A’s look to avoid sweep to end first half

All right folks. It’s the final game of the first half. The 2023 season for the Oakland Athletics has fallen off the rails but the team can finish the first half on a high note with a win against the playoff-contending Boston Red Sox.

On the mound to finish the half is lefty JP Sears. Who would have thought, after battling into the final week of the season for a rotation spot, that he would be the lone remaining member of the Opening Day rotation? And he deserves to finish out the half for the club after tossing 94 ²⁄₃ innings with a 4.09 ERA. A quality line especially for a rookie in their first full season in the big leagues.

The offense on the other hand leaves a lot to be desired. They’ll be tasked with facing off against Boston right-hander Tayler Scott. He’s only pitched in seven games this season, and six of those were for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s likely they’re only asking him to be the opener, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora stated after yesterday’s game that lefty Chris Murphy would be expected to eat up some innings today. Another rookie, Murphy’s gotten off to a strong start to his career but the A’s will be looking to knock him back down to earth. Let’s finish the first half on a high note!

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 9, 10:35 a.m. PDT

Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

TV: NBCSCA

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: A’s Cast, Bloomberg 960 AM / 103.7 HD2