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Friday, Aug. 18 7:05pm ET
Nomo comes off DL in impressive fashion | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Oakland manager Art Howe was thankful for at least one thing after the Athletics played one of their uglier games. "The only good thing about this game is that it's only one game," Howe said after a 10-1 loss to the surging Detroit Tigers on Friday. The loss left the A's just one game ahead of Boston and two up on Cleveland in the AL wild-card race. It followed a three-game sweep of the Indians after Oakland lost two of three to Detroit at home. Oakland had only three hits off three Tigers pitchers, including two in seven innings against starter Hideo Nomo. Five errors gave the Athletics an AL-worst 109 for the season. "As well as we played against Cleveland, we were that bad tonight," Howe said. "Any time you have more errors than hits ..." A's starter Tim Hudson (13-5) was rocked for six runs -- five earned -- and seven hits in just 3 2-3 innings. "He didn't have it," Howe said. "He was behind in the count from the very beginning." Hudson had been 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA in four previous career starts against Detroit, including two this year. But the Tigers were on him from the first inning, when Bobby Higginson hit his 23rd homer for a 1-0 lead. "Tonight his ball was just running a lot out of the zone, and he couldn't throw for strikes," A's catcher Ramon Hernandez said. Rich Becker added a three-run homer in the second, and the Tigers went on to score in every inning they batted except the eighth. Damion Easley added two RBI doubles for the Tigers (59-61), who have won five straight and eight of their last 10 to move within six games of Oakland in the AL wildcard chase. "We've got to get to .500 first," said Becker, who was 3-for-4 and scored three times. "That's a goal, and then you have another goal. We're in the realm of thinking about it." That would've seemed impossible when the Tigers started out 5-17. Nomo (5-10), activated before the game after going on the DL on July 30 because of inflammation in his right hand, struck out eight and walked one for his first win at Comerica Park. "During the DL, I couldn't contribute to the team, but during that span the team kept winning, which made me feel good, too," Nomo said. "The only thing I can imagine and hope is that the team keeps winning and I can feel better and I can pitch the same way." Nomo retired 21 of the 24 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until Ben Grieve's leadoff double in the fifth. He also gave up Grieve's 23rd homer in the seventh. "It didn't surprise me he pitched well. I've seen him pitch well," Tigers manager Phil Garner said. "He only missed two starts. He's been throwing in between. The hand hasn't bothered his breaking ball, so that's probably the reason he pitched so well." Nomo was supported by a 17-hit attack that included three hits each from Easley, Becker, Juan Gonzalez and Brad Ausmus. Game notesHudson has a 10.80 ERA (16 earned runs in 13 1-3 innings) in three August starts. ... The Tigers placed RHP Doug Brocail on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday. Brocail, Detroit's eighth-inning setup man for closer Todd Jones, has been bothered by a bone spur in his right elbow. ... Nomo won consecutive starts for the first time since July 1999 with Milwaukee. ... Oakland has a season-high, six-game road losing streak. .... Gonzalez is batting .488 (20-for-41) in a current 10-game hitting streak. ... The Tigers have scored 81 runs in their last eight games. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Oakland Clubhouse Detroit Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 6 Texas 4
Detroit 10
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