Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Mark Ellis' solo homer in the sixth inning lifted the Oakland Athletics over the Detroit Tigers, 3-2, to finish off a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum.

Mike Piazza ended 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Athletics, who won their second straight to rebound from a four-game skid. Travis Buck went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the win.

Dallas Braden, who had lost three straight starts since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento in mid-July, allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Andrew Brown (1-0) scattered two hits over 1 1/3 frames for his first major league win before Alan Embree tossed a perfect 1 2/3 innings for his 12th save of the season.

Placido Polanco finished 2-for-3 and scored a run for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who after splitting the first four tests of their 11-game trek, proceeded to lose six of their next seven games. Detroit, which entered the contest one game ahead of Cleveland, dropped its fourth straight series.

Ivan Rodriguez, who did not participate in Tuesday's contest after serving a one-game suspension, went 1-for-4 in his return.

Nate Robertson (6-9) failed to rebound from an awful outing Friday in Anaheim, allowing three runs on nine hits with a walk and two strikeouts over six-plus innings.

With the score knotted at two, the A's got the go-ahead run in the sixth on Ellis' homer to left field on a 1-2 pitch with one out.

Detroit plated a run in the first when Magglio Ordonez drew a walk to lead off the game, moved to second on a Mike Hessman flyout, and scored on a Craig Monroe single.

Oakland scored two runs in the third. Buck and Shannon Stewart both doubled before Nick Swisher and Piazza both singled.

The Tigers scored a run in the sixth, as Polanco led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and later scored on an Ordonez single.

Detroit loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, but Curtis Granderson flied out and Embree struck out Monroe to end the inning.