Tigers smack double

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics cleanup hitter and American League MVP candidate Frank Thomas came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth last night, with his team down by three runs. It was a Frank Thomas situation, but it was far from a Frank Thomas moment.

Thomas popped out to center field against Tigers closer Todd Jones, who preserved an 8-5 win. Detroit is now up, 2-0, in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, which shifts to the Motor City starting tomorrow.

Thomas was mad at himself for missing an opportunity, upset over what is becoming a poor series for the slugger, who is 0 for 8.

``I wanted that moment," Thomas said. `` [Jones] threw a good cutter and I got up on top of it a little bit. That's what the game is all about right there. It was a nightcap to a horrible night and I just didn't get it done."

Thomas said Detroit pitchers have been throwing him up and in, so he wanted to take the first pitch from Jones. He didn't regret swinging at the pitch he popped up, but regretted not producing.

``It was just an [expletive] night, I guess," Thomas said. ``I have to get going. I had a good opportunity. I love that position. I just wished I'd swung at the first pitch."

Asked whether he is pressing, Thomas said, ``I didn't press at all. Early in the game it was too much [Justin] Verlander. His stuff is overpowering. They have a great staff. We've got to cut down our swings or something. I'm not worried about this because our team has won four in a row before.

``I've been in this league for 16 years and I've had bad nights before. They did their homework on me. They've pitched me all over the zone. They've got the momentum, no doubt about that. But we're capable of doing the same thing at their place."

Verlander seemed to set the tone against Thomas in the slugger's first at-bat, when the rookie threw one high and tight, knocking Thomas off the plate. ``I see that all the time," Thomas said.

Milton Bradley, who batted in front of Thomas, had quite a night with four hits (including two homers), four RBIs, and got on base with an infield hit to load the bases in the ninth.

``He had a great game," said Thomas. ``I wish we could have capitalized on that."

But they didn't.

A's starter Esteban Loaiza was dreadful, lasting six innings and allowing nine hits and seven runs in taking the loss. While Verlander wasn't at his best in yielding seven hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings, he got the win as the Tigers' bullpen kept the A's at bay.

The Tigers got big performances from designated hitter Alexis Gomez, who drove in four runs with a two-run infield single and a two-run homer; Craig Monroe, who knocked in pair of runs and had two hits; Placido Polanco, who had three hits and reached base four times; and Curtis Granderson, who stroked a homer in the ninth.

With several players, managers, and coaches from both teams grieving the death of Cory Lidle, who played in Oakland from 2001-02, the game went on.

Barry Zito and Eric Chavez of the A's were friends of Lidle's, and manager Ken Macha was Art Howe's bench coach when Lidle played here. General manager Billy Beane said, ``Cory's death is a terrible shock to all of us. Our sympathies go out to his wife, Melanie, and their young son, Christopher."

While solo homers by Chavez in the sixth and Bradley in the seventh pulled the A's to within a pair of runs, the Tigers' bullpen (including Fernando Rodney, who struck out the side in the eighth) was able to shut the door and preserve the win.

The Tigers trailed, 1-0, after Bradley's RBI single in the first, but tied it on Monroe's sacrifice fly in the second, after Carlos Guillen doubled and advanced to third on a ground out.

After the A's went up, 3-1, on Bradley's two-run homer to right field in the third, back came the Tigers again, this time with four runs in the fourth for a 5-3 lead.

Loaiza came unglued in the inning, allowing back-to-back singles to Polanco and Magglio Ordonez. After Guillen struck out, Ivan Rodriguez walked to load the bases.

Monroe singled to score Polanco, before Gomez hit a grounder toward the shortstop hole, just out of Chavez's reach, allowing two runs to score. Chavez, who has won five Gold Gloves at third base, probably would have gotten to the ball if he wasn't playing in because of the bases being loaded, but it tipped off the end of his glove. After Brandon Inge's sacrifice fly scored the Tigers' fifth run, the A's were forced to play from behind once more.

``The key moment was the ball that hit between Chavie and [shortstop] Marco Scutaro and we wind up giving up two runs," said Macha. ``Not only that, but the runner goes to third and they get a sacrifice fly. That would have limited them to two runs instead of four."

The A's, who were 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position in Game 1, had an opportunity to draw closer in the fifth, when Verlander appeared to be on the ropes. But the A's allowed Verlander to recover. They had two runners on with one out, and Verlander falling behind, 2 and 0, to Bradley. But Bradley flew to center and Thomas grounded to third to end the threat.

The Tigers' offense seized on the momentum shift as Gomez smacked a two-run homer to right-center with Monroe aboard in the sixth, giving the Tigers a 7-3 lead.

``We've got to kick in gear," Thomas said. ``We can do it. We have to make some adjustments. I have to be better."