MLB wild card roundup: David Price, Tigers lose 5-4 to San Francisco Giants
Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers tried to overcome David Price’s rough start. They fell just short.
Cabrera homered twice and Victor Martinez added a solo shot, but Price allowed four runs with two out in the first inning of a 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday in Detroit.
“When we’re facing another team that’s fighting for a playoff berth, and they’ve got Madison Bumgarner pitching, I can’t give up four in the first,” Price said. “That puts my team in a huge hole before they even get to bat.”
Detroit lost for the third time in four games but remained two back of A.L. Central-leading Kansas City, which lost 6-2 to New York Yankees.
The Giants strung together five consecutive hits after Price retired the first two batters. Pablo Sandoval singled in Buster Posey and scored on Andrew Susac’s two-run double to center. Joaquin Arias then doubled home Susac to make it 4-0.
Posey had a solo homer among his three hits as San Francisco won for the eighth time in nine games against Detroit, including a sweep of the 2012 World Series.
Bumgarner pitched six innings for his fourth consecutive win, giving him a career-high 17 on the year.
Price (13-11) settled down after the first, striking out 11 in 8 2/3 innings. But the left-hander, who was acquired from Tampa Bay in a July 31 trade, dropped to 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA in his last four starts.
Detroit tried to rally after San Francisco’s fast start. Cabrera hit a two-run drive in the first, and Martinez’s career-best 30th homer in the third got the Tigers within one. Cabrera added a solo shot in the eighth, making it 5-4, but that was it for Detroit.
Bumgarner (17-9), who won Game 2 two years ago, allowed three runs and 10 hits. Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth for his 15th save.
Athletics 4, Astros 3
Jed Lowrie and Oakland are hoping Saturday’s ninth inning against Houston will carry over to the rest of the season for the A’s.
Lowrie hit a game-ending RBI single, sending Oakland to a 4-3 victory over Houston in Oakland, California.
“We were looking a spark,” Lowrie said. “I think that’s the type of play that can start something big. We just need to keep that momentum, use that momentum going forward and continue to believe that we can do what we set out to do at the beginning.”
Lowrie, Josh Reddick and Coco Crisp had two hits apiece as Oakland snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Athletics were six games back of the A.L. West-leading Angels coming into the day, but also were on top of the wild-card standings. It marked the ninth victory for Oakland this year in its final at-bat.
Reddick hit a two-run double off Chad Qualls (1-5) before Lowrie drove him in with a single to left. Oakland is hitting .571 (16 for 28) against Qualls this year.
“It’s been happening all year, I’m tired of it,” Qualls said. “Four of my five losses are against them. Four of my five blown saves are against them. I’m over it. There’s pretty much nothing to write.”
Luke Gregerson (4-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.