Tigers troubles continue after shut-out loss in Oakland

May 26, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Drew Smyly (64) throws to the Oakland Athletics in the first inning of their baseball game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s be honest — the Tigers have been a team tough to watch as of late. Detroit is now 1-7 in their last eight games and have been out scored 34-6 in their last three outings.

The Tigers hoped to get things turned about on Monday against an offensively starved team in the Athletics, who were riding a four-game losing streak themselves. Unfortunately, that’s not how it played out, as the A’s hit five home runs and rode 6 2/3 scoreless innings from Tommy Milone to a 10-0 win over the Detroit before a rare sellout crowd at the O.co Coliseum.

Brandon Moss and Kyle Blanks delivered second-inning solo shots, Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes went back-to-back in the third and Derek Norris added his first career grand slam for Oakland, which scored more than three runs for the first time in seven contests. Tommy Milone (3-3) improved to 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in four all-time starts against the Tigers, yielding four hits and two walks while fanning six.

Victor Martinez singled twice while Miguel Cabrera and Andrew Romine each doubled for Detroit, which managed only five hits and was unable to advance a runner past second base. Drew Smyly (2-3) gave up a career-worst four homers, as many as he allowed in 76 innings last season, and was tagged for a career high-tying six runs on eight hits over five frames as the Tigers lost for the seventh time in eight games.

This marked the first time Tigers pitchers had allowed 10-plus runs in three consecutive games since July 2007, not to mention, in the span of eight hitters, Smyly allowed four home runs.

The Tigers managed to offer up nothing offensively against A’s lefty Tommy Milone, who lasted into the seventh. The A’s won for the first time since Milone’s last start in Tampa Bay and Oakland avoided its first five-game losing streak since last May.

This was a meeting of the teams with the two best records in the American League. With the A’s win, they move back ahead of the Tigers and possess the AL’s best winning percentage. The only team in baseball with a better record is the San Francisco Giants.