Oakland @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( May 29, 2010 ) Oakland 6, Detroit 0
Back in sole possession of first place, the Oakland Athletics look like they have a chance in the wide-open American League West.
The A’s will be looking for their fifth straight win today when they take on the slumping Detroit Tigers.
With the Los Angeles Angels taking a step back this season and the Seattle Mariners failing to live up to their potential thus far, the AL West has become a battle between Oakland and the Texas Rangers.
But with the Rangers dropping their third straight game earlier Saturday, the A’s had the chance to take over sole possession in the division for the first time since May 5. Oakland took advantage of its opportunity, getting 5 2/3 strong innings from Brett Anderson and four RBIs from Mark Ellis en route to a 6-0 victory on Saturday night.
Anderson looked sharp despite spending the last month on the disabled list with a sore left elbow. If Anderson is healthy, Oakland may have the best starting pitching in the division and a good chance to stay in the race late into the season.
The Tigers, on the other hand, seem to have hit a bit of a skid recently, dropping four straight and six of seven. The offense has been the culprit, with the Tigers averaging less than three runs per game over that span.
The A’s will send Mr. Perfection, Dallas Braden, to the mound today. Braden, 26, has not won since becoming the 19th pitcher in major league history to toss a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9.
The left-hander left a start against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday after four innings due to a sore left ankle but checked out OK during a side session on Friday. Braden had allowed an unearned run on three hits prior to his exit Tuesday.
In his two previous starts, Braden allowed six total runs and 13 hits in 14 combined innings to suffer back-to-back losses. The Stockton, Calif., native hasn’t gotten much help from his offense this season, getting an average of three runs of support per start.
Braden lasted six innings against the Tigers back on May 19, surrendering six hits and two runs to suffer a loss as Oakland fell 5-1.
Detroit will counter with right-hander Armando Galarraga. The Venezuelan hurler made a cameo appearance in the first game of the series on Thursday, tossing 1 2/3 innings in relief of Dontrelle Willis.
Galarraga needed the extra work because it has been a full seven days since his last start, when he got roughed up by the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing six runs - five earned - and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.
He has faced the A’s eight times in his career - five starts - without much success, compiling a 1-2 record with a 5.65 ERA while issuing 17 walks and five homers in 28 2/3 total innings.