Angels at Athletics
Mike Fiers is on a roll that most pitchers can only dream about and the Oakland Athletics hope the reality continues when they begin a six-game homestand Tuesday with the first of three against the Los Angeles Angels. Fiers is 11-0 with a 2.41 ERA in 20 starts since throwing a no-hitter against Cincinnati on May 7 and is among the biggest reasons why Oakland is firmly entrenched in the American League wild card race.
“You talk about a run, it’s just been a consistent run since then and every game he goes out there we feel like we have a great chance to win,'' Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters about Fiers, who has dominated Los Angeles this season. "And that’s what your lead starter does for you.” Oakland is one game behind Cleveland for the final wild card spot after a 4-3 road trip saw it drop the final two contests at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. The Angels, who send Jaime Barria to the mound, have lost eight of 10 as they head toward their fourth straight losing season. Los Angeles center fielder Mike Trout - a heavy favorite to win his third AL MVP award - is 9-for-27 with three home runs, nine RBIs, four doubles and five walks against Fiers but just 2-for-11 with a two-run homer and walk in 2019.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jaime Barria (4-7, 6.10 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Mike Fiers (13-3, 3.40)
Barria allowed two runs, three hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings of an 11-2 loss at Houston on Aug. 25. The 23-year-old native of Panama, who is 0-4 with a 5.25 ERA in his last five outings, has yielded 15 home runs across 62 innings this season but only one in his last two turns. Oakland's Jurickson Profar is 1-for-13 with four strikeouts against Barria, who received a no-decision against the Athletics after permitting one run and striking out six over five innings in a 7-4 loss opposite Fiers on June 6.
Fiers permitted one run, eight hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings of a 2-1 victory at Kansas City on Aug. 27. The 34-year-old Florida native, who pitches on six days of rest for the first time since the All-Star break, has allowed more than three runs only once during his unbeaten streak. Albert Pujols is 7-for-28 with two home runs versus Fiers, who is 6-4 with a 4.84 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) against the Angels - 3-0, 1.93 in three turns this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland 1B Matt Olson has homered in each of the last two contests and is 8-for-21 with three RBIs and five runs scored during a five-game hitting streak.
2. Pujols, who moved past Cal Ripken on Sunday and into 14th on the all-time hit list with 3,185, is 7-for-16 with a home run and seven RBIs in his last three games.
3. The Athletics have won nine of 14 meetings this season, including four of seven at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.