Athletics at Indians
The Oakland Athletics continued their recent power surge in the series opener and attempt to win a season-high fifth straight contest when they visit the Cleveland Indians for the second of a three-game set Tuesday night. The Athletics belted three homers in the 6-4 victory Monday and have launched 17 in the six completed games on their road trip to improve to 22-10 in contests in which they go deep at least once in 2019.
Matt Olson and Matt Chapman each homered, while Jurickson Profar whacked a solo blast to open the scoring in the second inning Monday and is 6-for-12 over the last three games to push his batting average to .201 for Oakland. Chris Bassitt, a native of nearby Toledo, Ohio, looks to extend his strong start to the season when he takes the mound Tuesday for the Athletics, while fellow right-hander Trevor Bauer hopes to turn around his fortunes around for the Indians. Cleveland had won four of five games before coming up short in the series opener, pulling within 4-3 in the eighth inning before Chapman’s two-run blast gave Oakland the cushion it needed to improve to 6-1 against American League Central opponents. Francisco Lindor homered in the bottom of the ninth to extend his hitting streak to five games (7-for-21), while teammate Jason Kipnis has reached base safely in 15 straight contests after posting a double and a walk Monday for the Indians.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Chris Bassitt (2-1, 1.93 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (4-2, 3.76)
Bassitt notched his second victory of the year Thursday at Detroit, allowing four hits and two walks over eight scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. The 30-year-old has not given up more than three runs in any of his five starts while completing at least five innings in all of them. Carlos Santana is 2-for-5 with a homer and a double versus Bassitt, who is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two his career starts against the Indians.
Bauer’s only solid start in three outings this month came at Oakland on May 11 when he gave up two unearned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out 10 over seven innings in a no-decision. The 28-year-old UCLA product has permitted a total of 17 runs (14 earned) and four homers across 17 innings in May. Khris Davis is 5-for-12 with a homer against Bauer, who is 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA in seven career starts versus Oakland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Davis (12 homers, 29 RBIs) sat out the series opener with hip soreness and is considered day-to-day.
2. Cleveland C Roberto Perez is 6-for-21 with three homers and six RBIs over his last six contests.
3. Athletics LHP Brett Anderson earned the win Monday but left in the sixth inning with a cervical strain.