Oakland @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2018 ) Cleveland 15, Oakland 3

The Oakland Athletics are one of the hottest teams in the majors, having won eight of nine to move a season-high nine games over .500. The surging Athletics (48-39) aim to continue their torrid stretch on Friday when they begin a stretch of 10 straight road contests with the opener of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians (48-37).

Khris Davis went 5-for-10 with three doubles in last weekend's series versus Cleveland and is batting 10-for-27 during his seven-game hit streak. The 30-year-old, however, is a woeful 0-for-9 with seven strikeouts against Friday starter Carlos Carrasco, who will make his first start since being ushered to the disabled list after Joe Mauer's line drive drilled his throwing elbow in a game against Minnesota on June 16. Carrasco will be backed by an offense that has erupted for 33 runs during the Indians' four-game winning streak. Michael Brantley had an RBI double in Wednesday's 3-2 victory at Kansas City, giving him four RBIs and as many runs scored during his five-game hitting streak.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS California (Oakland), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Paul Blackburn (2-2, 6.46 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (8-5, 4.24)

Blackburn would love a repeat performance of his last outing against Cleveland, as he overcame a 47-pitch start in his first two innings to scatter three hits and strike out five in 6 1/3 scoreless frames in a 3-1 victory last Friday. The 24-year-old retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced to finish his sterling outing that came on the heels of posting a 12.70 ERA in his previous three starts. Blackburn owns a 1-0 mark with a 2.19 ERA in two career starts against the Indians.

Carrasco tuned up for the series opener by tossing four scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Akron on Saturday. "Carrasco came through everything really well on Saturday," manager Terry Francona told reporters. "He threw 65 pitches and went to the bullpen and threw a few more. He touched 97 mph, picked off a couple of guys. He texted me and said he's ready to go." The 31-year-old Venezuelan, who owns a 3-1 mark with a 2.61 ERA against Oakland, has flustered Marcus Semien (0-for-9) and Jed Lowrie (1-for-10).

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor went 6-for-12 with two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored in last weekend's series against Oakland.

2. Lowrie answered a five-game hitting streak by going 2-for-9 with six strikeouts over his last four contests.

3. Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion is mired in a 2-for-21 stretch, although one of the two hits left the park in a 15-3 romp at Oakland on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Athletics 3