Justin Verlander hurled six scoreless innings for the Tigers as Detroit downed Oakland, 6-2, on Wednesday evening. A's starter Brett Anderson pitched 2⅓ innings and allowed three runs on three hits and three walks, but he was forced to leave the game in the third inning with a strained right oblique after falling down during his delivery.

Yoenis Cespedes and Stephen Drew each had a pair of hits for the Athletics, with Drew picking up an RBI on his ninth-inning single. Omar Infante opened the scoring for the Tigers with a two-RBI double in the third inning. Teammate Andy Dirks went 3-for-4, while Miguel Cabrera slugged his 41st home run of the season in a 1-for-3 effort.

Reliever Jim Miller gave up a pair of runs on three hits and one walk for the Athletics. The loss cuts Oakland's grip on the second wild card to three games, tying them with Baltimore. The Orioles' game against Seattle is currently in progress. The Tigers are now five games in back of a wild-card spot and within two games of a tie in the AL Central.