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McCarthy takes aim at winning streak against Tigers

Jul 20, 2011 - 2:35 PM (Sports Network) - Brandon McCarthy tries to follow up his first victory in more than three months on Wednesday when the Oakland Athletics wrap up a brief two-game set against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

McCarthy earned his first win since April 10 on Friday, as he defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, holding them to a pair of runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out seven and improved to 2-5 on the year, while lowering his earned run average to 3.64.

"I don't care if we're getting shut out, I don't care if we've got 15 runs," McCarthy said, "The only thing I can really focus on is the next pitch I throw, and the next pitch after that. If I start thinking about runs that were scored or not scored, I've lost what I should be focused on. It's nice looking back after the fact, having a bit of a cushion."

It was also the first time he eclipsed 100 pitches since sustaining a stress reaction in his right shoulder in May.

With a win tonight, though, he would have his first string of consecutive victories since winning consecutive starts for the Texas Rangers in September of last season.

Getting another victory could prove to be difficult for McCarthy, who is just 1-3 lifetime versus the Tigers with a 3.99 ERA in 13 games (six starts).

Also, runs figure to be at a premium for an Oakland lineup that has hit the fewest amount of home runs of any team in the American League this season.

The A's have managed an AL-low 52 round-trippers and they were outslugged by the Tigers, 8-3, in Tuesday's opener. Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen both hit two-run homers off Oakland starter Guillermo Moscoso with two outs in the fifth inning to break open a close game.

"Two-out hits are huge," said A's outfielder David DeJesus. "The Cabrera one, he just battled and then got a pitch over the plate and drove it. I've seen him do that many a times here, so we just have to come back [Wednesday] and we'll be okay."

Oakland failed to score in the fourth inning despite loading the bases, but did take a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth thanks in part to a two-run single by Hideki Matsui.

"I think that was a big inning, obviously, keeping us in the game and we were able to pull it out," said Tigers starter Rick Porcello of keeping the A's off the board in the fourth inning.

The A's bats could get going on Wednesday, though, when they face a Detroit pitcher making his major league debut in Duane Below.

Below, who grew up just an hour away from Comerica Park, had gone 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 18 starts for Triple-A Toledo. He was unbeaten in his last four outings, yielding six runs on 20 hits over 26 innings in that span with 10 walks and 18 strikeouts.

Tuesday's victory pulled the Tigers into a tie with the Indians for first place in the American League Central.