Network
How can I stream the Oakland A's game today?
- NBC Sports Bay Area Live
- MLB.tv (today's game is MLB.TV's Free Game of the Day)
- Fubo TV (subscription required, free trial available)
How can I listen to the Oakland A's game today?
- The Athletics broadcast will be available on A's Cast and Bloomberg 960AM/103.7 HD2
- The Yankees broadcast will be on WFAN 660/101.9 FM, and WADO 1280