Cabrera homers in Detroit Tigers' 8-6 MLB defeat to Oakland Athletics

Three relievers allowed at least one run as Oakland end three-game winning streak of Detroit franchise.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 43rd homer but it was not enough for the Detroit Tigers. Paul Sancya / AP Photo

DETROIT // Miguel Cabrera did his usual thing, coming up with another big homer for the Detroit Tigers. This time, their pitching let them down.

Three relievers allowed at least one run as the Tigers lost 8-6 to the Oakland Athletics in MLB on Monday night, ending a three-game winning streak.

"We just didn't pitch good. I don't know what else to tell you," said Jim Leyland, the Detroit manager. "They were swinging the bats good, and we didn't pitch good. Our pitchers have been terrific, but tonight they got beat. No big deal."

Omar Infante and Victor Martinez also went deep for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who had won six of eight. Martinez went 4 for 5 and Torii Hunter had two hits.

Cabrera hit his 43rd homer, bolstering his pursuit of another Triple Crown, but Daric Barton had a tiebreaking RBI single in Oakland's two-run sixth inning. Coco Crisp went 3 for 6 with a solo homer and is batting .500 (9 for 18) in his last four games.

AJ Griffin (11-9) earned his first win since July 29 despite allowing four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings. The right-hander was 0-2 with a 3.47 ERA in his previous four starts.

"I was just trying to battle and keep the ball down good," Griffin said. "It's good to win, a good battle. It felt like a play-off atmosphere."

Grant Balfour allowed an unearned run in the ninth but held on for his 33rd save.

Cabrera went deep in the fifth, sending a 3-1 slider from Griffin over the wall in right for a two-run shot that tied it at 4. He leads the AL with a .359 batting average and 130 RBIs, but he trailed Baltimore slugger Chris Davis for the home run lead by three.

"Trying to go off the plate, trying to make him chase something," Griffin said. "It was up. If it would have been down, it would have been a better pitch."

Oakland responded in the sixth, jumping all over Jose Alvarez (1-4). Barton, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento earlier in the day, had the last of three consecutive singles to open the inning, driving in Nate Freiman. Crisp added an RBI single.

Alvarez was charged with two runs and Al Alburquerque and Jeremy Bonderman each gave up one after Anibal Sanchez was forced out after throwing 112 pitches in five innings.

"We did a good job of being patient," Crisp said. "I think we got his pitch count pretty good."

Sanchez allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked three.

"They got some hits off tough pitches, but Anibal has been great for us, and this was just one of those days," Martinez said. "Obviously, no one wants to give up hits and no one wants to leave runners on base, but we're playing against a big league team and they are playing just as hard as we are."

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