Athletics at Pirates
The Oakland Athletics are not having much fun on their road trip with losses in each of the first six games. The Athletics dropped to 4-11 away from home with a loss at Boston on Wednesday and will try to snap the slide when they visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday for the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Oakland dropped three straight at Toronto to begin the trip before falling in three in a row at Boston and watched the pitching staff surrender an average of 6.2 runs in the six contests. "Guys are just frustrated," Athletics right-hander Mike Fiers, who allowed three runs over five innings in Wednesday's 7-3 setback, told reporters. "Everyone expects more out of themselves. Everyone is not clicking on all cylinders, and we're not playing the baseball we know how to play. We know it'll come; we just have to stay at it." The Pirates went through a similar lull with losses in eight in a row before breaking out of the funk with back-to-back wins at the Texas Rangers, capped by a 7-5 triumph on Wednesday. Pittsburgh will try to make it three in a row behind right-hander Joe Musgrove while Oakland sends lefty Brett Anderson to the mound on Friday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.35 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (1-2, 1.54)
Anderson allowed three or fewer runs in each of his first five outings but was knocked around for six runs on 10 hits and a pair of walks over 4 1/3 innings at Toronto last Saturday. The veteran Texan suffered a sprained left ankle coming off the mound to field a grounder in his previous outing and was pulled after 2 2/3 frames. Anderson is 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.
Musgrove is winless in his last four outings despite posting a quality start in each, including allowing three runs - one earned - and six hits over 6 2/3 innings in a loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. The 26-year-old owns 31 strikeouts in 35 innings while yielding one homer through his first six appearances. Musgrove spent his first two seasons in the American League West with Houston and is 1-1 with a 1.33 ERA in seven career games - three starts - against Oakland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics 1B Kendrys Morales is 3-for-41 over his last 14 games.
2. Pittsburgh rookie OF Bryan Reynolds is riding a nine-game hitting streak to begin his career.
3. Oakland LF Khris Davis is homerless in his last 15 games.