Athletics 6 - 1 Tigers
Final
  for this game

Athletics' Gray shuts down reeling Tigers

Jun 4, 2015 - 4:52 AM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Another gem from Sonny Gray resulted in yet another loss for the scuffling Detroit Tigers.

Gray's eight scoreless innings led the way in the Oakland Athletics' 6-1 decision over the Tigers, which sent Detroit to a season-high sixth consecutive defeat.

Backed by a three-run triple from Billy Burns and Josh Reddick's solo homer, Gray (7-2) permitted a mere two singles and a walk while fanning seven and lowering his season ERA to an MLB-best 1.65.

"I had a really good fastball tonight," Gray said. "I was getting a lot of weak contact."

Reddick and Brett Lawrie both went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win, the eighth in 11 games for the resurgent A's.

Burns' big blow helped spoil an otherwise solid start from Anibal Sanchez (3-7), who allowed just five hits in seven innings but was reached for four runs and walked four.

"It's not like (Sanchez) didn't give us a chance to win. We just didn't put up any runs," Tigers catcher James McCann said.

Miguel Cabrera was the lone offensive bright spot for Detroit, finishing 2- for-4 and driving in the Tigers' lone run with a ninth-inning double.

The Tigers' current skid is the club's longest since it dropped seven in a row from April 26-May 2, 2011.

Gray did not give up a hit until the fourth inning on a night he was in complete control throughout, and the Oakland ace took the mound in the second with a three-run cushion courtesy of one swing from Burns.

Sanchez worked himself into a jam in the top of the second by issuing back-to- back two-out walks to Mark Canha and Eric Sogard -- the No. 8 and 9 hitters -- after Lawrie had doubled earlier. Burns then drilled the first pitch he saw down the right-field line, clearing the bases and providing Gray all the offense he needed.

Reddick extended the lead by launching a Sanchez splitter inside the foul pole in right in the third.

Sanchez was stingy over the remainder of his outing, but Gray continued to keep the Tiger bats silent. After Yoenis Cespedes singled with two out in the fourth for Detroit's first hit, the right-hander set down 13 of the next 14 hitters until he was removed for the ninth.

Oakland tacked on another run on doubles by Billy Butler and Lawrie off Tom Gorzelanny in the eighth, then loaded the bases without a hit against Angel Nesbitt in the ninth before Stephen Vogt plated Canha with a sacrifice fly.

Fernando Rodriguez took over for Gray and gave up Jose Iglesias' single that preceded Cabrera's RBI double to center.

Game Notes

Cabrera extended his on-base streak to 22 games ... A's starting pitchers are now 7-2 with a 1.36 ERA over the last 11 games ... Gray improved to 5-1 with a 0.98 ERA when pitching on four days rest this season ... Burns has gone 14- for-34 with seven runs scored and five RBI over an eight-game hitting streak ... Detroit leadoff hitter Anthony Gose ended 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and is hitless in his last 16 at-bats.






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