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Apr 17, 2011 - 6:56 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Hideki Matsui drove in a run and scored during Oakland's three-run fourth inning, putting the Athletics on top for good en route to a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the third meeting of a four-game series.

Dallas Braden (1-1) exited with stiffness in his throwing shoulder after allowing one unearned run on three hits in five innings for the A's, whose relievers --- Brad Ziegler, Craig Breslow, Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes -- combined to allow one run on three hits and four walks over the final four frames.

Justin Verlander (1-2) surrendered four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in six innings to take the loss, Detroit's first in five games.

The Tigers took an early lead in their second at-bat, as Miguel Cabrera raced home from third on Brennan Boesch's grounder to first and scored standing up when Kurt Suzuki couldn't handle Daric Barton's low throw.

The lead was short-lived, as Oakland went ahead with three straight doubles to open the fourth inning. David DeJesus led off with a two-bagger and scored on Josh Willingham's dribbler down the third-base line.

Matsui followed with a double to right field for a 2-1 lead, then scored on Suzuki's base hit to left.

"They jumped on a couple pitches they could hit," Verlander said of the pivotal frame. "It was a tough inning."

Oakland added another run on doubles from Kevin Kouzmanoff and Coco Crisp in the sixth.

Pinch-hitter Ryan Sweeney added an RBI triple off Enrique Gonzalez in the eighth, then scored on a Kouzmanoff sac fly for a 6-1 lead.

Fuentes relieved Balfour with two on and no outs in the ninth, and limited the damage to Austin Jackson's run-scoring fielder's choice grounder.

"I thought it was a good team win. We swung the bats well and the pitchers did [their job] again," Suzuki said.

Game Notes

The A's came into the series with wins in four of five games, but they were shut out, 3-0, in the opener and lost in 10 innings, 8-4, on Friday...Victor Martinez had two of Detroit's six hits...Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez returned from a four-game absence (ankle) and went 1-for-4...DeJesus and Matsui each had two hits.