 pitched a career-best 8 2/3 innings, allowing four hits while striking out a career-high ten. Lou Trivino relieved and got the final out after Montas allowed an RBI double to Miguel Cabrera.''I wanted to finish the game, but I am very happy with how I pitched tonight,'' he said. ''I just have to get one more out next time.'' Montas had struck out seven batters on three occasions, including his last start, but overpowered the Tigers with movement and velocity. His fastball reached 98 mph to go along with a splitter and slider.''He threw the ball great,'' Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. ''We hit a few balls right at people, but he pretty much shut us down. He's got a variety of pitches with that little splitter, his slider and the fastball.'' Chad Pinder and Mark Canha - the sixth and eighth hitters in the lineup - homered for the A's, and Khris Davis had three hits.''It feels great to contribute to a win, especially at the bottom of the order,'' Pinder said. ''I think we're starting to build some momentum.'' Oakland's winning streak against Detroit is tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history, two short of a 16-game streak over the New York Yankees in 1989-91.Daniel Norris (2-2) allowed six runs, seven hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings.Detroit has lost the first five games of a 10-game homestand and been outscored 48-11 in the process.''My objective was to give us a chance to win and stop the bleeding,'' Norris said. ''We have to find a way to win and not let these five games define our season.'' The Tigers didn't get a baserunner until Cabrera's leadoff double in the fifth.''We have a team picture tomorrow, so we're still alive,'' Gardenhire said. ''We'll see how it goes, but I hope we'll be smiling.'' The A's took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Matt Chapman led off with a single, took second on Stephen Piscotty's base hit and moved up on Davis's fly ball to right. Oakland took advantage of Detroit's struggles turning double plays, as Matt Olson beat out shortstop Gordon Beckham's relay throw to get an RBI.Canha made it 3-0 with a two-run homer in the fifth, but Josh Harrison's RBI double pulled the Tigers within two in the bottom of the inning.The A's added three more runs in the sixth. Davis singled with one out in the sixth and scored when Olson's base hit to center skipped past JaCoby Jones for a two-base error. Pinder followed with a homer into the shrubbery beyond the center to make it 6-1.Davis added an RBI single off Sandy Baez in the eighth.Cabrera's ninth-inning double tied him with Lou Gehrig for 63rd place with 2,721 career hits.''When he starts matching guys like Lou Gehrig, it tells you a little about his career,'' Gardenhire said.TRAINER'S ROOMAthletics: RHP Jharel Cotton, who has been out since having Tommy John surgery in March 2018, was scheduled to start Friday night for Class A Stockton.Tigers: 1B Niko Goodrum was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Beckham took his spot in the lineup, playing shortstop, while Ronny Rodriguez moved to first. ... Cabrera was the DH for the second straight day. He left Tuesday's game early with knee stiffness, then sat out Wednesday against Justin Verlander and the Astros.THE LOSING CONTINUESDetroit's 14-game skid against the A's is its longest against one team since dropping 14 straight to the Los Angeles Angels in 2002-03.UP NEXTThe teams play the third of four games Saturday. Daniel Mengden (0-1, 6.75) starts for Oakland against Tigers lefty Matt Boyd (4-3, 3.15).---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Tigers try to pull out of home skid vs. A's The rest of the Detroit Tigers' four-game series with the Oakland Athletics can't get much uglier than the opener.The A's hammered the Tigers 17-3 on Thursday, handing Detroit its fourth straight loss -- all at home -- heading into the second game of the series on Friday night."No one likes to look terrible out there," Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters after the game. "Our fans were frustrated; we could hear it and rightfully so. They expect more out of our baseball team. I expect more out of them. This is on my shoulders to make it right." The A's hit five homers and rapped out 16 hits while improving their road record to just 6-15.Detroit has many issues, including the left side of the infield. Shortstop Jordy Mercer is on the 10-day injured list, and third baseman Jeimer Candelario was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after Wednesday's 5-1 loss to Houston.Candelario, in a season-long slump, was batting .192 with 46 strikeouts before he was demoted. The coaching staff felt his struggles at the plate were carrying over onto the field."We've been trying to hold off on this to see if he'd get going, but it's not working out," Gardenhire told the Detroit News."It's really tough but he needs to find himself. You can see he's lost at the plate and he kind of takes it out on the field at times. I think he's been a lot better defensively this year, but he's been a little sloppy lately and we're having a hard time getting his attention." Dawel Lugo, called up from Toledo to replace Candelario, prevented an A's shutout with a three-run, ninth-inning homer Thursday.Left-hander Daniel Norris will start Friday for the Tigers. Originally ticketed for long relief work this season, Norris (2-1, 3.63 ERA) is the team's No. 2 starter behind Matthew Boyd due to injuries.Norris' last outing was his longest of the season, as he went 6 1/3-innings at the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He gave up two runs on six hits, striking out five while collecting his second victory.Norris has one career start against Oakland, in 2017, getting a no-decision after giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.He'll be opposed by right-hander Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.78), who has posted back-to-back quality outings but wound up with a no-decision both times.He held Cleveland to two runs in six innings last Friday and Pittsburgh to one run in six innings on May 5.Montas, who is 1-2 with a 10.64 ERA in four career outings (three starts) against Detroit, has not allowed a home run in his past five starts."He keeps getting better," Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman told MLB.com. "I know he's a fiery guy and gets emotional, but he's able to keep composed. I'm really impressed by how he's able to have a tough inning and just shake it off to keep us in ballgames for a long time." A's first baseman Matt Olson hit his third homer of the season on Thursday. Olson, who has played 11 games since recovering from hand surgery, was elevated to the No. 3 spot in the order by manager Bob Melvin."We're just trying to find our way offensively," Melvin told MLB.com prior to Thursday's blowout. "At times it looks like we're there and at times we don't. Just trying to mix it up and find the right mix." --Field Level Media
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