Royals vs. Athletics Monday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Oakland favored at home for first time this season

How bad are the Oakland A's this season? It's August 21, and tonight will be just the first time the A's are listed as home favorites in 2023 when they host the Kansas City Royals, the team with the second-worst record in the majors. Behind ace Paul Blackburn, Oakland per -130 via SportsLine consensus. 

The last time the A's were home favorites was on Aug. 10 last year, when they were -135 against the Los Angeles Angels. L.A. won 5-4. The lone time the A's were favored this year was naturally in Kansas City, a 5-1 Royals victory.

Oakland was just swept in three games at home over the weekend by Baltimore by a combined score of 28-7. The Athletics' season run differential of -303 is by far the worst in the league -- no other team is even at -170. They were officially eliminated from AL West contention with Sunday's loss. The only other time Oakland was eliminated before Sept. 1 was in 1979. The last A's team to be more than 55 games under .500 was the 1946 Philadelphia A's, who finished the year 56 under at 49-105. Oakland has been swept 17 times, tying the team record set in 1978.

Blackburn (3-3, 4.09 ERA) has been one of the few relative bright spots on the Oakland roster. He's is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA and .780 opponents' OPS over his last five starts as he takes the mound tonight. Blackburn shut out the Cardinals over seven innings last time out. It was the sixth time in his 13 starts he allowed one run or fewer, but he is 2-0 with four no decisions in those starts, all A's wins. Blackburn is 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA in three career starts against Kansas City.

Led by Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City has played much better offensively since the break and has played eight straight games decided by two runs or fewer, one shy of the team record set a few times. KC is just 2-6 in those eight. Tucker Davidson (0-1, 5.68 ERA) is expected to open in front of Alec Marsh (0-6, 5.68) tonight. 

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