DETROIT -- A look at how the pitching and offense fared in the

in Game 3 of the AL Division Series:

STARTING PITCHING: C-

Huh? What just happened? This year's American League ERA champion, Anibal Sanchez couldn't pitch past the fifth inning after being tagged for six runs, five earned, and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. It was a head-scratching start made even more puzzling by the fact that he surrendered three home runs Monday after having allowed only 0.45 homers per nine innings in the regular season -- the lowest mark in the AL.

It was a terrible start for Sanchez, who threw 101 pitches, but could only induce 13 total outs, marking his shortest appearance since June 15. Just two of his 29 starts this season were shorter than 4 1/3 innings. Talk about bad timing.

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RELIEF PITCHING: A

There's a good chance that whenever left-handed rookie Jose Alvarez is asked to pitch at any point this postseason, the Tigers likely won't be carrying a lead. That proved true Monday when Alvarez relieved Sanchez in the fifth after Seth Smith belted a two-run homer to give the A's a commanding 6-3 lead. It could've gotten out of hand, but Alvarez quietly stopped the bleeding by tossing three shutout innings of no-hit ball.

It was a excellent outing for Alvarez, who retired his last eight batters and struck out three in relief. Jose Veras also stepped up for Detroit, working 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Making his first postseason appearance, Veras got himself into a jam in the ninth, but recorded back-to-back strikeouts before inducing an inning-ending groundout.

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OFFENSE: D

Offense? What offense? Aside from the three-run fourth inning, the Tigers couldn't muster much against Oakland, managing just two measly singles the final four innings. The Tigers' offense continues to be their biggest concern this postseason after scoring runs in just two of 26 combined innings this series, totaling six runs. A lack of run support has been a crucial issue for the Tigers the past two postseasons as they've scored three or fewer runs in seven straight playoff games.

Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez -- the team's 3-4-5 hitters -- are batting just .250 with a combined two RBIs the past three games. Austin Jackson has arguably had the roughest series, batting .097 with five strikeouts and just one walk in 11 at-bats. It's getting ugly, folks.

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DEFENSE: B-

The Tigers committed their first error this series -- and it was a big one. With runners on first and second, Cabrera couldn't handle a hard-hit grounder with two outs in the third, allowing Coco Crisp to score. If Cabrera had put his body in front of the grounder, it likely would've bounced off his chest and kept the run from scoring. But he didn't square up and the ball bounced off the heel of his glove into left field. It proved to be a costly mistake.

Jhonny Peralta, meanwhile, seemed relatively comfortable in left field. Making his first postseason start in the outfield, Peralta was put to the test early when he had to make a difficult catch with tricky winds at the warning track in the second. In turn, he was promptly greeted to a loud cheer and a small standing ovation. He was also involved in a play at the plate, making an accurate, but relatively weak throw home. He was far from being named a Gold Glover, but he was likely better in left field than most expected.

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