Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs didn’t give up a run in his most recent start until the last pitch.
With renewed confidence in his changeup, Springs will try to build off that outing in the series finale against the Tigers at Detroit on Thursday afternoon.
Springs held the Cleveland Guardians scoreless on Friday until Angel Martinez hit a solo homer with one out in the eighth. Springs gave up just two other hits while recording six strikeouts in the Athletics’ 5-1 victory.
“(Friday’s) outing was one of the best outings he’s had this year. He came out and just started attacking,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “To go back out in the eighth, obviously a little tired, but be able to just get us that extra effort … we pushed him (Friday), and he knows his limit now, which is great.”
Springs (6-5, 4.24 ERA) made a subtle adjustment with his changeup, which made his fastball more effective in his season-high 7 1/3 innings.
“It’s been hit or miss the last few months, to be honest, and I feel like I found something within the grip that I can execute consistently,” Springs told The Sacramento Bee. “Hopefully, I can take this and run with it.”
That game was a rarity, as both starting pitchers went deep into the contest. Guardians ace Tyler Bibee, who had 10 strikeouts, wound up with a complete-game loss.
“I’m a pitcher, so I like pitchers’ duels, but I like being on the winning side of it,” Springs said. “Credit to our hitters, they did a great job against a really good arm over there.”
Springs has been effective in his two career starts against Detroit, winning both times without giving up an earned run in 12 combined innings. He struck out 18 and walked just one over the two games.
For Detroit, Dietrich Enns is expected to be called up from Triple-A Toledo to make his first major league appearance since 2021. Enns appeared in nine games as a Tampa Bay Rays reliever that season.
Enns, a 34-year-old left-hander, played four seasons in Japan and Korea before joining the Mud Hens as a starter. With Toledo, he has a 2-2 record and 2.89 ERA in 14 starts, with 71 strikeouts and 15 walks in 62 1/3 innings.
He’ll face the Athletics for the first time. Ironically, Enns — who attended Central Michigan University — recorded his only MLB victories against the Tigers, both times with the Rays in September 2021.
The Tigers and Guardians have split the first two games of the three-game series. Detroit won the opener 11-4, then got blanked 3-0.
Riley Greene had one of Detroit’s four hits on Wednesday. He’s reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.
Greene has been the top hitter — with a .299 average, 17 homers and 61 RBIs — for the team with the American League’s best record.
“It’s fun to watch him,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s hitting to all fields. He’s hitting for power. He’s hitting in big spots. I do love that he’s letting the game come to him a bit more. Of course, it’s a little easier when you are piling up the success he’s been piling up these last few weeks. But it all coincides with getting good pitches to hit, getting in good counts and not trying to do too much.”
–Field Level Media
