Baltimore Orioles vs Athletics Picks and Prediction for Friday August 28 2026

The Baltimore Orioles travel to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, to face the Athletics on Friday, August 28, 2026. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET, with coverage on MLB.TV. Baltimore enters at 65-68 overall and 31-34 on the road, while the Athletics are 53-81 overall and 25-41 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before placing any wagers, check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Baltimore is expected to start Brandon Young, who enters at 9-3 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 123.1 innings. He has allowed 123 hits while striking out 99 and walking 45, with 16 home runs surrendered. The Athletics are expected to counter with Jacob Lopez, who is 5-4 with a 4.98 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 94 innings. He has allowed 92 hits with 90 strikeouts and 47 walks while giving up 15 home runs. Baltimore owns the stronger starting-pitching profile based on both run prevention and overall consistency.

Orioles Carry Momentum Into Sacramento

Baltimore enters Friday at 65-68 and has won four of its last five games. The Orioles are coming off consecutive victories by scores of 8-7 and 13-1, and they also recently picked up wins of 3-2 in extra innings and 5-3. Their only loss over that stretch came by a 3-1 score.

The Orioles are batting .237 with 604 runs, 1,049 hits and 163 home runs. Their offense carries a .319 on-base percentage and .399 slugging percentage. On the pitching side, Baltimore owns a 4.19 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, while opponents are hitting .254.

Baltimore's recent offense is the most encouraging part of the matchup. The Orioles have scored 21 runs across their last two games, and their 163 home runs give them legitimate power upside against an Athletics staff that has struggled badly at preventing runs. Baltimore also owns the stronger overall record and has been much more competitive away from home than the Athletics have been at Sutter Health Park.

Athletics Riding Their Own Hot Stretch

The Athletics come into Friday at 53-81, but their recent results are considerably better than their season record suggests. They have won four of their last five games, including victories of 7-4, 4-2, 7-6 and 4-3. Their lone defeat during that span was a 9-6 loss.

The Athletics are batting .245 with 585 runs, 1,115 hits and 158 home runs. They have a .319 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage. Their biggest weakness continues to be pitching, where they own a 5.46 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, with opponents batting .270.

That pitching profile is difficult to overlook. Oakland's offense compares reasonably well with Baltimore in several categories, but the massive gap in staff ERA creates a significant disadvantage. The Athletics have allowed nearly a run and a quarter more per nine innings than Baltimore, and their 1.50 WHIP suggests opposing offenses are getting frequent baserunners.

Baltimore Orioles vs Athletics Picks and Prediction

Pick: Baltimore Orioles Moneyline

Baltimore gets the edge because of the superior starting pitcher, stronger overall pitching staff and recent offensive momentum. The Athletics have played well lately, but their 5.46 team ERA and 1.50 WHIP remain serious concerns against an Orioles offense that has produced 21 runs over its last two games. Baltimore is also 12 games better in the standings and has a more respectable road record than Oakland's 25-41 home mark. The Orioles moneyline is the preferred side.

Pick: Over 8.5

The total was not available at the time of writing, but take the Over if the number is set at 8.5. Oakland's pitching staff has been one of the weakest statistical units in this matchup, entering with a 5.46 ERA and allowing opponents to hit .270. Baltimore has also been scoring well recently, while the Athletics have produced at least four runs in each of their last five games. Even with Baltimore holding the starting-pitching advantage, the Athletics have enough offensive form to contribute. This matchup has a reasonable path toward nine or more combined runs.

Final Picks: Baltimore Orioles Moneyline and Over 8.5 if available.

This preview was completed before play on Thursday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.