The Tigers needed their “A” game from their ace to beat the A’s and that’s exactly what they got last night and then some. Detroit is advancing to the American League Championship Series for the second straight year as Justin Verlander pitched a 4-hit shutout to lead the Tigers to a 6-to-0 victory at Oakland in their win or go home Division Series Game Five. Verlander had 11 strikeouts with one walk and got all the run support he needed when Detroit scored twice in the third inning and then broke it open with a four-run seventh. Austin Jackson had two hits, two RBI’s and scored twice for the Tigers.Game One of the best of seven ALCS is scheduled for tomorrow. Detroit will play the winner of the Baltimore Orioles/New York Yankees division series, which will be decided with this evening’s Game Five in New York. If the Yankees prevail, the ALCS begins in New York while a Baltimore victory puts the opener at Comerica Park. Last night, Baltimore got by the Yankees 2-to-1 in 13-innings.

In the National League playoffs yesterday, the Giants beat the Reds 6-to-4 in Cincinnati for a Game Five series winner and San Francisco awaits the survivor of the Cardinals-Nationals series, which comes down to a Game Five tonight after Washington’s 2-to-1 victory over St. Louis.