Click here if you are unable to view this gallery on a mobile device.
DETROIT — For weeks, the A’s have been searching for a way to win on the road.
As it turns out, taking a cross-country flight from Seattle to Detroit during a three-game losing streak for a 1 p.m. series-opening matchup with the Tigers was just the remedy.
The A’s (20-25) exploded offensively with 16 hits and five home runs and Oakland starting pitcher Chris Bassitt gave up just four hits and struck out seven in eight scoreless innings to pick up his second win of the year, a 17-3 thrashing of Detroit (18-24).
Catcher Josh Phegley was 4-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBI, Jurickson Profar hit his first career grand slam and Marcus Semien added a three-run homer in the seventh.
Bassitt and starting Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull each pitched a pair of scoreless innings to start the game before Oakland’s bats came alive.
Matt Chapman kept things scoreless in the second after a one-out triple by Ronny Rodriguez, fielding a dribbler by Josh Harrison and successfully throwing out the Tigers shortstop at home.
Robbie Grossman led off the third with a stand-up triple and scored one pitch later on a single by Phegley to give the A’s a 1-0 lead. A fielder’s choice, walk and an error then loaded the bases, allowing Semien to score from third on a wild pitch to make things 2-0.
Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull then intentionally walked Stephen Piscotty to re-load the bases, paving the way for Profar to clear the bases with a grand slam to right field and give Oakland a 6-0 lead.
The A’s bats went quiet momentarily before once again silencing the Detroit crowd with sixth-inning home runs by Phegley and Matt Olson to give Oakland a 9-0 lead.
One inning later, it was Phegley again making Tigers pitching pay. He knocked home Stephen Piscotty with a two-out double down the third baseline to give the A’s their 10th run of the game. Semien followed that up with a three-run home run to make things 13-0 after the top of the seventh.
Grossman doubled home Ramon Laureano and Piscotty in the eighth. Mark Canha hit a 419-foot home run off Tigers infielder Brandon Dixon, who took the mound in the ninth.
Tigers third baseman Dawel Lugo hit a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning to cut his team’s deficit to 17-3.
