Sunday’s series finale between the New York Mets and the Oakland Athletics at Sutter Health Park sets up an exciting conclusion to a three-game set where the Mets are looking to complete a series sweep and the Athletics are striving to avoid a fourth straight defeat. The Mets, who sit at 9–5, have found a winning formula through disciplined plate appearances, power production from the heart of the order, and a pitching staff that leads the league with a remarkable 2.10 team ERA through their first 12 games. Griffin Canning will get the start for New York and brings with him a 2.79 ERA across 9.2 innings pitched, looking every bit the part of a mid-rotation stabilizer after refining his approach to rely more heavily on his slider and changeup. Backing Canning is an offense led by Pete Alonso, who’s batting .333 with a .607 slugging percentage, and Juan Soto, who despite a .279 average continues to draw walks at an elite clip, evidenced by a .404 OBP. Their presence in the lineup has provided the Mets with both power and patience, forcing opposing pitchers to work through taxing innings and giving the bullpen consistent leads to protect. While the Mets have faced some adversity with injuries to Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, their depth has held up under pressure, and their ability to produce runs late in games has been key in tight contests. On the other side, the Athletics come in with a 5–9 record and a few offensive bright spots despite their struggles, most notably rookie infielder Jacob Wilson and slugger Tyler Soderstrom. Wilson is hitting .396 and has brought steady contact and on-base ability, while Soderstrom’s .354 average and .771 slugging percentage have made him one of the more dangerous bats in the Oakland order.

Unfortunately, the rest of the A’s lineup has not provided consistent support, and their pitching staff has been unable to contain opposing lineups, giving up an average of 5.6 runs per game. JP Sears will get the start for Oakland and carries a 3.46 ERA over 13 innings, representing one of the few stable arms in a rotation that has otherwise been tagged early and often. Complicating matters further for Oakland is the hitter-friendly nature of their temporary home at Sutter Health Park, which has seen teams average nearly 12 runs per game, with high batting averages and frequent home runs—a tough recipe for a pitching staff that’s already overworked. The Athletics will need to lean heavily on Sears to deliver five or six quality innings, while the offense must string together rallies rather than rely solely on solo home runs. Meanwhile, the Mets will aim to jump on Oakland’s pitching early and let their bullpen carry them the rest of the way. Given New York’s current momentum and matchup advantages, they are in a strong position to exit Sacramento with a sweep and head back east with one of the best records in the National League. Whether the Athletics can play spoiler and reset their trajectory or the Mets continue their dominant start will depend heavily on the early innings and which team handles the hitter-friendly conditions more effectively.