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 Aās (47-107), who won for the first time since Sept. 12 and avoided tying the teamās Oakland-era record for most losses in a season.
āGreat at-bat by Shea coming off the bench,ā Aās manager Mark Kotsay said. āSheaās 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 seasonās 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 Cabreraās 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.
āKenās made so much progress ,ā Kotsay said. āFrom where Ken started in April and May to where he is now, thatās what we were looking for. Heās got one more start left. Building that momentum into next year is always a positive.ā
That the Aās are still showing some fight this late in a rough season is an encouraging sign.
āThe talk around the locker room right now is we know this season weāre out of it, weāre trying to build something for next year,ā Waldichuk said. āNext year hopefully out of the gates we take what weāve learned these past couple of months or so and we try to build some momentum so that maybe next year weāre able to find some success early on and ride that.ā
The Aās scored a run in the first off Tigers starter Sawyer Gipson-Long but couldnāt 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.
āThatās about as clean as I can hit a ball,ā Rooker said. āI 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 Butlerās 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 Aās had never led but broke that stretch quickly on Ryan Nodaās leadoff single in the first followed by rookie Zack Gelofās RBI double into the left field corner. It was Gelofās 20th single in 61 games since being called up after the All-Star break.
TRAINERāS 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.
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