Athletics 8, Tigers 6: Coco Crisp finished a triple shy of the cycle with two RBIs, two runs scored and some highlight plays in center field as visiting Oakland took the series opener from Detroit.

Daric Barton added two hits and a pair of RBIs and Alberto Callaspo drove in a run among two hits for the Athletics, who remained 2 1/2 games of the Texas Rangers in the American League West and pulled two games clear of the Cleveland Indians in the wild card race.

Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer but Anibal Sanchez was knocked around for four runs on five hits in five innings and Jose Alvarez (1-4) absorbed the loss in relief. Omar Infante added a two-run homer and Victor Martinez had a solo blast for Detroit, which sits 5 1/2 games ahead of the Indians in the Central.

Crisp’s 100th career home run gave Oakland a 3-2 lead in the third and Barton’s RBI single made it a two-run gap in the fourth. The Tigers evened things on one swing in the fifth, when Cabrera took a 3-1 breaking ball from A.J. Griffin (11-9) the opposite way into the stands in right.

Barton sent a single up the middle to score Nate Freiman with the go-ahead run in the sixth and Crisp sent an RBI single to left to make it 6-4. Griffin allowed four runs in five innings and the Oakland bullpen snuffed out a pair of bases-loaded threats in the seventh and eighth before Grant Balfour allowed a run in the ninth en route to his 33rd save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cabrera’s blast gives him 43 on the season, three behind Baltimore’s Chris Davis for the major-league lead. … The Athletics placed RF Josh Reddick (sprained right wrist) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Barton. Oakland also designated RHP Pat Neshek for assignment and recalled RHP Evan Scribner. … Detroit C Alex Avila (concussion) played his second straight rehab game in the field for Triple-A Toledo and went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.