The Tigers' Ben Malgeri hits a ground ball in the fourth inning against the Athletics on Wednesday in Detroit. (AP photo)

DETROIT — Jake Rogers and Spencer Torkelson homered and the Detroit Tigers won their fourth straight game, beating the Athletics 6-1 on Wednesday night.

Troy Melton (5-1) allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out nine as the Tigers won for the seventh time in eight games.

Jeffrey Springs (3-9) took the loss for the Athletics, who have lost five straight and nine of 10. He gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings to fall to 0-9 in his last 15 starts.

The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the first and Riley Greene gave them the lead with an RBI single before Springs retired the next two batters.

Detroit added to its lead in the second. Rogers, pinch hitting for an injured Dillon Dingler, hit his second homer of the season to make it 3-0.

The Athletics got on the board in the fourth when Tyler Soderstrom scored on Zach McKinstry’s throwing error, but Torkelson’s 15th homer made it 6-1 in the fifth.

Dingler injured

The Tigers All-Star catcher left Wednesday’s game with an injured right hand.

Dingler was hit on the throwing hand, apparently on the thumb, by a foul tip off the bat of Jacob Wilson in the second inning. Dingler stayed in the game after a lengthy consultation with Detroit’s training staff.

But in the bottom of the inning, Rogers pinch hit for Dingler and his two-run homer upped Detroit’s lead.

Dingler entered Wednesday’s game hitting .262 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Athletics All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz left the game also in the second inning due to illness. He was replaced by Jeff McNeil.

Kurtz, last season’s AL rookie of the year with 36 homers, entered the game hitting .271 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs.

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