Zack Gelof delivers as Oakland A’s cruise past Detroit Tigers 7-1

By Dana Gauruder I The Associated Press

DETROIT — Zack Gelof had four hits, including a three-run homer, and drove in four runs to help the Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers 7-1 on Sunday.

Gelof hit an RBI triple in the first and scored on JJ Bleday’s single. He connected for his first homer of the season in the second against Jack Flaherty. He also had two singles.

“For me, it’s just swinging at the right pitches and then not making the situation bigger than it is,” Gelof said. “Just going out there and controlling what I can control and the results take care of themselves.”

Gelof drew three walks and scored three runs in the A’s 4-0 victory on Saturday. Manager Mark Kotsay believed that set up his No. 2 hitter for a big day at the plate.

“We talked pregame about it and really felt like yesterday, his plate discipline, was going to get him going,” Kotsay said. “It was a great result today with all of his at-bats. He’s working in the right direction right now.”

Abraham Toro had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run for Oakland, which collected two wins in the three-game series.

Oakland starter Joe Boyle (1-1) struck out six while pitching five scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Boyle has recorded two of his three career victories against the Tigers.

Riley Greene hit his third homer for Detroit in the eighth inning. Flaherty (0-1) was charged with six runs and nine hits in six innings.

The Tigers were held to one run the last two games of the series after winning their home opener, 5-4, on Friday.

“There’s always frustration when you don’t win a series, when you’re in a position to do it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “They swung the bat a lot better than we did.”

Flaherty made his Tigers debut last weekend, surrendering one run in six innings at the Chicago White Sox. He allowed two runs in his first eight pitches on Sunday.

The A’s made it 6-0 in the fourth when Toro knocked in Ryan Noda with an infield single.

Greene ended the Tigers’ 16-inning scoreless drought with his drive to right-center against Kyle Muller.

Seth Brown drove in Gelof for the Athletics’ final run with a ninth-inning single. Gelof smacked a single to center in his final at-bat and considered trying to stretch it into a double and completing the cycle.

“I thought I had a chance because usually they play me toward right-center,” he said. “I figured it could have been an awesome double, but I have a feeling that (center fielder) Parker (Meadows) had an idea that I needed a double.”

Oakland outfielder Brent Rooker left in the fourth with abdominal soreness.