A’s take advantage of Tigers’ miscues

DETROIT — It hasn’t been a good week for the Detroit Tigers.

They haven’t won a game — and haven’t even led for an inning — and were thoroughly shellacked again on Thursday afternoon by the Oakland Athletics, 17-3.

It was difficult to watch. Poor defense in the top of the third inning turned into six runs, when, a pair of failed double-play attempts led to a Jurickson Profar grand slam to right.

The slam was allowed by rookie right-hander Spencer Turnbull, who took the loss. Turnbull’s day was short — he threw four innings and became the fourth Tigers pitcher in four games not to reach the fifth — but five of his runs were unearned.

In the top of the third, Ronny Rodriguez was too slow in turning a double play and Niko Goodrum’s had an error on a high throw from first base while trying to turn another.

Turnbull allowed five hits, struck out six and walked two.

In relief, the Tigers allowed nine runs in five innings.

At the plate, they totaled seven hits. They have been outscored 41-9 in four games this week.

The Tigers’ bullpen was especially awful, with Blaine Hardy allowing three runs in two innings, Reed Garrett allowing four runs in an inning, Victor Alcantara allowing two runs in an inning and Brandon Dixon — a position player — allowing two as well. In total, the Tigers’ bullpen allowed four home runs.

In the ninth inning of a 15-0 game, Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire called on Dixon to get the final three outs. It was Dixon’s third career relief appearance. He allowed a tworun home run to Mark Canha, but also struck out shortstop Marcus Semien on a wicked knuckleball. Semien had homered, off Garrett, earlier in the game.

Dixon was the first Tigers position player to pitch since Andrew Romine did it on Sept. 30, 2017, facing one batter as part of his bid to play all nine positions in a single game. The last Tiger to do it in an unplanned situation? That would also be Romine, who threw 2/3 of an inning on July 26, 2017.