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A's continue July winning ways, top Orioles

Jul 29, 2012 - 4:23 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run home run and drove in three as the Oakland Athletics took a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the second of three games.

Chris Carter also belted a two-run homer while Jemile Weeks went 3-for-5 with two runs scored for the Athletics, who improved to 18-3 in July. Bartolo Colon (7-8) gave up seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

"He's a toolsy player," A's second baseman Jemile Weeks said of Cespedes. "That's why they paid him what they paid him, and he's showing what he can do. He can hit home runs, he's got speed and he's got a strong arm. He's got five tools and he displayed them all tonight."

Nick Markakis' homer in the ninth was the only run for the Orioles, who have dropped two straight and five of six. Tommy Hunter (4-6) was touched for five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings to drop his second straight start.

"I thought he pitched pretty well out there tonight," said Baltimore manager Buck Showalter about Hunter. "He did a good job locating his pitches, but he made a few bad pitches to the wrong guys and they made him pay for it."

The game was scoreless until the fourth when Weeks led off with a single and, two batter later, Cespedes hit his 14th homer of the season to give Oakland a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, the A's put another run on the board as Kurt Suzuki doubled with one out and Eric Sogard followed with a single for a 3-0 advantage.

Oakland scored again in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead. Seth Smith singled to start the frame and Carter hit his eighth homer of the year, a shot over the left-center field fence with one out.

Cespedes' triple in the eighth plated Weeks, who reached base with a leadoff single, for a 6-1 advantage.

Baltimore had men on base in each inning except for the fifth, but was unable to work any across.

The team stranded runners on third in the sixth and seventh, then left a man on base in the eighth before Markakis prevented the shutout with his ninth homer of the year.

In all, Baltimore stranded 11 men on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Game Notes

Oakland has now taken three of five from Baltimore this season...The A's will look to sweep the series on Sunday with Travis Blackley on the mound while Baltimore will turn to Wei-Yin Chen...Colon improved to 12-8 in 26 games against the Orioles...Hunter fell to 5-1 in 10 games against the A's...Oakland outfielder Josh Reddick sat out the game with an upper back bruise he suffered while crashing into the right-field wall on the final out of Friday's win. He is considered day-to-day...After the game, Baltimore optioned pitcher Miguel Socolovich to Triple-A Norfolk. Socolovich allowed a run on two hits in 2 2/3 innings Saturday.