The Athletics and Phillies are set to face off in a three-game weekend series in Sacramento for this inter-conference matchup. The Philadelphia Phillies will be confident they can add on to their red-hot 30-18 start to the season, while the Athletics are simply looking to stay in playoff contention. The Athletics will be underdogs in this matchup, given their 22-27 record at the bottom of the American League West, but anything can happen in the cruel sport of baseball. Will Philadelphia extend its win streak as it heads out West, or can the Athletics restore a shred of dignity to their lost franchise?
Series Introduction:
- Teams: Philadelphia Phillies at Athletics
- Dates: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 23rd-25th, 2025
- Time: First pitch is at 10:05 PM, 10:05 PM, and 4:05 PM EST
- Venue: Raley Field in West Sacramento, California
Series Preview:
The Athletics technically have home-field advantage in this matchup, but they have a losing record at home and don’t even play in their original city anymore. They are transitioning from Oakland to an undetermined location and are playing in West Sacramento for this season.
In recent games, these two teams have been heading in opposite directions. The Athletics have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games, while the Philadelphia Phillies have gone 8-2.
On the injury report, Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola has been placed on the 15-day injury list with a sprained ankle and will remain out for the entirety of this series. Relief pitcher Christian McGowan is still out after his Tommy John surgery, but the rest of the Phillies’ lineup is healthy and ready to go. For the Athletics, they are missing a pair of starting pitchers in Luis Medina and Ken Waldichuk. Both have been out for the last month, but are inching closer to their returns, although they will not impact this series.
Head-to-Head:
The Philadelphia Phillies have been the better team in recent years during this rivalry, and they will be hoping they can take advantage of the Athletics in this series. They lost their series last year 1-2, but swept the Athletics in 2023. They also won their 2022 series at home by a scoreline of 2-1, and currently hold a 14-13 advantage in this series all-time.
Recent games have not been nail-biters, as the Athletics won their most recent meeting by an incredible 18-3 scoreline. That drubbing came just one day after the Phillies had a blowout victory of their own, beating the Athletics 11-5.
Key Stats and Facts:
Not only are the Athletics sitting at a poor 22-27 record, but they have been getting consistently blown out this season. Their -64 run difference is the second-worst in the American League, and it is hard to imagine their fortunes changing against a strong Phillies team. The Athletics are temporarily playing in Sacramento as the owner looks for a more permanent home, and it is clear they have no home-field advantage at this stage of the season. The fan support has been poor, and the Athletics have gone just 8-15 in West Sacramento. Compared to their 14-12 record on the road, it is safe to say they gain no advantage by playing in California.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been dominant wherever they play. They sit on top of a competitive National League East division, and cannot afford to drop games with the New York Mets hot on their tails. Their 30-18 record is the best in the National League and the second-best in the MLB. The Phillies have been great at home, going 17-8, but still have a winning record on the road with a 13-10 away record. The Phillies will feel confident they can navigate West Sacramento to pick up a series victory, and possibly even a sweep against the Athletics.
Predicted Lineups:
The predicted lineups will change slightly throughout this series, but there is no doubt about the batting order for both of these teams. The starting pitchers have yet to be announced, but regardless of who is on the mound to kick off this series, the Philadelphia Phillies will have the advantage. Regarding the batting order, the predicted lineups are as follows:
Athletics Predicted Batting Order and Lineup:
- 1: Jacob Wilson
- 2: Tyler Soderstrom
- 3: Brent Rooker
- 4: Shea Langeliers
- 5: Lawrence Butler
- 6: Nick Kurtz
- 7: Luis Urias
- 8: J.J. Bleday
- 9: Johnny Pereda
For more insights, see our Giants vs Marlins Prediction breakdown
Philadelphia Phillies Predicted Batting Order and Lineup:
- 1: Bryson Stott
- 2: Trea Turner
- 3: Bryce Harper
- 4: Kyle Schwarber
- 5: Nick Castellanos
- 6: Max Kepler
- 7: J.T. Realmuto
- 8: Alec Bohm
- 9: Brandon Marsh
Tips and Score Prediction:
The best MLB picks you can make for this series are to take the Philadelphia Phillies on the run line. There is no doubt the Phillies will be road favorites against the Athletics for all three games of this series, thanks to their electric bats and consistent offense. There is no reason to make picks in the -200 range when there will be great MLB odds on the run line. The Phillies have scored five or more runs in five of their last six games, and they will blow the Athletics out more often than not.
Final Thoughts:
This is a one-sided series between two MLB teams heading in opposite directions. The Phillies have never looked more dominant, and a slow start from the Atlanta Braves has allowed them to take control of the NL East. Meanwhile, the Athletics don’t even know where they will be playing baseball next season, and have lost 8 of their last 10 games. They have been poor at home all year long, so if you can get favorable MLB odds with the Philadelphia Phillies, they are the way to go for all three games of this series.
