Oakland A’s bring A game with four-game sweep of Detroit

The Oakland A’s continued their hot streak by sweeping the Detroit Tigers

Game 1: Oakland 8, Detroit 4

The Oakland A’s took game one  against Detroit on Thursday behind an offensive assault of eight runs on eight hits and 12 walks.

The first two innings started rather pedestrian as neither offense put a runner in scoring position. But in the bottom of the third, a leadoff homer from Stephen Piscotty to gave Oakland a 1-0 advantage.

Detroit responded  in the top of the fourth as they pushed a run across with two outs.

The A’s quickly rebutted in the bottom of the fourth as a sac fly from Elvis Andrus gave Oakland a  2-1 lead.

Matt Olson hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to extend the A’s lead 3-1.

While Detroit scored again in the top of the sixth, the A’s offense rallied off four runs in the bottom of the sixth. With patience at the plate, Oakland drew six walks in the inning, and with a Matt Chapman double sprinkled in, extended the lead to 7-2 for the A’s.

Oakland scored another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-2, and despite a two-run rally in the top of the ninth for Detroit, the A’s took game one 8-4.

Game 2: Oakland 3, Detroit 0

Oakland notched their sixth straight win behind a masterful performance from Frankie Montas on the mound.

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With two hits allowed, one walk and seven strikeouts, Montas stymied the Detroit offense in his six innings pitched, Friday evening.

Arguably more impressive, Montas did not allow a runner to reach scoring position in his outing.

In the bottom of the fourth the A’s got the first two runs of the game. Ramon Laureano drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on an Olson single. A forceout by Chapman put runners on the corners with two outs for Mitch Moreland who knocked in one to give the A’s the lead. Sean Murphy doubled another run in.

This proved to be enough for Montas as he baffled hitters into the top of seventh until he was pulled for Yusmeiro Petit.  Detroit fell flat and did not get a runner in scoring position.

Jake Diekman pitched the top of the eighth for Oakland and struck out the side as the A’s scored another run off a Chapman solo bomb to make it 3-0.

Lou Trivino surrendered a leadoff single in the top of the ninth but promptly got a double-play ball and a pop out to notch the save as Oakland took game two 3-0.

Game 3: Oakland 7, Detroit 0

The Oakland A’s improved over .500 as they trounced the Tigers 7-0 Saturday evening.

Olson continued to swing a hot bat as his solo home run in the bottom of the first gave Oakland the early lead.

With a two-run homer from Aramis Garcia and a solo shot from Canha, the A’s extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second.

Cole Irvin controlled the Tigers throughout his day on the mound, as he did not run into any trouble until the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Irvin surrendered back-to-back singles, and a wild pitch moved them both in scoring position. But Irvin punched out the next batter and keep Detroit off the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the fifth, Chapman grounded out, but drove in another run to make it 5-0.

Oakland capitalized on poor pitching from Detroit as they walked four times in the inning to score one before a wild pitch scored another. This ballooned the lead to 7-0 for Oakland, which was the final.

The relief core of J.B. Wendelken, Deolis Guerra, and Jordan Weems combined for 3.0 innings pitched, one hit allowed, and four strikeouts as the A’s blanked the Tigers.

Irvin pitched 6.0 of scoreless four-hit ball with no walks and 6 K’s to earn his first win of the season.

Game 4: Oakland 3, Detroit 2

Oakland walked off Sunday afternoon 3-2 to complete the sweep against Detroit Sunday afternoon.

Despite a bases loaded jam with one out, Chris Bassitt kept Detroit scoreless in the bottom of the first.

For the next three innings, Bassitt surrendered one hit and struck out five.

In the bottom of the fourth, Canha led off with a single before a Laureano triple drove him home to give Oakland a 1-0 lead.

Detroit got the first two men aboard in the top of the sixth, and they later advanced 90 feet on a groundout. With two outs, Detroit laced a single that scored two and gave them the lead 2-1.

It was not until the bottom of the eighth that Oakland tied the game behind a Sean Murphy solo bomb to even the score.

In the bottom of the ninth, Olson doubled with one out, Chapman struck out, but Murphy walked to make it first and second with two outs. Mitch Moreland stepped in the box and worked the count 2-2. Down to their last strike. Moreland slapped a ball to the left side that went through the glove of the third baseman to score the winning run to make it 3-2.

The A’s turn their attention to a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins as they play a doubleheader Tuesday followed by a day game Wednesday.

For coverage of this series and everything Oakland A’s be sure to check White Cleat Beat!