BALTIMORE (AP) — Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer in the third inning, and the Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 on Saturday.
Aaron Civale (4-1) pitched five scoreless innings for the A's. Shane Baz (1-4) allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings for Baltimore, which lost for the eighth time in 10 games and received boos from the home crowd.
Nick Kurtz doubled twice for the A's and has now reached base in 33 straight games. He led off the first with
a two-base hit and then scored on a single by Shea Langeliers.
Rooker's fifth homer of the season made it 4-0. Then the Orioles left Baz in to face the top of the order a third time in the fifth. Kurtz doubled, stole third without a throw and scored on a sacrifice fly by Langeliers. Baz's outing ended when he was hit with a pitch clock violation for ball four to Rooker.
Baz was Baltimore's big offseason addition to a pitching staff that needed help. The Orioles then signed him to a $68 million, five-year contract that went well beyond what this front office had previously been willing to commit to a pitcher. In eight starts this season, he has a 5.48 ERA.
Baltimore loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, but Civale worked out of the jam against some of the Orioles' most imposing hitters. Adley Rutschman struck out, and Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo hit shallow flyballs.
Pinch-hitter Colton Cowser broke up the shutout with a two-run single in the eighth. Colby Thomas drove in the final run for the A's with a ninth-inning single.
Jacob Wilson of the Athletics unsuccessfully challenged called third strikes in both the second and third innings, meaning the team couldn't call for any more ABS reviews after that.
The A's go for a three-game sweep Sunday with Luis Severino (2-3, 4.15 ERA) on the mound. Chris Bassitt (2-2, 5.91) starts for Baltimore against the franchise he played for from 2015-21.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
