A’s vs. Phillies game thread

Let’s finish off the first half with a series win

It’s here folks. The final game of the first half is about to kick off and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Alright that’s hyperbole but the A’s do have a chance to take the series to wrap up the first half of the 2024 season. The A’s have one of the worst records in baseball while the Phillies are owners of the best record in the sport. Stealing a series win to head into the break would be a fantastic way to wrap up the first half.

The A’s will send out rookie right-hander Joey Estes in today’s finale. Estes looked to be turning a corner with a fabulous complete game shutout a couple weeks ago. His most recent start however went about as poorly as one could hope as he allowed eight runs without escaping the second inning. He was supposedly under the weather in that blowout but who really knows. Which Estes will we get today?

The Phillies meanwhile will throw out right-hander Orion Kerkering. The rookie has made 34 appearances for Philly this season out of the bullpen but today will be his first career major league start. Don’t expect him to last long today as the most innings he’s thrown in a single outing this year is just 1 1/3. It’s fair to expect Philadelphia to dip into their bullpen early and often in today’s contest.

The Oakland lineup:

And the Philly lineup:

Come on guys! Run through the finish line and finish the first half strong.