GDT: 5/12/12 - DET (16-16) AT OAK (17-16) - 8:05 p.m. ET

Pitching matchup could slow down offenses
Fister, McCarthy have been effective at limiting runs

By Anthony Odoardi / MLB.com | 5/12/2012 3:25 AM ET

After a combined 31 runs scored the past two nights, expect the runs to be at a premium Saturday when the Tigers and Athletics square off in the third game of a four-game series in Oakland.

Doug Fister takes the mound for Detroit and hasn't allowed a run in 10 2/3 innings this year. Brandon McCarthy gets the call for Oakland and although he's allowed a few, his 2.96 ERA still ranks him at the 16th lowest in the American League.

Both pitchers, however, are battling back from injuries.

Fister returned Monday after spending a month on the disabled list with a left rib-cage muscle strain. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing only four hits on 73 pitches versus the Mariners.

"It was vintage Fister, really," said manager Jim Leyland after the game, impressed with Fister's efficiency after missing that much time. "You can't ask for any more than what he did."

McCarthy, on the other hand, will be pitching on nine days' rest after getting scratched from his schedule start Tuesday with soreness in his pitching shoulder.

It's an injury that's plagued him throughout his career -- he's landed on the DL with the same injury four of the past five seasons -- but after pitching a "pain-free" bullpen session Thursday, he said he's good to go.

"I didn't feel anything today," he said. "I felt fine, and it's really not a concern at this point."

McCarthy did say that he understands the magnitude of coming out of Saturday's game without issues.

"These next couple of starts will be big for me, to see where it's at and if it is coming on," he said. "But the way it feels right now, there's nothing that should stop me."

The A's 28-year-old right-hander is 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 15 appearances and eight starts in his career against the Tigers. Fister is 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts facing the A's.

Athletics: Inge torching former team
Brandon Inge is 7-for-20 (.350) with four home runs -- two of which were grand slams -- and 16 RBIs over his past five games. He has especially wreaked havoc on his former team going 3-for-9 with two home runs and eight RBIs in two games against the Tigers. Inge is 3-for-7 (.420) with a home run in his career against Fister.

Josh Reddick is 6-for-9 (.667) with a triple, two home runs and five RBIs through two games against the Tigers.

Yoenis Cespedes (strained muscle in back of left hand) could return to the lineup Saturday.

Tigers: Dirks' settling in to new home
Andy Dirks continues to rake in the two-hole. In five games, he is hitting .550 (11-for-20) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs.

Jhonny Peralta is 1-for-21 (.048) against McCarthy in his career.

Worth Noting
With the Indians (18-14) losing 7-5 to the Red Sox, the Tigers (16-16) had a chance to gain some ground on the American League Central division leaders. But an 11-4 loss Friday night kept them two games back.

The A's (17-16) remain in second place in the AL West behind the Rangers, who at 22-11 own the best record in the American League.








Tigers: RHP Doug Fister (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Fister has 10 2/3 scoreless innings in two starts this year, with a DL stint for a rib-cage strain sandwiched in between. His 73 pitches for seven outstanding innings Monday was a strong sign he's back in form, which is big news for Detroit.


Athletics: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-3, 2.96 ERA)

Scratched from his Tuesday start because of shoulder soreness, McCarthy deemed himself ready for Saturday's start following a pain-free bullpen session on Thursday. He has allowed no more than two runs in six of his seven starts.







RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers suffered an 11-4 loss to Oakland last night. Rick Porcello (3-3) allowed four runs in five innings of work to take the loss for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera led the Tigers with two hits and two RBI, while Dmitri (Delmon) Young added a run-scoring single. The Tigers continue a nine-game road trip with the third game of a four-game series at Oakland this evening. The trip concludes with with a two-game series at Chicago beginning on Monday evening. Detroit returns home for a five-game homestand with Minnesota and Pittsburgh beginning on May 16.

ON THE ROAD: Tonight at Oakland marks the sixth game of a 24-game stretch in which 19 of Detroit’s games will be played on the road. The Tigers have posted a 24-13 record in road games dating back to August 11, 2011. Detroit is second among all major league clubs with a .649 winning percentage on the road during that stretch.

MIGGY’S THE MAN VERSUS OAKLAND: Miguel Cabrera is hitting .349 (44x129) with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 36 games during his career versus Oakland. He is second among active major league players since the start of the 2008 season with a .459 on-base percentage versus the Athletics, while he is third with a .682 slugging percentage and one home run every 11.73 at-bats and fourth with a .349 batting average.

STARTING WELL: The Tigers have posted 10 quality starts in the club’s last 12 games. Club starters have posted a 2.71 ERA (76.1IP/23ER) and 69 strikeouts during the stretch dating back to April 28, while limiting opponents to a .227 batting average (64x282).

