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Davis belts grand slam as Athletics walk all over Orioles

Sep 6, 2008 - 3:39 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Oakland Athletics snapped a four-game skid despite not lifting the bats from their shoulders.

The A's took advantage of some wildness as Rajai Davis capped an eight-run eighth inning with his first career grand slam in an 11-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

Eric Patterson and Ryan Sweeney each drove in a run for Oakland, which drew six walks in the decisive eighth frame.

"It was nice to piece together a real big inning," A's manager Bob Geren said. "The good part about that inning is the plate discipline. Because we swung at strikes only, it really helped us that inning."

Brian Roberts and Lou Montanez each drove in a run for Baltimore, which has lost seven straight.

"I don't have any any answers to be honest with you. I don't have any magic formula. I don't have any catch phrase. I don't have a quick fix," said Orioles manager Dave Trembley, who had the option picked up on his contract prior to the game.

"You have to be able to throw it over the plate. It's that simple."

Oakland held a 3-2 lead entering the eighth. Things quickly got out of control as Jack Hannahan drew a bases-loaded walk off Brian Burres, who was relieved by Kam Mickolio.

Aaron Cunningham, Patterson and Bobby Crosby all drew bases-loaded walks to make it 7-2, and Mickolio was relieved by Randor Bierd. Two batters later, Davis drilled a lined shot that just made it over the left field wall for his third home run of the season.

"I was ready to hit, and I got a good pitch to hit, and was able to square it up and drive it a little bit," Davis said. "It's nice to score some runs and take the pressure off the pitchers. It was fun."

"If you work in this organization long enough, throughout the minor leagues, you will see innings like that," Geren said. "We train our guys to be very disciplined. If pitcher's are having trouble getting the ball over that can happen."

Dallas Braden (5-3) picked up the win by allowing two runs - one earned - and four hits in five innings. The lefthander struck out three and walked one. Braden would have liked to pitch further into the game, but did not feel right.

"My body wasn't responding the way I wanted it to between innings," Braden said. "I just kind of fatigued early. It was kind of weird."

The A's took a 3-2 lead in the sixth when Hannahan drew another bases-loaded walk. But Baltimore tied it in the bottom of the frame when Oscar Salazar drew a one-out walk and Montanez drilled an RBI double to center.

Baltimore rookie Chris Waters (2-2) allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"He did all right. In retrospect, I should have got him out while he was on a high note," Trembley said. "He's going that great, you think he'll continue. But he hit a rough spot and couldn't get out of it. That's baseball."