HEADLINE

Cashner, Fiers to duel when Orioles visit A’s

Field Level Media

June 17, 2019 at 6:26 am.

Andrew Cashner and Mike Fiers won’t be contending for the American League’s ERA title this season.

But the veteran right-handers are doing something far more important for their teams — earning victories.

Baltimore’s Cashner and Oakland’s Fiers are set to face off Monday night when the teams open a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum.

Cashner (6-2, 4.73 ERA) has won his past two decisions, although he didn’t get a victory last time out June 8 at Houston when he allowed one run on four hits over six innings in a game the Orioles eventually won 4-1.

Right fielder Anthony Santander made a home-run robbing catch against Yuli Gurriel in that game that turned into a pivotal double play as the Orioles earned their first victory at Minute Maid Park in 11 tries.

“I kept telling myself, ‘Get a double play.’ I just didn’t draw it up that way,” Cashner said, according to mlb.com. “It was the play of the game. It went from a bad outing to a good outing.”

Cashner is 2-1 with a 6.53 ERA in seven career appearances against Oakland (six starts). He beat the A’s 12-4 on April 8 in Baltimore, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Two of the hits he allowed were home runs.

The Orioles suffered an 8-6 loss in 10 innings to the visiting Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Fiers (6-3, 4.63 ERA) is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA over his past seven starts, a stretch that began with a May 7 no-hitter against Cincinnati, the second of his career.

His last time out, Fiers had a quality start in a 4-3 victory at Tampa Bay on June 11. He allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.

“Everything (was working),” he told mlb.com after his most recent victory. “I felt like my normal self and was attacking the guys with my stuff, challenging them and making them beat me.”

Fiers is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four career starts against the Orioles.

The A’s expect to have outfielder Stephen Piscotty back in the starting lineup after missing two games following surgery to remove a melanoma from his right ear.

Piscotty came on as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 6-3 loss to Seattle.

“My ear is a little sore, but it’s gotten better every day,” Piscotty said, according to mlb.com. “I’m back to feeling like myself. Took a few swings and ran around a little bit to get the heart rate up.”

Piscotty won’t get the stitches out of his ear until Thursday, but will wear a double-flap helmet for protection in the meantime.

“Thankfully, it’s on the ear and not a part of my body that I can risk tearing,” Piscotty said. “I think it’s a safe area. I’m not too worried about it, and neither are the doctors.”

Piscotty admitted that having a form of skin cancer spooked him a bit.

“When you hear the word cancer, it’s not something you want to hear,” he said. “It was the best-case scenario because it was super early. … Going to make extra sure I wear a lot of sunscreen from now on.”

— Field Level Media