A LONG STRETCH WITHOUT BEING BLANKED: The Tigers scored four runs last night at Oakland, marking the 100th straight game dating back to July 17, 2011, in which the club has not been shut out. It is tied for the second-longest such streak in Tigers history, matching a streak of 100 straight games with at least one run scored by the club May 27-September 9, 1935. The franchise record for the longest stretch of games without being shut out is 110 games established August 28, 1992-June 29, 1993. (Source: STATS LLC)

PAPA GRANDE CONVERTS HIS SAVE CHANCES: Jose Valverde has converted 81 of his 86 save opportunities for the Tigers since the beginning of the 2010 season. He is tops among all major league pitchers during that stretch by converting 94.2 percent of his save opportunities. Valverde is 19 saves shy of reaching 100 during his Tigers career as he looks to become the fifth pitcher in club history to record 100 saves for the team.

JACKSON SWINGS INTO ACTION: Austin Jackson enters this evening’s game at Oakland having hit safely in 11 of his last 14 games. During the 14-game stretch, he is batting .393 (22x56) with five doubles, a home run and seven RBI. Jackson is currently eighth in the American League with a .320 batting average this season.

CABRERA, FIELDER FORM POWERFUL COMBO: Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are among the leaders in the major leagues in home runs and RBI since the start of the 2006 season. Fielder is third in the major leagues with 233 home runs during that stretch, while Cabrera is seventh with 206 home runs. Cabrera is second in the major leagues with 721 RBI since the start of the 2006 season, while Fielder is seventh with 662 RBI.

FLAWLESS IN CENTER FIELD: Austin Jackson enters tonight’s game at Oakland having not committed an error over his last 102 games in center field for the Tigers dating back to June 30, 2011, a stretch of 243 total chances. He is sixth among all American League outfielders with a .994 fielding percentage since the start of the 2011 season.

RADIO BOOTH UPDATE: Tigers radio broadcaster Jim Price, per the club's request, did not accompany the team on the long journey out West. Price will return to the booth when the Tigers host Minnesota on May 16. Former Tigers pitcher Dan Petry will serve as radio analyst and join Dan Dickerson for the entire road trip.


INJURY UPDATE:
• RHP Al Alburquerque (right elbow surgery, 60-day disabled list on April 4).
• RHP Luis Marte (strained left hamstring, 15-day disabled list on April 4).
• C Victor Martinez (left knee surgery, 60-day disabled list on March 12).
• LHP Daniel Schlereth (left shoulder tendinitis, 15-day DL on April 21).






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• SUNDAY, May 13:
Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (3-1, 2.63 ERA)) AT Athletics (RHP Jarrod Parker (1-0, 1.80 ERA)), 4:05 p.m. ET FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)


• MONDAY, May 14:
Tigers (LHP Drew Smyly (1-0, 1.59 ERA)) AT White Sox (LHP John Danks (2-4, 5.89 ERA)), 8:10 p.m. ET FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)


• TUESDAY, May 15:
Tigers (RHP Max Scherzer (2-3, 5.73 ERA)) AT White Sox (RHP Jake Peavy (4-1, 1.89 ERA)), 2:10 p.m. ET FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)

STARTING LINEUPS:


Saturday: Tigers at Athletics

Austin Jackson, Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Raburn both get days off in the middle of a long stretch of games. For Peralta, though, it’s the second day off in three games. It’s not believed to be a health concern. Raburn, however, supposedly had his back lock up on him last night, the byproduct of a dive he made Thursday. He’s taking batting practice today, but you can see him stretching his back.

The A’s had to make some adjustments to their lineup after both Yoenis Cespedes and Kila Ka’aihue were scratched.

Don’t be surprised if this ends up being a pitchers duel, not just because of the pitchers but also the field. The odd start time, 5:05 out here, is similar to the start times the Tigers had for the ALCS games here back in 2006, and shadows were a problem. Also, the way the field is lined up, the sun could be a factor for outfielders.

TIGERS

Don Kelly, CF
Andy Dirks, LF
Miguel Cabrera, 3B
Prince Fielder, 1B
Delmon Young, DH
Alex Avila, C
Brennan Boesch, RF
Ramon Santiago, SS
Danny Worth, 2B

P: Doug Fister

ATHLETICS

Jemile Weeks, 2B
Daric Barton, 1B
Josh Reddick, RF
Jonny Gomes, DH
Seth Smith, LF
Brandon Inge, 3B
Kurt Suzuki, C
Eric Sogard, SS
Collin Cowgill, CF

P: Brandon McCarthy

DET - Top 1st
B:1 S:0 O:1
Don Kelly flies out to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:1 S:0 O:1
Andy Dirks singles on a soft fly ball to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:0 S:1 O:2
Miguel Cabrera lines out to right fielder Josh Reddick.

