On Monday night, the Detroit Tigers started a four-game series with the Oakland Athletics, who not only represent the second-strongest team the Tigers will face during the remainder of the season, but could also be a potential playoff opponent in October. At 72-57, the A's currently hold the second wildcard spot and trail Texas by 2.5 games in the AL West.
Over the next four games, the Tigers have to like their chances to win the series against Oakland. Not only did the Tigers take two of the three games against the A's in California this season, but they are coming off a three-game sweep of the Mets and remain one of the hottest teams in the American League.
Meanwhile, Oakland has been heading in the other direction.
Last year's surprise playoff participants have lost six of their last eight series, including one each to the Astros, Mariners and Blue Jays. The second-half struggles are largely due to the prolonged slump of outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who hasn't been able to find his stroke since winning the home run derby in July. Cespedes is normally the scariest bat in the middle of the A's lineup, so his slump has left Manager Bob Melvin with a thin lineup card the last few months.
Josh Reddick's trip to the DL was also a blow to the Athletics lineup. Reddick was placed on the shelf just before the start of the series in Detroit, marking the third straight series the Tigers have avoided a major opposing hitter. In the past week, Detroit missed Joe Mauer in a series against Minnesota and avoided New York's David Wright. The strongest pitching staff in the MLB hardly needs extra help, but if the Tigers continue to play weakened lineups, they are bound to take full advantage.
Even with Reddick in the lineup, Oakland's offense would be in for a tough week at Comerica Park. The Tigers pitching staff leads the Major Leagues in strikeouts with over 1,100, and the Athletics struggle to put the ball in play with authority, ranking 24th in the MLB in batting average. In a series that features Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer in three of the games against the Oakland lineup, it will be difficult for the A's to put enough balls in play to score runs.
On the other hand, the Athletics have struck out only 906 batters this season, which means they pound the strike zone and allow opposing teams to put the ball in play. Detroit, which boasts the highest batting average in the majors, can take advantage of the lack of a strikeout threat and build on their league-leading 662 runs.
As if the pitching matchup wasn't favorable enough, the Tigers get to play the series in the friendly confines of Comerica Park, where they have won 41 of 64 games this season. Detroit's 23 home losses are the fewest in the American League, something Oakland will try to overcome (the A's have a solid 33-32 record on the road). Home-field advantage is one of the main reasons Detroit is the top team in the AL this year, and since the All-star break, they've won four of the five series they've hosted.
If all of these factors don't translate into wins for the Tigers, they still have the most powerful trump card in sports: Miguel Cabrera.
Coming off of a series in which he toasted Mets pitching to the tune of seven hits and two home runs, Cabrera won't slow down against a team that has given up 132 long balls this year. The AL MVP has made the home run race much more interesting in the last few weeks, and Cabrera is running away from the rest of the league in both batting average and RBI. Jim Leyland is fortunate enough to write Cabrera's name in the third spot of the lineup on a nightly basis, which gives Detroit a great chance to win every game.
Cabrera's next victim will be the Oakland Athletics, and the Tigers will hope to repeat what they did in last year's ALDS.
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