The Oakland Athletics have found themselves in a familiar spot, in a playoff elimination game. The only difference between 2013 and years passed is that the Athletics have the lead in the series. Hard to believe that it’s been seven years since the Athletics swept the Minnesota Twins in three games of the American League Division Series, only to meet the same winless fate in the American League Championship Series at the hand of the Detroit Tigers. It wouldn’t be until 2012 that the Athletics would claw their way back into the postseason, once again getting ousted by the Tigers in five games of the ALDS without ever having a lead in the series. In a weird way there is a generational gap of comfort that has come between Athletics fans. On one hands you have the folks who grew up with the team in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s who were used to their winning ways and trips to the World Series. This generation only knows despair, a team that will fight tooth and nail to stay alive only to have their heartbroken in the final game. This is what the millennium change has brought to Oakland. But, today is a new day.
The Athletics have decided to give the Game Four starting job to rookie pitcher Daniel Straily who has only one career outing against the Tigers which came on August 28th in Detroit. Straily pitched six dominating inning in which he gave up only eight hits, four walks, struck out four and allowed one earned run via a Torii Hunter solo home run. In that same game the Athletics pounded the Tigers to the tune of 14-4, giving Straily the easy victory.
Game Three proved that the Athletics’ bats have finally started to wake up as Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss and Seth Smith all went yard off of Tigers’ pitcher Anibal Sanchez while Coco Crisp led three innings off with a double in the first inning, single in the third and another double in the ninth. He also had a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning which scored Game Two walk-off hero Stephen Vogt. The other advantage working in the Athletics’ favor is that in all three games thus far their bullpen has allowed zero earned runs despite two hits and two walks allowed in eight innings of work from Dan Otero, Sean Doolittle and Grant Balfour.
Doug Fister will be taking the hill for the Tigers and has only made one start against the Athletics this season. Unfortunately for him and the Tigers, that game happened to come during that 14-4 mashing on August 28th when Fister allowed seven earned runs in five innings of work. Moss and Josh Donaldson served as the wrecking crew that day with both each recording doubles, singles and a few RBI off of the lanky right-hander. Fister’s last start came on September 24th in a win against the Minnesota Twins in which he allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. His last appearance; however, came on September 29th for one inning of relief in their no-hit loss to the Miami Marlins.
The unusual downside for the Tigers this postseason has been their lack of offensive production. Omar Infante is the only player with an average over .250 (.300) and Jhonny Peralta has been the only person to knock in more than one run as Alex Avila, Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez and an injury-plagued Miguel Cabrera have only been able to plate one apiece.
Fister owned the Athletics in Game Two of the ALDS in 2012, with Donaldson and former shortstop Cliff Pennington being the only two get anything going offensively. This makes sense considering that they were the two shortest members of the team going against the tallest member of the Tigers. Height may play an even bigger advantage this year with Eric Sogard and Alberto Jose Callaspo both playing lower to the ground. Shorter batters have always had greater success against Fister.
Want proof? Back on that August 28th game Sogard went 2-5 with two RBI, Callaspo went 3-5 with one RBI and Donaldson went 3-4 with two RBI. As for Straily, he works incredibly well against aggressive, consistent hitters and his 1.50 career ERA against the Tigers proves that he can handle the pressure of the toughest lineup during Major League Baseball’s regular season. It might be a little premature to say that the equipment staff should seal up the clubhouse and get the champagne on ice, but it wouldn’t be foolish.