Arlington, TX – Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and gave up just two hits in eight shutout innings Thursday night as the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 to reach the American League Championship Series for the third straight year. Game 5 of the ALDS was a rematch of Game 2, but this time Verlander (1-0) got the better of A's rookie Sonny Gray. Miguel Cabrera's first home run in more than three weeks -- a two-run shot in the fourth off Gray (0-1) -- was all the offense Detroit needed with Verlander on the mound. He gave up just two singles, throwing 76 of his 111 pitches for strikes while fanning 10 and walking one. After getting two outs in the ninth, Joaquin Benoit gave up a double to Jed Lowrie and hit Cespedes to bring up the tying run, but Seth Smith flied out to end the game. The Tigers won two straight games to reach the ALCS for the fourth time in eight years. They are the first team to make three straight ALCS appearances since the Yankees won four straight AL pennants from 1998-2001. They will face the Red Sox on the road in Game 1 Saturday night at Fenway Park in Boston.
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