DETROIT -- Sonny Gray's dominant pitching and Billy Burns' hot bat give the Oakland A's some hope that they can get back in the American League West race.

Gray tossed eight shutout innings, and Burns smacked a three-run triple as the A's handed the Detroit Tigers their sixth consecutive loss, 6-1 Wednesday night at Comerica Park.

Oakland (22-33) remains mired in last place in the division despite winning for the fifth time in the past six games.

"We're not going to win every game, but what we've got to continue to do, if we're going to get back in this thing, is keep winning series," said Gray, who won for the third start in a row. "That's what we've been able to do lately, to win a few series. We'll try to win one more game here tomorrow and go from there."

The A's ace allowed just two hits -- singles by left fielder Yoenis Cespedes and first baseman Miguel Cabrera -- while walking one and striking out seven. All but three of the outs Gray recorded came on strikeouts or ground balls. He held the opponent scoreless for the fourth time this season.

"It was a good outing for sure," he said. "I had a really good fastball tonight, both two- and four-seam, and that was getting a lot of weak contact. That was our goal coming in."

Burns' five-game streak of multi-hit games ended, but the center fielder made his one hit count. His two-out triple in the second gave Gray all the runs he would need.

"He's one of those players who's definitely a sparkplug," Gray said. "You know something's going to happen pretty early. The bases-clearing triple was huge. It was nice to get that and then continue to go out there and attack those guys."

Gray (7-2) lowered his ERA to a major-league-best 1.65.

"There's a lot to say about the confidence of a team when it has something to do with the starting pitcher," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "We feel great about all of our starters, but none more than Sonny."

Right fielder Josh Reddick hit a solo homer, and third baseman Brett Lawrie doubled twice and drove in a run for the A's. Catcher Stephen Vogt added a sacrifice fly.

Cabrera broke up Oakland's shutout bid with an RBI double in the ninth off reliever Fernando Rodriguez. The Tigers (28-26) fell to 2-9 in their past 11 games.

"The effort's there," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "These guys are here early, working their tails off. The guys who are scuffling, they feel awful because they feel like they're not helping their teammates. The effort's there and the talent's there, so you assume over 162 games and six months that it all shines through."

Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez (3-7) allowed four runs on five hits and four walks in seven innings. He gave up at least four earned runs for the fifth time in his past seven home starts.

"He's kind of been hot-cold, hot-cold, but it's not like this was a terrible outing," Ausmus said of Sanchez. "The last time out he gave up two runs in Anaheim (to the Los Angeles Angels) and this time he gave up four in seven innings. This was a decent outing, when your starter goes seven innings."

Sanchez got himself into trouble in the second by walking two batters with a man on and two outs. Burns made him pay when he pulled an inside pitch down the right field line, clearing the bases. Burns swung at the first pitch and is now 14-for-26 (.538) this season when he puts the first pitch in play.

Reddick gave Oakland a 4-0 lead the following inning by pulling his eighth homer just inside the foul line.

The teams wrap up the three-game series Thursday afternoon.

NOTES: A's LHP Drew Pomeranz was activated from the 15-day disabled list, and RHP Arnold Leon was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Pomeranz, who was placed on the DL retroactive to May 19 with a sprained left AC joint, will work out of the bullpen. He has made eight starts, going 2-3