Anibal Sanchez (2-2, 7.00 ERA) and Chris Bassitt (0-1, 4.44 ERA) take the hill in the last of a four-game series between the Detroit Tigers (10-10) and the Oakland Athletics (11-11) at Comerica Park. The Tigers won the last game 9-4, and Detroit leads the series 2-1. Action begins at 1:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 28 and can be seen on FSDT and MLBN.
Sanchez pitched 2.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering seven runs (one unearned), striking out two and walking one in a 10-1 defeat to the Indians. Victor Martinez (.302, 8 Rs, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one run, one home run, and three RBIs. Bassitt went 5.0 innings, surrendering six runs, striking out five and walking two in a 9-3 defeat to the Blue Jays in his most recent start. Marcus Semien (.200, 8 Rs, 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
The odds for Detroit and Oakland are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Tigers have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Detroit’s batters do not strike out very often at home, with only 9.1 per game. Detroit’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Tigers, who rank second in the AL in strikeouts per game with 6.7.
Offensively, the Athletics have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Athletics allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span.
The Tigers lead the season series, 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Oakland is 5-4, while Detroit is 5-5.
The Athletics managed to give up seven walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Tigers who are heading in with a 2-0 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 8-1. The Athletics have a 9-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 22nd, Oakland sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 78 this season. Detroit ranks in the top half at 11th with 89.
Ranking 30th, Oakland is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 49 this season. Detroit ranks near the bottom at 28th with 54.
The Tigers are 9-4 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Athletics are 8-6 when they hit at least one homer.
