It probably did not help that he flipped off the fans at Comerica Park after the crowd booed him in center field for dropping a pop fly. He was already frustrated, having struck out with two on to end the previous half inning, slamming his batting helmet to the ground. His career worst was 3.04 in 2014.
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Slumping Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera made the evening a misery for Graveman with a solo homer in the first inning and a three-run bomb in the fifth.
“That’s what we told him – he needed at-bats”, said Ausmus, who insisted the reassignment wasn’t influenced by Monday’s outburst.
GAME NOTES -Nick Castellanos tripled to lead off the second inning and scored the first run of the game when Anthony Gose hit into a force play.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus realized the young player messed up.
Mike Pelfrey (0-4) allowed five runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings and remains winless since signing with Detroit this past offseason.
Oakland went in pursuit of Hill this winter after the 36-year-old went 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA in just four starts with Boston after reinventing himself in the independent leagues.
Khris Davis hit a long solo homer in the fourth for Oakland. The ball hit the very top of the brick wall right above the “6” – denoting the retired number of Al Kaline – beyond the flag pole in center field.
Hill allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings, and the Athletics beat the Tigers 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Jake Arrieta brushed off speculation that steroid use has contributed to a spectacular run of 24 consecutive quality starts, a 20-1 record and two no-hitters since last June.
Billy Butler doubled off Verlander in the seventh, but the Detroit right-hander retired him in his first two plate appearances. What Tyler Collins did was wrong and he should absolutely be handed some sort of fine and/or discipline from Major League Baseball for his actions, but this isn’t an unforgivable or evil offense.
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New York Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain, the team announced. Oakland C/OF Matt McBride had his contract selected from Triple-A Nashville and RHP Andrew Triggs was optioned to the same team.
