Athletics looking to get back in the win column against a tough opponent
A day after dropping their road opener in Detroit to the Tigers, the Athletics will try again to win a game against the team with the best record in baseball. Detroit is riding a little two-game win streak while the A’s are desperate to get back in the win column and avoid four-straight losses. Which streak will end tonight?
Rookie Jacob Lopez is all set to make his seventh start of the season. The lefty has bounced back nicely after a pair disastrous starts, throwing 16 innings over his past three appearances and allowing just one run overall. He’s also been racking up the strikeouts at a solid clip, collecting 23 punch outs compared to just six free passes. The Athletics would take production like that in a heartbeat today against a tough Tigers lineup.
The A’s starting nine for the middle game of the series:
Today’s lineup vs. Detroit – June 25, 2025 at Comerica Park pic.twitter.com/XIJPvTZI6d
— A’s Communications (@AthleticsPR) June 25, 2025
Right fielder Lawrence Butler returns to his spot at the top of the lineup with a right-hander on the opposing mound, followed by potential All-Stars Jacob Wilson and Brent Rooker. Lefty slugger Tyler Soderstrom also rises back up the batting order after hitting eighth last night. Willie MacIver is behind the plate catching Lopez and the rest of the lineup is filled with the regular starters.
The starter for the Tigers will be right-handed veteran Jack Flaherty. His second season in Detroit had been much more challenging than his first. After posting an awesome 2.95 first-half ERA, the nine-year vet was a midseason trade piece for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 28-year-old wasn’t as dominant after the move back to the National League, and he hit the open market this past offseason and decided to return to Detroit. This year he’s posted a much weaker ERA of 4.83 through 15 starts. After the A’s managed to tag Tigers ace Tarik Skubal last night, Flaherty should be an easier assignment for the Athletics’ bats.
Detroit’s starting lineup for game two:
tigs tonight ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/DefSMOPzxF
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 25, 2025
First baseman Spencer Torkelson and shortstop Javier Baez return to Detroit’s starting lineup after getting the day off in yesterday’s series opener. That will make Lopez’s job that much harder as they rejoin young stud Riley Greene in the Tigers’ starting nine.
Time to snap this three-game losing streak! Let’s go A’s!