DETROIT (AP) — Jake Rogers and Spencer Torkelson homered and the Detroit Tigers won their fourth straight game, beating the Athletics 6-1 on Wednesday night.
Troy Melton (5-1) allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out nine as the Tigers won for the seventh time in eight games.
Jeffrey Springs (3-9) took the loss for the Athletics, who have lost five straight and nine of 10. He gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings
to fall to 0-9 in his last 15 starts.
Each team lost an All-Star in the second inning. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz left due to an illness, and Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler came out after being hit on his throwing hand by a foul tip.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the first and Riley Greene gave them the lead with an RBI single before Springs retired the next two batters.
Detroit added to its lead in the second. Rogers, pinch hitting for Dingler, hit his second homer of the season to make it 3-0.
The Athletics got on the board in the fourth when Tyler Soderstrom scored on Zach McKinstry's throwing error, but Torkelson's 15th homer made it 6-1 in the fifth.
Detroit LHP Framber Valdez (4-6, 4.29) was set to face RHP Jack Perkins (2-4, 6.75) on Thursday night in the series finale.
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