Joe Blanton, RH Bruce Chen, LH
(7-9, 3.75) (10-7, 3.95)
Game time is 7:35 on CSN and KICU.
This is the start of a four-game series with the A's, a team we swept in Oakland last week.
Bad news: the A's bats woke up in the final two games of their trip to Detroit. After losing 4-1 in the series opener, which was preceded by two losses at the hands of lowly Kansas City, the A's won the final two games, 9-2 and 11-1.
Chen and Blanton matched up in that series last week. Blanton went six with one earned, scattering eight hits. Chen was really strong over six-and-two-thirds, giving up just four hits and one earned run. The O's won 4-3 thanks to a seventh inning rally.
Blanton has been hard lucked by the A's lately, with three straight no-decisions, all quality starts. He's got a run of six quality starts in a row, with a 2-1 record in those games. Chen has pitched well for a while, too, getting his ERA below 4 for the first time since July 22, when he was hammered at Tampa Bay.
I wish Oakland wasn't in our way so much at this point in the year. I'm rooting for them (or Cleveland) to take the wild card, but I'm not rooting against my team just to spite the Yankees. Go O's, sorry A's.