Zack Gelof had four hits, including a three-run homer and an RBI triple, as the visiting Oakland Athletics downed the Detroit Tigers 7-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Gelof scored three times, while Abraham Toro added two hits, two runs and an RBI as the A’s won the last two games of the three-game series.
Oakland starter Joe Boyle (1-1) allowed two hits and walked three while striking out six in five innings. Boyle has notched two of his three career victories against the Tigers.
Riley Greene hit his third homer and reached base three times for the Tigers, who were shutout on Saturday. Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (0-1) gave up six runs and nine hits with five strikeouts in six innings.
Flaherty, signed as a free agent, gave up one run in six innings to the Chicago White Sox in his Tigers debut March 31. He allowed two runs in his first eight pitches on Sunday.
Toro singled on the first pitch of the game and scored on Gelof’s triple down the left field line. JJ Bleday knocked in Gelof with a single.
Flaherty struck out two of the next three batters but ran into even more trouble in the second.
Ryan Noda led off with a single. After Flaherty retired the next two batters, he hit Toro with a pitch. With the count 0-2, Gelof ripped a fastball over the left field wall. His first homer this season gave Oakland a 5-0 lead.
The A’s tacked on another run in the fourth. Noda led off with a walk and moved to third on Nick Allen’s single. Noda scored on Toro’s infield single.
The Tigers had at least one baserunner in each of the first five innings against Boyle but couldn’t push across a run. Detroit had two runners in scoring position in the first but Boyle induced Colt Keith to ground out.
Greene broke up the shutout with his solo homer over the right-center field wall off Kyle Muller in the eighth.
Oakland’s Seth Brown singled in the ninth to drive in Gelof.
–Field Level Media
