DETROIT — That's a little more like it.
The Tigers flushed away a couple of frustrating losses to the woebegone Oakland Athletics with a thorough 9-0 romp in the series finale Thursday afternoon.
After being held scoreless through the first 17 innings by Oakland pitching, the Tigers vented against lefty Hogan Harris, pounding out eight hits and taking full advantage of four walks to score seven runs in five innings.
It was a big day for center fielder Jake Marisnick. And it comes at a disquieting time for him. The Tigers are expected to activate outfielders Akil Baddoo (Friday) and Riley Greene (Saturday) this weekend. Marisnick was purchased from Triple-A Toledo essentially as a fill-in after Greene injured his left fibula.
It's conceivable that he would be the odd man out, though the Tigers would have to designate him for assignment and hope he both cleared waivers and agreed to sign back on a minor league deal to return.
He's certainly built a case to stay. The 32-year-old has played nearly flawless defense in center field and on Thursday he doubled, homered, scored twice and knocked in a pair of runs.
Three of Harris' walks in the first three innings scored. Javier Báez started the parade with a two-out, two-strike, two-run single in the first inning.
Báez also doubled and scored in the fifth inning and singled and scored in the seventh. Báez came into the game 2 for 42 in 0-2 counts. Two of his hits came in 0-2 counts. He also drew a walk.
Zack Short and Marisnick ripped back-to-back doubles in the fourth, with Marisnick scoring on a single by Matt Vierling. Marisnick's double was a 407-foot missile that hit off the wall in center field.
He wasn't done. Against right-handed reliever Rico Garcia, Marisnick got on top of a 91-mph elevated fastball and drove it into the Tigers' bullpen in left. It was his second home run this season.
Andy Ibanez doubled, walked and scored a run. Kerry Carpenter, making his first start of the series, had two hits including an RBI single.
Last but not least, catcher Eric Haase, who had six hits in his previous 40 at-bats and had struck out twice and hit into a double play Thursday, punched a two-strike RBI single in the seventh.
Tigers starter Michael Lorenzen welcomed the run support, but he didn't need it. In his final start before he represents the Tigers in the All-Star Game in Seattle on Sunday, Lorenzen pitched five scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no walks.
He allowed three singles and erased two of them with a double-play ball. The Tigers were up 7-0 when manager AJ Hinch went to the bullpen.
Relievers Tyler Holton (two innings), Brendan White and Chasen Shreve allowed just one hit over the last four innings.
