For seven innings, this was a game decided by a run here and there. Then the Tigers turned it into a landslide. Detroit scored 7 runs in the eighth inning and 4 more in the ninth, transforming a 2-1 lead into a 13-1 final at Sutter Health Park.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 0 |
| OAK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Dillon Dingler drove in 4 runs on a 2-for-6 night, including a three-run homer to center that blew the game open in the eighth. Kevin McGonigle, named the game's MVP, went 1-for-3 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 walks, and Javier Baez added 3 hits and 3 RBI. Maceo Clark also chipped in 3 hits, including 2 doubles, while Spencer Torkelson crossed the plate 3 times.
Detroit's night began quietly on the scoreboard. McGonigle's 415-foot homer to center tied the game at 1-1 in the third, and McGonigle later delivered a sacrifice fly to score Torkelson in the fourth, putting the Tigers ahead 2-1 for good. The floodgates opened in the eighth: Clark doubled home McKinstry, Báez singled in Torkelson, an error by third baseman White let Clark score, and Dingler capped the inning with his three-run blast, scoring Báez, Malgeri and McGonigle to make it 9-1. The Tigers weren't finished — in the ninth, Báez singled to bring home Torkelson and Clark, and Malgeri added a two-run homer to left to close the scoring at 13-1.
Oakland starter Jeffrey Springs took the loss, allowing 2 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and 5 walks over 4.0 innings. The Athletics' bullpen was the story of the collapse, surrendering 11 runs over 5.0 innings of work. Detroit starter Ty Madden earned his first win, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings with 2 hits allowed, while the Tigers' bullpen shut the door completely, covering 7.0 innings without allowing a run.
Detroit improved to 52-58, snapping in with a win after a loss. Oakland fell to 45-65, extending its losing streak to three games. Springs sits at 3-11 with a 6.17 ERA and remains two games shy of 200 career games played.