by Jerry Feitelberg

AP photo: Detroit Tigers pitcher Francisco Rodriguez 57 congratulated Anthony Gose right after defeating the Oakland A’s 7-3 on Thursday at Comerica Park

The Tigers beat the A’s again Thursday afternoon in Detroit by a score of 7-3. The A’s were hoping to get a win so that they would return home with a record of 6-4 on the ten-game road trip. They ended up 5-5 which is not bad considering the teams the had to play. They started off well beating the Yankees four straight. They took the first game from Toronto but lost the last two games as the Toronto’s hitters came to life. Then the four-game series with Detroit. The A’s split the first two games, but the starting pitchers could not hold down the big boys in the Detroit Lineup. J.D.Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Justin Upton and Anthony Gose punished Sonny Gray, Chris Bassitt, and Kendall Graveman. Bassitt went three and 2/3rds inning giving up ten hits, seven earned runs, one home run. His ERA zoomed up to 6.11.

Josh Reddick drove in the first run of the game in the top of the third. The Tigers scored four times in the bottom of the third. Anthony Gose doubled to start the rally. Ian Kinsler doubled to drive in Gose. J.D.Martinez, batting second in front of Miguel Cabrera, walked. Cabrera singled to drive in Kinsler. Martinez scored when Cabrera tagged up and tried to reach second on the play. The throw to second was cut off. Martinez took off for home and beat the throw to the catcher.  Justin Upton flew out, and Cabrera took third after tagging up. Nick Castellanos doubled to drive in Cabrera with the fourth run of the inning.

Stephen Vogt homered leading off the fourth to cut the deficit to two. However, the Tigers scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach. The big blow was a two-run homer off the bat of Anthony Gose. The A’s scored a run in the ninth, but it was not enough as they lose 7-3.

Game Notes- The A’s fall to one game under .500 with a record of 11-12.  Chris Bassitt took the loss. Anibal Sanchez recorded his third win of the year for Detroit. Sanchez went five and two-thirds innings. He gave up two runs on three hits, walked seven and struck out nine. The A’s won the first four games of the road trip but lost five of the last six. A’s manager Bob Melvin may be making some additional changes to the starting rotation. The first change will occur Friday night when the big lefty, Sean Manaea, makes his Major League debut against the Houston Astros. Jesse Hahn’s recall was delayed due to a blister on his pitching hand, and Henderson Alvarez should be ready to return to the Big Leagues in mid-May.