Detroit Vs. Oakland game 1

**Todd** · 08-01-2002, 05:11 PM

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Oakland Athletics look to continue their recent success against the Detroit Tigers when the teams open a four-game series on Thursday.

Oakland was 6-1 against Detroit last season, outscoring them, 39-21.

The Athletics begin August having won just three of their last 10 games and are three games behind wild card leaders Anaheim and Boston.

On Wednesday, Oakland avoided getting swept for the first time since mid-May as it rallied from an early four-run deficit and posted a 6-4 victory over Cleveland.

Mark Ellis, who has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 starts, singled in the go-ahead run, while Miguel Tejada went 2-for-4 to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games.

Oakland's Aaron Harang (3-2, 3.65) makes his 10th career start. He was recalled from the minor leagues after Ted Lilly was placed on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury on July 21.

Harang has not recorded a decision in his last four outings. He last pitched in Saturday's 10-6 setback at Texas, yielding six runs and eight hits in five innings.

Harang, who has never faced Detroit, is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five career home starts.

The Tigers have dropped their last four games following a five-game winning streak. They fell to 2-4 on their 10-game road trip with Wednesday's 5-2 setback at Seattle.

Detroit's Steve Sparks (5-10, 5.54) tries to win consecutive starts for the first time this year. He recorded his first win since July 4 in last Saturday's 5-1 victory at Cleveland, allowing one run and seven hits in eight innings.

Despite the win, Sparks has dropped five of his last seven decisions since May 29.

Lifetime against Oakland, the knuckleballer is 3-4 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 outings. He last won against them on August 21, 2000.

**Shaggy Ry** · 08-01-2002, 05:27 PM

Is Dr Jeckyl or Mr. Hyde pitching for us tonight?

Looking at our rotation, Mark Redman and Steve Sparks will probably be .500 for the most part, with Maroth, Powell and Lima being .250 each so the best we can expect to win all the way out is at a .350-.400 clip. I'm smelling 100 losses again.

**Ranger** · 08-01-2002, 05:50 PM

I'll be going to the Toledo-Charlotte game tonight so no chat for me tonight.

Loux is pitching tonight.

**Todd** · 08-01-2002, 09:45 PM

Detroit Tigers

Batter Pos AVG
Bocachica CF .240
Easley 2B .219
Higginson LF .304
Simon DH .304
Fick RF .287
Pena 1B .248
Jackson SS .262
Truby 3B .239
Inge C .253

Oakland Athletics

Batter Pos AVG
Ellis 3B .284
Durham 2B .296
Tejada SS .304
Justice LF .275
Chavez DH .277
Dye RF .246
Long CF .251
Saenz 1B .299
Hernandez C .228

Detroit Tigers
Pitcher ERA
Sparks 5.54

Oakland Athletics
Pitcher ERA
Harang 3.65

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 09:47 PM

Why does puljos insist on simon a hacker at cleanup!?

**Shaggy Ry** · 08-01-2002, 09:58 PM

What other choice does he really have? Rob Fick could be a possibility but he's better protection to Simon that Simon would be to Fick, if you get my drift. There is no need to stick Carlos Pena in there, let him find his stroke and gain confidence at the pro level before putting more pressure on him.

Just look at it this way, at least it isn't Halter again...

How can we not improve next season adding Dmitri Young and Dean Palmer to the middle of our line-up?

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 10:07 PM

true ryan. hopefully simon isn't even in the lineup at all next season

**Born in Detroit** · 08-01-2002, 10:11 PM

How can we not improve next season adding Dmitri Young and Dean Palmer to the middle of our line-up?

Add Mitch Meluskey, and we're back where we were, going into this season. Expecting to have a better lineup.

Of course, back then we even thought Easley might still be able to hit. Did his ribcage injury destroy his swing? Is he still having pain? Is he just getting back to his groove? Or is he just not good, and we were misled a few years ago?

**Shaggy Ry** · 08-01-2002, 10:18 PM

Easley is not the All-Star he once was but he's better then has been showing this season. I'd rather see his offense as a bottom of the line-up surprise rather than a top of the order disappointment.

We've been hammered by injuries, I'd say moreso than the rest of the MLB. What other team lost the 4-5-6 hitters in their line-up and their closer and key set-up guy for pretty much the whole damn season? Also Easley has been hampered by injury basically all season and Higginson missed almost a month as well.

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 10:42 PM

if sparks hits a batter is it possible that the batter was hurt?

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 10:58 PM

tejada hits a solo shot

1-0 oakland top of the third

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 11:12 PM

fick with a double, pena knocks him in

1-1 top of the fourth

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 11:31 PM

inge walks, BOCACHICA! hits a homer 3-1 tigers top fifth

no outs in the inning just yet

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 11:37 PM

harang has been yanked after 4 and a third innings.

oakland can not afford to lose this game to the tigers with boston losing they can pull even in the wild card race i believe and harang is probably on a pitch count.

harang's line 4.1 ip 6 h 3 r 3 er 1 bb 4 k 1 HR

94 pitches

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 11:44 PM

durham homers 3-2 detroit bottom 5 no outs

**estrepe1** · 08-01-2002, 11:49 PM

chavez 2 run homer

4-3 oakland

**estrepe1** · 08-02-2002, 12:58 AM

chavez solo shot 5-3 oakland bottom 8

**estrepe1** · 08-02-2002, 01:07 AM

koch slams the door 1-2-3 in the ninth

Line Score
AL FINAL

DETROIT 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 8 1
OAKLAND 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 x 5 7 0 (FINAL)

WP - MICAH BOWIE (1-0)
LP - STEVE SPARKS (5-11)
SAVE - BILLY KOCH (27)