Haren: ‘We’re in a tailspin’
The Oakland Athletics ran into a hot pitcher in their series opener with the Baltimore Orioles. They’ll turn to their own ace to try and get back on track.
Dan Haren tries to help the Athletics avoid their 11th loss in 12 games when they continue a three-game set with the Orioles on Saturday at McAfee Coliseum.
Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have made Oakland -196 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 8ev total runs (Matchup). Our public betting information shows that 76% of bets for this game have been placed on Oakland -196 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Oakland (45-51) is batting just .170 and has scored only 27 runs during its 1-10 stretch. The A’s were held to three hits in Friday night’s 6-1 defeat.
Baltimore’s Erik Bedard carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before Mark Ellis homered to provide Oakland’s only run. Bedard gave up just that one hit in seven innings, and increased his major league-leading strikeout total to 167.
"We had to be aggressive because everybody is 0-2 all night,” Ellis said. "He threw a great game and he left it over the middle of the plate a little bit and I was able to drop the head on it.”
After the A’s took the first three games of the season series, the Orioles have outscored Oakland 22-8 to win the last three. Baltimore (43-52) has won five of its last seven games in Oakland, but facing Haren (10-3, 2.33 ERA) promises to be a tough task.
The right-hander leads the AL in ERA and opponent batting average (.209). He went 10-0 with a 2.23 ERA in 15 starts from April 18-July 1 with the A’s going 12-3 during that stretch.
However, Haren is 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA in his last two starts, as the A’s have given him only four total runs of support. He allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings on Sunday, but didn’t get a decision in the 4-3 defeat to Minnesota.
"I’ve never been part of a losing team and I don’t want to be part of a losing team,” Haren said. "We’ve got to gather ourselves because right now we’re in a tailspin.”
Haren is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA in six career starts versus the Orioles and has been even better this season, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and .149 opponent batting average.
Baltimore has won five of its last seven overall, and is trying to win back-to-back road contests for the first time since a three-game run June 20-22. Center fielder Corey Patterson is batting .455 (15-for-33) during an eight-game hitting streak.
Steve Trachsel (5-6, 4.95) makes his first start since being activated off the disabled list. The right-hander, who has been sidelined with a strained gluteus muscle, made one minor league rehab start and said he’s ready to go.
"That’s why I wanted to throw 95 (pitches) in my rehab – just to make sure," Trachsel told the Orioles’ official Web site. "It wouldn’t do me much good to throw 65 and go out there and throw three innings. That wouldn’t help anybody."
Trachsel had been struggling before on the DL. The veteran was 0-2 with a 13.06 ERA and a .468 opponent batting average in his last three starts, all of which lasted less than five innings.
Trachsel dropped his only career start versus the A’s, giving up four runs over eight innings in an 8-0 defeat on Sept. 2, 2000, while with Toronto.
by: Dave Michaels – thespread.com – Email Us
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