Athletics at Tigers
Miguel Cabrera’s breakout did not last more than one game, and the Detroit Tigers could use his help on offense. The Tigers hope to get something out of the middle of the order and take the lead in the series when they host the Oakland Athletics in the third contest of their four-game series on Wednesday.
Cabrera went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs in Monday’s 7-3 victory but dipped back down to 1-for-4 with a single and three strikeouts in a 5-1 setback the following night. Detroit has dropped five of its last six games and the former MVP has gone a combined 1-for-15 in the losses. The Athletics snapped a three-game slide with Tuesday’s triumph and leaned on starter Rich Hill to pick up a staff that had surrendered 22 runs in the previous three contests. Oakland will turn to ace Sonny Gray in search of a second straight quality start while the Tigers counter with former MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Sonny Gray (3-1, 2.73 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (1-2, 5.79)
Gray recorded a quality start in each of his first four turns and struck out a season-high seven in as many innings while yielding three runs at Toronto on Friday. The Vanderbilt product owns 24 strikeouts in 26 1/3 frames but is trying to get his walk rate down after issuing 11 free passes. Gray is 1-0 with a total of four runs allowed over 14 innings in two career starts against Detroit.
Verlander was ripped for seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings by Pittsburgh on April 11 but responded with back-to-back strong efforts. The 33-year-old could not get enough support from his offense to back a seven-inning stint against Cleveland on Friday in which he struck out 10 and allowed two runs on four hits. Verlander is 9-6 with a 2.51 ERA in 16 career starts against the Athletics but has not faced them since 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics 3B/LF Chris Coghlan is 0-for-7 in the series, dropping his batting average to .169.
2. Detroit OF Tyler Collins avoided a suspension after making an obscene gesture toward the home crowd during Monday’s game.
3. Oakland minor league RHP Sean Murphy, 27, died on Monday. The cause of death was not announced.