A's lineup: Crisp out, Barton in

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DETROIT -- The A's are 0-1 on their crucial 10-game road trip through Detroit, New York and Texas. They will have a tough task trying to get back in the win column on Wednesday against one of the best pitchers in baseball. Here's A's manager Bob Melvin's lineup card.Oakland Athletics (84-63) lineupStephen Drew, SS
Seth Smith, DH
Josh Reddick, RF
Yoenis Cespedes, CF
Brandon Moss, LF
Josh Donaldson, 3B
Daric Barton, 1B
Derek Norris, C
Cliff Pennington, 2B
Instant AnalysisWith the Tigers starting ace Justin Verlander, the reigning American League MVP and Cy Young-award winner, the A's are stacking their lineup with lefties again to try and knock the righty off his game.Coco Crisp continues to recover from allergic conjunctivitis in both of his eyes. He was removed from Tuesday's game in the fourth inning and his eyes looked very red and puffy after the game.Note that Yoenis Cespedes is in center field. He rolled his ankle on Tuesday night in the seventh inning and had it heavily wrapped up after the game. When asked if he would be able to play on Wednesday he responded in perfect English, "every day."Brandon Moss will be starting in left field and Daric Barton will be manning first base. It is his first start since May 30. It is an interesting decision not to go with Chris Carter, but he is 4 for 31 in his last 10 games with 19 strikeouts. Barton is a left-handed hitter and Melvin was likely looking to get another southpaw in the order against Verlander. Top of the OrderSmith is 1 for 5 with a home run against Verlander. He is the only hitter on the A's to have taken the Detroit ace deep. It's unfortunate for the A's that Crisp cannot play. He's had a lot of success against Verlander hitting .364 (8 for 22) in his career against him. Heart of the OrderJosh Reddick is heating up at the plate. He is on a six-game hitting streak and has three consecutive multi-hit games. He is batting .375 (9 for 24) over his last six games. Reddick is 2 for 7 in his career against Verlander. Cespedes is hitting .400 with three homers and a .900 slugging percentage since September 11. It is going to take a lot to get him out of the lineup. Bottom of the OrderCliff Pennington is hitting .341 (15 for 44) over his last 14 games. After coming off the DL on August 7 he has started to turn his season around. Melvin has made it pretty clear that he is the starter at second base. Starting PitchersIf you are a fan of pitching you'll probably enjoy Wednesday's matchup. Cy YoungMVP Justin Verlander (14-8, 2.82 ERA) takes on Brett Anderson (4-1, 1.93 ERA). Anderson became the first starting pitcher since Dave Stewart in 1990 to start the season by earning a win in each of his first four starts.Verlander is making his 14th start at home and is 7-2 with a 1.70 ERA at Comerica Park.

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