B:3 S:2 O:3
Prince Fielder grounds out, shortstop Eric Sogard to first baseman Daric Barton.


OAK - Bot 1st
B:1 S:1 O:0
Jemile Weeks singles on a line drive to center fielder Don Kelly.

B:1 S:0 O:1
Daric Barton lines out to right fielder Brennan Boesch.

B:3 S:1 O:1
Josh Reddick singles on a line drive to right fielder Brennan Boesch. Jemile Weeks to 3rd.

B:2 S:2 O:1
Jonny Gomes singles on a ground ball to left fielder Andy Dirks. Jemile Weeks scores. Josh Reddick to 2nd.
OAK 1 - 0

B:0 S:0 O:2
Seth Smith pops out to third baseman Miguel Cabrera on the infield fly rule.

B:4 S:2 O:2
Brandon Inge walks. Josh Reddick to 3rd. Jonny Gomes to 2nd.

B:2 S:1 O:3
Kurt Suzuki grounds into a force out, third baseman Miguel Cabrera to second baseman Danny Worth. Brandon Inge out at 2nd.

OAK 1 - 0 AFTER 1 INNING

DET - Top 2nd
B:1 S:3 O:1
Delmon Young out swinging.

B:1 S:1 O:2
Alex Avila flies out to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:0 S:0 O:2
Brennan Boesch singles on a line drive to right fielder Josh Reddick.

With Ramon Santiago batting, Brennan Boesch steals (1) 2nd base.

B:1 S:3 O:3
Ramon Santiago called out on .


OAK - Bot 2nd
B:0 S:1 O:1
Eric Sogard lines out to center fielder Don Kelly.

B:4 S:2 O:1
Collin Cowgill walks.

B:3 S:2 O:1
Jemile Weeks singles on a ground ball to right fielder Brennan Boesch. Collin Cowgill to 3rd.

Injury Delay. (WEEKS ANKLE)

Coaching visit to mound.

B:1 S:3 O:2
Daric Barton out swinging.

B:0 S:3 O:3
Josh Reddick out swinging.

OAK 1 - 0 AFTER 2 INNINGS

DET - Top 3rd
B:2 S:3 O:1
Danny Worth called out on .

B:3 S:2 O:1
Don Kelly singles on a line drive to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:0 S:1 O:2
Andy Dirks lines out to right fielder Josh Reddick.

B:1 S:3 O:3
Miguel Cabrera out on foul tip.


OAK - Bot 3rd
B:2 S:2 O:1
Jonny Gomes flies out softly to left fielder Andy Dirks.

B:1 S:3 O:2
Seth Smith called out on .

B:2 S:2 O:3
Brandon Inge lines out to left fielder Andy Dirks.

OAK 1 - 0 AFTER 3 INNINGS

DET - Top 4th
B:1 S:1 O:1
Prince Fielder flies out softly to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:1 S:3 O:2
Delmon Young out swinging.

B:2 S:1 O:3
Alex Avila grounds out softly, shortstop Eric Sogard to first baseman Daric Barton.


OAK - Bot 4th
B:3 S:1 O:0
Kurt Suzuki singles on a soft ground ball to third baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:3 O:1
Eric Sogard called out on .

B:2 S:2 O:2
Collin Cowgill grounds out, pitcher Doug Fister to first baseman Prince Fielder. Kurt Suzuki to 2nd.

Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Cliff Pennington replaces Jemile Weeks.

B:2 S:3 O:3
Cliff Pennington out swinging, catcher Alex Avila to first baseman Prince Fielder.

OAK 1 - 0 AFTER 4 INNINGS

DET - Top 5th
Cliff Pennington remains in the game as the shortstop.

Defensive switch from shortstop to second base for Eric Sogard.

B:0 S:2 O:0
Brennan Boesch singles on a ground ball to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:0 S:1 O:0
Ramon Santiago hit by pitch. Brennan Boesch to 2nd.

Injury Delay.

On-field Delay.

B:1 S:2 O:1
Danny Worth grounds out softly, pitcher Brandon McCarthy to first baseman Daric Barton. Brennan Boesch to 3rd. Ramon Santiago to 2nd.

B:0 S:3 O:2
Don Kelly out swinging.

B:0 S:2 O:3
Andy Dirks grounds out to first baseman Daric Barton.


OAK - Bot 5th
B:1 S:2 O:1
Daric Barton grounds out, second baseman Danny Worth to first baseman Prince Fielder.

B:0 S:3 O:2
Josh Reddick called out on .

