Detroit Tigers Look To Move Above .500 Against Surging Athletics

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Be aware, the Detroit Tigers have begun a streak of wins.

Following a disappointing 4-game losing streak in Cleveland last week, Detroit regained their momentum in Houston. The Tigers achieved a remarkable sweep over the Astros, securing victory in three consecutive games with multiple runs. This impressive performance allowed them to level their season record at 6-6.

At 9:40 p.m. Eastern, when Detroit opens a four-game weekend series against the Oakland Athletics, can they maintain their winning streak?

Pitching no strong suit for either Tigers, A’s

The upcoming series this weekend showcases two teams with pitching staffs that rank among the least effective in MLB.

The team ERA of Detroit is 5.09, placing them at the 27th position in the league. On the other hand, Oakland holds the lowest team ERA in baseball by a significant margin, standing at 6.00.

Let’s take a glimpse at the anticipated starting pitching matchups between the Tigers (6-6) and Athletics (5-7):

• At 9:40 p.m. on Thursday, the matchup will feature Tarik Skubal (0-1, 7.71 ERA) facing Sean Manaea (0-1, 5.06 ERA).
• Friday at 9:40 p.m., there will be a match between Jose Urena (0-2, 8.22) and Frankie Montas (1-1, 8.31).
• On Saturday at 4:07 p.m., Casey Mize (1-0, 0.82 ERA) will face Cole Irvin (0-2, 7.45 ERA).
• On Sunday at 4:07 p.m., Matthew Boyd (2-1, 1.86) will be facing off against Chris Bassitt (1-2, 4.96).

To commence the series, the Tigers are relying on two struggling starters. Skubal, in his previous outing against Cleveland on Saturday, allowed six runs in four innings, leaving him with a subpar performance.

Urena’s two starts only lasted for a total of 7.2 innings, during which he surrendered seven runs and issued nine walks.

Oakland favored at home in opener

In Thursday’s series opener, the Athletics are being favored by oddsmakers, despite the Detroit Tigers’ current winning streak.

The Oakland team is considered the favorite with odds around -160 against the Tigers, who have odds ranging from +135 to +140. If you choose to bet on the Tigers with a +1.5 runline, you can find odds in the range of -145 to -150.

The current listed total runs for the game is 8.5.

The Tigers are not gaining any ground in the race to win the AL Central, as the expected favorites are maintaining a .500 record and the Kansas City Royals have started with a 6-4 record. Detroit is listed at +6000 by DraftKings Sportsbook and +6600 by BetMGM Sportsbook to win the division.

In terms of their series history, Oakland has dominated Detroit. The Athletics have emerged victorious in nine out of their previous ten encounters with the Tigers.

Detroit bats heat up in Houston

In the early part of 2021, Detroit has struggled to light up the scoreboard. Nevertheless, the Tigers managed to score an impressive 20 runs in their three-game series against the Astros.

Akil Baddoo, the impressive rookie, extended his outstanding performance by recording five hits across three games. This remarkable achievement consisted of two home runs and four RBI. Throughout 27 at-bats, Baddoo maintains an impressive batting average of .370, along with 11 RBI and four home runs.

Currently, Baddoo holds the top spot for the Tigers in both average and RBI. Jeimer Candelario boasts an impressive .326 batting average, whereas Wilson Ramos has hit a league-leading six home runs while maintaining a .278 average. Ramos enters the series on a six-game hitting streak.

Miguel Cabrera is currently on the injured list due to a bicep injury. However, his absence hasn’t had a significant impact as his performance this season has been underwhelming. With only 24 at-bats, he has a batting average of just .125, along with one home run and three RBI.

In Houston, the Tigers’ starting pitching remained strong. The Detroit starters collaborated for a total of 18.2 innings, conceding a mere three earned runs.

However, the bullpen continues to be a concern. Despite securing three wins against Houston, the Detroit relievers allowed five earned runs in just 8.1 innings of work.

Oakland trying to dig out of early hole

Oakland had high hopes heading into the season, but unfortunately lost their first six games. However, they quickly turned things around and have won five out of their last six games. Notably, they secured four consecutive victories against Arizona and Houston.

The A’s have not had a pleasant experience at the Oakland Coliseum. With a home record of 1-6 in 2021, their performance on their own turf has been disappointing.

Similar to Detroit, Oakland has been depending on their hitting in their recent victories. The Athletics have scored a total of 29 runs in their last four consecutive wins.

Jed Lowrie, the infielder, is currently on a blazing hot streak, having achieved two hits in four consecutive games and contributing to a total of nine runs. On the other hand, Mark Canha, the outfielder, has been consistently hitting the ball for five consecutive games, reaching base a remarkable 12 times during this period.

Currently, the Oakland pitching is ranked last in the league, requiring the hitting to compensate for their shortcomings. It is worth mentioning that all five Oakland starters have an ERA of 4.96 or above.

The outcome of this weekend series may depend on which teams’ bats remain in top form. It seems that both teams will have plenty of chances to score runs. It might be wise to consider betting on the total runs being higher until there is evidence to the contrary.

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