Detroit @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2011 ) Detroit 1, Oakland 6
THE STORY: The Detroit Tigers will once again try to clinch the American League Central crown when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Friday. Detroit had a chance to wrap up the division title Thursday but dropped a 6-1 decision to Oakland. The Tigers will wrap up the division either the next time they win or with one more loss by the Cleveland Indians. Detroit was shut down by Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy and two relievers on Thursday as its 12-game winning streak came to an end. The streak was the franchise’s longest since the 1934 Tigers won 14 straight games.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSD (Detroit), CSCA (Oakland).
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Doug Fister (8-13, 3.06 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Trevor Cahill (11-13, 4.32 ERA)
Fister is 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA in eight starts since Detroit acquired him from the Seattle Mariners. He has been spectacular over his last five outings, going 4-0 with a 0.74 ERA - including blanking Cleveland on three hits over seven innings in his most recent start. Fister started twice against Oakland earlier this season when he was with the Seattle Mariners and went 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA. In nine career outings against the Athletics, he is 4-3 with a 2.77 ERA. Cliff Pennington is just 1-for-17 against Fister.
Cahill has won two straight outings to follow up a stretch in which he had just one victory in a 12-start span. He defeated the Texas Rangers in his last outing, despite giving up five runs in five innings. Cahill has walked two or fewer batters in eight consecutive starts. Cahill defeated Detroit in mid-April when he gave up one runs and four hits in eight innings and is 2-1 with a 4.18 ERA in four career starts against the Tigers. Miguel Cabrera is just 1-for-10 against Cahill.
ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (68-82): Oakland belted three homers in Thursday’s victory to raise its homer total to 104, third-lowest in the AL. David DeJesus hit a three-run homer and Kurt Suzuki and Cliff Pennington also went deep. DeJesus’ homer was his first since Aug. 10, and he is batting .315 in 104 career games against the Tigers. Center fielder Coco Crisp was back in the leadoff spot and went 3-for-5 and stole his 41st base after missing five consecutive games with an ankle injury. Josh Willingham was hitless in three at-bats and had a seven-game hitting streak snapped. Rookie second baseman Jemile Weeks (leg cramps) missed his second straight contest.
ABOUT THE TIGERS (87-63): Thursday’s loss was just Detroit’s fifth in 27 games as the Tigers look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Delmon Young homered for the Tigers’ lone run. Cabrera hit his 44th double – his career-best is 50 in 2006 with the Florida Marlins – and also drew his 100th walk of the season. It is the first time Cabrera has reached the century mark in walks. Magglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to 13 games and is batting .370 during his top stretch of the season. Ordonez’s average has risen 22 points to .245. Reliever Al Alburquerque (quadriceps) won’t pitch in the four-game series with Oakland.
FINAL PITCH: DeJesus’ homer was Oakland’s fourth three-run blast of the month. The Athletics haven’t had more than three three-run homers in any other month this season.