Suzuki's 2 Solo Homers Carry A's Past Orioles
OAKLAND (CBS/AP) - Kurt Suzuki hit two solo homers and right fielder David DeJesus cut down pinch-runner Blake Davis at the plate to end the game, helping the Oakland Athletics edge the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Wednesday.
It was the second career multihomer game for Suzuki, who connected in the second and sixth against Alfredo Simon (3-6). Brandon Allen tripled and scored on the same play and also had a sacrifice fly for the A's, who snapped a four-game losing streak Tuesday night and followed that up with another victory for a winning series.
DeJesus flubbed Nick Markakis' RBI single but recovered to make a strong throw to Suzuki, who tagged Davis to deny the Orioles the tying run. It also preserved Andrew Bailey's 15th save after he gave up three hits in the ninth.
The Orioles were going for their first road series win since mid-May and a winning season series with Oakland for the first time since going 8-3 in their 1998 matchups. The A's won this year's meetings 5-4.
Suzuki also hit two home runs on June 3, 2010, at Boston. Seven of Oakland's nine hits went for extra bases.
Adam Jones had a sacrifice fly and Vladimir Guerrero, a familiar Oakland nemesis from his days with the rival Angels, added an RBI double as Baltimore took a quick 2-0 lead in the first.
The A's loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half against Simon. Jemile Weeks led off with a single, Coco Crisp walked and Hideki Matsui hit a bloop single into shallow center. Josh Willingham followed with a two-run double when the ball was misplayed by left fielder Nolan Reimold, and Allen's sacrifice fly made it 3-2.
Allen is quickly becoming a reliable regular since the A's acquired him from Arizona at the trade deadline and called him up from Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. Starting the past five games, he is batting .533 (8 for 15).
Allen keeps doing his part—and then some. He tripled for the second straight day and scored on the third-inning play. Leaping center fielder Adam Jones made an error when Allen's ball came off the wall and bounced over his head. Jones then bobbled the ball trying to pick it up from the ground.
Manager Bob Melvin indicated before the game that Allen will continue to get steady playing time at first base even once Conor Jackson returns. Jackson missed his fourth straight game with a stiff neck.
J.J. Hardy ended an 0-for-18 funk with a first-inning single off Brandon McCarthy to get Baltimore going. But it didn't last as the Orioles gave the runs right back in the bottom of the inning.
Markakis hit a solo homer in the sixth and Josh Bell had an RBI single in the seventh that chased McCarthy. The right-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in six-plus innings.
Fautino De Los Santos and Grant Balfour each pitched a scoreless inning before Bailey survived the rocky ninth.
McCarthy (6-6) was back on the mound after taking a line drive off his right knee in a 9-1 loss to Texas his last time out.
Baltimore won the series opener Monday—the Orioles' seventh time doing so on the road this year—but has gone 1-14 in games after that the last seven times it took the first game.
The Orioles have dropped 16 of their last 20 road games and have lost 10 of their last 12 series finales.
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