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Athletics conclude set with Reds

Jun 26, 2013 - 2:37 PM (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics try to win their fifth straight home game versus a National League opponent on Wednesday when they close out a brief two-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at O.co Coliseum.

Oakland continued its recent mastery of the Senior Circuit on Tuesday, as Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer and was one of six Athletics players to drive in a run in their 7-3 victory.

Seth Smith, Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt each drove in one run for the Athletics, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for only the second time in their last six tries.

"It's always nice to get those big leads," Donaldson said. "It's been one of those things here lately where we get the opportunities and haven't cashed in right away. Tonight the ones we had early in the game we were able to take advantage of.

Oakland is now 6-2 in interleague play this season and has won 15 of its last 20 against the NL.

Tommy Milone allowed all three runs on six hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings, while Pat Neshek (2-1) earned the win after tossing one inning of two-hit shutout ball.

Joey Votto provided a solo homer and Jay Bruce and Shin-Soo Choo also drove in a run for Cincinnati, losers in four of five.

Bronson Arroyo (6-6) was charged for all seven runs on seven hits and lasted just four frames in defeat.

"They just had a great approach against me, to be honest with you," Arroyo said. "I predicate my game on being able to play a mental chess match with guys and beating them to the move first. They just beat me to the punch. They had a nice approach. They did some things I didn't expect them to do.

Since July 1, the A's are a Major League-best 102-60, marking a full season's worth of games, and the Reds are next in line with a 99-64 ledger.

"I don't think it's a coincidence," Donaldson said. "They've got some guys in the lineup that have a pretty good track record, and I feel like we have the same potential that they do, it's just guys who don't have a track record yet."

Getting the call for the A's on Wednesday will be righty A.J. Griffin, who is 0-3 with a 4.02 ERA over his last five starts. Griffin did not get a decision on Thursday in Texas, but pitched well, as he allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 4-3 loss.

"He gave us 100 pitches and put us in a position where we were ahead, so you can't ask for much more," A's manager Bob Melvin said.

The A's have lost the last five times Griffin has started. He is 5-6 on the year with a 3.90 ERA.

Cincinnati will counter with righty Homer Bailey, who is 4-5 with a 3.75 ERA. Bailey did not get a decision on Thursday against Pittsburgh and gave up two runs and struck out eight in six innings of a 5-3 loss.

"I was only pitching with a fastball," Bailey said. "They hit a lot of foul balls, and that drove up the pitch count."

Bailey beat the A's the only other time he faced them.

Oakland and Cincinnati haven't met in a series since the Reds swept a three- game set back in 2010.