Josh Donaldson Provides The Heroics As The A’s Beat The Tigers

It was a match-up between the two best offenses in the American League, the Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. Starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Bartolo Colon turned into a pitcher’s duel.

Colon made one mistake and that was in the third inning when he gave up a three-run home run to Prince Fielder. He ended up giving up eight hits, three runs all earned and struck out five while not giving up a walk. As for Scherzer he went six innings striking out 11 while walking only one, also he gave up five hits and two runs.

The A’s tied the score in the seventh when Coco Crisp came up with a rbi single with two outs off of Drew Smyly. As the game progressed it got more interesting as Yoenis Cespedes appeared to have stolen second base after Brandon Moss swung and missed and struck out.

Home plate umpire Paul Nauert called batter’s interference as the back swing of Moss hit Tigers catcher Alex Avila in the helmet, so Cespedes got returned to first. He was still intent on stealing the base when he got picked off to end the inning and he ended up hurting himself as he may have expected contact with shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

Cespedes ended up rolling a couple of times and hurting his wrists. He did stay in the game for a couple more innings and actually got moved to center field for Crisp who left in the 10th with a strained left groin.

In the 11th Derek Norris pinch hit for Cespedes and Chris Young went from designated hitter to center. Jerry Blevins who relieved Ryan Cook nearly gave up a solo home run to Ramon Santiago in the 12th with two outs. It resulted in a triple.

Blevins wasn’t left in to face Austin Jackson it was Chris Resop who got him to ground out to end the threat. The Tigers went to right-handed reliever Brayan Villarreal in the bottom of the 12th. He got Young to strike out and Josh Donaldson the ended it with an opposite field home run.

With the win the A’s won their ninth straight game.

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