Detroit @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( May 27, 2016 ) Detroit 4, Oakland 1

The Detroit Tigers have won nine of their last 11 games as they visit the Oakland Athletics on Saturday in the middle contest of their three-game series, and the successful run has coincided with the beginning of Cameron Maybin's season. The center fielder contributed an RBI and a run in Friday's 4-1 victory and is 19-for-36 with a home run, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored while hitting in all 10 games since missing the first 37 of the campaign with wrist and shoulder injuries.

The surge vaulted fourth-place Detroit (24-23) to within two games of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. The Athletics (20-29) have lost seven of their last eight contests and five straight at home, falling to 8-16 at Oakland Coliseum, and are 1-4 versus the Tigers this season. The Athletics scored 23 runs in their last eight games and are batting .168 during that span. Oakland's Jesse Hahn allowed five home runs in 24 1/3 innings this season after yielding five in 96 2/3 frames in 2015 and and opposes Matt Boyd, who will be called up from Triple-A Toledo as Jordan Zimmermann misses at least one start with a groin injury.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matt Boyd (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Jesse Hahn (1-2, 4.07)

Boyd was 1-3 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while striking out 41 in eight starts over 48 innings with Toledo. The 25-year-old Washington native did not factor in the decision after permitting two hits and three walks while striking out two in 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in Detroit's 6-5 loss to Cleveland on April 24 in his only appearance with the Tigers this season. Boyd, a sixth round pick by Toronto in 2013, is 1-6 with a 6.97 ERA in 14 career appearances (12 starts) — 12 with Detroit and two with Toronto.

Hahn allowed four runs and six hits (two home runs) in six innings of a 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday. The 26-year-old Connecticut native, who was a teammate of the Mets' Matt Harvey while at Fitch High School in Groton, Conn., pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings in winning his season debut 2-0 over Houston on April 30 but has yielded 11 earned runs and 24 hits over 17 2/3 frames since. Hahn is 2-0 and permitted one run in 16 innings covering two starts versus the Tigers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit LF Justin Upton (quadriceps) returned to the starting lineup Friday after missing three games and 2B Ian Kinsler (illness) returned after missing two. Kinsler was 3-for-5 with single, double, triple and run scored while Upton contributed a hit and a run in four at-bats.

2. Zimmermann (7-2, 2.52 ERA) threw a long-toss session Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday before the Tigers determine whether he'll rejoin the rotation or be placed on the disabled list.

3. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus is expected to return Saturday after missing two games because of his daughter's high school graduation and mother's death. Bench coach Gene Lamont managed the club in Ausmus' absence.

PREDICTION: Tigers 6, Athletics 5