Athletics 9, Tigers 8: Ding dong, the lead is gone

The Detroit Tigers gave fans a wild contest on Tuesday night, but in the end it just wasn't enough. After several lead changes, they threatened with a late rally, but ultimately lost 9-8 to the Oakland Athletics.

The back and forth, bipolar nature of the game was apparent from the get-go. In the top of the first inning, Tigers starter Chad Bell would strike out the side in a smooth 1-2-3 inning. However, he gave up back-to-back home runs to Matt Olson and Matt Chapman in the second. An RBI double in the third would add on another run for Oakland. At that point, it looked like the end of the day for Bell and another blowout loss for the Tigers.

To his credit, Bell buckled down and managed to get out of a bases-loaded one-out jam. Ian Kinsler would get the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the third with his 20th home run of the year, and a James McCann single and Alex Presley home run would tie the game in the fifth inning. The Tigers scored another three runs in the fifth on a McCann triple and a Jose Iglesias double. Nicholas Castellanos made it an 8-4 Tigers lead on his 24th home run of the year.

However, the bullpen would leave its mark, as it usually does. This time, it would be the usually reliable Alex Wilson that imploded. After the A’s scratched out a run in the seventh on a fielding error by Iglesias, Wilson gave up three singles and an eighth inning grand slam to Jed Lowrie, and the As retook the lead 9-8.

The Tigers would threaten in the bottom of the eighth on a single by Miguel Cabrera and double by Castellanos. The Tigers would strand them both with no outs, though, as Jeimer Candelario grounded out, and then McCann and Mikie Mahtook both struck out.

ROARS

Alex Presley: He went 4-for-6 at the plate with a home run, a double, and two singles. He nearly hit for the cycle but was thrown out in the first inning trying to stretch a bobbled double into a triple.

Ian Kinsler: His second homer in two days, but his only hit of the night. He has turned it on a bit in the second half.

Nick Castellanos: The kid keeps on hitting, going 2-for-5 with a homer and a double.

HISSES

Alex Wilson: Just a very bad day for Wilson, who could not retire a batter in the eighth before the lead was gone on one swing.

Mikie Mahtook: Had a couple big opportunities late in the game after coming in to pinch hit in the fifth for Collins but couldn’t deliver a big hit.

STATS and INFO

• The home run Alex Presley hit in the fifth inning was the 5,693rd of the year, which tied the all-time MLB season record. Kansas City’s Alex Gordon would hit the record breaker later in the evening.
• Kinsler has now hit 20 or more home runs in five seasons in his career. This was the first time he has done it in consecutive years, though.
• Nick Castellanos extended his hitting streak to 16 games with his home run in the sixth.
• The Tigers remain in fourth place in the 2018 draft standings, 1 ¹⁄₂ games back of the Chicago White Sox, who lost on Tuesday in Houston.