Jacob Wilson recorded three hits and two RBIs, Denzel Clarke made a spectacular catch and Mason Miller posted a five-out save to help the Athletics notch a 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday at West Sacramento, Calif.
Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker each had two hits and one RBI to help the Athletics win their second straight game after losing 20 of their previous 21 outings.
Jackson Holliday homered among three hits and Dylan Carlson also went deep for Baltimore, which had a season-best six-game winning streak snapped.
The Athletics pushed across the decisive run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Butler, Wilson and Rooker stroked consecutive one-out singles, with Rooker’s hit plating the run.
The Orioles loaded the bases in the eighth off Tyler Ferguson on a one-out double by Colton Cowser and walks to Gunnar Henderson and Carlson. Miller entered and struck out Heston Kjerstad and Holliday to end the threat.
Miller struck out Adley Rutschman to start the ninth before walking Ramon Laureano. He retired Ryan O’Hearn on a fly to left and Ramon Urias on a comebacker to collect his 13th save.
Baltimore trailed 4-3 and had two on with two outs in the fourth when Jorge Mateo ripped a drive to deep left-center. Clarke sprinted into the gap to catch the ball and slammed into the wall to end the inning. Clarke was replaced before the top of the sixth due to a left shoulder contusion.
The Athletics’ JT Sears (5-5) gave up four runs and four hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (5-6) allowed five runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
The Athletics trailed by three before scoring four times in the bottom of the third inning.
Butler hit a run-scoring double off the glove of Orioles center fielder Cowser, and Wilson followed with a two-run single. Rooker doubled, and Tyler Soderstrom’s infield out scored Wilson to give the Athletics a 4-3 lead.
The Orioles tied it in the fifth when Holliday began the inning with a 430-foot blast to center.
Baltimore grabbed the early lead in the second when Carlson hit a two-out homer to left-center.
The margin was increased to three in the third when Holliday led off with a double and moved around on two fly balls, the second one hit by Laureano.
–Field Level Media
