The Detroit Tigers Vierling slides in safely with the steal (right) as the A’s second baseman Jordan Diaz (13) gets the drop on the ball in the bottom of the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tue Jul 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, who usually play at the Coliseum on the 4th of July, found themselves at Comerica Park in Detroit to start a six-game road trip. The A’s, who found themselves on the wrong side of a perfect game last Wednesday, appeared headed into a repeat performance. The Detroit Tigers’ lefty, Tarik, Skubal, making his first start since coming off the IL, baffled the A’s hitters. The Tigers pitching staff allowed just a run and it was just enough for the A’s to get by 1-0.

Skubal was perfect for his four innings of work. He allowed no runs, hits, or walks and struck out six. Yogi Berra once said:” It’s deja vu all over again.” The A’s went 32 years before being no-hit last Wednesday. It looked like they would be no-hit again. This time, six days later.

The Tigers brought in Reese Olson to pitch in the fifth. Olson kept the A’s hitless in the fifth and sixth innings. With two out in the seventh, A’s catcher Shea Langeliers broke the spell with a single.

The A’s starter JP Sears pitched his best game of the 2023 season. The lefty, acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline last year, pitched seven and 1/3rd innings. Sears allowed five hits and no runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out four. Lucas Erceg retired the next two Tiger hitters to end the eighth. Shintaro Fujinami struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth. The game was scoreless after nine innings.

In the tenth, The A’s scored the winning run. Brent Rooker was the ghost runner at second base. A’s manager Mark Kotsay sent Tyler Wade into the game as a pinch-runner for Rooker. Jace Peterson laid down a sacrifice bunt, sending Wade to third.

A’s first baseman Ryan Noda singled to shallow left field to drive in Wade with the A’s first run. They wouldn’t need any more.

Trevor May was brought in to pitch the tenth. Tiger skipper A.J. Hinch replaced ghost runner Miguel Cabrera with Jake Marisnick. May retired Eric Haase and Zack Short. May walked Matt Vierling to put the winning run on first base.

If the Tigers could get a hit, the game would have been tied, and they would have had an opportunity to win. The hitter was Spencer Torkelson. May had his work cut out for him. May did the job as he got Torkelson to fly out to center to end the game. The A’s win 1-0

Game Notes- The A’s won for the third time in the last four games. They are now 24-63. The Tigers dropped to 37-47.

Shintaro Fujinami was the winning pitcher. He is now 5-7 for the year. The Tigers’ Tyler Holton was the losing pitcher. Trevor May earned his sixth save.

The line score for Oakland was one run, two hits, and no errors. The Tigers’ line was no runs, six hits, or errors.

The A’s won the game with two hits. On most days, teams managing just two hits find themselves as losers. Not so in baseball. The pitching for both teams was excellent. Sears did not record the win, but the A’s must be pleased with his performance. Conversely, the Tigers’ pitchers Skubal and Olson were terrific, too. Yet, the A’s found a way to win.

Game two of the three-game series will start at 3:40 pm on Wednesday. Lefty Ken Waldichuk will start for Oakland. Waldichuk is 1-5 and has a 6.78 ERA. Waldichuk has been used as an opener, and it remains to be seen if that will be his role on Wednesday. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4, 2.13) goes for Detroit.