Crisp, Milone send A's to 10-2 win over Brewers

[June 04, 2013]  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Coco Crisp had a leadoff homer among his four hits and Tommy Milone pitched in at the plate to help the Oakland Athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 on Monday night.

The surging A's have won four consecutive games and 15 of 17 to move a season-high 11 over .500 at 35-24.

Milone (6-5) allowed five hits, struck out four and didn't issue a walk in seven strong innings. He retired his first eight batters before pitcher Marco Estrada blooped a two-out single in the third.

Milone also took advantage of a rare chance to bat in an interleague road game, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

The long ball sparked the A's to a quick 2-0 lead.

Crisp, who reached base five times in six plate appearances, got them started with his 10th career leadoff homer. Brandon Moss belted a solo shot with one out in the second.

Oakland broke it open in the fifth when it sent 11 batters to the plate. A double by Jed Lowrie drove in a run. Josh Donaldson knocked in another with a single off reliever Burke Badenhop, who entered after Estrada left with an injury. Josh Reddick followed with an RBI single.

Milone helped his own cause with a base hit that scored a run for a 6-0 margin. John Jaso added a single, his second of the inning, to drive in two more and push the A's lead to eight runs.

The Brewers put an end to the shutout bid in the fifth when Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer.

Estrada (4-3) lasted four innings, giving up five runs and nine hits. He struck out three and walked one. He departed with a left hamstring strain after giving up the run-scoring double to Lowrie in the fifth. The Brewers said Estrada is day to day.

The A's tacked on two more runs in the seventh to close out the scoring.

Weeks appeared to hit a solo homer off the top of the left-field wall with two outs in the seventh. Umpires initially signaled home run but after a review awarded Weeks a triple. He ended up stranded at third.

Hideki Okajima and Jesse Chavez combined to pitch two innings of scoreless relief for Oakland.

NOTES: The Brewers made a flurry of roster moves before the game. They acquired 3B Juan Francisco from Atlanta for minor league pitcher Thomas Keeling. INF Scooter Gennett was recalled from Triple-A Nashville. INF Alex Gonzalez was released and pitcher Mike Fiers was optioned to Nashville. Gennett made his major league debut as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. ... The game marked the first meeting between the Brewers and A's since a three-game series in Oakland in June 2002. It was the first meeting in Milwaukee since August 1997 when the Brewers were in the American League and played at County Stadium prior to their move to Miller Park. ... The Brewers had won 23 of their last 27 home games. ... Estrada threw 86 pitches.

[Associated Press; By RICH ROVITO]

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