Brandon McCarthy returns!
The A's look to rebound from their loss Sunday as they face the National League West leading Los Angeles Dodgers in a rematch of the 1988 and 1974 World Series'. Surprisingly this will be the first time the strangest looking man in baseball (maybe it is Mike Adams?) Aaron Harang faces the A's. Harang enters having thrown 77 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA and 3.61 FIP putting up 7.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 0.7 HR/9. McCarthy on the other hand has been going back and forth from being ready to injured and back to ready again. He has still thrown nearly as many innings as Harang, 71, and as a 2.79 ERA, 3.49 FIP and has thrown 6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 while allowing 0.6 HR/9.
The A's lineup again has Coco Crisp and Jemile Weeks in the top two spots, which seems to me means Bob Melvin favors speed at the top of the order regardless of their ability (or clear lack thereof) to get on base. Seth Smith mans left field and hits clean up and the DH in this one is Jonny Gomes in the seven spot. With respect to the Dodger lineup, McCarthy has quite a significant split this year with LHBs hitting him to the tune of a .315/.374/.475 slash line so this could be a rough outing for him as LA's lineup will see just two hitters hitting from the right side where McCarthy is much stronger as RHBs only manage a .203/.245/.291 line against him.
LETS GO OAKLAND!
