Tigers at Athletics
The Oakland Athletics saw their offense go limp during a pronounced stretch before erupting with a season high-tying 14 hits in the finale of their nine-game road trip. Manager Bob Melvin's charges hope that their loud bats traveled back to the West Coast as they begin a six-game homestand Friday with the opener of a three-game series versus the Detroit Tigers.
"You go 2-7 on a trip, it's nothing to be proud of, so winning the last one, hopefully puts the road trip in the rear-view mirror," Melvin said after the Athletics posted an 8-5 victory over Minnesota on Thursday. The outburst was a welcome sight after Oakland mustered two runs or fewer in six of its previous nine games. Detroit saw its offense get back on track with the return of two-time American League MVP Miguel Cabrera en route to winning three straight before Cleveland snapped that skid with a 3-2 triumph on Wednesday. Mother Nature rained out the series finale, pushing 2016 American League Rookie the Year Michael Fulmer into the opener against fellow right-hander Andrew Triggs.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, NBC Sports California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (2-1, 3.19 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Andrew Triggs (4-1, 1.84)
Fulmer extended a pair of streaks on Saturday, as the 24-year-old recorded his fifth straight quality start in as many outings this season and allowed a homer for the fourth consecutive contest in a no-decision versus the Chicago White Sox. Fulmer has struggled a bit since a strong season debut, allowing nine runs while permitting the opposition to bat .271 against him in the first three innings. After the early uprising, Fulmer has limited foes to just two runs and a .122 batting average from the fourth frame on.
Triggs overcame a disastrous start by authoring the best of his career on Saturday, scattering five hits while setting personal bests with nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory at Houston. "To pitch as well as he did and go through the lineup three times, give us seven innings of work was pretty good," Melvin said of the 28-year-old. "He had the one off outing and every (other) outing has been pretty spotless." Triggs will make his first career start versus Detroit on Friday, although he surrendered one run on two hits over a pair of relief appearances in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit LF Justin Upton has struck out 14 times in his last seven contests.
2. Oakland RF Matt Joyce is 4-for-8 with two RBIs and three runs scored in his last two games after a 3-for-22 stretch in his previous seven.
3. Tigers 3B Nicholas Castellanos is 7-for-16 with three doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs in his last four contests.