Oakland @ Miami preview
Marlins Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2014 ) Oakland 7, Miami 6
The Oakland Athletics have displayed a great deal of resiliency en route to the best record in the majors, while the Miami Marlins have consistently been unable to deliver in extra innings. The Athletics hope to avoid more late-inning drama when they attempt to complete a three-game sweep in Miami on Sunday. Oakland (50-30) has raced out to early four-run leads in each of the first two games of this series, but has been forced to come back both times when the Marlins staged a five-run rally.
The Athletics, who have won a major league-high 11 times when tied or trailing after eight innings, managed to overcome a poor start from Sonny Gray and rare blown save by Sean Doolittle in Saturday’s 14-inning victory to improve to 9-5 in extra frames. The Marlins have struggled mightily in similar situations, becoming the first team in major-league history to lose at least five games in a calendar month that lasted at least 13 innings. Making matters worse, Miami is 4-8 in extra-inning affairs and has lost 14 of its last 20 at home since starting 19-6 at Marlins Park.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Tommy Milone (5-3, 3.89 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Andrew Heaney (0-2, 4.91)
Oakland lost for the first time in seven games started by Milone, but he escaped with a no-decision despite yielding five runs and eight hits over five innings last Sunday in a 7-6 setback against the Boston Red Sox. The former 10th-round pick of the Washington Nationals failed to register a quality start for the second straight outing after posting one in six of his previous seven turns. Milone, who did not factor into the decision in his only other career start against the Marlins in 2011, is 5-1 despite a 5.08 ERA in nine career interleague starts.
Heaney was unable to follow up his impressive major-league debut at home in which he yielded one run over six innings on June 19, taking his second loss in as many tries in Tuesday’s 7-4 setback against the Philadelphia Phillies. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2012 draft was tagged for five runs on four hits and two walks over five-plus innings. Through two career turns, Heaney is holding right-handed hitters to a .167 average and opposing batters to a .205 average overall.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland starters have posted an 8.88 ERA over the last five games.
2. Athletics LF Yoenis Cespedes is batting .360 during a 12-game hitting streak while Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton is hitting .472 during a nine-game hitting streak.
3. Miami LF Christian Yelich (back) is expected to be activated from the disabled list Sunday.
PREDICTION: Athletics 7, Marlins 4