Final
Orioles use 26-hit attack to beat Athletics 18-2
Aug 16, 2015 - 9:56 PM BALTIMORE (AP) Four days after failing to muster a single hit over nine innings, the Baltimore Orioles slapped the ball all over Camden Yards against the hapless Oakland Athletics.Adam Jones hit two home runs, Gerardo Parra had five of Baltimore's 26 hits, and the Orioles breezed to an 18-2 victory Sunday.
After winning the first two games of the series with dramatic homers, Baltimore enjoyed a pressure-free blowout at the expense of a free-falling Oakland team that has lost six straight and 16 of 23.
''Just went our way today, a lot of things,'' Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
The 26 hits matched a franchise record, set on Aug. 28, 1980, against the Angels. On Wednesday, Baltimore was no-hit by Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma.
''We came to swing the bats today,'' Jones said.
The Orioles got 10 hits in the fifth inning alone. Homers by Parra and Jones off Kendall Graveman (6-9) helped put Baltimore up 6-1 in the third, and a nine-run fifth erased any lingering suspense.
The A's ran through five pitchers before turning to first baseman Ike Davis, who took the mound for the second time this season. He allowed a single and a walk in a scoreless eighth.
Baltimore will try for a sweep on Monday night. The Orioles haven't swept a four-game series from Oakland since 1987 and have never accomplished the feat in Baltimore.
Facing the Athletics, who own the AL's worst record, has greatly enhanced Baltimore's playoff chances. By going 5-1 against Oakland this month, the Orioles have moved within four games of the Yankees in the AL East and are tied for the second AL wild card, pending the Los Angeles Angels' late game in Kansas City.
''We can control our own destiny,'' Jones said. ''Just go out and win games.''
Eight players had multihit games for the Orioles. Jones went 3 for 4, Parra matched his career high in hits and Caleb Joseph homered and had a career-high four RBIs. Steve Clevenger contributed a career-high four hits, and Manny Machado had three hits and three RBIs.
The beneficiary of the relentless attack was Wei-Yin Chen (7-6), who gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings. The Taiwanese left-hander is 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA in seven career starts against Oakland.
Brett Lawrie homered for the A's, who have dropped 10 of 11 on the road, including a season-high seven straight.
Afterward, manager Bob Melvin gathered his players together behind closed doors. Oakland was not charged with an error, but there were a few plays in which a ball dropped in after the fielders appeared uncertain who was supposed to grab it.
''We had a little meeting,'' Melvin said. ''We haven't had too many of those (lopsided losses). You're going to have some during the course of the season; sometimes it ends up exposing some things that need to be talked about.''
Graveman allowed six runs in 3 1-3 innings in his fifth consecutive losing decision. He was followed by Dan Otero, who yielded eight runs in 1 1-3 innings.
''I take full responsibility for what happened out there today,'' Graveman said.
Oakland trailed 6-2 before Baltimore sent 13 players to the plate in the fifth. The key blows were a two-run single by Henry Urrutia, a two-run double by Machado and a two-run homer by Jones.
''It was more like follow the leader,'' Jones said.
REVERSE ORDER
Having a pitcher face a position player is nothing new, except in the eighth inning Davis ended up pitching to Orioles pitcher Jason Garcia, who had been inserted in the DH spot. Garcia walked on four pitches.
''He wasn't supposed to swing there,'' Showalter said, ''but he put his batting gloves on for the photo op.''
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray will start Monday night after being sidelined since Aug. 7 with back spasms. He won't be limited by a pitch count. ''If that were the case we probably would give it more time,'' Melvin said.
Orioles: C Matt Wieters missed a fourth straight game with a strained right hamstring. If he doesn't show improvement Monday, Wieters could go on the DL, Showalter said.
ON DECK
Athletics: Gray (12-4, 2.06 ERA) has accounted for nearly a fourth of Oakland's 51 wins.
Orioles: Chris Tillman (8-7, 4.66 ERA) enters the series finale having won six straight decisions since May 31.
- OAKLAND: 2
BALTIMORE: 18
Final
Aug 16 4:46 PM - Urrutia infield single to first, Schoop scored, Clevenger to third.
Athletics 2, Orioles 18 Bot 7, 1 OutAug 16 4:19 PM - Henry Urrutia singles to shallow right field. Steve Clevenger to third. Jonathan Schoop scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 18 Bot 7, 1 OutAug 16 4:18 PM - Joseph homered to left on a 0-1 count, Clevenger scored.
Athletics 2, Orioles 17 Bot 6, 2 OutsAug 16 3:50 PM - Caleb Joseph homers to left field. Steve Clevenger scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 17 Bot 6, 2 OutsAug 16 3:50 PM - A.Jones homered to center on a 1-1 count, G.Parra scored.
Athletics 2, Orioles 15 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:28 PM - Adam Jones homers to center field. Gerardo Parra scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 15 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:28 PM - Gerardo Parra doubles to left center field. Manny Machado scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 13 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:24 PM - M.Machado doubled to left, Urrutia scored, Joseph scored.
Athletics 2, Orioles 12 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:22 PM - Manny Machado doubles to left field. Caleb Joseph scores. Henry Urrutia scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 12 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:22 PM - Urrutia singled to center, C.Davis scored, Schoop scored.
Athletics 2, Orioles 10 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:19 PM - Henry Urrutia singles to center field. Jonathan Schoop scores. Chris Davis scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 10 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 16 3:19 PM - Clevenger grounded out, second baseman Lawrie to first baseman Canha, A.Jones scored, C.Davis to third, Schoop to second.
Athletics 2, Orioles 8 Bot 5, 1 OutAug 16 3:17 PM - Steve Clevenger grounds out to second base, Brett Lawrie to Mark Canha. Jonathan Schoop to second. Chris Davis to third. Adam Jones scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 8 Bot 5, 1 OutAug 16 3:17 PM - C.Davis singled to left, G.Parra scored, A.Jones to second.
Athletics 2, Orioles 7 Bot 5, 0 OutsAug 16 3:15 PM - Chris Davis singles to left field. Adam Jones to second. Gerardo Parra scores.
Athletics 2, Orioles 7 Bot 5, 0 OutsAug 16 3:14 PM - Gerardo Parra singles to right field, tagged out at second, Sam Fuld to Mark Canha to Marcus Semien. Manny Machado scores.
Athletics 1, Orioles 5 End 2Aug 16 2:23 PM - Manny Machado doubles to left field. Caleb Joseph scores.
Athletics 1, Orioles 4 Bot 2, 2 OutsAug 16 2:21 PM - Joseph doubled to left, Clevenger scored, Urrutia scored.
Athletics 1, Orioles 3 Bot 2, 2 OutsAug 16 2:18 PM - Caleb Joseph doubles to left field. Henry Urrutia scores. Steve Clevenger scores.
Athletics 1, Orioles 3 Bot 2, 2 OutsAug 16 2:18 PM - Sam Fuld doubles to deep right field. Marcus Semien scores.
Athletics 1, Orioles 1 Top 2, 2 OutsAug 16 2:07 PM
Aug 16 1:38 PM- OAKLAND: 0
BALTIMORE: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Aug 16 1:37 PM
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