Athletics 12, Tigers 3
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics bombed the Detroit bullpen for nine runs and 11 hits in the sixth and seventh innings Saturday, breaking away from a tie to a 12-3 victory in a battle of fourth-place teams.
Billy Butler, Danny Valencia and Khris Davis homered for Oakland, which had averaged just 2.9 runs in its previous eight games, seven of which they had lost.
After Victor Martinez's two-run homer off A's starter Jesse Hahn (2-2) rallied the Tigers into a 3-3 tie in the top of the sixth, the Oakland offense teed off on Detroit reliever Warwick Saupold (1-1), who hadn't allowed a run in any of his three previous appearances this season.
Valencia got the A's rolling with a leadoff single in the sixth. He was doubled to third by Davis, and both scored on a two-run single to right field by Butler that put Oakland in front for good at 5-3.
Marcus Semien added an RBI double and Jake Smolinski a sacrifice fly to increase the A's lead to 7-3, and Coco Crisp greeted left-hander Kyle Ryan with a run-scoring single, capping a five-run inning.
Hahn didn't take the mound for the top of the seventh, having allowed three runs, five hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out five.
Oakland blew the game wide open against the fourth Tigers pitcher, Alex Wilson, in the bottom of the seventh. Davis provided the big blow with a three-run homer, his 14th home run of the season.
Doubles by Josh Phegley and Smolinsky made it a four-run uprising and a 12-3 lead later in the inning.
Valencia, whose solo homer in the fourth was his seventh of the season, and Phegley had three hits apiece for the A's, who totaled 17 hits. Valencia also scored three times.
Davis and Butler, who opened Oakland's scoring with a solo homer, his first of the season, in the second, contributed three RBIs apiece for the A's, who had been held to five hits in a 4-1 loss in the series opener on Friday night.
Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd, who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day, left a 3-3 game in the sixth.
Boyd allowed six hits and three runs in six innings. He did not talk a batter and struck out seven, including the first four A's he faced.
Martinez and Ian Kinsler had two hits apiece for the Tigers, who totaled just six hits against four A's pitchers.
Kinsler also stole two bases for Detroit, which lost for just the third time in 12 games while falling to 1-1 at the start of a six-game western swing.
NOTES: Tigers manager Brad Ausmus returned to the team after having missed the last two games, one because of the death of his mother, the other because his daughter was graduating from high school. ... In order to create a spot for LHP Matt Boyd on the active roster, the Tigers demoted OF Steven Moya to Triple-A Toledo after Friday's game. ... Boyd started in place of RHP Jordan Zimmerman (strained groin), who will throw a bullpen session Sunday in Oakland to determine if he can make his next start or perhaps have to go on the disabled list. ... Athletics ace RHP Sonny Gray (strained right trapezius) had a bullpen stint before Saturday's game and appears in line to return from the DL when eligible on June 5. ... Oakland RF Josh Reddick (broken left thumb) not only was in uniform (although inactive) on his bobblehead day, but also signed autographs (right-handed) before the game.