Detroit finished off the A’s with a 3-2 win in their own backyard.

It was all Yoenis Cespedes, who paid back his old club with a three-run splash to secure the difference.

Now, get ready for the Tigers’ pitching carousel! Alex Wilson gets the game ball for stepping up as the fifth option to start. Justin Verlander is almost back, but he’s been replaced by Kyle Lobstein since opening day. Kyle is on the DL. Alfredo Simon is wished the best while he attends to his ill-father in the Dominican Republic. That left AAA Toledo’s Kyle Ryan, but he couldn’t fly to the ballpark in time.

Wilson was aware of all of this, and despite not being given the nod ’til gameday mentally prepared himself to start. The Guardian of Detroit (doesn’t he look like Chris Pratt?) went three innings, allowed zero hits, and walked one Athletic, who he promptly picked off of 1st base. Wow.

Kyle Ryan wasn’t bad, either, mowing down an additional three scoreless innings once he finally arrived at the ballpark. He was relieved by Al-Al in the 7th, where we surrendered our first run on a triple.

Another triple in the 8th came courtesy of an uncomfortable-looking Blaine Hardy. That run scored, and he also put the tying run in scoring position. Joba Chamberlain had to come in and get the final outs. “Maybe we’ll give up a run, maybe we won’t.”

Oldschool and I witnessed a successful bunt in the 9th. Low-and-behold, Anthony Gose sent it into no-man’s land to get on base. An ignorant snarf’s opinion was evident in the postgame interview when Red-Face told our young shortstop good thing you got your first major league hit the right way, not on a cheap bunt. To which the kid replied, No, anyway you get a hit is a hit, bunt or whatever. Schooled Foghorn.

Joakim Soria saved another stressful one-runner with the tying run at second base (on consecutive nights). He yellow-hammered the final A to complete the series win in Oakland.