Hahn continues mastery of Tigers as A’s sweep

Right-hander beats Detroit for second time this season with strong seven innings

DETROIT — Something about the Detroit Tigers brings out the best in Oakland Athletics right-hander Jesse Hahn.

Hahn continued his mastery of the Tigers, limiting them to one run and five hits in seven innings, and the A’s completed a three-game series sweep with a 7-5 victory Thursday at Comerica Park.

Hahn, who is 1-5 with three no-decisions against all other opponents, posted his first career complete-game shutout against Detroit in Oakland on May 25.

“I don’t know if it’s their lineup or I just felt good when I happened to go out there and face them,” Hahn (3-5) said. “Today, I had a sinker working for me and I had fastball command. When you have that, you can get through a lot of lineups.”

Hahn took the same approach against the Tigers, who had only two left-handed hitters in their starting lineup, as he did during his shutout.

“My mentality before the game was stick with what we did the last time and if we have to adjust, then adjust,” he said. “That’s kind of what I did.

“The first four or five innings, I stuck to exactly what I did the last time, throw sinkers in and get some ground balls. Once they started opening up and adjusting to me, I started to mix some other things in.”

Catcher Josh Phegley and designated hitter Billy Butler drove in two runs apiece in support of Hahn.

Third baseman Brett Lawrie added an RBI double for the A’s (23-33), who have won six of their last seven games.

Center fielder Billy Burns extended his hitting streak to nine games with a fifth-inning single.

The A’s starting pitchers have gone 8-2 with a 1.36 ERA in the last 12 games to spearhead the team’s turnaround.

“It’s awesome,” said Oakland first baseman Stephen Vogt, who left the game in the ninth with a right leg cramp. “You look at the way Jesse came out and threw the ball and the way we were able to get big hits at key times today, we’re just playing really good team baseball.

“That’s what’s going well for us during this stretch and it’s exciting.”

Detroit (28-27) rallied for four ninth-inning runs against reliever Dan Otero, including right fielder Tyler Collins’ threerun homer, before Tyler Clippard got the last two outs to notch his ninth save.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera had a run-scoring single in the sixth, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 23 games.

Detroit starting pitcher Shane Greene (4-5) allowed six runs (four earned) and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Greene gave up five home runs to the Los Angeles Angels in his previous start.

“We need Shane to get back to where he was a couple of starts ago,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “When he’s right, he keeps the ball below the waist. Right now, he’s having trouble doing that.”

Ausmus’ club, which has lost 10 of 12, had trouble doing anything against Hahn.

“His sinker is a good matchup for right-handed hitters and we’re a right-handed lineup,” Ausmus said. “Also, we’re not swinging the bats like we normally can. So you combine those factors.”

Tigers left fielder Yoenis Cespedes exited in the top of the third with flu-like symptoms.

Phegley’s first major-league triple, which knocked in two runs, came just after the A’s scored their first run on a Greene error in the second.

Butler’s RBI double in the fourth gave Oakland a four-run lead. He added a run-scoring single in the fifth that knocked out Greene.