by Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s are on the move. They beat the Tigers 6-1 to win their fifth game out of the last six and the eighth out of the last eleven. The  A’s ace, Sonny Gray, was dominant as he went eight innings allowing no runs and just two hits. He threw 108 pitches picking up his seventh win of the year. His record is now 7-2 and he owns an ERA of just 1.65. The Tigers’ Anibal Sanchez took the loss. Sanchez is now 3-7 with a 5.67 ERA for 2015. The A’s offense was led by Billy Burns, Josh Reddick, Brett Lawrie and Billy Butler.

The A’s scored three runs in the top of the third. Brett Lawrie doubled with one out to get things going. After Marcus Semien popped out, Sanchez walked Mark Canha and Eric Sogard to load the bases. The next hitter, Billy Burns, hit the first pitch from Sanchez for a triple that cleared the bases to put the A’s up 3-0. Josh Reddick hit a solo homer in the third to put Oakland ahead 4-0. The A’s added another run in the eighth and ninth. The Tigers scored their lone run in the bottom of the ninth.

Game notes- Fernando Rodriguez relieved Gray in the ninth and gave up one run on two hits. It was the fourth time in twelve starts that Sonny Gray did not allow a run. The A’s announced that Drew Pomeranz has been activated off the DL and will be working out of the bullpen. Arnold Leon was sent back to Nashville.

The Tigers have lost six games in a row for the first time since the 2011 season.

With the win, the A’s have won the series for the second consecutive time. The A’s meet the Tigers Thursday morning at 10:05 am PT. Jesse Hahn will go for Oakland and Shane Greene will pitch for Detroit.