Lineup breakdown: A's-Tigers, Game 4
A look at Tuesday's starting lineups for Game 4 of the American League Division Series between the Tigers and the Athletics:
ATHLETICS
Manager Bob Melvin's opted to go with the exact same lineup Tuesday that resulted in his team's greatest offensive output in Monday's 6-3 win to take the 2-1 series lead.
Detroit held the A's to three runs in the Oakland split but couldn't contain the A's at their home park. The outburst continued a similar trend dating back to the A's 3-1 series win at Comerica Park in August; the A's have scored 40 runs in five games this season at Comerica Park.
Brandon Moss has homered in each of his last four games at Comerica, but he also struck out three times for the third time this series Monday. Each of his nine outs have been strikeouts, which is one short of the A's record for strikeouts in a postseason series.
Yoenis Cespedes has shown more consistency, hitting safely and starting in left field in each of the A's eight postseason games over the last two years. He's hit safely in all eight games and is tied for the fourth longest postseason hitting streak in A's history.
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Josh Donaldson, 3B
3. Jed Lowrie, SS
4. Brandon Moss, 1B
5. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
6. Seth Smith, DH
7. Josh Reddick, RF
8. Stephen Vogt, C
9. Eric Sogard, 2B
TIGERS
There are no more Jhonny Peralta's on the Tigers' bench for skipper Jim Leyland to insert into his starting lineup. Leyland ran out the same lineup in Game 4 as he did Monday with hopes that the Tigers would finally be able to put together a complete offensive showing.
Detroit has scored in just two of its 27 innings played so far in this ALDS, batting .219 without a home run. Its average of two runs per game matches its average over the last 10 games of the regular season, which puts it at a disadvantage no matter how dominant its starting pitchers are.
Miguel Cabrera extended his franchise record by reaching base in his 27th consecutive postseason game on Monday and is 3-for-12 this series, but he's yet to record and extra-base hit or draw a walk. Perhaps Torii Hunter, who has seven hits in 10 career plate appearances against A's starter Dan Straily, can help pick up the slack. Of those seven hits, four include a double and three home runs, and he was a triple shy of the cycle in three at-bats against Straily on Aug. 28.
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Torii Hunter, RF
3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Jhonny Peralta, LF
7. Alex Avila, C
8. Omar Infante, 2B
9. Jose Iglesias, SS