At least it’s almost over. The Detroit Tigers kicked off the penultimate week of the season with another loss on Monday, this one an 8-3 defeat to the Oakland Athletics. Buck Farmer was roughed up for five runs (four earned) on six hits in just 2 2⁄3 innings, resulting in his fourth loss of the year.
Farmer’s struggles started early. A’s leadoff hitter Marcus Semien singled up the middle to start the game, and the A’s were up 1-0 just two batters later thanks to a double from Jed Lowrie. Khris Davis added a third hit in the inning for the A’s, but they finished the frame with just one run.
Two innings later, things completely fell apart. Farmer hit Semien to lead off the third, and former Tiger Matt Joyce followed with a single. After Farmer got two outs (including a sacrifice fly from Lowrie), A’s rookie Matt Olson delivered a haymaker of a two-run shot to deep right, putting Oakland up 4-0. Ryon Healy reached base on a throwing error from Jeimer Candelario, and Chad Pinder’s RBI double was the knockout blow.
Reliever Artie Lewicki didn’t fare much better, allowing two runs in the top of the fourth. He gave up three consecutive singles and a walk before finally recording an out, and Oakland went up 7-0. The Tigers pulled a bit closer on RBI doubles from JaCoby Jones and Ian Kinsler in the fifth, and a solo homer from Kinsler in the seventh. Pinder halted any thoughts of a late-inning comeback, however, delivering another RBI double in the top of the eighth.
ROARS:
Ian Kinsler: A pair of hits and a pair of RBI from the Tigers’ second baseman, who has played better in the second half.
Ian Kinsler has 10 HR and 17 RBI in Aug-Sept. In April-May-June-July he had 9 HR and 21 RBI
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) September 19, 2017
Nick Castellanos: Make it 15 games in a row for Castellanos, who had three hits on the night.
Victor Alcantara: The rest of the pitching staff was bad, but Alcantara threw a pair of scoreless innings.
Technology: It’s good.
The 21st century is pretty cool pic.twitter.com/cdJrmSpI5e
— Bless You Boys (@blessyouboys) September 19, 2017
HISSES:
The pitching staff (non-Alcantara version): It was bad.
Bad luck: It was good to see that Ferrell was okay after this.
Jeff Ferrell was just hit in the head with a line drive. He's walking off the field under his own power.
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) September 19, 2017
STATS AND INFO:
The Tigers’ loss was their 88th of the season. They are one game “behind” the Chicago White Sox in the loss column for the No. 3 overall pick in 2018. Chicago begins a series with the NL West champion Houston Astros on Tuesday.
The closest team behind Detroit in the MLB draft standings is the New York Mets, who have 85 losses on the season. The Cincinnati Reds have 84 losses.