Blue Jays at Athletics
The Oakland Athletics have suddenly stopped hitting – and winning.
The Athletics, who won 12 of their first 14 games following the All-Star
break, have lost three of their last four contests as they start a
four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The
Athletics dropped two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays to start their
10-game homestand, but still hold down the final spot in the tight
American League wild card race by 1½ games over Tampa Bay, Baltimore and
Detroit. Oakland has scored six runs in its last four games after
recording 58 in its previous seven contests.
Oakland has scored six runs in its last four games after recording 58 in its previous seven contests. RHP Bartolo
Colon won his last start after going winless in his previous five
outings and will oppose Toronto’s Henderson Alvarez, who has a
team-leading 11 quality starts but only three since June 7. The Blue
Jays have lost four straight, including a 5-3 setback to complete a
three-game sweep at Seattle on Wednesday, and have fallen five games off
the wild card pace.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, SN-1 (Toronto), CS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Henderson Alvarez (7-7, 4.43 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Bartolo Colon (7-8, 3.78)
Alvarez
held Detroit to one run and five hits in seven innings in Toronto’s 5-1
victory on Saturday and has alternated good starts with bad ones over
his last five outings. He allowed seven runs in 5 2/3 innings in the
Blue Jays’ 15-7 win at Boston on July 22. Alvarez is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA
in two starts against the Athletics and has only yielded one double
among eight hits in 27 at-bats against their roster.
Colon was
0-2 with three no-decisions before yielding seven hits and striking out
five in 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Oakland’s 6-1 victory at Baltimore on
Saturday. He had allowed four runs in each of his previous two starts.
Colon is 9-5 in 23 career starts against the Blue Jays, whose roster is
batting .317 against him. Toronto should consider playing 45-year-old
Omar Vizquel – he is 8-for-20 with a homer, three doubles and five RBIs
against Colon.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto RF Jose
Bautista, who injured his wrist while swinging during an at-bat at
Yankee Stadium on July 16, was eligible to come off the disabled list
Wednesday, but isn’t ready to return.
2. Oakland franchise-record 19-5 mark in July was the best by an AL team since New York was 23-6 in 1956.
3. Athletics OF Josh Reddick is mired in a career-worst 0-for-21 slide.