OAKLAND, Calif. — After a season of ups and downs, constant adjustments and, even questions about whether he could still be that dominant pitcher, Justin Verlander left no doubts he is every bit an ace for the Detroit Tigers.

The AL Central champions rode their star right-hander back to the AL championship series after he pitched another spectacular Game 5 clincher in the division series at Oakland, carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of a 3-0 victory Thursday night.

“Big-game pitcher, that’s something people want to talk about. I just go out there when my team needs me the most,” Verlander said. “That’s what I’ve worked so hard for this year, to be able to get to this point.”

With a 13-12 regular-season record, Verlander had just one victory in his final 10 starts and the Tigers lost in nine of those outings. Nobody is thinking about any of that now that Detroit moved a step closer to a return trip to the World Series.

Miguel Cabrera provided all the offense Verlander needed with one sweet swing, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth against rookie Sonny Gray as Detroit eliminated the A’s again.

“We won the game, that’s all it’s about,” Cabrera said. “We want to win a World Series, man, that’s our goal.”

Joaquin Benoit retired Seth Smith on a fly ball with two on in the ninth to close out the deciding game of the series. The Tigers became the first team to reach the ALCS in three straight years since the New York Yankees reached four years in a row from 1998-2001.

Anibal Sanchez will start Game 1 in Boston on Saturday. The Tigers went 4-3 against the Red Sox this year,