Tigers at Athletics
It took the Oakland Athletics about 3 1/2 months to secure a 16th consecutive victory over the Detroit Tigers and just over 3 1/2 hours to see the streak come to an end. The Athletics attempt to overcome a rare loss to the Tigers in the opener of their three-game set when they continue the series on Saturday with the middle contest.
Oakland put the finishing touches on a game that was suspended in Detroit due to rain in mid-May on Friday, getting a two-run shot from Chad Pinder to close out a 7-3 victory that tied a franchise record for the longest winning streak against one opponent. The Athletics quickly raced out to a 4-0 advantage in the official start of this series later in the evening, but Detroit used a pair of two-run innings in the seventh and eighth to tie it up before rookie Willi Castro's tiebreaking RBI double in the 11th led to a 5-4 victory for the Tigers. The setback left Oakland with only a one-half game lead over Cleveland for the second wild card in the American League. Rookie Dawel Lugo played a huge role in ending the Tigers' long run of futility against the Athletics in the opener, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and scoring the winning run.
TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (1-9, 6.03 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Chris Bassitt (9-5, 3.67)
Zimmermann snapped a 10-game losing streak and 18-game winless stretch with his last start in July and has been the Tigers' most effective pitcher since then, posting a 3.21 ERA despite going 0-1 in those five starts. The two-time All-Star settled for his fourth no-decision over that span Monday after yielding two runs over six innings against Minnesota. Zimmermann hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last four outings and is 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against Oakland.
Bassitt, who had his regularly scheduled start pushed back after his wife gave birth to their daughter Wednesday, returns to the mound trying to extend his six-game unbeaten streak. The 30-year-old Ohio native owns a 4-1 record and 2.75 ERA in nine turns since the All-Star break despite settling for a no-decision Aug. 29 after giving up five runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings at Kansas City. Bassett enjoyed his best start of the year in a win at Detroit on May 16, permitting four hits and two walks over eight scoreless innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics OF Mark Canha was hitless in three at-bats Friday but drew a pair of walks to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 21 games.
2. Detroit 1B/DH Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-3 in the opener and is batting .455 during a six-game hitting streak.
3. Oakland starting pitchers have not suffered a loss since Aug. 18. The 16-game run is the longest of its kind for the club since a 17-game stretch in 2004.