Blackburn allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over five innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Wednesday.
Blackburn was staked to an early four-run lead but couldn't hold it, giving up three runs in the third inning and another in the fourth. The right-hander ended up with his fifth straight no-decision after coming off the injured list to make his season debut May 29. Blackburn notched seven strikeouts Wednesday, continuing a surprising trend that has seen him tally 30 punchouts over 25.2 innings on the campaign. Prior to this season, he had never come close to averaging a strikeout per inning, topping out at a 7.2 K/9 last year. The improved strikeout ability and Blackburn's tolerable 4.21 ERA has given him some mild fantasy value, though he's unlikely to find himself in the win column very often given Oakland's standing as one of the league's worst offensive teams.