Unexpected homer, stranded runners haunt Detroit Tigers in 4-1 loss to Oakland Athletics

OAKLAND, Calif. — Detroit Tigers left-hander Joey Wentz pitched out of the bullpen for his second game in a row, and his fourth time in five games, and held his own against the worst team in baseball.

The offense, though, couldn't save Wentz from an unexpected two-run home run.

The Tigers lost, 4-1, to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday in the third of four games at the Oakland Coliseum. Wentz, who entered with one out in the second inning, flashed an impressive changeup and chewed up 5⅔ innings. Right-handed reliever Jason Foley gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, while the Tigers came up empty with the bases loaded in the eighth and ninth innings.

"It's a big difference in how the game plays out," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "Twelve left on base, six in the last two innings, every inning but the fifth. That's not a recipe for success when you can't find the big hit or the big walk at the right time, or just extending the innings."

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The Athletics have won back-to-back games for the first time since Sept. 11-12. The Tigers (72-83) need to win in Sunday's series finale — the final game of a 10-game California trip — to split the four-game set.

One big moment occurred in the third inning. Esteury Ruiz, known for elite speed — he leads the American League with 63 steals — and below-average power, swung at a down-and-in changeup from Wentz. He hit the well-located changeup for a 404-foot two-run home run. The blast put the A's ahead, 2-1.

Before the homer, Nick Allen flared an inside fastball into center field for a single.

"The bloop hit and the homer," Hinch said, "and then he settled in and was able to mix his pitches, get through the lineups and pitch us as deep as he could. ... I liked how he bounced back after the initial couple of runs. He didn't panic. He came back and continued to throw strikes."

Wentz allowed just one hit the rest of the way: Seth Brown's single to open the fourth inning, which Wentz brushed off by retiring the next three batters. He retired his final 12 batters he faced and racked up three of his five strikeouts in the sixth and seventh innings, including slugger Brent Rooker to begin the seventh.

It was one of the best outing in Wentz's disappointing season.

The 25-year-old has a 6.45 ERA in 24 games (19 starts).

Facing Oakland, Wentz threw 25 four-seam fastballs (31.3%), 20 changeups (25%), 17 cutters (21.3%) and 14 curveballs (17.5%). He logged 13 whiffs with four fastballs, seven changeups, one cutters and one curveball.

"I've been trying to throw good bullpens and work on my pitches," Wentz said. "They all feel pretty good. I'll probably have another outing, but hopefully, I'll just keep getting better."

One run not enough

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

A one-out double from Zach McKinstry, off a slider over the middle by right-hander Joe Boyle, set up the scoring opportunity, but the Tigers needed help from the A's defense.

With two outs, Spencer Torkelson reached safely on a fielding error by third baseman Jordan Diaz. The ball deflected off Diaz's glove and bounced toward the middle of the infield when he tried to make a backhanded play. Diaz tried to recover, but his throw to home plate was too late and McKinstry scored.

The Tigers finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

"Totally sucks," Torkelson said. "I don't think that'll happen very often. That was just today. They made really good pitches in big-time situations, and to that, you tip your cap. But it's definitely a bitter taste in your mouth when you can't cash in."

There were several opportunities to jumpstart the offense.

Parker Meadows (double) was stranded at second base by Carson Kelly in the second inning; Meadows (walk) was stranded again at second base by Kelly in the fourth; McKinstry (single) was picked off and caught stealing in the fifth; Kerry Carpenter (single) was stranded at first base in the sixth; Kelly (walk) was stranded at first in the seventh.

Boyle allowed one unearned run on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts over six innings, throwing 64 of 94 pitches for strikes, and right-hander Lucas Erceg struck out three batters in the seventh inning.

Right-hander Dany Jiménez struck out two batters in the eighth, but he walked three batters — Matt Vierling, Andy Ibáñez and Andre Lipcius — before he could complete the inning.

The inconsistency from Jiménez forced the A's to call in right-handed reliever Trevor May with two outs and the bases loaded. He struck out Meadows with a 94.8 mph fastball to leave the bases loaded in the eighth.

"He's got stuff," Hinch said. "He's been at the back of the bullpen, and he's been in every role imaginable throughout his career, so he's not going to panic. He's going to move the ball around a little bit and can change speeds. When he saw us swinging out of the zone, he went even higher."

May also stranded the bases loaded — Kelly (walk), McKinstry (fielding error) and Vierling (single) — in the ninth inning. Both Torkelson and Carpenter struck out swinging to end the game.

"In that scenario, I would have changed my plan going up to the plate," Torkelson said. "I would have gotten a ball closer to me. He attacked me up-and-away and had success there. You have to slow your heart rate down and take a hit. Not try to hit a five-run home run, but just take your hit. That's something I'll change."

Before Wentz, after Wentz

Right-handed reliever Miguel Díaz started for the Tigers as an opener. Once he completed 1⅓ scoreless innings, getting past Rooker and Shea Langeliers in the second, the Tigers turned to Wentz.

After Wentz, a bad eighth inning from Foley began with a one-out walk to Allen. The next three batters collected hits: Ruiz (single), Ryan Noda (double) and Zack Gelof (single).

Noda's double made it 3-1, and Gelof's single made it 4-1. The single from Gelof deflected off the glove of Ibáñez and trickled into the outfield; the Tigers were playing defense with their infield pulled in because two runners were in scoring position.

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 drop 2nd straight to Oakland Athletics, 4-1