This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Single Game Bets: Phillies vs. Athletics, June 16th
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Philadelphia Phillies 
vs. Oakland Athletics 
A lot of news around the Oakland A's this year. Losing 50 times in the first 62 games, the lowest payroll in the Major Leagues, Las Vegas land agreements, reverse boycotts. It's all bad news.
In this season of noisy tumult for Oakland, left-handed pitcher J.P. Sears has been a quietly steady performer in the Athletics' rotation. Sears has not allowed more than two earned runs in a single outing since May 14th, and has allowed more than three runs in an outing only three times in 13 starts.
The one potential shortcoming for this 27 year-old lefty is that he has failed to pitch deep into ballgames. Sears has yet to pitch past the sixth inning in any game this season, and has also failed to reach the sixth inning in eight of his 13 starts. That's putting a lot of work on the shoulders of an Oakland bullpen that is sporting an ugly 5.74 ERA. The worst bullpen in the league by quite a bit, just another point of misery for the A's.
The Athletics will attempt to defend themselves against a strong offense from Philadelphia; a city these two teams once shared.
In an effort to fortify their already impressive lineup, the Philadelphia Phillies made a large investment in their offense by signing shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year/$300,000,000 contract in the offseason. As the 2023 season began, the Phillies were putting up as many zeroes as Turner's contract, but things appear to be turning around.
Philadelphia scored 119 runs in April (17th in the MLB), scored just 107 runs in May (25th in the MLB), and have now scored 76 runs already in June (2nd in the MLB). Philly is coming off a solid offensive showing in the desert, collecting 51 hits and 32 runs, and taking three of four games against the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Since the start of June, when the Phillies offense finally began trending up, the team has recorded an OPS of .834 against left-handed pitching, the fifth-best mark in the MLB. When it comes to attacking lefties, one Philly batter stands out: Nick Castellanos.
Castellanos is batting .346 with a .926 OPS against lefties this season and is on fire of late, hitting a whopping .387 with a 1.025 OPS in his last 15 games. If he can do some damage against Sears early, Castellanos and the Phillies should have little issue with whichever pitcher Oakland manager Mark Kotsay calls on from the bullpen.
Plenty of Philadelphia hitters have produced against southpaws as well. Alec Bohm (.835 OPS vs. LHP), J.T. Realmuto (.837 OPS vs. LHP), and surprisingly Bryson Stott (.830 OPS vs. LHP) won't leave it to Castellanos to carry the load.
Turner has been on fire of late, too, hitting .379 (11-for-29) over the past seven games. Despite his .696 OPS on the season, the $300 Million Man has an OPS of .872 in 14 games this June.
Even though J.P. Sears has been okay, this Oakland pitching staff is a mess. The Phillies' offense is clicking right now, and they should put up a big number tonight in Oakland.
*Fun Fact: Phillies infielder Bryson Stott has a Las Vegas tattoo on his arm.
MLB Best Bets for Phillies at Athletics
- Phillies -1.5 (+110 at FanDuel)
- Trea Turner OVER 1.5 Hits (+170 at FanDuel)
- Nick Castellanos OVER 0.5 RBI (+110 at FanDuel)
