LDN - Sports

Athletics' Graveman solves Orioles

[August 09, 2016] OAKLAND, Calif. -- The first time Oakland A's right-hander Kendall Graveman faced the Baltimore Orioles this year, he gave up a career-high four home runs and lasted a season-low 2 2/3 innings in a blowout loss on May 8 at Camden Yards.

Graveman came up with a new game plan for the rematch Monday night, and he used it to perfection, pitching seven strong innings in a 3-2 A's victory at the Oakland Coliseum.

"I had a really tough outing last time against them in Baltimore," Graveman said. "That was a lot of fastballs that didn't have much movement, and I knew I had to mix pitches today.

"You look at these guys, a great hitting team, most home runs in the league by a lineup. You just try to keep them in the park."

Graveman (8-7) allowed one run on six hits, struck out four and walked none. He beat the Orioles for the first time in four career starts.

"Kendall was outstanding against arguably one of the toughest lineups," A's catcher Stephen Vogt said. "Didn't make mistakes, stayed down in the zone, mixed all four pitches tonight. I think that was kind of the difference tonight is he kept them off the sinker, got weak contact and groundouts by throwing the cutter and breaking ball and the changeup."

Graveman made his career-high 22nd start and set a career highs for wins. He won for the sixth time in his past nine starts, going 6-1 in that stretch.

Vogt went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in the fourth inning, his ninth blast of the season. He drove in two and scored twice. Billy Butler had two hits and an RBI.

Ryan Madson pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his 23rd save.

Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-9) gave up two runs on six hits over six innings in his second consecutive quality start. He struck out six, walked two and threw 100 pitches. Gausman fell to 0-8 in 12 starts on the road this season.

"I was locked in from the first pitch on," Gausman said. "I had a really good split tonight. I kind of relied on that."

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, who had three home runs in the first three innings Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, hit a solo home run in the eighth inning Monday, his 26th blast of the season.

Adam Jones went 3-for-4 for the Orioles, who fell to 63-48 and into a tie for first in the American League East with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The A's (49-63) ended their three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in 10 games.

Oakland snapped a 1-1 tie with a run in the sixth inning. Vogt worked a leadoff walk, moved to second on Yonder Alonso's two-out single and scored when Butler lined a single to right field.

The A's extended their lead to 3-1 with a run in the seventh when Vogt lined an RBI single with two outs.

[to top of second column]

Baltimore cut the A's lead to 3-2 on Machado's home run off reliever Ryan Dull with two outs in the eighth. Machado, who had two RBIs, launched Dull's 3-2 pitch deep to left-center.

"I don't know if anything surprises me anymore that he does," Gausman said. "He's one of the best in the game. In the last two years, he's really gotten a great idea of what the pitcher's going to throw. You don't see him take very many ugly swings and misses."

The Orioles struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

J.J. Hardy blooped a one-out single to right and moved to second on Jones' single. The Orioles loaded the bases when Hyun Soo Kim's catchable fly ball to right-center dropped between center fielder Coco Crisp and right fielder Danny Valencia.

Machado brought Hardy home with a sacrifice fly that Alonso caught in foul territory after a long run down the right field line.

The A's pulled even in the fourth when Vogt led off with a home run into the right field seats, ending a 16-game homerless streak.

"Today was big for me," Vogt said. "It's been a couple weeks since I've felt like I've really driven a ball or felt comfortable at the plate. I've been a little passive the last couple weeks. After my fist at-bat when I popped up, a 1-0 fastball, I said, 'I don't care what happens, I'm swinging hard. I'm not going to go down soft.'

"So fortunately he made a mistake 1-2 and I was able to drive it out of the yard and kind of give me some confidence. Got that feeling back that I've been searching for."

NOTES: Orioles OF Steve Pearce, who came out of Sunday's game against the White Sox with a right elbow strain and had a cortisone injection, remains day-to-day but showed a lot of improvement Monday, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ... Baltimore LHP T.J. McFarland (left knee inflammation) will pitch two or three innings for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Orioles on Tuesday, Showalter said. ... A's RHP Sonny Gray (strained right forearm), who went on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, had an MRI exam Monday that showed inflammation but no structural damage, A's manager Bob Melvin said. Gray will not need surgery, but it is unclear how long he will be sidelined. ... The A's will recall LHP Ross Detwiler from Triple-A Nashville to start Wednesday against Baltimore. ... RHP Andrew Triggs will start Thursday against the Orioles. He has 18 relief appearances and one start this season for Oakland.

Back to top