Graveman Hopes To Continue Win Streak

(AP) -- Kendall Graveman's name doesn't spring to mind when discussing the best pitchers in baseball, but he's been in that conversation over the last month-plus.

The rookie aims to win his fourth straight start Friday night when the Oakland Athletics visit the Cleveland Indians.

Graveman (6-4, 3.16 ERA) ranks third in baseball since June 7 with a 1.26 ERA in six games, going 3-2 during that stretch. That's the best ERA by an A's rookie in a span of at least six starts since Tommy Milone posted a 1.10 ERA over six outings from June 20-July 20, 2012.

He has pitched seven-plus innings in all six and received one total run of support in the two losses. Among rookie starters, his six victories trail only San Francisco's Chris Heston, who is 8-5 with a 3.51 ERA.

Graveman has come a long way from his struggles in April, when he was sent down to Triple-A after going 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in his first four starts. He'll start Friday with a 16-inning scoreless streak after scattering five hits and one walk in seven innings of Saturday's 2-0 victory over Seattle.

"We saw what he had in Spring Training, and since he's come back, he's pitched as consistently as anyone we have in the rotation," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website.

Graveman, 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA in seven road starts, has never faced Cleveland.

Oakland (39-49) has dropped eight of 13, going 18 for 92 (.196) with runners in scoring position to largely waste a 2.79 ERA in that span. The Athletics had just three hits in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Indians (41-44) took three in a row from Houston after dropping the opener in their four-game series, giving themselves a chance to enter the All-Star break with a .500 record for the first time since they were 2-2 after April 10.

Cleveland held the Astros to three runs and 16 hits in the three victories and is hoping the excellent pitching of late rubs off on Danny Salazar (7-4, 4.10). The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his last five starts, failing to complete five innings in three of four. He's been less deceptive than he was earlier in the season, striking out 8.6 per nine innings in those five outings compared to 11.8 in his first 10.

While he fanned seven Sunday at Pittsburgh, he also surrendered five runs and seven hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 5-3 loss. All the runs were scored in the fifth inning, and 18 of the 20 runs he's allowed in his last five starts have been in the fifth or later.

"I think I just need to keep on working and try to figure it out, and see if I'm doing something different than when I start a game," he told MLB's official website.

This marks Salazar's first matchup with Oakland, though Billy Butler is 7 for 12 with four doubles off the right-hander from his time with Kansas City.

The A's took four of six meetings last season and have won eight of 12 at Progressive Field.

Michael Brantley has hit .410 with a 1.090 OPS over his last 11 against Oakland.

Updated July 10, 2015