B:0 S:3 O:3
Jonny Gomes out swinging.

OAK 1 - 0 AFTER 5 INNINGS

DET - Top 6th
B:1 S:3 O:1
Miguel Cabrera out swinging.

B:0 S:3 O:2
Prince Fielder out swinging.

B:1 S:3 O:3
Delmon Young out swinging.


OAK - Bot 6th
B:0 S:2 O:0
Seth Smith reaches on fielding error by first baseman Prince Fielder.

B:0 S:1 O:2
Brandon Inge grounds into double play, third baseman Miguel Cabrera to second baseman Danny Worth to first baseman Prince Fielder. Seth Smith out at 2nd.

B:2 S:3 O:3
Kurt Suzuki called out on .

OAK 1 - 0 AFTER 6 INNINGS

DET - Top 7th
B:2 S:1 O:1
Alex Avila grounds out, shortstop Cliff Pennington to first baseman Daric Barton.

B:1 S:1 O:2
Brennan Boesch flies out to right fielder Josh Reddick.

B:0 S:3 O:3
Ramon Santiago out swinging.


OAK - Bot 7th
Pitcher Change: Phil Coke replaces Doug Fister.

B:1 S:0 O:0
Eric Sogard singles on a bunt ground ball to second baseman Danny Worth.

B:1 S:2 O:1
Collin Cowgill grounds into a force out, shortstop Ramon Santiago to second baseman Danny Worth. Eric Sogard out at 2nd. Collin Cowgill to 1st.

B:2 S:0 O:1
Cliff Pennington triples (1) on a line drive to right fielder Brennan Boesch. Collin Cowgill scores.
OAK 2 - 0

B:3 S:1 O:1
Daric Barton singles on a ground ball to left fielder Andy Dirks. Cliff Pennington scores.
OAK 3 - 0

B:3 S:1 O:2
Josh Reddick pops out to catcher Alex Avila in foul territory.

Coaching visit to mound.

Pitcher Change: Octavio Dotel replaces Phil Coke.

B:1 S:3 O:3
Jonny Gomes called out on .

OAK 3 - 0 AFTER 7 INNINGS

DET - Top 8th
Pitcher Change: Ryan Cook replaces Brandon McCarthy.

Oakland Athletics second baseman Jemile Weeks left the game due to an injured ankle.

Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Austin Jackson replaces Danny Worth.

B:2 S:3 O:1
Austin Jackson out swinging.

B:3 S:2 O:2
Don Kelly flies out to left fielder Seth Smith.

B:4 S:0 O:2
Andy Dirks walks.

B:1 S:2 O:3
Miguel Cabrera flies out to right fielder Josh Reddick.


OAK - Bot 8th
Defensive switch from center field to second base for Don Kelly.

Austin Jackson remains in the game as the center fielder.

B:0 S:0 O:1
Seth Smith grounds out sharply to first baseman Prince Fielder.

B:0 S:3 O:2
Brandon Inge called out on .

B:3 S:3 O:3
Kurt Suzuki out swinging.

OAK 3 - 0 AFTER 8 INNINGS

DET - Top 9th
Pitcher Change: Brian Fuentes replaces Ryan Cook.

B:1 S:3 O:1
Prince Fielder out swinging.

B:0 S:1 O:1
Delmon Young doubles (5) on a line drive to center fielder Collin Cowgill.

With Alex Avila batting, wild pitch by Brian Fuentes, Delmon Young to 3rd.

B:3 S:2 O:2
Alex Avila out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Seth Smith. Delmon Young scores.
OAK 3 - 1

B:0 S:1 O:3
Brennan Boesch grounds out, second baseman Eric Sogard to first baseman Daric Barton.

DET LOSES 1 - 3

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Game OverRHE

Tigers	1	5	1
Athletics	3	8	0

WP: McCarthy (3-3, 2.56)
LP: Fister (0-1, 0.54)
SV: Fuentes (2)

Game Info



WP: Fuentes.
HBP: Santiago (by McCarthy).
Pitches-strikes: Fister 105-69, Coke 19-9, Dotel 16-12, McCarthy 91-66, Cook, R 20-10, Fuentes 15-11.
Groundouts-flyouts: Fister 5-1, Coke 1-0, Dotel 1-0, McCarthy 5-4, Cook, R 0-2, Fuentes 1-1.
Batters faced: Fister 25, Coke 5, Dotel 4, McCarthy 26, Cook, R 4, Fuentes 4.
Inherited runners-scored: Dotel 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Tim Welke. 1B: Laz Diaz. 2B: Mike Everitt. 3B: Paul Schrieber.
Weather: 65 degrees, clear.
Wind: 7 mph, R to L.
T: 2:35.
Att: 20,077.