While Arizona did have the first chance to land a knockout blow, in the second inning, Jake Peavy pitched very well last night in Arizona and the Giants looked to be the better side in our third loss this month. That runs the May mark to 5-3 so let’s get that sixth win and avoid a slide back down to .500 here at the end. I’m willing to give a struggling Sonny Gray the nod in a spot where he offers plenty of value on Sunday.
Sonny Gray’s ERA has nearly doubled (3.81 to 6.00) over his last two starts, in which he allowed seven earned runs each. The first came against Seattle when Bob Melvin’s decision to let him come out for the 8th inning proved 
imprudent. He was knocked out and the bullpen allowed both of his inherited runs to score. The last struggle came against Boston, who’s been terrorizing whoever steps into Fenway Park these days. Gray threw a lot of quality pitches that the Sox managed to put good wood on. He gets Tampa Bay this afternoon, a totally different type of lineup, looking to right the ship. His velocity is still there. And I believe we will see a dominant Sonny Gray this afternoon.
Matt Moore’s recent struggles haven’t been as conspicuous, probably because it’s more of a real regression to expectation rather than a outstanding spike. Moore was a punching bag last year and he’s regaining that status after posting a 2.95 ERA through three starts this season. He’s walked seven and failed to finish five innings in each of his last two starts. He’s also become exceedingly more hittable and has given up exactly 41 hits in 41 innings pitched on the year. We’ll stick to the half unit plays for now, though it’s tempting to play Oakland as the underdog for a full unit today.
Free Pick: Oakland +130
YTD: 10-7-1 +2.14
2015: 31-25-5 +1.09
2014: 45-28-3 +9.02
matt moore • oakland athletics • sonny gray • Tampa Bay Rays • tropicana field