Final
A's top celebrating Tigers
Sep 18, 2011 - 12:38 AMVideo
The Tigers were playing the game with a victory hangover as the team clinched the AL Central title on Friday night with a 3-1 win. It is Detroit's first division crown since winning the AL East in 1987 and its first appearance in the playoffs since 2006 as a wild card.
Coco Crisp drove in two runs while Jemile Weeks had three hits and an RBI for the Athletics, who had lost three of four coming into the game. Gonzalez (14-12) gave up eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts to win his second straight start.
"He really believes he can hit anybody," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin about Weeks. "He thinks he's going to get a hit every time he's up and he's a fighter so he does a lot of the time."
Don Kelly hit a two-run double while Jhonny Peralta drove in the other run for the Tigers, who fell to 13-3 in September. Rick Porcello (14-9) went seven innings and was tagged for three runs on nine hits to take the loss.
"I knew I had to start today regardless of what happened last night," said Porcello. "We still have games to win out here and we can't let up just because we won the division."
The A's got on the board in the second on RBI singles from Scott Sizemore and Crisp for a 2-0 lead and added another run in the third on a sacrifice fly from Kurt Suzuki.
Detroit had men on base in each inning except for the second, but were unable to put a run across until the sixth when Peralta lofted a sacrifice fly that scored Magglio Ordonez to make it a 3-1 game.
Weeks and Crisp added RBI singles in the eighth while Kelly nailed a pinch- hit, two-run double in the ninth to make it a two-run game and put the tying run at the plate with one out.
Andrew Bailey, though, struck out pinch-hitter Alex Avila and Austin Jackson to end the game.
Game Notes
Oakland has won five of the nine games with Detroit this season...Porcello had won his previous three decisions. He fell to 2-4 in seven starts against the Athletics...Gonzalez is now 1-3 in five starts against Detroit.
- DETROIT: 3
OAKLAND: 5
Final
Sep 17 6:56 PM - Pinch-Hitter Don Kelly doubled to right scored Jhonny Peralta and Carlos Guillen. Runner on second with one out and Omir Santos due up.
Tigers 3, Athletics 5 Top 9, 1 OutSep 17 6:52 PM - Coco Crisp singled to left scored Scott Sizemore. On the play, Jemile Weeks thrown out at home, left to catcher, to end the inning.
Tigers 1, Athletics 5 End 8Sep 17 6:43 PM - Jemile Weeks singled to left scored Kurt Suzuki. On the play, Scott Sizemore advances to third. Runners on first and third with two outs and Coco Crisp due up.
Tigers 1, Athletics 4 Bot 8, 2 OutsSep 17 6:39 PM - Jhonny Peralta sacrifice fly out to left scored Magglio Ordonez. Runners on first and second and with two outs and Brandon Inge due up.
Tigers 1, Athletics 3 Top 6, 2 OutsSep 17 5:50 PM - Kurt Suzuki sacrifice fly out to center scored Josh Willingham. On the play, David DeJesus advances to third. Runners on first and third and with two outs and Scott Sizemore due up.
Tigers 0, Athletics 3 Bot 3, 2 OutsSep 17 5:09 PM - Coco Crisp singled to short scored Kurt Suzuki. On the play, Scott Sizemore advances to third. Runners on first and third with two outs and Hideki Matsui due up.
Tigers 0, Athletics 2 Bot 2, 2 OutsSep 17 4:49 PM - Scott Sizemore singled to right scored Brandon Allen. On the play, Kurt Suzuki advances to third. Runners on first and third with one out and Jemile Weeks due up.
Tigers 0, Athletics 1 Bot 2, 1 OutSep 17 4:47 PM - DETROIT: 0
OAKLAND: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Sep 17 4:10 PM
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