Athletics Ready to Host Cardinals in Battle at Oakland Coliseum

As the Athletics gear up to face the Cardinals at the Oakland Coliseum, fans are cautiously optimistic about their chances. The recent performance of the Athletics has been a mixed bag, with some promising signs but also areas that need improvement.

In their last game against the Boston Red Sox on April 2nd, 2024, the Athletics struggled both offensively and defensively. They managed only four hits and failed to score a run throughout nine innings. Their batting average was a mere .129 with an on-base percentage (OBP) just as low. The team's slugging percentage (SLG) stood at .161, indicating a lack of power behind their hits. Defensively, they committed five errors which is uncharacteristic for a team that prides itself on fielding prowess.

However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for OAK in their previous outings. In an earlier game against Cleveland Guardians on March 31st, 2024, they showed resilience by scoring four runs off nine hits with an improved batting average of .300 and SLG of .467. Despite committing three errors in this game as well, they demonstrated better control over their play compared to the subsequent match against BOS.

The bullpen's performance has been inconsistent too; while they maintained an ERA of 1.0 against CLE with nine strikeouts over nine innings pitched (K9), they allowed seven earned runs in just over five innings (ERA: 8.438) when facing CLE again two days later.

Looking ahead to the upcoming game scheduled for April 17th at Oakland Coliseum starting at 6:40 PM local time (PT), there are several factors that could influence OAK's performance:

1) Hitting under pressure: With an average below par when runners are in scoring position (RISP), OAK needs to capitalize on these opportunities if they want to secure more wins.

Given these points of analysis, it seems clear that while there is potential within this Athletics squad for success against STL – especially considering past resilience – there are definite areas requiring attention if victory is expected.

Fans can catch this anticipated matchup live from Oakland Coliseum or tune into broadcasts available through local sports networks where available.