Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Jack Cust's two-out, bases-loaded infield single in the 11th inning plated Kurt Suzuki with the winning run, as the Oakland Athletics outlasted the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, in the middle contest of a three-game set from McAfee Coliseum, a game where the pitching staffs combined to issue an astounding 22 walks.

Daric Barton yanked a single to right off Bobby Seay (0-1) to open the bottom of the 11th, and after Carlos Gonzalez bunted pinch-runner Rajai Davis to second, Freddy Dolsi came on to relieve Seay. Suzuki slapped a grounder to short, but Edgar Renteria flipped to second and retired Davis, who was caught lingering off the bag.

Mark Ellis grounded a single to left, then Dolsi walked Bobby Crosby to load the bases. Cust fell behind 1-2, then grounded a soft chopper to the first base side of the mound that was gloved by Miguel Cabrera. But, Dolsi was slow to cover the bag as Cust beat out the single and Suzuki scored the winning run.

Eric Chavez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer for the A's, who have won three straight after a four-game losing streak. Travis Buck added an RBI single, while Suzuki walked twice and scored a pair of runs.

Chad Gaudin (5-3) allowed three hits in two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Dana Eveland started and lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits while walking seven.

"We threw too many balls and we swung at too many balls," said A's manager Bob Geren. "It wasn't our best baseball but it was good enough. To win on a play at the end of the game like that, you have to be happy."

Placido Polanco went 2-for-6 and drove in a run for the Tigers, who have lost three of four. Cabrera, Carlos Guillen and Curtis Granderson drove in a run apiece, but the Tigers were 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 men on base.

Oakland native Dontrelle Willis made his first start since April 11 and was pulled after allowing two hits and five walks in four shutout innings. Armando Galarraga backed up Willis and was tagged for three runs on just one hit in three frames.

"The walks killed us," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "Their walks burned us. We should have scored 10 runs. We can't make the mistakes we made and win major league games."

Casey Fossum relieved Galarraga to start the home eighth, but was pulled in favor of Zach Miner after a one-out single by Chavez. Miner walked Emil Brown, and Buck followed with a single to left. Chavez tried to score, and while Clete Thomas' throw beat him to the plate, Ivan Rodriguez couldn't hold onto the throw as Chavez scored the tying run.

Barton then looped a fly ball into shallow right-center that seemed destined for no-man's land, but Granderson sprinted and made a spectacular diving catch, then recovered to hold Brown at third. Gonzalez then flew out to left to end the inning.

Huston Street worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to keep the game tied heading into the home half. But, Miner worked around a two-out walk to Crosby -- the 20th of the night -- to send the game to extra frames.

After the Tigers stranded two men in scoring position in the top of the 10th, Marcus Thames gave Detroit a start in the 11th with a leadoff double off Gaudin, then headed to third when Ordonez grounded out. Cabrera struck out, and Gaudin intentionally walked Guillen to try and set up a force play, but Guillen made it to second on a wild pitch. Renteria slapped a sinking liner up the middle, but Crosby dove and made the catch just before the ball hit the dirt.

Eveland walked the bases loaded in the second and Willis did the same in the fourth, but both managed to escape the jams and keep the game scoreless.

"I felt great," Willis said. "It was good to come out and compete, although we did lose. This is a great area, it made me the person I am. It was cool to hear the cheering."

Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth, then headed to third when Ryan Raburn clubbed a double to the corner in right. Granderson then knocked in the game's first run with a groundout to second. Polanco drilled a single through the middle to plate Raburn, and Eveland continued to struggle with his control, walking Thames and Ordonez to load the bases before being pulled.

Brad Ziegler came on in relief, but Cabrera hit a liner to deep right for a sacrifice fly and a 3-0 Detroit lead. Ziegler hit Guillen on the left leg with a breaking ball to load the bases again, but got Renteria to ground out to avoid further damage.

Galarraga relieved Willis in the fifth, but his control wasn't much better. He sandwiched walks to Suzuki and Crosby around a popup by Ellis, but fanned Cust for the second out of the inning. However, Chavez turned on a 1-0 fastball and deposited it over the wall in right for his first homer of the year, tying the game at 3-3.

"It was just a fastball inside," Chavez said. "It's a little exciting for me because my son had good seats close to home plate and I was able to wave to him. For being such an ugly game, there were a lot of pretty plays out there."

Control continued to be a problem for the Oakland pitchers in the seventh, with Alan Embree on in relief. After retiring Polanco to start the inning, Embree loaded the bases with three straight walks to Thames, Ordonez and Cabrera before Guillen grounded an RBI single to left for a 4-3 lead. Embree, though, managed to prevent the Tigers from blowing the game wide open as he got Renteria to ground to Chavez for a rally-killing double play.

The Tigers threatened against Keith Foulke with runners on first and second with one out in the top of the eighth. Polanco then lined a single to center, but Gonzalez nailed pinch-runner Thomas at the plate to preserve the one-run deficit.