Today at 1:08 p.m. ET, the Oakland Athletics (51-32) and Detroit Tigers (46-34) close out a three-game set live from Comerica Park in Detroit. The game can be live streamed for free here. Oakland fans can hear all of the action on 95.7 The Game while Detroit fans can do the same on 97.1 The Ticket.
Oakland looks to salvage the final game of this series as it plays the final contest of an eight-game road trip that it is 4-3 on so far while Detroit looks to complete the sweep and open up its nine-game homestand with three straight victories. The Tigers defeated the Athletics 5-4 on Monday and then blanked them 3-0 Tuesday.
Both teams are on top of their respective divisions as the Athletics are in first place in the American League West with the best record in baseball and the Tigers are holding down the top spot in the AL Central.
Jesse Chavez (6-4, 2.94 ERA) toes the rubber for Oakland while Detroit counters with Justin Verlander, who is 6-7 with a 4.80 ERA. .
After struggling for most of this season including allowing seven runs against the Kansas City Royals on June 16, Verlander made a mechanical change that he's hoping will be an easy transition for him.
"It's probably more strenuous than I would like it to be," Verlander told MLB.com. "I'm the kind of person that wants to get out there and repeat it, repeat it, repeat it until the muscle memory kicks in."
The A's will be without outfielder Yoenis Cespedes after he injured his hamstring running from first base to home plate in Monday's loss.
"He's not going to do anything on the field today, and then we'll see how he is on the field come tomorrow," manager Bob Melvin said per MLB.com.
Oakland third baseman Josh Donaldson is hitting just .245 but he leads the team with 18 homers and 61 RBI and ranks second in the AL with 57 runs scored.
Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera is fourth in the AL with 65 RBI and ranks first with 29 doubles while Ian Kinsler is third in runs scored (56), fourth in hits (102) and tied for second in doubles (29).
Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez is dealing with soreness in his side, but he is third in the AL with a .323 batting average and fourth with 20 homers while ranking tied for fourth with 175 total bases.
Martinez also ranks second in the AL in OPS (.974), fourth in slugging percentage (.589) and fifth in on-base percentage (.384)
The A's hope to salvage a game in this series while the Tigers seek a three-game sweep when these two division leaders take the field this afternoon at Comerica Park in Detroit.
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