OAKLAND, Calif. - Jarrod Parker was one of the Athletics' top prospects last year, when he went 13-8 and helped Oakland win the AL West title.
Now he's struggling to stay in Oakland's rotation.
Parker failed to make it out of the fourth inning for his second straight start, allowing a career-high eight runs in a 10-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
"He was trying to pound the zone early on with the fastball, and they were just hitting it," A's manager Bob Melvin said of the 24-year-old right-hander. "After what we saw last year, at times it's puzzling when he gets hit because his stuff is so good. He's just giving up a lot of hits."
Austin Jackson had four of them, including a two-run homer. Torii Hunter added two doubles and a triple, and Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs for the Tigers, who had 14 hits and won for the third time in four games.
Parker (0-2), who lost to Detroit in Games 1 and 5 of last year's AL division series, gave up a nine hits in 3 1-3 innings, leaving him with a 10.80 ERA.
The first eight batters in the Tigers batting order had at least one hit, and seven players drove in runs.
"I made a couple of good pitches, and they hit them. And I made a couple of bad pitches and they hit them," Parker said. "I'm just a tick away. I feel fine."
Oakland, which entered the game leading the majors in several offensive categories, struck out 38 times in the three-game series.
Anibal Sanchez overcame a sluggish start to pitch seven innings, winning his second straight outing and giving Detroit's bullpen a needed rest.
Sanchez (2-0) pitched with runners on base in three of the first four innings but limited the damage until finding his rhythm. He allowed one run, three hits and four walks, matching his season high of eight strikeouts.
"He got a little hurried when we had that one long inning and got out of his rhythm a little bit," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He picked it back up and got back in sync. He's pitched very well for us for quite a while now, going back to last year."
Rick Porcello, skipped in the rotation due to Monday's off day, pitched two scoreless innings to complete the three-hitter. Detroit's bullpen, taxed in recent days, was without Octavio Dotel due to an elbow injury.
Derek Norris doubled and drove in the lone run for the A's.
Jackson hit the first of his three singles leading off the game, and Hunter followed with an RBI double over centre fielder Chris Young and scored on Victor Martinez's single off the right-field wall for a 2-0 lead. Jackson doubled the lead in the second with his first home run this season.
Cabrera's two-run single and Prince Fielder's RBI double, which extended his hitting streak to nine games, chased Parker in the fourth. Andy Dirks' run-scoring single off Evan Scribner boosted the lead to 8-0.
Norris hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom half, and Norris ended the inning by throwing a called third strike past Eric Sogard to end the threat.
NOTES: Oakland INF Adam Rosales, on the DL with a strained left intercostal muscle, took batting practice without pain but won't begin a rehab assignment until he can begin turning double plays and making strong throws in the field. ... LHP Tommy Milone (2-0), who starts for the A's against Houston on Monday, has won four straight decisions over seven starts dating to September.
