OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Pinch-hitter Shea Langeliers launched a three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Oakland Athletics ended their eight-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over Detroit on Friday night, spoiling another milestone for Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera.

All-Star Brent Rooker hit his 29th home run for the last-place Aā€™s (47-107), who won for the first time since Sept. 12 and avoided tying the teamā€™s Oakland-era record for most losses in a season.

ā€œGreat at-bat by Shea coming off the bench,ā€ Aā€™s manager Mark Kotsay said. ā€œSheaā€™s caught more games than he has in any prior season. Today was a day that I felt like we might be able to give him a blow but that at-bat came, I felt really confident about Shea going up with that matchup. It worked out.ā€

Cabrera, the two-time MVP who plans to retire at seasonā€™s end, hit his 624th career double off starter Ken Waldichuk in the fourth, tying Hank Aaron for the 13th most in major league history. It was the 3,168th hit of Cabreraā€™s career, 16th all-time.

Still, the Tigers (72-82) were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the night when Minnesota clinched the AL Central title.

Waldichuk (4-8) tied his season high with seven strikeouts and allowed two runs and four hits in six innings for his first win as a starter since May 6. Two of his other wins came in relief.

Lucas Erceg, Dany JimƩnez and Zach Neal each retired three batters to complete the five-hitter.

ā€œKenā€™s made so much progress ,ā€ Kotsay said. ā€œFrom where Ken started in April and May to where he is now, thatā€™s what we were looking for. Heā€™s got one more start left. Building that momentum into next year is always a positive.ā€

That the Aā€™s are still showing some fight this late in a rough season is an encouraging sign.

ā€œThe talk around the locker room right now is we know this season weā€™re out of it, weā€™re trying to build something for next year,ā€ Waldichuk said. ā€œNext year hopefully out of the gates we take what weā€™ve learned these past couple of months or so and we try to build some momentum so that maybe next year weā€™re able to find some success early on and ride that.ā€

The Aā€™s scored a run in the first off Tigers starter Sawyer Gipson-Long but couldnā€™t manage much else offensively until Tigers manager A.J. Hinch made a pitching change after five innings with Detroit ahead 2-1.

Rooker hit the first pitch from reliever Will Vest (2-1) over the fence in center for a tying home run.

ā€œThatā€™s about as clean as I can hit a ball,ā€ Rooker said. ā€œI got a fastball in the middle, put a good swing on it, it was on time, and to do it in a big spot like that to tie the game and get us going felt better.ā€

Tony Kemp reached on a fielding error by shortstop Javier BĆ”ez, rolled his right ankle and slowly trotted to second on Lawrence Butlerā€™s single to right. After a strikeout, Langeliers hit a 2-0 fastball from Tyler Holton into the left-field stands.

Esteury Ruiz had a two-run single in the seventh to make it 7-2. Butler added a sacrifice fly.

Gipson-Long worked around three walks and allowed one run and four hits in five innings of his third major league start. The right-hander retired 10 of 11 during one stretch, then pitched out of a jam in the fifth when he got Seth Brown to fly out to center with the bases loaded.

FINALLY A LEAD

During their long losing streak the Aā€™s had never led but broke that stretch quickly on Ryan Nodaā€™s leadoff single in the first followed by rookie Zack Gelofā€™s RBI double into the left field corner. It was Gelofā€™s 20th single in 61 games since being called up after the All-Star break.

TRAINERā€™S ROOM

Tigers: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, who left his previous start early due to back spasms, threw a bullpen session before the game and take his regular turn in the rotation Sunday in the series finale.

Athletics: Kemp was removed from the game and diagnosed with a right ankle sprain. ā€¦ OF J.J. Bleday (knee) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas.

UP NEXT

Athletics rookie RHP Joe Boyle (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his second career start Saturday against Detroit. The Tigers have not named a starter.

---

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.