Sacramento A’s reliever Mason Barrett (63) pitches in relief in the top of the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wed Jul 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento A’s had seven hits, two walks and several chances to change the game’s direction. Detroit Tigers needed only three scoring hits to do all its damage. Riley Greene supplied the first hit, Jake Rogers turned a surprise appearance into a two-run homer, and Spencer Torkelson added the biggest blow with a three-run shot as the Tigers handed the Athletics a 6-1 loss. The defeat stretched the A’s skid to five games and gave them nine losses in their last 10.

Jeffrey Springs had history on his side against Detroit, carrying a 2-1 record and a 0.53 ERA through three previous career starts against the Tigers. That history disappeared quickly. Dillon Dingler reached on an infield single in the first and moved to second on Zack Gelof’s throwing error. Kevin McGonigle and Torkelson drew walks, and Greene lined an RBI single to right for a 1-0 lead. The A’s limited the inning to one run when Gelof forced McGonigle at home before Springs struck out Ben Malgeri.

Rogers was not even in the original lineup. He pinch-hit for Dingler in the second and immediately changed the game. After Zach McKinstry drew a one-out walk and Matt Vierling fouled out, Rogers drove a ball over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer and a 3-0 Detroit advantage. He was not finished. Rogers singled in the fifth and later drew a walk, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances.

The A’s had their first real chance in the second when Lawrence Butler doubled and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer followed with an infield single. Troy Melton ended the threat by striking out Carlos Cortes. Sacramento finally scored in the fourth after Tyler Soderstrom doubled and Jacob Wilson reached on McKinstry’s throwing error, allowing Soderstrom to score. Kuroda-Grauer collected another infield hit later in the inning, but Melton again escaped with a strikeout of Cortes.

Melton made the A’s work for almost everything. The right-hander allowed four hits and one unearned run over 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine and issuing one walk. He struck out the side in the fifth, getting Henry Bolte, Gelof and Jeff McNeil in order, and left after walking Soderstrom with one out in the sixth.

Detroit then ended any thought of a comeback. Rogers singled with one out in the fifth, McGonigle followed with a single to right, and Torkelson sent a three-run homer to left for a 6-1 lead. Greene drew a walk, ending Springs’ outing after 4 1/3 innings. The left-hander allowed six runs on six hits, four walks and two home runs while striking out four. Springs had allowed at least one homer in nine straight outings before this start, and the Rogers and Torkelson blasts extended that streak to 10. His personal losing streak also reached nine consecutive decisions, with his last victory still dating to April 14.

The A’s kept creating small openings but never found the hit to cash them in. In the sixth, Soderstrom and Wilson drew walks before Butler moved both runners with a groundout, but Kuroda-Grauer grounded out to end the inning. In the seventh, Cortes singled and McNeil later sent a single to right that moved Bolte to third, only for Shea Langeliers to ground out. Detroit’s bullpen covered the final 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run.

Kuroda-Grauer remained the brightest part of the A’s offense, finishing with three singles in four at-bats. He had already produced 12 hits through his first seven major league games, tied for the fourth-most in Athletics history over that opening stretch and the most since Ben Grieve had 13 in 1997. Three more hits gave Kuroda-Grauer 15 through his first eight games. Soderstrom, reinstated from the injured list before the game, doubled, walked and scored the Athletics’ only run.

There was at least one encouraging piece for the A’s after the game had tilted away from them. Justin Sterner, Mason Barnett and José Suarez combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings, with Suarez striking out four over his two frames. It kept the margin from growing, but the offense never answered after Detroit’s fifth-inning homer.

The A’s get one last swing at the series Thursday, when Jack Perkins (2-4, 6.75 ERA, 70 strikeouts) faces Detroit left-hander Framber Valdez (4-6, 4.29 ERA, 78 strikeouts), with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

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