OAKLAND – A's right fielder Josh Reddick struck out in six of his first seven plate appearances in the American League Division Series.

In the eighth, he homered to break a 3-3 tie in Game 2. It appeared that might be the difference until the Detroit Tigers rallied to win 5-4.

The A's hit the most home runs in baseball after the All-Star break (112), fueling their drive to the A.L. West title. They also led the majors in strikeouts this season with 1,387.

"If you're going to be aggressive, if you're going to hit home runs, you're going to swing hard," outfielder Jonny Gomes said Monday. "The strikeouts are going to come."

So although the A's have struck out 23 times in two games, they will not rein in their approach in Game 3 today in Oakland. The A's trail 2-0 in the best-of-five series.

"We're going to play what got us here," manager Bob Melvin said.

The A's set a franchise ALDS record by striking out 14 times in Game 1, including 11 against Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander, who led the majors in strikeouts this year.

They were set down eight times in Game 2 by the Tigers' Doug Fister, who set an A.L. record in September by striking out nine batters in a row against Kansas City.

Oakland's 4-5-6 lineup combination of Brandon Moss, Reddick and Josh Donaldson has gone 3 for 21 with 13 strikeouts.

"One thing I pride myself on is even when you're striking out a lot, you have the ability to make adjustments," Moss said. "You can't miss mistakes, because they're going to make them. You have to just wait 'em out."

Hot topic – Tigers manager Jim Leyland weighed in on the smooch that Tigers reliever Al Alburquerque planted on a ball he fielded in Game 2, saying that while he didn't support the gesture, he also didn't feel it was meant to slight the A's.

"No, I don't think it was the right thing to do. I will not try to defend it," Leyland said. "He did it, but it was not an intent in any way to offend the Oakland A's. I can assure you of that."

After fielding a Yoenis Cespedes comebacker with two on and two outs in the top of the ninth, Alburquerque kissed the ball before flipping it to first, ruffling feathers in the A's dugout.

Reactions were mixed in the A's clubhouse Monday.

"There are baseball gods that take care of that kind of stuff," Gomes said pointedly. "Obviously, (Alburquerque) doesn't believe in baseball gods, but I do."

Moss, meanwhile, said he has seen plenty of exuberant displays playing winter ball, "so that stuff has no bearing or effect on me. … It was a big part of the game, and obviously, he's young, and he was excited. It doesn't bother me at all."

Et cetera – The A's announced A.J. Griffin as their potential starter for Game 4 at 6:37 p.m. Wednesday.

• The MLB Network announced that Game 2 between the A's and Tigers was its most-watched game ever with 1.3 million viewers.

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