Trouble with the curve: Hill confounds hitters

DETROIT — Rich Hill had a few former University of Michigan teammates in the stands Tuesday night, and he put on a show in a 5-1 A’s win over the Tigers.

Hill pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just four singles and striking out eight.

“It goes back to the way [catcher Stephen Vogt] called the game and kept Detroit off balance,” Hill said. “That’s a great lineup, and those guys can do some damage. If you keep getting ahead and get the right mix of pitches, you figure out a way to come out on the other side.”

The Tigers use a bevy of right-handed bats, but A’s manager Bob Melvin said the lefty Hill’s mix of curveballs can make things just as hard on them as lefties. Hill threw 25 of 39 curveballs for strikes and 28 of 43 fastballs, according to BrooksBaseball.net.

“I thought it was his best fastball we’ve seen, and he actually mixed in a few changeups, even got a strikeout with it,” Melvin said. “But it’s his breaking ball that keeps everybody off balance. Even when he throws them back to back, …

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