​DETROIT (AP) — Jake Rogers and Spencer Torkelson homered as the Detroit Tigers extended their winning streak to four with a 6-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night. Troy Melton earned the win, improving to 5-1, by holding Oakland to one unearned run on four hits and a walk across 5 1/3 innings, while striking out nine. Detroit has now won seven of its last eight games.
The Athletics’ Jeffery Springs suffered the defeat, dropping to 3-9. Oakland has lost five straight and nine of 10, with Springs giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings and moving to 0-9 over his last 15 starts. Both clubs saw an All-Star leave early in the second inning: Oakland first baseman Nick York left due to illness, and Detroit catcher Dillon Dingler exited after being struck on the throwing hand by a foul tip.
Detroit wasted no time getting on the board in the first, loading the bases with one out before Riley Greene delivered an RBI single to put the Tigers ahead as Springs retired the next two hitters. The Tigers expanded their lead in the second when Rogers, pinch-hitting for Dingler, belted his second homer of the season to push the advantage to 3-0.
The scoring continued in the fourth when Tyler Soderstrom’s run scored on a throwing error by Zach McKinstry, but Torkelson answered with his 15th home run of the season in the fifth, making it 6-1.
Detroit’s left-hander Framber Valdez was scheduled to start Thursday’s series finale against Oakland, facing right-hander Jack Perkins. Valdez enters at 4-6 with a 4.29 ERA, while Perkins sits at 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA heading into the matchup.
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