Oakland Athletics’ JP Sears pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
By Dave Hogg
The Associated Press
DETROIT — Ryan Noda had an RBI single in the 10th inning as the MLB-worst Athletics edged the Detroit Tigers 1-0 Tuesday night after being no-hit into the seventh inning.
Jace Peterson bunted pinch-runner Tyler Wade to third to start the 10th. Tyler Horton (0-1) struck out Shea Langeliers for the second out before Noda slapped a single to left — one of just two hits for Oakland in the game — to break the scoreless struggle.
“J.P. (Sears) had a great start for us, and we were just trying to feed off that,” Nola said. “We wanted to reward the pitchers for what they did tonight.”
Shintaro Fujinami (5-7) got the win after striking out the side in the ninth. Trevor May pitched a scoreless 10th for his sixth save.
The Athletics were the last team in baseball to record a shutout.
The Tigers had runners on first and third with one out in the eighth. Lucas Erceg struck out Spencer Torkelson of Petaluma, and after Kerry Carpenter drew a pinch-hit walk to load the bases, Javier Báez took a called third strike, ending the threat.
“I think there were seven at-bats that could have changed the game, and we got two walks,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I hate this loss, because we pitched so well and we had every chance to win the game.”
Fremont’s Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s best starter in 2022, pitched four hitless innings in his first start since Aug. 1 of last season. Skubal, who was raised in Fremont before his family moved to Arizona before he started high school, was sidelined for 10 months with an elbow strain before spending June making five rehab starts split between Class A and Triple-A.
“I’m healthy and it was fun to go out there and compete,” he said. “The goal was to come out of this feeling good and I do.”
Skubal retired the first 11 batters he faced, six on strikeouts, before hitting Brent Rooker with two out in the fourth. Aledmys Diaz grounded into a force at second to end the inning.
“I’ll be honest — I expect Tarik to be a monster every time he goes out there,” Hinch said. “He pitches with so much fire and aggression, and we knew he was excited to be back out there, so it was impressive how well he commanded his pitches. We expect him to be great, though.”
Sears pitched 7 1/3 innings for Oakland, allowing five singles while striking out four.
“That’s probably the best start we’ve had all year,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “He used all his weapons, and kept the ball away from the middle of the plate. He’s a big part of this win.”
The game matched two of the worst offenses in baseball, and both struggled to create run-scoring opportunities.
Detroit had a runner in scoring position with one out in the second, but Sears struck out Eric Haase and got Zack Short to pop out.
The Athletics didn’t get a hit until Langeliers had a clean single to right with two out in the seventh.
Reese Olson replaced Skubal after the fourth and pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only Langeliers’ single.
CATCHER IN, CATCHER OUT
The A’s lost one catcher and added another before the game. Carlos Perez was placed on the injured list with a broken left thumb. Perez, who was hitting .232 with five home runs and 17 RBIs this season, was replaced on the roster by Manny Pina.
Pina, who was acquired from the Braves in the three-team, nine-player deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta in the offseason, made his debut for the A’s. The 36-year-old Pina was activated from the 60-day injured list and served as the designated hitter, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Pina had missed Oakland’s first 86 games after spraining his left wrist in spring training.
Oakland designated relief pitcher Chad Smith (6.75 ERA) for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Pina.
In other moves Tuesday, the A’s recalled shortstop Nick Allen for the third time this season. Allen started and went 0-for-3 to drop his batting average to .190. In a corresponding move, outfielder Conner Capel was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
NICE MOMENT
Miguel Cabrera singled in his first two at-bats against Sears, giving him 3,126 hits for his career. But he lined out to center in his third.
“He told me ‘nice pitch,’ and I just said ‘finally,’” Sears said. “He’s such a great hitter and such a good guy that it is fun to face him.”
RARE HOLIDAY MATCHUP
Tuesday was only the fourth game the Tigers and Athletics have played on Independence Day. They split a doubleheader in Philadelphia in 1903 — the American League’s first season — and the A’s won 2-1 in Oakland in 2006.
UP NEXT
The teams continue their three-game series today with Tigers LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4, 2.13) making his first start since rupturing a pulley in his index finger on May 28. LHP Ken Waldichuk (1-5, 6.78) is scheduled to start for Oakland.