Tigers at Athletics
The bits and pieces that general manager Billy Beane has picked up over the last several months are starting to pay dividends for the Oakland Athletics. Josh Reddick, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox over the winter, went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs on Friday while Brandon Inge, who was picked up off the scrap heap last month after being cast aside by the Detroit Tigers, has homered in four of the last five games. The Tigers cannot seem to gain any traction moving forward.
Detroit has not put together back-to-back wins since April 17-18 and dropped back to .500 with Friday’s setback. At least Miguel Cabrera is beginning to come around, going 6-for-9 with five RBIs in the first two games of the series. The Tigers will need to find a way to slow down Oakland’s offense, which has gone for six or more runs in three of the last four games and went off for a season-high 11 on Friday. The Athletics entered the series 13th in the American League in runs.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, CS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Doug Fister (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Brandon McCarthy (2-3, 2.96)
Fister left his start April 7 with an oblique injury and did not come off the disabled list until a month later, when he yielded four hits in seven scoreless innings at Seattle. The 28-year-old struck out three and did not walk a batter against the Mariners. Fister has gone 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 career starts against Oakland.
McCarthy has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his seven starts and is coming off back-to-back wins. The right-hander worked 6 2/3 innings at Boston on May 2, allowing one run, but was scratched from his last start with shoulder soreness. McCarthy is 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 15 career games - eight starts - against Detroit, though Cabrera is 4-for-10 with a pair of doubles off the 28-year-old.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Athletics recalled Collin Cowgill on Friday to help out in center field while Yoenis Cespedes (hand) heals. Cespedes could be back as soon as Saturday.
2. Reddick is batting .362 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in the last 13 games.
3. Inge has 16 RBIs in the last five games.