MLB Game Preview for June 29, 2010: Oakland Athletics @ Baltimore Orioles

Betting on World Cup games this year seems easier than betting on who will pitch a no-hitter in MLB. Phillies ace Roy Halladay had one, and that was really no surprise. The surprise was Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden and his no-hitter in May of this year. He became a media darling and hero to all underdogs. Ever since his no-hitter perfect game on May 9 in which he retired 27 batters in a row, Braden has struggled horribly. 

MLB betting when it comes to playoff time rarely involved the Baltimore Orioles. Ever since Cal Ripken Jr. retired, the Orioles have been hapless. This season is no different. The Orioles have the worst record in baseball and sit 24 games out of first place in the AL East. They are 16 ½ games away from the fourth place Toronto Blue Jays. But the Orioles may be able to offer their fans a home field present in this game and walk away with a win. 

For all of his grit and determination, Dallas Braden's sub-90MPH fast ball is just not holding up in the majors. Since his perfect game, Braden has lost five games in a row with an ERA in that span of 4.31. His season record is 4-7 and his season ERA is 3.83. Even with a lack of major league stuff, the A's keep throwing Braden out there hoping he can make magic happen again. 

The Oakland A's are 10 games out of first place in the AL West and are not considered out of a playoff race this early in the season. While they have problems hitting for power and sit at the bottom of the AL in home runs, the A's can hit. They have a team batting average of .263 and they sit in the middle of the AL in doubles. The problem the A's are having is that they cannot score runs. They only have 50 home runs as a team this season, and they have scored only 312 runs in 77 games. Averaging four runs a game is not going to win a team many games when their team ERA is almost four as well. 

The World Cup semi finals betting is coming up, and that may serve as a nice distraction for A's and Orioles fans. In this game it will come down to the bullpens. Orioles' starter Brian Matusz has lost his last eight straight and has a season record of 2-8. Both starting pitchers come into this game on long losing streaks, and that will probably push this game to the bullpens. 

Both bullpens have blown their fair share of saves this season. The A's bullpen has blown 7 out of 23 save opportunities and the Orioles have blown 12 out of 26 chances. The Orioles have the worst team ERA in the AL at 5.03, and their bullpen is not accustomed to coming to the rescue. 

Dallas Braden has been prone to giving up a lot of runs early in his last few starts, and that could be what kills the A's in this game. 

Pick: Baltimore Orioles 7-3