OAKLAND, Calif. _ A return home failed to alleviate what ails the Oakland Athletics Friday night in a 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers at the Coliseum.
Jim Adduci hit a bases loaded triple in the top of the sixth inning before a crowd of 17,519 to break it open against Athletics starter Andrew Triggs, who up until that inning had given up only a pair of unearned runs.
The Athletics, 2-9 in their last 11 games, managed a single unearned run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Yonder Alonso. Alonso also doubled home a run in the eighth inning.
Michael Fulmer was the winning pitcher for Detroit, scattering eight hits and giving up one earned run with nine strikeout in eight innings to improve to 3-1. Shane Green finished up for the Tigers with a scoreless ninth.
Triggs, who fell to 4-2, struck out Miguel Cabrera to open the sixth before running into trouble.
Victor Martinez doubled to left for his third hit of the game, advancing to third when Justin Upton's comebacker glanced off Triggs' glove for a single. Tyler Collins walked to load the bases, and Adduci followed with his bases-clearing triple into the right field corner.
Liam Hendriks came in with the score 5-0 and retired the side on a pair of strikeouts.
After getting out of a jam in the first inning, Triggs wasn't so lucky in the second, courtesy of a leadoff error by shortstop Adam Rosales.
No. 9 batter Jose Iglesias reached when Rosales couldn't come up with a routine grounder and advanced to second on a single by Andrew Romine.
Triggs struck out Nick Castellanos and retired Cabrera on a liner to center, with Iglesias advancing to third. Romine stole second, and Martinez delivered a seeing-eye ground single to bring home two unearned runs.
Triggs escaped a harrowing first inning in which he gave up singles to Romine, Cabrera and Martinez to load the bases and then went to a 3-1 count on Upton.
Upton unloaded on a near-grand slam that curved foul before Triggs induced a double play grounder to short to end the inning.
_Rajai Davis singled to left with two out in the ninth for his 1,000th career hit.
_Josh Smith, in his debut with the A's, surrendered a pair of runs in the eighth inning on an RBI triple from Iglesias and a sacrifice fly by Castellanos.
_Two infield errors gave the Athletics nine errors in their past nine games. Three of Detroit's runs were unearned.
_Reliever Sean Doolittle was pleased that an MRI showed no structural damage in his left shoulder and is encouraged about an eventual return to the roster.
Doolittle went on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday and will be out much longer after missing 59 games a year ago with a shoulder issue.
"One of the silver linings is it's different than anything I've dealt with before, both in the way it feels and what the MRI showed," Doolittle said before the A's faced the Detroit Tigers at the Coliseum. "
Doolittle said previous shoulder problems have him in tune with his body and that he won't rush to come back.
A's manager Bob Melvin was encouraged and cautiously optimistic.
"There's nothing structurally different from his last MRI," Melvin said. "It's all about he feels good, that's when he starts throwing. Until that's the case, it's just going to be more rest."
_eft-hander Sean Manaea, on the disabled list with shoulder tightness since April 27 after a start in which his velocity dropped into the high 90s, will throw in the bullpen Saturday.
"I've been long-tossing, but this will be my first bullpen since Anaheim and I'm looking forward to it," Manaea said. "Everything looks really good right now. Hopefully tomorrow turns out well and we're able to continue and I'll pitching in a game some time."
If all goes according to plan, that game will probably be in the minor leagues in the form of a rehab start.
"More than anything it's about letting him go out without the pressure of pitching in a big-league game and getting a better feel for how the shoulder feels," Melvin said.
_On the one-year anniversary of the date it was announced Chris Bassitt would undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, the right-handed pitcher was enthused about a rehab start for Class A Stockton.
In an 8-2 win over the San Jose Giants Thursday, Bassitt gave up two hits in a four-inning start with a walk and four strikeouts. Bassitt threw 57 pitches, 35 of them strikes, in facing 14 batters.
"I only threw a fastball and a changeup," Bassitt said. "The fastball was really good, the changeup OK at best ... just getting back out there is the biggest thing."
Bassitt said he topped out at 94 miles per hour and with an average at 91, but isn't focused on increasing velocity at this point in his rehab.
"I don't have that fifth gear that I've had in the past. That will obviously come," Bassitt said. "But I also haven't really stepped on it to say the least. It might be there and I just don't know it. I don't see any point in pushing that by any means. Just get through 60 pitches as efficiently as I can and be smart."
Melvin said Bassitt's next start will be Tuesday in Class AA Nashville.
