FINNs GETAWAY DAY TOP of the TICKET TOTAL – Cards at Athletics Total Under 8.0 (-112) List Matz and Blackburn || 2% game rating || Starting Pitchers: List Matz and Blackburn || Venue: Oakland Coliseum || Home Plate Umpire: Chris Guccione || Weather: The forecast for Oakland and the Bay Area calls for Clear to partly cloudy with first-pitch temperatures in the mid-60's. No precipitation is expected; variable winds blow from 4-8 mph.
Blackburn has been at his best in 2024, albeit typical for the veteran journeyman, stringing together two, three sometimes a handful of successful appearances. The Oakland Athletics right-hander is listed as the club's No. #1 starter on the depth chart and the A's Ace has strung 19.1 shutout innings together to start the season. Blackburn owns a 5.1 K/9, 1.4 BB/9, and 3.92 xFIP in his first three starts. All three starts by Blackburn have resulted in Oakland victories. The 30-year-old won't induce a large number of oohs and aahs with his lack of an out pitch. The veteran limits runs, avoids free passes, and misses the barrel of the opposing bats. Blackburn misses barrels and induces soft contact.
Matz was sharp in his first March start for the Cardinals limiting the Dodgers to five hits and two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. Beset by injuries in his first two seasons with the Cards, the club went into Spring Training with a focus on keeping Matz healthy. The club purposefully brought him along slowly. Matz whiffed Ohtani twice; and used his newly crafted changeup to get Betts to ground into a double play to end a threat in the fifth inning and record the win. Of His 81 pitches, Matz threw 29 changeups. Seattle has struck out in 27 percent of their at-bats against lefties this season and has the fourth-lowest OPS when facing southpaws. Finn's Pick to Click is a play Under the Total of eight runs in the Coliseum.