Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s host the visiting Detroit Tigers for a three-game series this weekend. The Tigers are not the same team that played the San Francisco Giants in the 2012 World Series. They are also not the same team that eliminated the A’s in the 2013 ALCS. The Tigers, my friends, have gotten old. Miguel Cabrera, who’s arguably their best player as well as a former MVP and Triple Crown winner, is out for the season with a torn triceps muscle. Their DH Victor Martinez is 39 years old and is nearing the end of his career.

The Tigers’ best player is right fielder Nick Castellanos. Castellanos made the AL All-Star team and is the most dangerous hitter in the Tigers’ lineup.

The Tigers’ pitching staff has been revamped. Max Scherzer left a couple of years ago to go to the Washington Nationals. Justin Verlander was acquired by the Houston Astros last year after the trade deadline in a waiver deal. Doug Fister had a few good years with the Tigers, but has floundered and is now on the DL with the Texas Rangers. Anibal Sanchez is gone, and Rick Porcello was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2015 for Yoenis Cespedes.

The Tigers’ current starting rotation consists of left Blaine Hardy, who will start Friday night, Jordan Zimmerman, Drew VerHagen, Lefty Francisco Liriano, and lefty Matthew Boyd are the other starters. The 34-year old left Liriano has been around the block a few times and his best days are behind him. Zimmerman came to Detroit as a free agent, but  he had some good years with the Nationals, but has been a bust with the Tigers. VerHagen and Boyd are not household names yet.

The rebuilding Tigers will have John Hicks at first, Niko Goodrum at second, Jose Iglesias at shortstop, and Jeimer Candelario at third. Iglesias has the most experience and is a very slick fielder. The Tigers’ outfield will feature Jacoby Jones, Victor Reyes, Mike Gerber, and Nick  Castellanos. James McCann will handle the catching.

The Tigers’ bullpen is a work in progress. Their best-known reliever is Shane Greene. The A’s took Greene to the woodshed twice in June as they tagged him with losses in two consecutive games.

The A’s continue to be the hottest team in the AL. Since June 16th, the A’s are 30-20 and have made up an 11-game deficit to tie the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card spot in the AL. The A’s trail the first-place Houston Astros by just five games, The A’s have 10 games left with Seattle and six with Houston. Nothing can be taken for granted as the A’s continue to play well. They are confident the can come back anytime, anywhere. They own the eighth inning and have scored more runs in the eighth than any team in baseball. They have a terrific manager in Bob Melvin. Melvin had three lean years, but now has the horses and is doing a great job of managing.

Friday night’s game will feature a battle between two left-handed pitchers. Blaine Hardy (4-3, 3.61 ERA) will go for Detroit, and he will be opposed by Oakland’s Brett Anderson (2-3, 5.51 ERA). Anderson pitched six innings in his last two starts. Saturday’s game will have Jordan Zimmerman pitching for the Tigers, and he will be opposed by Edwin Jackson. Jackson beat the Toronto Blue Jays last Monday for his 100th career victory. On Sunday, the Tigers will have 34-year old left Francisco Liriano will be on the mound for Detroit, and the A’s will have the big righty Trevor Cahill do the pitching for Oakland. Cahill defeated the Blue Jays last Tuesday and allowed just six hits and two runs in six innings of work.

The A’s have to continue to win if they hope to make the playoffs. They play three against the Tigers this weekend. They have two interleague games with the LA Dodgers on Tuesday and Wednesday. They are off again on Thursday. They resume play against the LA Angels for three games starting August 10th then return home to play three against the Mariners, three against the Astros, and three against the Rangers.

The A’s have 52 games left on the schedule. The team has to play at a high level if they want to make the playoffs. It is as simple as that. End of story.