Oakland @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 3, 2010 ) Oakland 4, Cleveland 5
The Cleveland Indians can't catch a break.
For one of the few times this season, they're playing well - Saturday night's 5-4 win over Oakland in 10 innings was Cleveland's sixth win in seven games - and then more bad news comes along.
Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, clearly the Indians' best player so far this season, will be placed on the disabled list Sunday because of a right thumb injury.
Choo's injury occurred Friday night when he tried to make a diving catch of a hit by Jack Cust that turned out to be a double in the eighth inning.
His glove hand seemed to twist awkwardly when he hit the ground. Choo left the game in the ninth and didn't play Saturday. He had an MRI exam, which revealed enough damage to put him on the DL. The extent of the injury will be announced Sunday.
Choo's absence is just another blow to the Indians. Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (broken left forearm) and Grady Sizemore (microfracture surgery on left knee) have been out for six weeks. It's unclear how long Choo will be out. He's batting .286 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 78 games.
Michael Brantley will be called up from Triple-A Columbus to take Choo's roster spot.
Fausto Carmona starts for the Indians in today's series finale. The right-hander has won three of his last four starts, including a victory over Toronto his last time out. Carmona gave up four runs (three earned) and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
He beat the A's in Oakland on April 24, allowing one run in 7 1/3 innings. Carmona is 3-3 with a 5.87 ERA in eight games (seven starts) in his career.
Right-hander Vin Mazzaro will start for the A's. He will be making his 10th appearance and seventh start of the season. Mazzaro has been in the rotation since June 8, when he replaced the injured Brett Anderson.
He has made five starts since, going 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA. Mazzaro, who started the season at Triple-A Sacramento, got the win in his last start at Baltimore. He walked six, a career high, but held the Orioles to one run and three hits.
Mazzaro lost his only career start against the Indians on July 3, 2009.
The teams split the first two games of the series. Oakland took a 3-0 win on Friday behind the pitching of Gio Gonzalez. Cleveland won Saturday night's game on Matt LaPorta's walk-off single.
Oakland third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff won't be in the lineup Sunday, thanks to an 0-for-29 slump, the longest skid of his career. Manager Bob Geren plans to give Kouzmanoff the day off.