Series Preview: Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics

The Detroit Tigers (5-7 ) visit the west coast for a four game series against the Oakland Athletics (6-6 ).

SERIES PITCHING PREVIEW:

Thursday, April 14, 10:05 PM ET, Oakland Coliseum

Phil Coke, LHP

0-2, 4.00 ERA

Career stats

VS

Gio Gonzalez, LHP

2-0, 0.69 ERA

Friday, April 15, 10:05 PM ET, Oakland Coliseum

Rick Porcello, RHP

0-2, 9.00 ERA

Career stats

VS

Brandon McCarthy, RHP

1-0, 3.52 ERA

Saturday, April 16, 9:05 PM ET, Oakland Coliseum

Justin Verlander, RHP

1-1, 3.13 ERA

Dallas Braden, LHP

0-1 4.15 ERA

Sunday, April 17, 4:05 PM ET, Oakland Coliseum

Brad Penny, RHP

0-1, 8.27 ERA

Trevor Cahill, RHP

1-0, 3.12 ERA

Career stats

INJURY UPDATE:

WHO’S HOT:

Detroit:

• Miguel Cabrera remains hot at the plate this season. In breaking news, the earth is round and the sky is blue. Miggy is hitting .385 this season with 10 RBI and three homers.
• Brennan Boesch caught fire in the last series after cooling off a bit. He had several clutch hits last series and even managed to swipes two bases. With Maggs out, Brennan needs to step up.
• Jose Valverde has yet to allow a run this season. Papa Grande picked up two wins for the Tigers the last two days and continues to be the epitome of awesome.

Oakland:

• Gio Gonzalez has surrendered just one run in 13 innings this season. He’s on the bump on thursday in pitcher friendly Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
• Andy LaRoche is batting .365 in 16 at-bats this season. A’s manager Bob Geren indicated that he’d “find ways” to get LaRoche in the lineup as long as he continues swinging a hot bat, the team’s web site reports.
• Daric Barton raised his batting average to .275 after going 5-6 the last two games against the White Sox

WHO’S COLD:

Detroit:

• Rick Porcello posted back to back five inning starts in which he surrendered five runs and scattered nine hits. His ERA is currently 9.00 and his whip is 2.20. Sigh, Porcello really needs to turn it around.
• Brad Thomas is a terrible pitcher. The king of four pitch walks currently boasts a 11.57 ERA and 2.57 WHIP.
• Victor Martinez is just 2-16 in his last two series. Perhaps the spacious outfield in Oakland will let a few hits drop and help him turn things around.

Oakland:

• Kurt Suzuki is batting just .194 this season and went hit-less the last two games against the White Sox.
• Kevin Kouzmanoff is below the Mendoza line at a cool .184 batting average.

SERIES PREDICTION:

The Tigers would greatly benefit from three or four wins this series. However, Oakland pitching has been incredible this season and the majority of Tigers pitching has not. I see Detroit taking two out of four games in Oakland if we’re lucky. Hopefully I am wrong.

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