Clash of unbeatens as Cahill faces Tomlin

Share

May 4, 2011

CLEVELAND (20-8) vs.
A's (15-15)

Coverage begins at 6:30 P.M. on CSN Plus

OAKLAND (AP) -- After a stellar 2010 season for the Oakland Athletics, Trevor Cahill's strong start in 2011 should be no surprise.

The same can't be said of the early success Cleveland's Josh Tomlin has enjoyed in his first full major league season.

Both Cahill and Tomlin look to improve to 5-0 when the Indians try to match a season high with their eighth consecutive victory Wednesday night in Oakland.

Cahill (4-0, 1.88 ERA) has not missed a step after going 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 2010, his second major league season. The right-hander has allowed more than one run once in six starts. He overcame four walks and seven hits to pitch seven scoreless innings Friday in a 3-1 win over Texas.

"He throws the ball well," Rangers outfielder David Murphy told the Athletics' official website.

Cahill is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA against the Indians, but is facing them for the first time in Oakland. He allowed one run in seven innings of a 6-1 victory at Cleveland on Aug. 25.

Tomlin (4-0, 2.45), who went 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts last year, has never faced the A's.

The right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in four of five starts. He gave up a pair of homers in six innings of a 7-2 win over Kansas City last Wednesday.

"That's my job," Tomlin told the Indians' official website. "I'm supposed to go out there and give six, seven innings every time."

Tomlin has played a significant role in the stellar start the Indians (20-8) are enjoying. Major league-best Cleveland followed a 6-0 homestand by scoring three times in the ninth inning Tuesday to beat Oakland 4-1.

"They're playing well and their record reflects that," said A's reliever Brian Fuentes, who took the loss. "They're just clicking on all cylinders."

REWIND: Fuentes falters as Indians rally late over A's

Orlando Cabrera hit a tiebreaking single and Asdrubal Cabrera added two RBIs in the ninth as Cleveland snapped a three-game road skid overall and improved to 9-23 at Oakland since last winning a series there July 29-31, 2002.

"We wanted to play good at home and we did, because the West Coast is always tough," said Indians manager Manny Acta, whose team is 7-6 away from home.

After a three-hit effort in the series opener, Asdrubal Cabrera is batting .345 with five RBIs in his last seven games. He is 2 for 6 with a double against Cahill.

Shin-Soo Choo went 0 for 4 with a walk, one day after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving when a breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .20 - more than double Ohio's legal limit of .08.

"I am hopeful that this incident will not be a distraction to the Indians organization while we remain focused on continuing to play winning baseball," Choo said in a statement.

Choo is hitting .241 this season, but is 4 for 5 lifetime versus Cahill.

Hideki Matsui had two of the five hits Tuesday for the A's (15-15), who lost for the second time in six games. Matsui, who hit a walkoff homer in Monday's 5-4, 10-inning win over Texas, is 10 for 23 in his last seven games versus Cleveland.

Contact Us