Cleveland @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2016 ) Cleveland 1, Oakland 0

The American League Central-leading Cleveland Indians seek their fifth victory in six games when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Cleveland eked out a 1-0 triumph in the series opener as Carlos Santana belted a one-out solo home run in the eighth inning to help the club increase its division lead over Detroit to 7 1/2 games.

Santana is second on the team with 27 homers and needs one more to eclipse the career high he originally set in 2011 and first matched three years later. While the Indians are looking to secure the top spot in the Central, the Athletics are hoping to avoid the basement in the AL West. Oakland returned home from a 1-5 road trip to register only four hits en route to its eighth loss in nine overall contests and sit just one-half game ahead of the last-place Los Angeles Angels. Rookie Ryon Healy notched two of the team's hits and enters Tuesday with a nine-game hitting streak during which he has recorded four two-hit performances.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Danny Salazar (11-4, 3.57 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (4-8, 4.73)

Salazar lasted just one inning in his return from a stint on the disabled list with elbow inflammation, yielding three runs on one hit and three walks while throwing only 16 of his 34 pitches for strikes against the Chicago White Sox. The 26-year-old Dominican has worked a total of only seven frames over his last three turns, surrendering 13 runs on 12 hits and seven walks in that span. Salazar won both of his previous career starts against Oakland, allowing two unearned runs and six hits while registering 12 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings.

Manaea dropped to 1-4 over his last nine appearances, which includes one relief outing, after yielding five runs and nine hits in six innings at Texas on Wednesday. The 24-year-old rookie from Indiana has worked at least six frames in six of his last seven starts and fell one out shy of six in the other turn and has given up three runs or fewer five times in that span. Manaea, who never has faced Cleveland, has recorded all four of his major league victories at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics SS Marcus Semien is expected to be placed on the paternity leave list as he left the team Monday to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

2. Cleveland LHP Andrew Miller is 2-for-2 in save opportunities while striking out 16 in 10 2/3 innings since being acquired from the New York Yankees.

3. Oakland DH Billy Butler was placed on the seven-day concussion list and was fined as a result of his altercation with teammate Danny Valencia last week.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, Athletics 3