• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Playoff-hopeful Tigers, A's open set in Detroit

Sep 18, 2012 - 2:46 PM (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers are both three games off the lead in their respective divisions and will open a three-game series Tuesday from Comerica Park.

The Athletics are three games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West and lead the wild card over Baltimore. Detroit is three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

Oakland will open a 10-game road trip Tuesday against the Tigers, Yankees and Rangers, and failed in its attempt of a three-game sweep versus the Orioles with Sunday's 9-5 loss. Dan Straily was tagged for four runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings for the loss.

"I thought his stuff at times was good ... but when he was in the middle of the plate they hit him," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of his starter.

Josh Reddick and Stephen Drew both homered for the A's, who had won eight of nine games.

Rookie A.J. Griffin gets the nod for the A's tonight and is 6-0 with a 1.94 earned run average in 11 starts. Griffin has won three straight outings and fanned six batters over eight shutout innings in a 4-1 win at the LA Angels on Wednesday. Griffin has allowed only two runs in his past four starts.

Griffin will face Detroit for the first time and is 4-0 in five road starts.

The Tigers have lost two in a row since a four-game winning streak and dropped a 5-4 decision to the White Sox on Monday in a make-up game of an earlier rainout.

Doug Fister lasted four innings and was pegged with the loss for permitting five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits.

Delmon Young highlighted the offense with two hits and three RBI for the Tigers, who are kicking off a 10-game homestand Tuesday versus the Athletics, Twins and Royals.

"We got to beat the other teams we play. It's that simple," Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder said. "Come out, be ready to play and see what happens."

Max Scherzer looks to keep his unbeaten streak intact when he toes the rubber Tuesday. Scherzer is 6-0 in his last eight starts and threw six innings of one-run ball in an 8-6 victory over Chicago on Wednesday. Scherzer struck out seven and has fanned that many in 11 consecutive starts.

Scherzer is 16-6 with a 3.77 earned run average in 29 starts this season and 7-2 in 12 home assignments. The right-hander defeated the A's back in early May and is 2-1 with a 3.71 ERA in three career starts against them.

Detroit and Oakland split a four-game series from May 10-13 at the Coliseum.