Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - Magglio Ordonez went 3-for-4 and hit a go-ahead two-run homer to make a winner of Tigers starter Justin Verlander, who outdueled Oakland's Dan Haren for a 5-2 victory in the second of a four-game set.

Verlander (12-4) gave up two earned runs on seven hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking three. He was lifted in seventh after allowing back-to-back singles to begin the inning, but the Detroit bullpen retired nine straight to ensure the victory.

After Bobby Seay and Aquilino Lopez combined to relieve Verlander in the seventh, Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect eighth and Todd Jones came on for a one-two-three ninth to record his 31st save.

Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with the win and moved to within a half-game of Cleveland in the AL Central. The Indians lost to the Yankees, 11-2, on Saturday. The Tigers are still just 3-7 in their last ten games and 12-18 since the All-Star break.

Haren (13-4) had a one-run lead and was in line for the win before surrendering a walk to Gary Sheffield and a mammoth two-run home run to Ordonez to start the sixth. For the night, the righthander went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking just one.

The loss was the first since July 6 for Haren, who had won his last three decisions.

Shannon Stewart was 2-for-4 with an RBI single for the Athletics, and designated hitter Jack Cust drove in his eighth run of the series with a third inning hit.

The A's had won two in a row, and are now 6-4 in their last ten games.

The Tigers got out to an early 1-0 lead against Haren when Marcus Thames hit his second homer in as many nights, a one-out solo shot to left in the first.

Oakland answered in the top of the third when Travis Buck and Stewart worked back-to-back walks with one out. After Nick Swisher flew out, Cust came through with a single back up the middle to plate Buck and tie the game.

The A's took the lead in the fifth when Kurt Suzuki led off with a double, and Buck followed with an infield single. Stewart scored Suzuki by looping a soft single into left, just out of the reach of Tigers shortstop Carlos Guillen.

After Verlander escaped a jam in the top of the sixth that was compounded by a mental mistake by third baseman Brandon Inge - he stepped on third for what he mistakenly thought was a force play with a runner on second and two outs - the Tigers regained the lead in the bottom half thanks to Ordonez's homer.

The Detroit bullpen then backed up their starter in the top of the seventh. Stewart and Swisher both singled to start the inning, and Verlander was lifted for the lefthander Seay, who got Cust looking at a curve ball for the first out. Lopez, just recalled from Triple-A Toledo Saturday afternoon, then got Mark Ellis to fly to center and struck out Marco Scutaro to slam the door on Oakland's rally.

The Tigers added some cushion with a pair of runs in the eighth against Oakland reliever Santiago Casilla. Ivan Rodriguez lined a one-out single to right, and moved to third on a groundball single by Sean Casey. Omar Infante then plated Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly to center, and Inge tripled to score Casey.

Game Notes

Ordonez is now 6-for-9 in the series with four RBI...Detroit has had at least one extra base hit in its last 77 games...Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco was a pre-game scratch with a sore thumb; he is still just one game shy of tying the Major League record for consecutive errorless games...Buck has now reached base in eight of eleven plate appearances in the series and has scored four runs...Oakland center fielder Mark Kotsay is currently mired in an 0-for-14 slump...Mike Piazza made his first regular-season appearance in Comerica Park when he pinch-hit and struck out in the eighth.