DETROIT, Mich. - No team thrives in Detroit like the Oakland Athletics (73-60) do. Coming into the matchup with the Detroit Tigers (63-71), they had won the last 12 games against Detroit in Comerica Park. The A's have dominated the Tigers, going 29-6 in a stretch of 35 matchups with the Tigers dating back to 2015.

In the second game of a three-game series, the A's looked in control of another Detroit matchup. An early solo-homer from Starling Marte and RBI doubles from Jed Lowrie, Matt Olson, and Lowrie gave the A's a commanding 6-3 lead.

However, the Tigers would not go away. Solo homers from Akil Baddoo and Harold Castro put the Tigers just one run down headed into the seventh inning. That's where the Tigers struck, grabbing RBI singles from Jonathan Schoop and Miguel Cabrera to give the Tigers their first lead. An eighth-inning RBI single from Baddoo gave the Tigers an insurance run and eventually the 8-6 victory.

Baddoo played his best game since returning from the Injured List on August 24. He finished the game going 2 for 4 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. Castro's homer was his 2nd of the season as he turned in a solid outing as well. He went 3 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored as well.

The loss stings a little extra for Oakland in their hunt for American League Wild Card berth. Meanwhile, Boston and New York, leaders in the American League Wild Card hunt, picked up wins on Wednesday. That puts Oakland a full two games behind Boston as the last full month of the season gets underway.

Cabrera Moves Up the All-Tine Hits List

It has been a season filled with chasing milestones for Miguel Cabrera. Recently, he became just the 28th player in MLB history to hit 500 career home runs. Throughout the year, he has passed names such as Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, and Frank Robinson on the MLB All-Time hits list. The veteran first baseman has a chance to become just the seventh player to reach 500 HR and 3,000 hits in their career.

Miggy made great progress to that goal on Tuesday. He was a large part of the offense, driving his 502nd career homer in the fourth inning while driving in the go-ahead run in the seventh. He finished the night with a great stat line, going 2 for 4 with 3 RBI and a run scored.

Those two hits tied Cabrera with Sam Crawford at No. 34 in all-time hits with 2,963. That leaves two players in between Cabrera and the big milestone; Sam Rice (2,985 H) and Roberto Clemente (3,000 H). Once he ties Clemente, he will cement himself as one of the league's all-time great hitters.

Surprise Struggles in the Middle of Oakland's Bullpen

The A's have a very dynamic lineup that has them on the cusp of a postseason appearance. The move to acquire Starling Marte went somewhat unnoticed with the star-studded deals that occurred, but he has helped Oakland tremendously. The middle of their order is as stacked as any team with Marte, Matt Olson, and Matt Chapman.

However, the bullpen has been the one sore spot of this team, particularly the back end. The A's bullpen has the least losses in the MLB (15) but the 3rd most blown saves in the AL (21). With recent struggles from closer Lou Trivino (3 straight blown saves), the A's have had to turn to the services of 38-year-old Sergio Romo.

On Wednesday, it was the middle of their bullpen that failed to get the job done. A.J. Puk (0-2) suffered the loss after giving up two hits and two earned runs without getting an out. Four A's relievers combined to give up four earned runs on 6 Tigers' hits.

Fixing the bullpen has to be concern No. 1 for Oakland as the season wraps up. Their starting rotation is serviceable, but they need some help; they rank 3rd in the AL in wins and 4th in opponents OPS (.696) on the year, but have struggled lately. In the last 18 games, A's starters are 3-7 with a 5.22 ERA.

Up Next

Tigers vs. Athletics, Thursday, September 2, Comerica Park, Detroit, Mich.