Game Thread #94: A’s vs. Tigers

Oakland begins the second half with a double header against the Detroit Tigers at the Coliseum. It’ll be a quick two-game set as these are makeup games that were affected from the lockout.

Rookie Zach Logue gets the start after being recalled from Vegas this morning. The lefty tossed five innings of two-run ball in his last start against a tough opponent so hopefully he held onto that momentum during the break and keeps it up heading into the second half.

Center fielder Skye Bolt gets his second career start leading off today so it looks like he avoided a serious injury after getting hit on the hand in the first half finale. That’s good news considering he’s hitting .389 with a pair of home runs over his last seven games.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Nick Allen gets the nod at shortstop while Elvis Andrus takes a seat on the bench. Andrus is only 238 plate appearances away from triggering his $15MM option for next year and the A’s definitely don’t want to pay that. It’s not unreasonable to expect him to be getting more days off in the second half.

There was also a small lineup change before first pitch. Ramon Laureano was slated to play the field but instead swaps with Stephen Piscotty, who will instead be manning right field while Laureano fills the DH slot.

A’s lineup (home)

1. CF Skye Bolt (S)
2. DH Ramon Laureano (R)
3. C Sean Murphy (R)
4. LF Chad Pinder (R)
5. 1B Seth Brown (L)
6. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
7. 2B Sheldon Neuse (R)
8. 3B Vimael Machin (L)
9. SS Nick Allen (R)

• LHP Zach Logue

Tigers lineup (away)

1. CF Riley Greene (L)
2. DH Javier Baez (R)
3. LF Robbie Grossman (S)
4. C Eric Haase (R)
5. 2B Jonathan Schoop (R)
6. RF Willi Castro (S)
7. 1B Kody Clemens (L)
8. 3B Jeimer Candelario (S)
9. SS Zack Short (R)

• LHP Tarik Skubal

How to watch/listen

• Date: Thursday, July 21
• Time: 12:37 p.m. PT
• TV: NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast