Oakland, CA – Jhonny Peralta clubbed a three-run homer, while Prince Fielder and Torii Hunter each added a solo shot as the Detroit Tigers cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Athletics to snap Oakland's nine-game winning streak.
Austin Jackson and Brayan Pena each had an RBI double for the Tigers, who bounced back from a 4-3 loss in 12 innings Friday.
Justin Verlander (2-1) allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six over six full frames to earn the win.
Chris Young had a two-run double and Derek Norris went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the A's.
Brett Anderson (1-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing all seven runs on eight hits, including all three homers, over 5 2/3 innings.
"It's great anytime you have a winning streak of more than one series, it kind of takes on a life of its own," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Confidence keeps coming with every game and when you take the field you think you're going to win."
Oakland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Seth Smith singled before moving to third on Josh Donaldson's base hit to center field. Norris followed with a line drive base hit to left to score Smith. Miguel Cabrera made a diving attempt, but the ball skipped off his glove into left field.
Hunter crushed a homer deep into the left field seats to tie the game in the top of the third.
Detroit broke the game open in the fourth inning. Fielder opened the frame with a towering homer off the batter's eye in right-center field. Victor Martinez followed with a base hit and Matt Tuiasosopo walked to put two runners on for Peralta, who deposited his first homer of the season into the left field seats to make it 5-1.
The Tigers added two more in the sixth inning after Pena and Jackson hit back- to-back RBI doubles.
Oakland scored two runs in the seventh inning. Eric Sogard walked and Norris doubled to put runners at second and third with no outs. Reliever Al Albuquerque struck out the next two hitters, but Young slapped a double to left to clear the bases.
The A's loaded the bases in the eighth inning, but Joaquin Benoit was able to get pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie to strike out looking to get out of the jam.
"Oakland is a team that comes back and plays hard the whole game. Whenever you have a lead with them you want to keep it, especially in the later innings, because you never know what can happen," Fielder said. "They're a late inning team, we're glad we could hold them off today."
Game Notes
Detroit second baseman Omar Infante has extended his hitting streak to nine games, while Fielder and Hunter extended their streaks to eight games ... Fielder has four home runs this season ... Melvin was ejected in the eighth inning after arguing balls and strikes ... A's outfielder Coco Crisp sat out with a sore groin. He is considered day-to-day ... Oakland placed outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on the 15-day disabled list with a strained muscle in his left hand. Cespedes suffered the injury Friday.
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