Rays vs. Athletics Tuesday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Oakland can set modern underdog record with seventh straight victory

Here's a sentence this writer didn't expect to type for at least a few years: The Oakland A's are the hottest team in the American League. Despite holding the worst record in the majors, the A's look for a historic seventh straight victory tonight but are +180 home underdogs at Caesars Sportsbook against the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays.

Oakland was +230 for Monday's series opener against the Rays but won 4-3 after losing all three games at Tampa Bay from April 7-9 by at least four runs. Shea Langeliers hit a three-run double Monday in the fifth inning to break up a scoreless game. Rookie Ken Waldichuk, who had been one of the worst starting pitchers in the majors this year, earned a three-inning save, the first of his career. Waldichuk became the first A's pitcher since Elias Sosa in 1978 to save a one-run game with three or more innings pitched.

"When you're hot, it's exciting to duke up against guys who are good and guys who are winning games," Kaprielian said. "You want to beat the best at all times."

Oakland's six wins in June are one more than it had in April and equal to its May total. The A's are only the third MLB team since 2004 to win six straight games as an underdog of +145 or more ($100 ML Oakland win bet in each game rolled over would now be worth approximately $64,000), and neither of the previous two teams made it to seven in a row. The highest price against the A's was +244 last Thursday in Pittsburgh. Here are the other two such teams:

• 2013 Astros – Houston's six-game underdog streak started (highest price +219) with two wins at Colorado followed by four at the Angels, but the Astros' run ended with a 4-1 home loss to Baltimore on June 4 as a +150 underdog.
• 2020 Orioles – Baltimore's six-game streak began (highest price +204) with three wins at the Nationals, followed by three at the Phillies, but the Orioles then lost at home to Washington on Aug. 14 as a +154 underdog.

Rookie lefty Hogan Harris (1-0, 6.46 ERA) will make his second career start tonight for Oakland and his fifth overall appearance. He beat the Pirates last time out, allowing three runs over five innings. He has a 10.13 ERA in 5.1 home innings. Harris has never faced Tampa Bay.

Jalen Beeks will open for the Rays ahead of bulk reliever Yonny Chirinos (3-1, 2.60), who allowed one run over 5.2 innings last time out in a win over Minnesota. Chirinos didn't see the A's in the earlier series and only a few of Oakland's players have faced him in the majors. Ramon Laureano is 4-for-8 off him.

Tampa Bay had won six straight in the series, outscoring the A's 50-13, before Monday's loss. The Rays also had won four in a row at Oakland Coliseum. 

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