MLB Daily Picks – FREE pick for September 1st is Oakland

MLB Daily Picks FREE pick of the day is Oakland:

Fixture: Tampa Bay @ Oakland
Time/Date: 4:05 PM ET, September 1, 2013
Pick: Oakland
Odds: -126 (1.79 in decimal odds) @ 5Dimes

This will be the final game of 3 game series played in Oakland. Oakland won 4-3 on Friday and 2-1 yesterday. Tampa Bay is leading season series 3-2. They swept Oakland at home back in April.

Oakland is second in American League West with 77-58 record, 2 games behind leaders Texas. They are 41-25 at home. Tampa Bay is second in American League East with 75-59 record and they are 31-33 on the road.

Tampa Bay is 1-6 in their last 7 games overall. They've scored just 16 runs in those 7 games. Their third baseman Evan Longoria is 2-for-23 with one RBI during last 6 games and right fielder Wil Myers was 0-for-22 before scoring a double yesterday.

Oakland is 5-1 in their last 6 games overall, scoring 40 runs during that period.

A.J. Griffin will be starting for Oakland today. He is 11-9, 3.94 ERA in 27 starts this season. He recorded a win in his last start 5 days ago in Detroit allowing 4 earned runs while striking out 4 in 5 innings of work. He has faced Tampa Bay just once, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings of a 4-3 Oakland victory on July 30, 2012. Oakland is 4-0 in Griffin's last 4 starts vs. American League East teams, 12-2 in Griffin's last 14 home starts vs. a team with a winning record, 7-2 in Griffin's last 9 starts as a favorite, 17-5 in Griffin's last 22 home starts, 13-4 in Griffin's last 17 starts as a home favorite and 9-3 in Griffin's last 12 starts.

Tampa Bay is sending out Jamey Wright, who is 2-2, 2.97 ERA after 54 relief appearances in 2013. This will be his first start since 2007. Wright has allowed 19 earned runs on 48 hits in 57.2 innings of work.

Oakland is 44-18 in last 62 home games against Tampa Bay and I expect them to win today.