Reds at Athletics
Circumstances forced the Oakland Athletics to endure a lengthy delay before the opener of their three-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, but Mike Fiers' performance made the wait worthwhile. Oakland hopes for a similar performance from Brett Anderson when it hosts Cincinnati on Wednesday for the middle contest of the set.
The start of the series opener on Tuesday was delayed for 98 minutes due to a problem with the lights in left field at Oakland Coliseum, but Fiers rewarded the 11,794 fans who waited out the issue by tossing the second no-hitter of his career in a 2-0 victory. Jurickson Profar gave Fiers plenty of support, recording two of the Athletics' five hits - an RBI double in the second inning and a solo homer in the seventh - while making a superb defensive play in the sixth to preserve the no-hitter. Profar has gone 7-for-20 during a five-game hitting streak to raise his batting average to .193. The Reds have lost seven of their last 11 contests and were blanked in two of their last four setbacks.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Sonny Gray (0-4, 3.89 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Brett Anderson (4-2, 3.89)
Gray is hoping to pick up his first victory of the season at the expense of his former team as he makes his eighth start of his initial year with Cincinnati. The 29-year-old Tennessean has worked six or more innings only twice and lasted five against San Francisco on Friday, yielding three runs on four hits and three walks in a no-decision. Gray, who recorded 14 wins twice during his tenure with Oakland, made his only career start versus the Athletics while with the New York Yankees on May 11, 2018 and suffered the loss after surrendering five runs on nine hits and three walks in five frames.
Anderson avoided his third consecutive loss on Friday as he allowed just one run and four hits over six innings in a victory at Pittsburgh, marking the third time in four turns on the road he has given up fewer than three earned runs. The 31-year-old Texan worked a total of seven frames in back-to-back setbacks against Toronto, surrendering eight runs and 14 hits. Anderson is 2-1 with a 5.17 ERA in three career starts versus Cincinnati.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics OF Stephen Piscotty is riding a modest four-game hitting streak after recording a single on Tuesday.
2. The start of Cincinnati's last two games has been delayed by a swarm of bees and a malfunction of stadium lighting.
3. Oakland optioned OF Skye Bolt to Triple-A Las Vegas in order to make room for 1B Matt Olson (hand), who was activated from the 10-day injured list and went 0-for-3 in his first game since March 21 against Seattle in Tokyo.