OAKLAND, Calif. -- Its Justin Verlander and Sonny Gray, the encore. These decisive Game 5s sure are becoming familiar for Verlander. Not so much for the Oakland rookie. Just like last October in Oakland, the Tigers have been pushed to a winner-take-all fifth game in their AL division series against the Athletics. And Detroit will have Verlander on the mound again Thursday night after he pitched a four-hit shutout in the 2012 clincher at the Oakland Coliseum. "Well, you dont pretend. Its not just another game," Verlander said after the Tigers evened the series with an 8-6 win Tuesday at Comerica Park. "The season is on the line. It was on the line for us tonight, too. This whole season, the way we battled and played as a team, comes down to one game, may the best team win. You cant treat it just like another game. Its a little bit different. There is more to it." The As will counter with Gray against Verlander a second time after these two put on a pitching show Saturday night at the Coliseum. "Hes a little bit of a bulldog, hes scared of nothing," manager Bob Melvin said, noting Grays experience on the big stage just last week. "Everything that went on in that game factored into it. ... When he came up, we were into the season and a pennant race already and we threw him right into the fire and right away he pitched very well with a lot of confidence and always has that mound presence." Melvin said he doesnt know how he might use, if at all, 18-game winner and Game 1 loser Bartolo Colon, who is "willing to do anything." He hasnt been ruled out as a reliever. "Obviously we had two great options," Melvin said. Verlander dominated in a thrilling pitchers duel with Gray, who matched the ace as each threw zeros but had nothing to show for it in a 1-0 As win. "Im not really sure we liked what we saw, it was pretty good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Gray. "At least weve seen him now." Verlander is riding a 22-inning post-season scoreless streak against the As, and has 33 strikeouts over the past three playoff matchups with Oakland, 11 in each outing. Not that the As are counting. "Hes been beaten before, it can happen again," third baseman Josh Donaldson said. Verlander acknowledged it would have been great to pitch the playoff opener, while also noting 21-game winner Max Scherzer more than earned the nod. Now, Verlander gets the ball for his most meaningful start this year -- to extend the season Thursday night. "We all have a lot of confidence, were playing at home, we know what were up against in Verlander," As shortstop Jed Lowrie said. "Were all prepared for one, winner-take-all scenario." With Scherzer pitching in relief Tuesday, Verlander became the automatic Game 5 choice for manager Jim Leyland. "Thats kind of why we pitched him Game 2 so wed have an option," Leyland said. "We were in a pretty good comfort zone to pitch Verlander if necessary, and it was necessary because we had to win (Tuesday). Were comfortable any time Verlander goes out there." Both clubs chose to use Wednesday as a full day off without on-field workouts after two long flights in four days. Who to start was quite a choice for 2012 AL Manager of the Year Melvin, whose team is trying to avoid having the season end at the hands of Detroit for the third time in as many postseasons -- last year and also a four-game sweep by the Tigers in the 2006 AL championship series. The last time the As won a winner-take-all post-season game was in Game 7 of the 1973 World Series against the New York Mets. Oakland has lost its last five Game 5s in the AL division series since 2000. The AL West champion As know whats at stake -- and realize full well the challenge of facing Verlander again. Last falls frustrating finish is still fresh for everybody. "We feel like this time we have a better chance to turn the tide," Melvin said. "Its awfully tough to go out there each and every time and consistently beat a team in the fashion that he has with us." Verlander has hardly had the kind of dominant season like he had the past two years, including 2011 when he won both AL MVP and Cy Young Award honours. Yet that hardly affected Leylands decision-making as he insisted Verlanders 13-12 record was hardly indicative of how well he pitched much of the season aside from a couple of rough stretches. Oakland rookie Stephen Vogt delivered a walk-off single in Saturdays win once Verlander was out of the game. But he also had a wild 10-pitch at-bat with Verlander in which the left-handed hitting catcher fouled off the first five pitches and seven in all before striking out to end the seventh. "We can expect pretty much what we saw from him the other night. Hopefully he makes a couple mistakes and were able to capitalize," Vogt said. "Its a tough loss but were not done. We still got one more game. Were not done." Neither are those 48,000-plus fans with their swirling yellow rally towels packing the Coliseum. They are sure to be even more hyped up and fiery Thursday night after watching a disputed home run at Comerica Park in Tuesdays loss. On that play, a pair of fans reached out to grab the ball as right fielder Josh Reddick was leaping for it at the wall. The homer went to replay review and stood as a solo shot for Victor Martinez in the seventh. "We just do it like we have been doing it all season long, we end up winning a pretty good ballgame and its over, turn the page," Martinez said. "We go to Oakland now and play another game. We all know its a tough place to play ... we go to the next day and play a brand new ballgame and see what happens." 