Three Detroit Tigers relievers rocked for seven runs by Oakland Athletics in 8-2 loss

OAKLAND, Calif. — Detroit Tigers right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long battled through five innings in the third start of his MLB career, only for two members of the bullpen to cough up the one-run lead he departed with quickly after.

Right-handed reliever Will Vest and left-handed reliever Tyler Holton surrendered four runs — on two home runs — in the sixth inning as the Tigers lost, 8-2, to the Oakland Athletics on Friday in the second of four games at the Oakland Coliseum.

Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers blasted the homers.

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The Tigers (72-82), before losing to the 107-loss Athletics, were officially eliminated from postseason contention slightly earlier Friday when the Minnesota Twins beat the Los Angeles Angels.

All that's left for the Tigers is catching the Cleveland Guardians for second place in the American League Central. Passing the Guardians, who lead by 1½ games, is a short-term goal for the Tigers.

The Tigers didn't take a step in the right direction with Friday's loss.

The Athletics tied the game, 2-2, with Rooker's home run on the first pitch of the sixth inning, a middle-middle 94.3 mph fastball from Vest. A fielding error by shortstop Javier Báez to put Tony Kemp on first, followed by a line-drive single from Lawrence Butler brought additional pressure upon Vest and the Tigers.

The Tigers turned to Holton, a left-hander, with one out in the sixth inning for a matchup with left-handed rookie Tyler Soderstrom. The Athletics, thought, countered with Langeliers, a right-handed hitter who entered the game with 20 home runs, as a pinch-hit replacement.

Langeliers turned on Holton's inside cutter for a three-run home run and a 5-2 lead. The Athletics then tacked on three runs off right-handed reliever Trey Wingenter in the seventh inning, making it 8-2.

The sixth and seventh inning troubles were amplified by the improbable fashion in which the Tigers grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning.

Carson Kelly took advantage of a big mistake from Athletics left-hander Ken Waldichuk in the fifth inning, just three pitches after Javier Báez's double off the left-field wall. He hammered a sweeper, left over the middle of the strike zone, for a towering 417-foot two-run home run to left field.

It was Kelly's first homer in his 14th game with the Tigers.

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Sawyer finds the buzz

Gipson-Long wasn't sharp at the beginning of his start.

Back-to-back hits from Ryan Noda and Zack Gelof — Oakland's first two batters — put Gipson-Long behind, 1-0, on the scoreboard. Noda ripped a first-pitch fastball into center field; Gelof's double on a poorly located slider snuck down the third-base line and into the left-field corner.

But Gipson-Long won a nine-pitch battle against Rooker, keeping his pitches at the bottom of the strike zone, for the second out in the inning. After that, the 25-year-old settled in and seemed comfortable.

The Athletics didn't get another hit off Gipson-Long until Nick Allen's single with two outs in the fifth inning. Noda and Gelof reached safely, as well, on a single and a walk to load the bases.

The bases-loaded situation sparked a mound visit from pithing coach Chris Fetter. Gipson-Long, facing Seth Brown, delivered back-to-back changeups before his slider induced an inning-ending flyout to center field.

It was Gipson-Long's final pitch.

The newcomer, who has a 2.40 ERA in three starts, allowed one run on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five innings, throwing 52 of 89 pitches for strikes. He threw 34 sliders (38.2%), 20 four-seam fastballs (22.5%), 19 changeups (21.3%), 15 sinkers (16.9%) and one cutter (1.1%).

Gipson-Long relied on his four-seam fastball more often against the Athletics than in his first two starts against the Chicago White Sox and Angels. He generated nine whiffs on three sliders, five changeups and one sinker.

Tying Hank Aaron

In the fourth inning, Miguel Cabrera picked up a bit of history when he turned on a down-and-in four-seam fastball from Waldichuk. He shot the ball down the left-field line and into the corner for an easy stand-up double.

It was the 624th double of Cabrera's 21-year MLB career, tying him with Hank Aaron for 13th place on MLB's all-time list. He also tied Adrián Beltré for 14th on the all-time list with 1,151 extra-base hits.

Waldichuk shut down the Tigers before then and completed six innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and zero walks with seven strikeouts, throwing 69 of 101 pitches for strikes.

The southpaw, who benefits from elite extension, used 56% four-seam fastballs.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers eliminated in AL Central, lose to Oakland A's, 8-2