Programming note: Watch A's October Quest tonight a 5 p.m. prior to the first pitch of ALDS Game 2 and following the final out, only on Comcast SportsNet California
OAKLAND -- Brandon Moss draws the start at first base and Daric Barton is on the bench for the A’s in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
Barton struck out three times in Friday’s opener and failed to come up with two defensive plays on hard-hit singles that got past him. But Barton’s Game 1 performance was not a determining factor in sitting him, according to A’s manager Bob Melvin.
By sliding Moss over to first base, it allowed Melvin to insert Seth Smith at designated hitter against Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander.
“Before this series started, this was a game I was looking to get Smitty in there,” Melvin said Saturday afternoon. “If (Barton) had gone 4-for-4, maybe he’s in there, but this is a game I wanted to get Smitty in there.”
Smith is just 2-for-15 against Verlander, but one of those hits is a home run. He’s also drawn six walks. Besides the homer, those numbers aren’t drastically different against Verlander than Barton’s, who is 2-for-14 with four walks.
But after the A’s mustered just three hits and struck out 16 times in Game 1, some sort of shake up was in order as Oakland tries to even this best-of-five series before it shifts to Detroit.
The lineups for Game 2 of the ALDS between the visiting Tigers and host A's:
Oakland A's (96-66, 52-29 Home)
1. Coco Crisp (S) CF
2. Jed Lowrie (S) SS
3. Josh Donaldson (R) 3B
4. Brandon Moss (L) 1B
5. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
6. Seth Smith (L) DH
7. Josh Reddick (L) RF
8. Stephen Vogt (L) C
9. Eric Sogard (L) 2B
RHP -- Sonny Gray (5-3, 2.67 ERA)
Detroit Tigers (93-69, 42-39 Road)
1. Austin Jackson (R) CF
2. Torii Hunter (R) RF
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 3B
4. Prince Fielder (L) 1B
5. Victor Martinez (S) DH
6. Alex Avila (L) C
7. Omar Infante (R) 2B
8. Don Kelly (L) LF
9. Jose Iglesias (R) SS
RHP -- Justin Verlander (13-12, 3.46 ERA)
