MLB Baseball
2026-07-01 - Los Angeles Dodgers at Athletics
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Wednesday 1st July 2026 - Scheduled 9:40pm EST
2:40am (British Time)
Preview
Eighteen runs have been scored by the Los Angeles Dodgers (56-30) as they have blitzed through the first two games of this inter-League series. They will be looking to keep that firepower going to help the starting pitcher, but Shohei Ohtani is in a position to help himself having had one or two recent issues on the mound.
The three game set is concluded on Wednesday and the Athletics (40-46) have fallen to 4 games behind the Texas Rangers in what is looking like an increasingly weak American League West. All five teams have a losing record past the halfway mark of the season and the top four of those will all believe they can earn a spot in the post-season.
The Athletics will hand the ball to JT Ginn who has a 6-4 record and 3.15 ERA in eighteen appearances this season and fifteen of those have been in starts. It is the third season in the Major Leagues and Athletics should be encouraged by the improvement that JT Ginn has shown on the mound.
They are still dealing with a young pitcher and so there will be some inconsistency, but JT Ginn concluded June with a 3-1 record from the last four starts, despite a 4.30 ERA and allowing at least three runs in three of those starts too.
Pitching against this Dodgers batting lineup is a challenge at the best of times, but facing them after the runs scored in the opening two games will be a bigger test for JT Ginn.
Los Angeles will counter by handing the ball to Shoehi Ohtani who has an 8-2 record and 1.58 ERA in thirteen starts this season, but who has had a few more issues of late.
Shohei Ohtani does have a 6-0 record and 2.11 ERA in his last seven starts, which should be applauded, but he rounded out June with a 2-0 record, but a 4.34 ERA in his last three starts. In each of those, Ohtani has allowed at least three runs while completing at least 6 Innings, but it is only this deep Dodgers batting lineup that have saved the day.
Those recent numbers may have some in the organisation thinking about giving this pitcher a rest and letting him focus on the batting, but that is something the Dodgers will have to consider.
Prediction
There is some uncertainty about the current level of Shohei Ohtani, but the Los Angeles Dodgers batters are seeing the ball really well.
JT Ginn has had a solid season, but his own recent starts have been more indifferent and the Dodgers can put up another big win.
The Pick :
Athletics 3-7 Los Angeles Dodgers
