Oakland @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 6, 2018 ) Oakland 4, Cleveland 10

Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber has won 18 games on three occasions, including in each of his American League Cy Young Award-winning seasons, and he's two-thirds of the way to matching his career-best total. Kluber can become the first Cleveland pitcher in 43 years to win 13 games by the All-Star break when he faces the visiting Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

The Indians ran their winning streak to five games with a 10-4 rout in the series opener as Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion each had two hits and three RBIs. Francisco Lindor also collected two hits and stole home on the back end of a double steal with Ramirez to give Cleveland its eighth consecutive victory at home. Oakland arrived in Cleveland having won eight of nine games but couldn't protect an early 2-0 lead courtesy of towering home runs from Dustin Fowler and Matt Olson. Kluber will be opposed by the well-traveled Edwin Jackson, who will be looking to beat Cleveland for the second time in eight days.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Edwin Jackson (1-0, 2.13 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (12-4, 2.64)

Jackson has pitched superbly since he was promoted by Oakland late last month, tying a major-league record in his season debut by appearing with his 13th team. He settled for a no-decision despite tossing six innings of one-run ball and followed that up by earning the win last time out, limiting Cleveland to two runs over 6 2/3 innings. Yonder Alonso is 7-for-18 with two homers off Jackson.

Kluber bounced back from the shortest start of his career -- a 1 2/3-inning debacle at St. Louis -- by permitting three runs over six innings in a victory at Kansas City on Tuesday. He is 2-2 over his last four turns after opening the season with 14 consecutive quality starts. Kluber is 2-4 despite a 2.66 ERA against the Athletics and Matt Chapman is 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs off him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Ramirez and Lindor are the first pair of Cleveland teammates with at least 50 extra-base hits each in the first half.

2. Olson has 19 homers this season and 43 in his first 157 career games -- the fifth most in history.

3. Indians LF Michael Brantley has hit safely in six straight games.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Athletics 3