Los Angeles @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jun 9, 2010 ) LA Angels 7, Oakland 1
The Oakland Athletics just got done losing to one Los Angeles Angels pitcher who dominates them. Now they'll have to face another.
Ervin Santana pitches for the Angels on Thursday afternoon, one day after Joe Saunders mesmerized Oakland hitters for the second time this season.
Saunders improved to 11-4 lifetime against the Athletics with a complete-game seven-hitter on Wednesday night. Saunders blanked Oakland earlier this season.
Santana beat the Athletics earlier this season to raise his lifetime mark to 11-2 and he will look to continue the success in the final game of the four-game series in Oakland.
Santana has a 1.50 career earned-run average against Oakland and has held Athletics hitters to a .208 average.
Catcher Kurt Suzuki (2-for-23) and outfielder Jack Cust (2-for-16, nine strikeouts) are among the Oakland hitters who struggle against Santana.
On the flip side, right fielder Ryan Sweeney is batting a robust .533 (8-for-15) against Santana.
Santana has pitched well against every team he’s faced over his last five starts, beginning with the Athletics.
He was won all five of those outings to improve his record to 6-3 and lower his ERA to 3.29. Santana allowed one earned run of less in three of the outings and gave up one run in six innings against Seattle in his most-recent start.
Santana, who has 70 strikeouts, fanned a season-best 10 against Toronto on May 25.
Trevor Cahill opposes Santana and Cahill hasn’t suffered a loss since the Angels defeated him in Anaheim on May 16.
Cahill (4-2) has won his last three decisions and has a 3.21 ERA in eight starts.
In the loss to the Angels, Cahill pitched seven innings and allowed three runs and five hits.
Cahill is 1-1 with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts against the Angels.
Oakland third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff has a 10-game hitting streak. He’s batting .395 (15-of-38) with three homers during the hot stretch.
Athletics center fielder Rajai Davis (hamstring) will miss his third consecutive game and his status for the weekend series with the San Francisco Giants hasn’t yet been determined.
The Angels had 16 hits on Wednesday with shortstop Erick Aybar (4-for-5) and center fielder Torii Hunter (3-for-5) leading the way.
The four-hit game was Aybar’s second in four games. He also had four hits in Sunday’s victory over Seattle.
Hunter recorded his 40th RBI on Wednesday, taking over the team lead from injured first baseman Kendry Morales (broken leg).
The Angels are 8-2 on their current 14-game road trip, including a 2-1 edge in the current series against the A’s.