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Tigers-Athletics Preview

Aug 20, 2009 - 11:06 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Detroit (63-56) at Oakland (53-67), 10:05 p.m. EDT

After their fifth straight series win at home, the Detroit Tigers head west with a slim AL Central lead. The way they have played on the road lately, that advantage could become even more tenuous.

Detroit looks to avoid its 10th consecutive series loss away from Comerica Park as it opens a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

The Tigers (64-56) closed out their homestand with a 7-6 victory over Seattle on Thursday. Clete Thomas capped a two-run ninth inning with a two-out single that scored Miguel Cabrera and improved Detroit's home record to 40-20.

"It's going to make that long, long trip all the much easier for us," manager Jim Leyland said.

At 24-36, the Tigers have the worst road record of any team above .500. With a 2 1/2-game edge on second-place Chicago, Detroit seeks its first series win on the road since June 8-11.

The Tigers have dropped 20 of 28 away from Comerica Park since then, including two of three to the A's from June 29-July 1. Detroit has lost five straight series at Oakland Coliseum.

The last time the Tigers lost 10 consecutive series on the road was from August 2002-April 2003.

Detroit's Edwin Jackson (9-5, 2.85 ERA) makes his first career start at Oakland in the series opener. In a 10-3 victory over Kansas City on Saturday, he gave up three runs over six innings and improved to 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA at home.

Jackson, though, is 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA in his last seven road starts.

The right-hander pitched seven innings and yielded one run in a 14-1 win over the visiting A's on May 15.

Oakland (53-67) continues its nine-game homestand following back-to-back losses to AL East-leading New York. The A's went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2 loss Wednesday as they dropped their second straight series after winning three in a row.

"I think we were a little overanxious with our scoring opportunities," manager Bob Geren told the A's official Web site.

Jack Cust hit a solo shot in the sixth inning, his first homer in 27 games and first RBI in 24 contests.

"He's always been a streaky guy," Geren said. "Maybe this will start him up the hot way."

Cust has gone 2 for 21 with a homer and three RBIs as Oakland has lost four of six to the Tigers in 2009.

Gio Gonzalez (4-3, 5.88) takes the mound for the A's on Friday. The left-hander is looking to rebound from an 8-1 loss to the White Sox on Saturday when he walked a career-high six and allowed six runs and six hits over five-plus innings.

"Six walks, you can't hide that," said Gonzalez, who went 4-0 with a 4.72 ERA in his previous seven appearances.

Gonzalez is 0-2 with a 14.85 ERA in two starts against Detroit, the most recent a 5-3 loss June 30 when he surrendered three runs over five innings.

Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson is mired in an 0-for-13 slump and could get his second straight day off Friday. He has batted .178 against left-handers in 2009.

Cabrera, hitting .400 with five RBIs against Oakland this season, is one homer shy of 200 for his career.

AL player of the week Mark Ellis batted .364 with a homer and eight RBIs during the first six games of Oakland's homestand. Ellis is hitting .379 versus right-handers since July 28.