Brown's go-ahead homer carries A's
Seth Brown hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Thursday.
Michael Fulmer (1-2) got the first two outs of the eighth, but Jed Lowrie drew a walk and Brown homered to right. The Tigers have lost nine of 10.
Oakland came to Comerica Park this week with a nine-game losing streak, but won four times in an unusual five-game series. The Athletics' only loss came when they were the official home team in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader — a game they were originally supposed to host before the season's first series was postponed by the lockout.
A.J. Puk (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his first win since topping Kansas City on Sept. 17, 2019. He missed the 2020 season with shoulder issues and was limited to 13 1/3 innings in 2021.
Dany Jimenez pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six opportunities.
Miguel Cabera made it 3-all in the Detroit sixth with his 601st career double, tying Barry Bonds for
17th all-time. Jeimer Candelario opened the inning with a triple off Domingo Acevedo and scored on Cabrera's 3,014th career hit.
Oakland starter James Kaprielian allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in five innings.
After beating the Tigers by a combined 13-1 in the previous two games, Oakland took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the series finale. Tony Kemp led off with a single and stole second, Shelden Neuse walked and Lowrie hit an RBI single.
An out later, Ramón Laureano hit a bouncer back to the mound, but pitcher Beau Brieske misplayed it to load the bases and Christian Bethancourt followed with a two-run double.
Brieske, though, didn't allow another run, giving up four hits and three walks in six innings.
Detroit put together a rally in the fifth. With one out, Willi Castro singled and Spencer Torkelson walked. Tucker Barnhart followed with an RBI double.