I don’t think I’ve ever watched an Athletics game in this slot in 2026, but that changes on Tuesday. The A’s have been sitting for weeks, even though they got a win on Monday night. Still, they look to be in the dark tonight in Arizona in their second game of a three-game series. It’s 9:40 pm ET for the first pitch from Chase Field, and the Diamondbacks are -136 moneyline favorites in our MLB odds, while the Over/Under for total runs scored is 9.5.
Athletics-Diamondbacks MLB pick (DraftKings)
- Arizona will not hit 9 (+110)
It may seem like a long time ago to Athletics fans — of which there are few left with the team leaving Oakland — but the club spent 44 days alone or in a tie for first place in the AL West earlier this season. Most recently after a win over the Angels on June 18, the A’s sit at 38-38 and are only a half game out of the division lead. They got about 30% of the playoffs with the SportsLine Projection Model.
The club is now 43-57 with a 1.3% shooting percentage and is much closer to the AL West final spot for the Halos than a wild card spot. In fact, the Athletics have the worst run differential in the majors so far at minus-111. Part of that is playing more games in that Sacramento minor league park. They also had a few earlier this year at a Las Vegas minor league ballpark that turned out to be the perfect launch pad. Manager Mark Kotsay is in the big hot seat.
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I don’t really get this because there is some really good young talent on the roster, led by All-Star linebacker Shea Langeliers. They also had 2025 AL Rookie of the Year and pitcher Nick Kurtz and shortstop and 2025 AL ROY runner-up Jacob Wilson – pitching in Monday’s 5-2 win. Scheduling generally hasn’t been a problem — the test crew has been. Owns a 5.29 ERA better than only Colorado. The Athletics have 20 quality starters, 34 fewer than the MLB-leading Dodgers.
JT Ginn has been excellent in the rotation, and rookie Gage Jump has shown promise, but that’s about it. Every other pitcher with a double-digit start has an ERA of at least 4.16. Converted reliever Jack Perkins (2-5, 6.87 ERA) gets the call tonight, his seventh start and 25th appearance of the season. The Athletics have lost their last five games on the mound. Perkins followed up last week’s opener in Detroit but took the loss again, allowing three runs over three innings.
The 26-year-old faced Arizona last year as a rookie and gave up four runs and five hits over three innings in a home loss. The model projects him at 5.3 innings, 5.9 strikeouts, 4.5 hits allowed and 2.7 earned runs tonight. All of that seems generous.
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Arizona should be a buyer before the trade deadline, sitting just a half game out of the last NL wild card spot. That race could be interesting with six mixed teams remaining. Snakes -245 for extra baseball and +200 for No. The model gives them a 22.0% chance.
Do the Diamondbacks have the accountability to get there? Maybe if Corbin Burnes makes it back from Tommy John surgery, but now that’s obviously not until September if that is the case. Regular celebrities like Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly have down seasons. Gallen and fellow starter Michael Soroka are on the injured list — Gallen’s season could be over — so Arizona needs a body on Tuesday, and that will obviously be rookie lefty Kohl Drake on the mound in the 26-year-old’s first game.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder, one of three prospects from Texas at the 2025 trade deadline, is ranked as the franchise’s No. 1 overall prospect. 10. He is 3-5 with a 6.92 ERA in 66.1 innings this season for Triple-A Reno.
Obviously, that’s not a great ERA, but you can throw that number into the Pacific Coast League (where Reno plays) since all those parks are so popular. Drake has been called a few times over the past few years but has yet to show up. The Athletics have struggled against lefties at 12-22, and the model projects Kohl at 5.0 innings, 4.9 strikeouts, 6.2 hits allowed and 2.5 runs.
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The Warriors took advantage of Corbin Carroll’s absence from the Arizona lineup on Monday, but Carroll should be back there and Sacramento last won back-to-back games on June 25-26. Obviously, I wish it was a veteran pitcher for the Snakes and not a rookie, but he should beat Perkins. Check out more expert picks in SportsLine’s daily newsletter.