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The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area.SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- After having his worst game in a Detroit Pistons uniform earlier in the week, free agent Josh Smith erased that memory with his best game Friday night. Smith had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the struggling Pistons, who snapped a four-game skid with a 97-90 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The Pistons built a 10-point advantage after three quarters and their lead remained in double figures for much of the fourth as Detroit won its first road game of the season. Smith also contributed on the defensive end with five steals and four blocks. He was coming off a two-point game in a lopsided loss at Golden State on Tuesday, when the veteran forward made 1 of 6 shots in 19 minutes. Against the Kings, Smith had a fast start at the offensive end and stayed active throughout. He made 6 of 11 shots, hit two 3-pointers, and connected on 7 of 10 free throws. "Thats the way Josh plays. He scored, rebounded and had four blocks," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "Thats the way we need Josh to play. He was spectacular tonight." Smith was active right away, getting five points, but more importantly, five assists in igniting the Pistons running game and building a 27-21 lead after one quarter. Detroit had started slow in its previous two games, especially in the loss to Golden State, which led by 19 points heading into the second quarter. "It was vital to our success to start the tempo early," Smith said. "We knew it would be a loud crowd out there and we wanted to set the tone early." Andre Drummond was also a major factor for Detroit. In a game-long battle with Kings centre DeMarcus Cousins, Drummond fared well, getting 15 points and tieing a career-high with 18 rebounds. Drummond, who teams with Greg Monroe to give Detroit a strong inside game, was active at both ends of the court. He made 7 of 13 shots and had eight offensive rebounds and two steals. Cousins had a strong game as well with 26 points and 13 rebounds. "DeMarcus Cousins is a heck of a player," Drummond said. "I knew what I was getting myself into tonight. Hes one of the best centres in the league, but I think I did a pretty good job against him." Isaiah Thomas had 18 points and seven assists and Greivis Vasquez had 13 points for the Kingss, who have lost six of seven.dddddddddddd Sacramento entered the game averaging the fewest turnovers per game in the NBA, but committed 17 against an aggressive Detroit defence. "You cant win games if you consistently beat yourself," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "This is one of the few games this year that we turned the ball over at a high rate. The worst part about it was they seemed to score on every turnover we committed." Rodney Stuckey scored 16 points for Detroit, which concludes a four-game trip Sunday against the Lakers. Brandon Jennings had 11 points and nine assists, and Kyle Singler added 11 points. A jumper by Stuckey and a basket by Drummond gave the Pistons a 95-82 lead with 3:02 remaining. The Kings, who have a habit of rallying in the fourth quarter and making games close, were unable to put together a significant run in the fourth to the disappointment of a sellout crowd that stayed around until the final seconds. "We didnt focus on (the crowd) and we didnt talk about this being an ESPN game and all that was going on," Cheeks said. The Pistons went ahead by 14 points on a 3 by Smith early in the fourth quarter. Drummond and Smith had seven points apiece in the third quarter and the Pistons scored the final six points of the period to take an 80-70 lead into the fourth. The Pistons outscored the Kings 26-19 in the third. "We gave them too many second chances by giving the ball away and offensive rebounds," said Vasquez, who had eight turnovers. "Weve got to give them credit. They played better at the end and they got the win." NOTES: Inspired by Sacramentos only scheduled nationally televised TV game, a raucous sellout crowd at Sleep Train Arena set a Guinness world record for loudest noise at an indoor arena at 124.5 decibels. ... The Kings had a season-high seven turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 27-21. . Veteran Pistons guard Chauncey Billups missed the game due to a sore knee. He is day to day. Rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made his first start of the season in Billups place. ... Kings reserve forward Patrick Patterson left the game in the opening half with knee contusion and didnt return. . Malone got his first technical of the season in the second quarter for arguing a no-call against Cousins. 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