Cleveland @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2013 ) Cleveland 7, Oakland 1

Nick Swisher is enjoying his first trip to Oakland in a Cleveland uniform and he'll try to lead the Indians to a series victory when they finish a three-game set with the Athletics on Sunday. Swisher, who played his first four seasons with Oakland, went 4-for-8 over the first two games and hit a home run in Cleveland's 7-1 victory Saturday. The win moved the Indians within 3 1/2 games of the Athletics for the second American League wild-card spot and kept them six behind Detroit in the Central.

While Oakland leads the wild-card race by three games over Baltimore, it fell 1 1/2 games behind Texas in the AL West. Tommy Milone will be recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and start for Oakland in place of Bartolo Colon, who was put on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain. Cleveland counters with Scott Kazmir, who had his start pushed back because of a dead arm as he continues his impressive comeback season.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH Scott Kazmir (7-5, 4.18 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Tommy Milone (9-9, 4.39)

Kazmir suffered his first loss since June 10 - a span of 10 starts - when he yielded five runs and six hits in three innings of a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 9. The 29-year-old, who made only one major-league start since 2010 prior to this season, allowed one run and struck out 10 in six innings in a 9-2 victory over Oakland on May 9 during Cleveland's four-game sweep of the Athletics. Kazmir is 10-5 with a 3.77 ERA in 18 starts against Oakland.

Oakland will miss Colon and his 14-5 record as Milone returns after posting a 1.74 ERA while walking one and striking out 15 in two starts with Sacramento covering 10 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old's last major-league appearance came against Texas on Aug. 2, when he yielded six runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings of an 8-2 loss. Milone allowed an unearned run and five hits in seven innings of the Athletics' 1-0 loss at Cleveland on May 7.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland's Michael Bourn homered in the seventh inning Saturday to snap an 0-for-11 drought and is 3-for-22 in the first five games of the Indians' road trip.

2. Oakland's Coco Crisp popped out in a pinch-hitting role with two on and two out in the eighth inning Saturday after missing the previous three games because of a left wrist injury. He stayed in the game and played center field.

3. The Indians are 18-7 against the AL West.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Athletics 2